The student news site of La Salle Catholic College Preparatory.

The La Salle Falconer
The student news site of La Salle Catholic College Preparatory.

The La Salle Falconer
The student news site of La Salle Catholic College Preparatory.

The La Salle Falconer
Categories:

Photo Story: Celebrating Cultural Richness, La Salle Hosts Annual AAPI Assembly

Byline photo of Emmett Strackany
Emmett Strackany, Assistant Editor
May 20, 2026

  • La Salle’s AAPI Assembly is one of many cultural celebration assemblies that La Salle hosts throughout the school year, taking place annually in May, which is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

    Emmett Strackany

  • La Salle’s AAPI Assembly is one of many cultural celebration assemblies that La Salle hosts throughout the school year, taking place annually in May, which is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

    Emmett Strackany

  • La Salle’s AAPI Assembly is one of many cultural celebration assemblies that La Salle hosts throughout the school year, taking place annually in May, which is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

    Emmett Strackany

  • La Salle’s AAPI Assembly is one of many cultural celebration assemblies that La Salle hosts throughout the school year, taking place annually in May, which is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

    Eli Batcheller

  • La Salle’s AAPI Assembly is one of many cultural celebration assemblies that La Salle hosts throughout the school year, taking place annually in May, which is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

    Eli Batcheller

  • La Salle’s AAPI Assembly is one of many cultural celebration assemblies that La Salle hosts throughout the school year, taking place annually in May, which is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

    Eli Batcheller

  • La Salle’s AAPI Assembly is one of many cultural celebration assemblies that La Salle hosts throughout the school year, taking place annually in May, which is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

    Eli Batcheller

  • La Salle’s AAPI Assembly is one of many cultural celebration assemblies that La Salle hosts throughout the school year, taking place annually in May, which is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

    Emmett Strackany

  • La Salle’s AAPI Assembly is one of many cultural celebration assemblies that La Salle hosts throughout the school year, taking place annually in May, which is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

    Emmett Strackany
Navigate Left
Navigate Right

To highlight and celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, La Salle students gathered in the gym for the AAPI Club’s annual heritage assembly on Friday, May 15.

The assembly kicked off with a speech from the new Co-Officer of Inclusion, junior Haylee Nguyen, reflecting on her experience being Asian American at La Salle. She spoke in particular about the normalization of racism and the negative impacts those behaviors have on AAPI individuals at La Salle.

After the speech, junior Katie Liu performed the traditional Filipino dance “Binasuan,” balancing three filled cups on her head and hands. 

The assembly then moved to games, featuring a modified version of the traditional Indian game Kho Kho and a challenge where students had to pick up candy with chopsticks while blindfolded. 

More to Discover
More in News
Annual St. La Salle Day Talent Show Spotlights Student Musicians
Annual St. La Salle Day Talent Show Spotlights Student Musicians
The decision to implement the phone ban happened over the summer before the 2025-2026 school year, after Principal Ms. Alanna O’Brien met with other principals in the district pursuing similar policies, looking at related research. “It just seemed like a no-brainer,” she said. Now after a year, staff and students have begun to assess the policy’s impacts.
The Phone Ban’s First Year: Students and Staff Assess Successes, Limitations
Senior Miles Timberlake, whose essay — titled “The People’s Government” — won him a paid trip to D.C., said the chance felt like something long in the making. “I've been waiting for that opportunity to come along,” he said.
“It Kind of Fell Into Place”: Miles Timberlake Earns Essay Scholarship to D.C. Seminar
Students of all grade levels complete a section of the cumulative portfolio every year, leading to a cumulative final product by the end of their high school career, which serves as a way to encapsulate a student's experience at La Salle, Principal Ms. Alanna O'Brien said.
As Seniors Prepare To Present Their Portfolios, Here Are the Top Four Things To Know
Molding Minds Through Collaboration: Ms. Kathleen Jahn’s Teaching Style
Molding Minds Through Collaboration: Ms. Kathleen Jahn’s Teaching Style
With the rise of gas prices, many students have reconsidered their daily travel routines, sacrificing the time they might spend to visit friends or get a cup of coffee in order to conserve money.
Paying Nearly Twice the Price: The Effect of Rising Gas Costs on La Salle Students
More in Photos
After the homily, senior David Sharyan gave advice to each of the classes.
At Annual Founder’s Day Mass, Priest Speaks to the Value of God-Given Sight
Boys and girls tennis conference trophies on display in main hall.
Photos of the Week
Sophomore Lucas Wong and junior Nolan Wong placed third in 5A doubles, while earning the team five points and helping secure the state title during their semifinal match against Corvallis High School on the morning of Saturday, May 23.
Boys Tennis Captures Third Consecutive State Title With Kaiden Harris’ Singles Victory
A vending machine sits outside of the Cafeteria area filled with a variety of food and beverage for students to purchase.
Photos of the Week
The Falcons are currently ranked No. 9 in 5A after advancing their overall record to 18-8 and the league record to 10-5 as they head into their final league match of the season on Friday, May 22, at 5 p.m.
Photo Story: Falcons Softball Celebrate Senior Night Ahead of 5-1 Win
After celebrating Senior Night, the La Salle boys varsity volleyball team beat Hood River Valley High School in three sets.
Photo Story: Boys Volleyball Flies Past Hood River Valley High School in Senior Night Victory
About the Contributor
Emmett Strackany
Emmett Strackany, Assistant Editor
Emmett Strackany, junior, is a proper Portlander. Born and raised on the same three blocks all his life. He loves all seasons here, but his favorite is probably fall. After previously attending Franciscan Montessori Earth School (FMES) for middle school, Emmett came to La Salle with many others from his class. He adored FMES and it had a profound and continuous impact on his life outlook.  At La Salle he greatly enjoys Journalism and it is by far his favorite class. In addition to general writing, Emmett enjoys reading and consuming news articles or listening to the morning news on the radio. Emmett plans to spend a full eight semesters in Journalism, and will be one of the first to do so if he is successful.  Emmett’s hobbies include playing the piano, rock climbing, and of course, writing.  For his college life, he plans to major in Journalism and minor in Theology, then hopefully join the Portland Police Bureau with his sights set on Detective.