API Forward

Eight designers. Sixty-plus models. One explosive night of culture and style.

Join us, Filipino American Northwest Association and FilAm Fest PDX for a night to cap off Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

👠 Islands to Asia: A Runway of Heritage
📆 Saturday, May 30
⏰ 6pm
📍 Shawn Gardner Dancing in Tigard

Featuring: Ania Bridal, Anannya Ankita, Dovi, Faherty Brand, Macy's, Marina Safina, Pilipinas Merchandise Exchange PMX, and Ranel Espaldon Atelier.

Show up and show out — dress to impress or rock your best Islander/Asian wear. This is the runway where heritage meets high fashion. Tickets: www.filamfestpdx.com ✈️🏝️

Special thanks to all of our partners from Filipino American Northwest Association and FilAm Fest PDX for a successful AANHPI Heritage Celebration Food Fest that drew over 100 attendees including Senator Ron Wyden for a celebration of food, heritage, culture, small business and community at The Hoxton, Portland.

Thank you to the amazing local acclaimed chefs from Magna Kusina, Baka Umai and Shandiz Mediterranean Bar And Grill as well as small businesses, Square Munch and Golden Swan Laotian Beef Jerky and the local artists who shared their talents during the event. We can't wait to bring this event back bigger and better next time!

Take risks. Stay open. Be proud of your roots and where you came from. Build bridges.

Those were just a few of the lessons shared by our incredible panel of AANHPI leaders we hosted in honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Special thanks again to the Portland State University School of Business for hosting us.

Huge appreciation to these brilliant minds — spanning business, healthcare, the arts, finance, fashion, and more — for showing us what Power in Unity looks like:

✨ Dean Qing Hu, Portland State University
✨ Dr. Arlene B Strugar, Naturelle WellEarth Foundation
✨ Jhustin Custodio, Portland Revels’ Re‑Rite Musical & Portland Trail Blazers
✨ Phuong Nguyen-Do, OnPoint Community Credit Union
✨ Prasenjit Tito Chowdhury, FashioNXT

Grateful for their wisdom, their stories, and their commitment to building community across differences 🌉

Nearly 70,000 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander residents live in Washington County, Oregon, making it of the most diverse counties in Oregon and home to one of the state’s largest AANHPI communities.

Recently, the County’s Board of Commissioners proclaimed May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Our president, Christian Aniciete, joined his county colleagues Raymi Felts-Damo, Adrienne Bagoyo and Martin Manatt in reading this year’s proclamation 🌺🌉

Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month is in full swing! Don't miss our next event featuring a dynamic group of AANHPI leaders as they share journeys of identity, leadership and advocacy and reflect on this year’s AANHPI Heritage Month theme, “Power in Unity: Strengthening Communities Together.”

Moderated by Christian Aniciete and Anna Lyra Venaglia, this year’s panel will feature distinguished AANHPI leaders:
✨Dean Qing Hu, Portland State University School of Business
✨ Dr. Arlene Strugar, Naturelle WellEarth Foundation,
✨ Jhus Custodio, Re-Rite Musical and Portland Trail Blazers
✨ Phuong Nguyen, OnPoint Community Credit Union
✨ Prasenjit Tito Chowdhury, Fashionxt

Tickets are free for students and sliding scale $5-15 for general admission. Ticket admission includes panel, networking and refreshments. RSVP now:
🎟️ https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aanhpi-heritage-month-celebration-speakers-panel-mixer-tickets-1987032934998?aff=oddtdtcreator

Thank you again for bringing our community together and continuing to be one of our city’s greatest treasures, Lan Su Chinese Garden 🌸🤍

In honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, API Forward was proud to stand alongside community leaders and elected officials at a powerful gathering honoring AANHPI heritage, culture, and community. This year’s theme —“Power in Unity”— was on full display. API Forward President Christian Aniciete and Co-Founder Tracey Lam joined a strong and inspiring presence of AANHPI leaders from across the region.

API Forward extends our gratitude to the many elected officials who continue to champion and support AANHPI communities, including Governor Tina Kotek, Councilor Nadia Hasan, and former gala keynote speaker Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane. Representation matters!

Special thanks to Oregon Rises Above Hate and Lan Su Chinese Garden for creating space for connection — opening the garden to the community and bringing together local nonprofits to share stories, build relationships, and uplift our collective mission.

This is what unity in community looks like 👆