Commemorative Months Divide Us

We claim that we are not Black or White, Straight or gay, Indigenous or Asian, but we are all members of the Human Race. So why do we choose to isolate individual segments of the Race by dedicating entire months to commemorate them? It seems to me that when you isolate rather than assimilate, you are the Racist. You are doing the misdeed that you accuse of so many.

I have to be honest that I had never heard of Asian Pacific Americans until a few months ago. I did not know they had their own “month” until this month. Why is it necessary to celebrate this group of people? Why not the Irish Atlantic Italians of New England? Where is their month? Why are they not worthy.

This created celebration reminds me of the holiday of Festivus dreamt up for an episode of Seinfeld. Festivus was an imaginary alternative to Christmas. A protest of the commercialism of Christmas, complete with its own set of invented traditions. The world does not need Festivus, nor does it need Asian Pacific American month. But we have the latter.

There was an uptick in interest in the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month after the recent mass shooting in Atlanta, Georgia, which was erroneously labeled as an Asian Hate Crime. Many of the women killed were of Asian descent, but it was later disclosed that this was a sex crime. The killer, a sex addict, was killing people involved in massage parlors that offered sex activities to their customers. That was the connection with these women. It had nothing to do with them being Asian. The networks that had been supporting the Asian Hate Crime narrative never retracted their original claims. As we have said, repeat a lie enough times by enough people, and it becomes fact. That seems to be the standard operating procedure of CNN and MSNBC. They have never retracted any of their false stories of the last five years.

So why have all of these month-long celebrations begun? Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Native American Heritage Month, Irish American Heritage Month, and make sure you set aside June, the LGBTQ Pride Month. Various people started these movements to become recognized celebrations. They have all managed to garner the attention of Congress and the sitting President of the day. With so many different ethnic heritages represented in this country or special interest groups, you have set up a situation of discrimination without singling out every possible group.

Ironically, the same people who accept these reasons for celebration are the ones who decided that Columbus Day, a single day to celebrate Italian Heritage, be canceled and renamed Indigenous Peoples Day. There is no logic to these decisions, just appeasement of one group or another.

It is all so hypocritical. The same people who preach unity are the first to jump on a situation that wins kudos from a select group. These are the same folks who scream Racist, Misogynist, or Bigot at the first clue that some group lacks attention or celebration.