Don't forget the "American" in Asian-American

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. I just wish more folks would acknowledge the "American" part.

Don't get me wrong, I love seeing and participating in the celebrations of various Asian cultures and traditions. The thing is, that's all I see, all year long.

Rarely do I ever see events that involve Asians that don't have something to do with the "old country." During my time working for an Asian-American publication, I have countless cultural events that rarely change.

There are only so many lion dances and taiko drum performances I can stand to watch.

I know that these "exotic" performances are appealing to the greater community who don't get to witness them often, but I'm tired of it.

When are we going to have an Asian-American music festival in Colorado? Something that showcases local artists such as Wendy Woo and Dwight Mark, while bringing in some national acts such as the Far*East Movement and Vienna Teng.

When are we going to have an Asian-American film festival? I can see it now: A two-day event featuring newly released indie flicks such as "American Pastime," "Ping Pong Playa" and "Planet B-Boy." At night, there's a documentary on old-school Asian-American cinema stars such as Anna May Wong, James Shigeta and, of course, the San Fran-born Bruce Lee. All this leading up to the closing night showing of "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay."

Where are the events that highlight Asian-American history? How many people know that Wat Misaka broke professional basketball's color barrier in 1947 or that Vincent Chin was brutally murdered in 1982, only to have his attackers be given a slap on the wrist.

Culture and traditions run deep across Asia. While it is important for us to know where our ancestors came from, we need to remember that we have our own culture and history that we are building here.