May 2023: Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month

Contributor: The I.D.E.A Committee

May is Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. This year's 2023 theme is “Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity.” It is a celebration of the generations of Asians and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) who have enriched America’s history. Asian/Pacific is a rather broad term, encompassing all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia, Micronesia  and Polynesia.

Congress passed a law in 1992 designating the month of May to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.

There are more than 6.7 million U.S.-born Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Today, U.S.-born Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing minority group in the United States. Between 2010 and 2019, the U.S.-born AAPI population increased by more than 1.4 million, or more than 26.5 percent. We celebrate and appreciate the multitude of contributions from the AAPI population!

A Few Interesting Facts:

• Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month was originally a week; it was President Jimmy Carter who signed it into law in 1978 designating a week to celebrate the AAPI community.
• President George H. W. Bush signed a bill in 1990 that extended the week into the full month and President Barack Obama changed the name to Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in 2009.
• Lawmakers chose May because of its historical significance for the AAPI community. It commemorates the immigration of the first Japanese people to the United States.
• Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month was able to exist due to the traction from the civil rights movement in the 70s; they were able to find momentum because of Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month.
• According to the 2020 Census, there are 24 million people in the United States who fall under the umbrella of AAPI
• May was chosen specifically to celebrate AAPI month because the transcontinental railroad was completed May 10th. Chinese immigrants were responsible for the most dangerous and heavy manual labor tasks.
• Asian Pacific American Women served in WWII and were trained as interpreters and translators.

Ways to Celebrate AAPI:

• 22 Ways to Celebrate 2023 Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
• Let’s celebrate: Click this link to learn ways to celebrate Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the classroom
• https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/how-to-celebrate-aapi-heritage-month 
• Explore: How To Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month

Resources to help expand your knowledge:

We encourage you to click the links below to learn about some of the many Asian Pacific American Islander  that changed and improved American Life! 

• Larry Itliong was a Filipino American labor leader who organized West Coast farm workers, starting in the 1930s. He became well-known in the 1960s for teaming with labor leaders Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta to demand farm workers' rights. The five-year strike won better pay and benefits for agricultural workers and led to the eventual formation of the United Farm Workers. 
• Click this link to learn more about LARRY ITLIONG
• Patsy T. Mink was sworn in as the first Asian American woman & woman of color in congress in 1964. Click this LINK to learn more about PATSY T.  MINK
• Wong Tsu helped launch US commercial aviation. Click this LINK to learn more about Wong Tsu
• Mabel Ping-Hua Lee was a 16 year old chinese immigrant who helped lead a 1912 US suffrage march and fought for the voting rights of women. Click this LINK to learn more about MABEL PIN-HUA LEE
• Click this LINK to learn about the Asian American women who fought to make their mark in WWII. They worked as as pilots, translators, guerrilla fighters and more!

Sources: 

https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/how-to-celebrate-aapi-heritage-month 

https://www.history.com/news/asian-american-women-wwii-contributions 

https://www.nyxt.nyc/blog/asian-american-pacific-american-heritage-5-facts/