House Asian Caucus Kicks Off the #ShopAAPIMonth Challenge

BOSTON – Tuesday, May 10, 2022 – The Massachusetts House Asian Caucus announced last week that they will be challenging their colleagues and their communities to shop at local Asian and Asian American-owned businesses this month as part of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The challenge originated last May as Massachusetts began to open back up after local businesses were hit hard due to covid restrictions. The AAPI businesses were among those hardest hit as they saw a decrease in patronage due to xenophobic and racist misinformation surrounding COVID-19 before any government shutdowns mandated closures.

The AAPI community has suffered an increase in anti-Asian racism and violence over the course of the last two years. As a way to boost morale and reinvigorate the economy, the caucus is working to engage communities with their local Asian businesses. As part of the challenge, people can share photos of a local business they visited using the hashtag #ShopAAPIMonth. The caucus is also encouraging people to tag them directly on twitter @asiancaucusma as they will be retweeting participants all month long.

“AAPI businesses are as a diverse as the community itself, ranging from retail to healthcare, and they are continuing to feel the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Representative Tackey Chan. “We can all do our part by patronizing and promoting the AAPI businesses that serve as a large part of the backbone of our local economies.”

“The House of Representatives is proud to join in celebrating the contributions and influence of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community,” said Speaker of the House Ronald J. Mariano. “As part of our effort to emerge from the pandemic as a united front, I encourage all residents of the Commonwealth to join us in showing support for the AAPI community by visiting your local AAPI-owned businesses.”

"Every negative remark our AAPI friends and neighbors have had to endure in recent years has to be drowned out by countless more acts of kindness,” said Senator John F. Keenan. “Being part of a caring community means we rally behind those among us who need support. I will be supporting our local AAPI businesses this AAPI Heritage Month and I urge everyone else to do the same.”

“I encourage my colleagues and neighbors to join in on the #ShopAAPIMonth initiative,” said Representative Bruce Ayers. “Not only is it important to stand in solidarity with the Asian community after the rise of harassment they’ve endured these past couple of years, but by shopping at local businesses it will reinvigorate our local economy.”

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