Artists and marketers in Westport are closing out Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month with a social media campaign aimed at showing just how diverse the AAPI community can be.

The Buzz CT and local photographer Jerri Graham has been holding photo shoots all week with local Asian Americans for the Connecticut Unites Together campaign.

The campaign comes amid increased discrimination against Asian Americans in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers say the idea is to highlight the many different individuals under the AAPI banner.

"See people in a different light, be a little more aware, because the AAPI community goes beyond your dry cleaner, restaurant owner, nurse -- it's a diverse community. We have a lot to offer, and historically there's a lot of Asian culture here whether some people know it or not. So, we're going to go ahead and educate some people about that as well," said Ria Rueda, of The Buzz CT.

Denise De Castro is a mother of two and food blogger. She says in recent months, even her mother in Brooklyn has felt the threat of violence.

"She's just nervous or even scared. So living in New York close to 40 years, she's never felt this way," De Castro said.

Dominique Pustay is tri-racial. She says "Asian American" doesn't have just one shape, size, or color.

"People, when they look at me, they might not think that I'm Asian, but I really do resonate with my community so much," Pustay said.

Rueda hopes the portraits and testimonials will help people think more about what it means to be AAPI.

"This is what our community is -- it's a mishmash -- and just because you are not of that person's ethnicity does not mean you can't learn or be sensitive to other people's cultures," she said.

The campaign hits Facebook and Instagram Memorial Day weekend.