Governor Ralph Northam proclaimed the month of May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the Commonwealth and launched the inaugural Heritage Month Historical Marker Contest to celebrate the history and achievements of Asian American and Pacific Islander Virginians. Northam says that since the start of tCOVID-19 they have seen an alarming rise in hateful rhetoric and violence against Asian Americans. He added that “as Virginians, and as Americans, we have a shared responsibility to make clear that this is not who we are”.