Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month

At a time when celebrations for Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Week were already in place, former Capitol Hill staffer Jeanie Jew proposed the idea for AAPI Heritage Month in the mid-1970's due to the lack of recognition she saw given to Asian and Pacific Islander Americans.* In 1978, the week starting May 4 was selected as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week in memory of two significant events that happened during that period: the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the U.S. on May 7, 1843; and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1869. In 1990 the commemorative week turned into a month.

Jeanie Jew’s great-grandfather was one of the many people who had come to the U.S. from China to help build the transcontinental railroad, a huge accomplishment for American history. And yet, the United States has a shameful history of targeting Chinese immigrants, and the AAPI community, through discriminatory laws and violence, a history that has continued but is becoming more visible in today’s headlines.

Despite such treatment, AAPI folx have been at the forefront of advancements within the sciences, arts, and social justice while often going uncredited. AAPI Heritage Month aims to make those contributions visible and celebrated.

Below are just a few suggestions on how you can get involved: 

• Watch the recording of Asian Americans United (AAU)’s community talk with Mary Yee: AAU founding member and activist with the group Yellow Seeds 
  • Look for additional AAU-sponsored Community Talks by signing up for their newsletter and consider learning more about their work
• If you like to read, check out these 25 amazing books 
  • Have a YA (young adult) reader in your life? Here are books to look for
• Attend events interesting to you sponsored by the Asia Society
• Stay informed on the Stop AAPI Hate campaign through their latest news and reports
  • You can act by reporting an incident here

*Asian-Pacific encompasses the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Easter Island).