Amid the uncertainty and fear of the past few weeks, I hope this message finds you in good health and hopeful spirits.
As many of us have been sheltering-in, spending time at home with our loved ones, and doing what we can to stop the spread of the novel Coronavirus, I personally have used some of this time to reflect on how the current global health crisis has disrupted all of our lives significantly.
Prior to the Federal Government event gathering mandates, Michigan’s Council of Asian Pacific Americans (CAPA) made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Splendor of the East cultural show in the interest of the health and safety not only of our APA community, but that of the society more broadly. CAPA’s other annual signature events such as our Asian Festival and Leadership Summits have not been canceled but will be postponed with new dates to be announced in the future.
Despite these challenging times, I am deeply moved by the ways in which our CAPA members and partner organizations have risen to this occasion to support our greater community.
From the efforts of Michigan’s Chinese American Coalition and the Vietnamese American Association of Michigan which gathered and delivered thousands of medical protective supplies to hospitals and healthcare facilities all across our state, to individuals and families that have sewed face masks for medical frontliners and delivered food and other items to the elderly and other vulnerable populations, the cooperation and compassion showed by each of you is truly inspiring.
Working together to support our community is incredibly important to slow the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve while helping those affected by the pandemic.
CAPA encourages our members and partner organizations to share by email president@capa-mi.org your uplifting stories of how you are helping those in need so we can spread good news during this time of crisis.
If there is any way that Michigan’s Council of Asian Pacific Americans can aid your efforts, we are here to help.
During these uncertain times we must all be good neighbors and united as a community. We are all in this together. By practicing social distancing and other mandates promulgated by health agencies and the government, we will get through this.
“Hope is important because it makes the present less difficult to bear. Believing tomorrow will be better, we can bear the hardships today.” This quote from Thich Nhat Hanh has given me comfort during these difficult times, and I hope his words do the same for you.
Sincerely,
Ryan Rosario
CAPA President