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Virginia Beach celebrates AAPI Heritage Month

Members of the Asian community in Virginia celebrate AAPI Heritage Month.

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The state of Virginia is a melting pot of culture and people. Recent data show that one in 12 residents in Virginia are immigrants.  Dr. Barbara Blake-Gonzalez of Old Dominion University said the AAPI community forms the largest group of immigrants in Virginia. Most of them are Filipinos, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean. Blake-Gonzales pointed out that AAPIs play a crucial role in the overall socio-economic structure of the state. “We have had some years in Hampton Roads where the international migration, those folks coming into our region, have been high enough to actually minimize the damage of domestic out-migration,” she said. Recently, the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce hosted an event celebrating Asian Heritage Month in Virginia Beach.Its founder Tinh Pham said AAPIs contribute over half of the trillion-dollar spending of consumers in the United States, specifically in Virginia which is home to some 750,000 Asian-American and Pacific Islanders. Data also showed that in every 10 Asians in Virginia, there is one entrepreneur. With nearly 80,000 businesses owned by Asians, hundreds of thousands of employment opportunities were created that in turn, generated $15 billion in revenue. “Asian Pacific Americans, by culture, are excellent in entrepreneurship,” said Pham. “We are determined that we should create more opportunities for those who wish to become entrepreneurs and for those who wish to expand their business.”But large populations come with its own set of challenges. Denise Alcantara, a Filipino-Chinese physician, said AAPI migrants struggle to get proper access to healthcare due to cultural and linguistic barriers. She said healthcare providers, including the government, need to be more holistic in their approach to the needs of the AAPI community.“This means advocating for economic equity,” Alcantara added, “providing linguistically and culturally sensitive care, and fostering community partnerships to bridge gaps in access and education.”Meanwhile, Blake-Gonzalez said Old Dominion University’s Monarch Internship program seeks to address some of the socio-economic needs of the AAPI.This capacitates them and gives them the opportunities they need to move forward by creating awareness and providing support.“Not only do you see this population holding up our domestic migration outflows with a number of people that are leaving,” she said, “but you&#x27;re also seeing this community being a tremendous part of the engine of the Hampton Roads economy.”

Members of the Asian community in Virginia celebrate AAPI Heritage Month.

Virginia Beach celebrates AAPI Heritage Month

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Virginia Beach celebrates AAPI Heritage Month

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Monica Galozo | TFC News Virginia

Published May 30, 2024 07:34 PM PHT

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United States

Virginia

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