【编者按】
5月是美国亚太裔遗产月。北卡三角区最大的报纸《新闻与观察家》（News & Observer）近日在“北卡声音”（NC VOICE）栏目刊发首位华人州议员刘广亚的文章《请去认识您的亚太裔邻居》（Get to know your AAlP neighbors），呼吁主流族群走进亚太裔邻居，更多了解这个未被主流社会重视的群体。
华e生活编译全文如下：
2023年1月11日，北卡罗来纳州的亚裔美国州议员人数从三人增加到五人，Maria Cervania女士和我加入了参议员Jay Chaudhuri、Michael Lee和Mujtaba Mohammed先生。
现在，我们有两位南亚裔美国人，一位华裔美国人，一位台裔美国人和一位菲律宾裔美国人代表着该州增长最快的人口群体之一。作为首批亚裔美国女性当选议员之一，在投票委员会上看到一个亚洲姓氏让我感到谦卑和不敢相信。
根据2020年的人口普查数据，北卡罗来纳州有441,478名亚裔美国人和太平洋岛民，占总人口的4.1%。
五月是亚裔美国人和太平洋岛民（AAIP）遗产月。在我们摆脱疫情的同时，让我们不要忘记COVID期间美国针对亚裔美国人的仇恨犯罪激增，仅在2020年3月至6月间就报告了2100多起反亚裔美国人的仇恨事件，其中包括北卡三角地区的事件。
一位当地华裔美籍医生面对言语攻击，被他正在治疗的病人问为什么他把病毒带到这里。其他亚裔美国人和太平洋岛民的医护人员在冒着生命危险拯救患者的同时遭受了言语和身体攻击。
尽管如此，华裔美国社区在疫情期间展现出了令人难以置信的善良。在2020年春季，我们州在疫情高峰期经历了个人防护装备（PPE）严重短缺的问题。华裔美国社区及相关组织向医院和其他医疗机构捐赠了价值50万美元的PPE。北卡大学教堂山分校的中国留学生及其父母向UNC医院、杜克医院、凯瑞警察局、凯瑞消防队和几个凯瑞的养老院捐赠了10万个医用口罩。
亚裔美国人的故事和贡献往往未被主流媒体所突出。我鼓励您努力认识您的亚裔美国邻居和朋友。这个月和每个月都可以向他们了解他们的文化和传统。
州议员刘广亚，于罗利
Get to know your AAlP neighbors
On Jan.11,2023,the number of Asian-American state legislators increased from three to five in North Carolina when Rep.Maria Cervania and I joined Sens.Jay Chaud-huri,Michael Lee,and Mujtaba Mohammed in the General Assembly.
We now have two South Asian Americans, one Chinese American, one Taiwanese American, and one Filipino American representing one of the fastest-growing demo-graphics in the state. As one of the first Asian American women elected to the legislature, it was humbling and surreal to see an Asian last name on the voting board.
According to the 2020 census, there are 441,478 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders living in North Carolina,4.1% o four total population.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander(AAIP) Heritage Month. As we pull out of the pandemic, let us not forget that hate crimes against Asian Americans surged in the U.S. during COVID with more than 2100 anti-Asian American hate incidents reported between March and June 2020,including incidents in the Triangle area.
A local Chinese American doctor faced verbal attacks and was asked why he brought the virus here by the very patient he was attending. Other AAPI healthcare workers endured verbal and physical attacks while risking their lives to save patients.
Despite all of this, the Chinese American community showed incredible kindness during the pandemic. In spring 2020,oustate experienced a severe shortage of personal protective equipment(PPE) at the peak of the pandemic. The Chinese American community and related organizations donated $500000 worth of PPE to hospitals and other health care facilities. Chinese international students at UNC Chapel Hill and their parents donated 100,000 medical masks to UNC Hospital, Duke Hospital, Cary police, Cary firefighters, and several senior homes in Cary.
Stories and contributions of Asian Americans are not often highlighted by mainstream media. I encourage you to make efforts to get to know your Asian American neighbors and friends. Ask about their cultures and heritage—this month and every month.
Rep. Ya Liu, Raleigh
