At a tree planting ceremony May 24, Asian Americans gathered with UC

At a tree planting ceremony May 24, Asian Americans gathered with UC President Santa J. Ono and his wife Wendy to celebrate their donation of trees to UC’s greenspaces.

University Architect Beth McGrew presided at the tree planting, which featured a ‘Bloodgood’ Japanese Maple. The donation of trees marked Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month and will include additional ‘Stellar’ Dogwood trees to be planted on the lawn along Clifton Avenue on UC’s West Campus in Uptown.

Asian American affinity groups from the Tristate area contributing to the tree project were the Japanese American Citizens League, UC Chapter of the Society of Chinese-American Professors, Japan America Society of Greater Cincinnati, Greater Cincinnati Chinese Music Society Board, Cincinnati Korean American Association, and Asian Indian groups, as well as individual Asian American faculty and administrators at UC. These organizations say they want the donated trees to serve as a reminder that Asian Americans have contributed greatly to American society, despite having faced racial discrimination throughout their history in the United States. The trees also celebrate Asian and Pacific Americans becoming part of mainstream America.