GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Cassandra James Opens Up About Her Asian American Heritage

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a celebration of the history and contributions of the AAPI community to the culture and achievements of the United States. In honor of AAPI Heritage month, GENERAL HOSPITAL asked actress Cassandra James (Terry) to share what it means to her.

“It’s important for everyone to learn about the rich history the AAPI community has in this country,” shared James in the minute-long video posted by the soap to its social media channels. Explaining that she is a Chinese-American woman born in California and raised in Canada, the GH star noted that “my mom is from Hong Kong and her mother is from Shanghai.”

Speaking as an actress of Asian descent, James lamented that the representation of other Asian and Pacific Islander performers in film and television “is still marginal compared to other minorities. And with the heartbreaking rise of AAPI violence,” she added, “it’s essential that Asians and Pacific Islanders feel seen and heard in the stories reflected back to them.

“AAPI oppression is too often left out of the important conversations we’re having about racism in this country,” James continued, “and it’s my wish that more AAPI artists and public figures have a meaningful seat at the table.”

This moving video about AAPI Heritage Month isn’t the first time that GH has put the spotlight on James. In 2019, the trans actress and co-star Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) stood in silence on the set of Charlie’s Pub in honor of GLSEN’s Day of Silence, a movement by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network to highlight the silencing and erasure of LGBTQ+ people at schools across the nation. And James was also featured in a Pride Month video produced by the soap that same year in which she spoke about how important representation is in the LGBTQ community and how proud she was to be playing a trans character on a major television series.

As she signed off on her video about AAPI Heritage Month, James concluded with a heartfelt message spoken in Chinese.. “I wish for all of us to work for peace together,” she said.

You can watch James speak about the importance of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in powerful video below. And continue to watch the actress on GH as she brings visibility to the AAPI community.