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For Immediate Release: Friday, May 9, 2025

Commemoration will highlight AANHPI community members making a difference in Montgomery County


ROCKVILLE, Md., May 9, 2025The Montgomery County Council will commemorate Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month on Tuesday, May 13 at 11:30 a.m. Recognized nationally throughout the month of May, AANHPI Heritage Month acknowledges the roles that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have played in our history and celebrates their ongoing achievements and contributions.

“Our AANHPI community is a vital thread in the fabric of our widely diverse County. The AANHPI population is not monolithic but rather rich in diversity, encompassing a wide range of languages, backgrounds, countries of origin, and needs,” said Council President Kate Stewart. “I am honored to celebrate our AANHPI residents and leaders during Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.”

“As the daughter of a Chinese immigrant and the first member of the AANHPI community to sit on the Montgomery County Council, I am personally a product of the legacy of leadership and resilience of those who came before me. When my parents settled here, the AANHPI community was only four percent of the County. Now, we are over 15 percent, and we are everywhere, from culture and the arts to science and technology, from public service to healthcare, from businesses to nonprofits, and more,” said Councilmember Kristin Mink. “This month, we recognize the challenges overcome and the tremendous contributions made by the wide diversity of our AANHPI community as we work to make our county an ever more welcoming place for people from every part of the world.”

This year’s theme is “A Legacy of Leadership and Resilience.” The commemoration will include a video documenting Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders making a difference in our communities through public safety, community service and entrepreneurship. This year's commemoration will recognize Marc Yamada, Montgomery County Chief of Police, Mayur Mody, Executive Director of American Diversity Group, and Kyaw “Joe” Myint, owner of Mandalay Restaurant & Café.

The Council commemoration will be streaming live on the Council’s Facebook pageYouTube channel and Council website. Residents also will be able to watch live on television on Comcast/RCN channels 996/1056 Verizon channel 30.

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Release ID: 25-156
Media Contact: Mirchaye Sahlu 240-810-2117, Lucia Jimenez 240-777-7832
Categories: Kate Stewart, Kristin Mink