National Asian American and South Pacific Islander Heritage Month, observed every May, is a celebration of the culture, traditions and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.

The month of May was chosen to commemorate the first Japanese immigrant arriving to the United States in May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869, which was mostly laid down by Chinese immigrants.

Like most commemorative months, Asian and South Pacific Islander Heritage Month originated with Congress. In 1977, Rep. Frank Horton (NY) introduced a resolution that would proclaim the first ten days in May as Pacific/Asian American Heritage week. Later that year, Senator Inouye introduced a similar resolution. Neither resolutions passed; however, later in 1978, Rep. Horton proposed in House Joint Resolution 1007 that the President should proclaim a week in May to celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander heritage. This joint resolution was passed by the House and then the Senate and was signed by President Carter on October 5, 1978. During the next decade, presidents passed annual proclamations for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week until 1992 when Congress passed Public Law 102-450 which annually designated May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.

To learn more, please visit the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month website. It hosts a variety of information and resources and is meant to pay tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's history and are instrumental in its future success.

Established in 1963, Older Americans Month (OAM) is celebrated every May. Led by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), OAM is a time for us to acknowledge the contributions and achievements of older Americans, highlight important trends and strengthen our commitment to honoring our older citizens. Every president since Kennedy has issued a formal proclamation during or before the month of May asking that the entire nation pay tribute in some way to older persons in their communities.

When OAM was established in 1963, only 17 million living Americans had reached their 65th birthday. About a third of older Americans lived in poverty and there were few programs to meet their needs. Interest in older Americans and their concerns began to grow. A meeting in April 1963 between President Kennedy and members of the National Council of Senior Citizens led to designating May as Senior Citizens Month, the prelude to Older Americans Month.

Today, OAM is celebrated across the country through ceremonies, events, fairs and other such activities. This year’s theme, Aging Unbound, offers an opportunity to explore a wide range of aging experiences and to promote the importance of enjoying independence and fulfillment by paving our own paths as we age.

For more information, visit the official OAM website, follow ACL on Twitter and Facebook, and join the conversation using #OlderAmericansMonth.

Join MPI-CAC at our Annual Awards Recognition Celebration at Venue West for an out of this world celebration honoring the brightest stars in the MPI Universe.   

A stellar night to honor the contributions of our chapter’s hardest working volunteers and recognize those who are making an impact on the Meetings and Event industry. Featuring passed hors d'oeuvres, plated dinner menu, open bar, entertainment, networking and unparalleled revelry. See you May 17 as we celebrate the shinning stars of MPI.

Register today!

Where:
Ravinia Green Country Club 

Tee Time:
8:30 a.m.

What to Expect:
Breakfast, lunch, networking reception with dinner, drinks, 18 holes of golf and a fantastic good time reuniting with industry friends & colleagues. Don't golf? We've got you covered with our Golf Clinic, courtesy of Topgolf Schaumburg. Learn how to drive, chip and putt from a Golf Pro. 

No golf clubs? We've got you covered there too – rental clubs are available for an additional fee. 

Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks on our truly unprecedented silent auction – coming soon.

*MPI-CAC has secured a discounted room block for any attendees who wish to stay overnight, courtesy of Marriott Lincolnshire.  Please contact info@mpicac.org for more information should you be interested in securing a discounted hotel stay.*

Register today! 

Hello Members and Chapter Leaders,

I hope everyone is having a wonderful spring and is gearing up for an incredible summer ahead!

While our fiscal year is winding down, we do still have two very important events ahead for our chapter. Please join us on Monday, June 5 for our 2023 Golf Classic at the gorgeous Ravinia Green Country Club. Tee time is 8:30 a.m. and we are also hosting a non-golfer clinic at 1:30 p.m. The networking reception is open to all and kicks off at 3 p.m. – don’t miss it! The 2022-2023 Annual Meeting will be hosted virtually this year on Thursday, June 8 at 11:00 a.m. Please join us to hear about the health of the chapter and what we’ve been up to the last 12 months. It’s a great story and shouldn’t be missed, but if you do, we will also be broadcasting it on our YouTube channel.

As always, a sincere and heartfelt thank you to all our members, and a special shout out to our engaged volunteers who work so hard for our chapter. This chapter means so much to so many and our success is a direct result of your work.

Many thanks,

Heather

Congratulations to Kathy Horky of SM Global, McCormick Place – our February 2023 Spotlight Award winner! Recognized for her work on the chapter's MarComm Committee, Kathy has been involved with the chapter since 1998. “I went to a networking event on my own, and Sue Tinnish came up to me and introduced herself. She told me about the Education committee, and I joined. Rose through the ranks and became a Board Member as Director of Education and the VP of Education.” It’s that memory along with the lifelong friends throughout the past 25 years with MPI-CAC that Kathy treasures most. Want to know how you can earn a Spotlight Award? Join one of our committees and volunteer with the chapter! Check out this link to learn how you can get involved!

Congratulations to Chris Grace, CMP – our March 2023 Spotlight Award winner! Recognized for his work on the chapter's MarComm Committee, he joined the newsletter committee when he first moved to Chicago in 2000. While he spent some time away from MPI and meeting planning, coming back to MarComm was a “no brainer” for Chris. As for his favorite MPI memories, Chris has a couple: “I could tease my Marriott friends and remind them of when I was listed in their database as MISS Chris Grace, but I think my fondest MPI memory is having the privilege to know and work with Bill O'Donnell (2005-06 Chapter President). He was the epitome of a great leader, supporter and good friend. I don't know if another name can cause such a quick smile on the old MPI-CAC guard. The world misses you, Bill!” Want to know how you can earn a Spotlight Award? Join one of our committees and volunteer with the chapter! Check out this link to learn how you can get involved!

Congratulations to Marianna Swallow – our April 2023 Spotlight Award winner! Recognized for her work on the chapter's Trivia Night Committee, Marianna is a speaker with MariannaSwallow.com. Choosing a MPI-CAC committee was a somewhat easy task after she learned about what all the committees had to offer. “I very eagerly reached out to the Trivia Night committee because I love trivia,” she said. Want to know how you can earn a Spotlight Award? Join one of our committees and volunteer with the chapter! Check out this link to learn how you can get involved!