Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Asian/Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands. There are more than 23 million people of Asian or Pacific Islander descent in the United States.

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month originated with Congress and passed into law in 1992. The month of May was chosen 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.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month – This national page contains resource and events listings contributed by the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

PBS Celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month – A collection of documentaries and programs that celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage. These documentaries celebrate the light and love in our diverse AAPI communities as well as recognize the need to face ugly truths about events of racism, xenophobia, and violence targeted towards AAPI communities. When we are honest about the past, we can begin to heal from the wounds of hate and in doing so, make a better future together.

PBS Asian Americans DocuseriesAsian Americans is a five-hour film series that delivers a bold, fresh perspective on a history that matters today, more than ever. As America becomes more diverse, and more divided, while facing unimaginable challenges, how do we move forward together? Told through intimate and personal lives, the series will cast a new lens on U.S. history and the ongoing role that Asian Americans have played in shaping the nation’s story.

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center – The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center’s page on “Standing Together” contains digital programs on history, art and culture as well as innovative museum experiences.

With a Single Step: Stories in the Making of America – An exhibit at the Museum of Chinese in America in New York City that presents the diverse layers of the Chinese American experience, while examining America’s journey as a nation of immigrants. It interweaves the historical and political context of Chinese immigration to the United States with the personal stories and cultural traces of multiple generations to tie together three main threads: 1) The relationship between China and the United States; and its impact on Chinese Americans. 2) How Chinese Americans have perceived themselves in American society (and been perceived) over time. and 3) The impact of Chinese Americans on American politics, culture, and life.

We Served With Pride Road To The Congressional Gold Medal – A special short film produced in association with the Chinese American Citizen Alliance and Emmy Nominated filmmaker, Montgomery Hom. “We Served With Pride, Road to the Congressional Gold Medal” highlights the accomplishments and history of our Chinese American WWII Veterans and the journey to the Congressional Gold Medal.