May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Each year, we take the month of May to recognize the historical and cultural contributions of people of Asian and Pacific Island descent to the United States. The term AAPI covers a wide variety of ethnicities and identities, including people with heritage in East, Southeast, and East Asia as well as the island groups of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are considered to be the fastest growing racial group in the United States. As of the 2020 Census, there were abut 20 million citizens who identify as members of the AAPI community, an estimated 7% of the total population of the U.S. May is chosen for this observation as it commemorates both the immigration of the first Japanese citizens to the United States in May 1843 and the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, which was built with significant contributions from Chinese workers.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made numerous important contributions to American culture and society through work in science, medicine, literature, art, sports, government, politics, and activism. Perhaps the most visible example of these contributions came in 2021 when Kamala Harris become the first Asian American Vice President of the United States. Despite numerous setbacks, misconceptions, and legislative restrictions, AAPI people have a long, important history in the U.S., from early Filipino settlements in the colonial era to immigration in the 1850s during the Gold Rush to the passing of the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act with allowed thousands to come to the United States both to pursue the American Dream and as refugees fleeing war, violence, and hardship.