A Message from Our Leadership
For many Vietnamese Americans, April 30th serves as Remembrance Day as many reflect on the lives that would be changed forever since the end of the Vietnam war in 1975. Every year, it is a solemn reminder of the 58,000 American soldiers, and more than 300,000 South Vietnamese soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty for freedom and democracy in South Vietnam from 1955 to 1975. It also serves as a time to honor the lives of family and friends that were lost during the war.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon which began the start of three waves of Vietnamese refugees coming to the U.S. for a new beginning. Here are some resources if you would like to learn more:
 By Rachel Friederich, HAPPEN member
Join the Hawaiians, Asians, and Pacific Islanders Promoting an Empowerment Network’s (HAPPEN) Business Resource Group for its second annual ANHPI Heritage Month Celebration, a virtual gathering to honor the diverse cultures, stories, and leadership within our communities.
📅 Wednesday, May 21
🕚 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Scan the QR code in the image above or register using this link.
Each May, we recognize American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander, ANHPI Heritage Month—a time to reflect on the significant contributions of ANHPI communities throughout history and today.
This year’s national theme, selected by the Federal Asian Pacific American Council, FAPAC, is A Legacy of Leadership and Resilience. This theme strongly aligns with HAPPEN’s mission to improve lives by increasing ANHPI representation in leadership and general state employment and advocating for policies that promote anti-racism, equity, inclusion, diversity, and belonging in the workplace and to build a culture of inclusion and belonging that gives voice to the Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander experience.
At its heart, this event is about community—and the many ANHPI state employees who embody the legacy of leadership and resilience every day. The celebration will feature several of your fellow coworkers and peers as presenters and storytellers:
- Michaela Doelman, Washington’s Chief Human Resource Officer, will share her reflections on heritage and the joy she finds in the traditional Filipino folk dance Tinikling.
- Kennly Asato, Department of Commerce (COM) and Lynora Hirata, Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), will lead an interactive origami demonstration, inviting participants to connect through shared creativity.
- Dr. Rosie Rimando-Chareunsap, Chancellor of Seattle Colleges, will share her inspiring leadership journey and ANHPI heritage.
- We’ve got a speaker lined up who will highlight critical work being done to uphold equity, inclusion, and belonging in Washington, especially in times when pro-equity efforts are facing pushback at the federal level.
- Supriya Sukasi (Department of Revenue) has put together a fun, interactive game of Jeopardy to test your AANHPI knowledge.
Whether you are part of an ANHPI community, an ally, or simply interested in learning more, this celebration is a space for everyone. Together, we’ll reflect on how we can support one another, celebrate our cultural roots, and shape the future of leadership in our workplaces and beyond.
We hope you’ll join us in honoring the legacy we are all creating.
Sincerely,
Rachel Friederich, Jim Mendoza, Denise Ross, and Supriya Sukasi
HAPPEN ANHPI Heritage month celebration planning committee
Download one of these virtual backgrounds:
 Nominations are open through April 30 for the following positions:
- 2 Co-Chairs
- Communications Coordinator
- Leadership Development
- Policy
Nominate yourself or someone you know today!
Leadership Development Update
The next meeting for the Leadership Development Program will be held on May 28, due to the HAPPEN ANHPI Heritage Month celebration.
Lynora Hirata, HAPPEN Leadership Development Lead, apologizes to all trying to attend the Leadership/Career Development Series on April 16 as there was a Zoom Outage affecting all Zoom users.
Brian Lock, Contract and Finance Specialist for the Department of Health, and HAPPEN Policy Lead, has graciously committed to present on May 28. Brian will be sharing his lived narrative of lengthy service within and outside government. Brian’s insights on networking and what can be the increment building blocks for impactful change as ANHPI is unique to the work – so please join us on May 28 from 1:00 - 2:00 pm.
Cultural Events & Activities
The following are some activities you may want to check out HAPPENing:
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Friends of Little Sài Gòn is hosting the following "Sàigòn to Seattle" events
- Exhibits and Neighborhood Tours at Seattle’s Wing Luke Museum
- “Thanh Tan: We Were Soldiers, Too” – Through June 14 at The Little Saigon Creative
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Globally renowned artist and activist Ai Weiwei presents exhibitions at the Seattle Art Muesum and Seattle Asian Art Museum
- “Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei” at Seattle Art Museum – Through Sept. 7, 2025
- “Ai Weiei: Water Lillies” at Seattle Asian Art Museum – Through March 15, 2026
- Asian Arts and Heritage Festival at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art - Events throughout May with a culminating celebration on Saturday, May 31 at the Bainbridge Filipino American Community Hall.
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Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration at Seattle Center – Saturday, May 3.
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Viet Thanh Nguyen with Shawn Wong at Seattle Public Library – Wednesday, May 7: Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen will discuss his new book, “To Save and to Destroy,” with fellow author and scholar Shawn Wong.
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SAM Talks: Asia Society Seattle Series – Thursday, May 15: Explore the intersections of art and music in conversation with celebrated visual artist Zheng Chongbin and Asian Hall of Fame musician Daniel Pak.
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Selected works from “Saigon to Seattle: Our Past, Our Present, Our Future” at The Little Saigon Creative – June 21 – Sept. 20
Have Something to Share?
We try our best to curate meaningful and relevant content, opportunities, news, etc., we think will be of interest for our members and allies. Representing over 100 countries and more than 50 communities makes it difficult to stay apprised of everything HAPPENing related to our collective community. We greatly appreciate when opportunities are shared from our members.
This is your bulletin. Feel free to send articles, resources, event information, etc., to be included in future bulletins, and eventually, our website and social media.
Process:
- Submit items by emailing them to HAPPEN@ofm.wa.gov by Thursday morning for the following week's bulletin.
- Time sensitive items submitted will be reviewed and included in the next bulletin.
- Non-time sensitive submissions will be added to the list to be included in future bulletins when we may be looking for content to share.
- Bulletins will usually be distributed on Mondays. Special bulletins will be sent only as needed to provide an update on something already shared or of an urgent nature.
Thank you in advance for sharing, uplifting, and elevating our voices, culture, and opportunities! This is what community looks like.
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