Hundreds gather at city hall for Milwaukee's first official 'Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month' kick-off celebration

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Friday is May 1, which means it is also the start of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

To celebrate, hundreds headed down to city hall for Milwaukee's first official AAPI Heritage Month kick-off.

The event, which was hosted by Milwaukee's AAPI Employee Resource Group (ERG), featured live taiko drumming, other dance performances, and traditional food and drink. 

"I'm so happy that the community came together, I'm internally grateful right now and I'm just beaming with gratefulness," said AAPI ERG Executive Sponsor Nuducha Yang Jackson. 

Several city officials also made appearances, with Milwaukee's Mayor Cavalier Johnson delivering an official proclamation that May is AAPI Heritage Month.

"Congratulations everybody!" Mayor Johnson said, amid loud applause.

Multiple prominent members of the local AAPI community were also honored with awards of recognition. 

The goal of the event was to recognize and uplift AAPI heritage and to also honor the contributions and history of AAPI Milwaukeeans and Wisconsinites. 

"It's okay to be extra, it's okay to be loud. It's truly okay to be who you are. You can be Asian, and you can be American," Yang Jackson said. "To just know that diversity is a pillar of the city of Milwaukee, it is a pillar of our country, and to just really indulge in that... and I think this event really truly was able to bring all the communities together and just be in the space together."

Organizers said they hope celebrations will continue not just throughout the month, but the entire year.