Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebrates AAPI in the United States. In 1992, Congress passed Public Law 102-450 (PDF, 285kb) which annually designated May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. The month of May denotes several events in AAPI history, including the immigration of the first Japanese people to the United States 7 May 1843. The AAPI communities have roots that span the globe, their success stories are uniquely American. Generations of AAPI have helped develop and defend the United States, often in the face of tremendous racial and cultural prejudice. Many AAPIs have played an integral role to help shape and defend this nation.
The American story as we know it would be impossible without the strength, contributions, and legacies of people with ancestral roots in Asia and the islands of the Pacific who have helped build and unite this country in each successive generation. In 1992, May was designated AAPIHM. The month of May was selected in recognition of the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in the United States on 7 May 1843, and the significant contributions of Chinese pioneers to the completion of North America's transcontinental railroad on 10 May 1869.
Related Links:
AAPI Resource Center: FAPAC - AAPI Resources
AAPI Facts: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: May 2024 (census.gov)
Asian American Government Executives Network (AAGEN): AAGEN - Home
Asian Pacific Americans Veterans History Project: Experiencing War: Asian Pacific Americans - Going for Broke (Stories from the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress) (loc.gov)
Asian Pacific Heritage.gov: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2024 (asianpacificheritage.gov)