Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week was created by a joint congressional resolution in 1978. May coincides with milestones in Asian/Pacific American history, the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants May 7, 1843, and the contribution of Chinese immigrants to the transcontinental railroad completed May 10, 1869.
In 1990, Congress expanded the observance from a week to a month. In 1992, May was designated as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month under the George H. W. Bush administration with the passing of Public Law 102-540. In 2009, Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month was renamed as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Heritage Month in recognition of the great diversity in the community.
The AAPI umbrella term includes cultures from the entire Asian continent—including East, Southeast and South Asia—and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. As of 2019, there were about 22.9 million people of Asian or Pacific Islander descent in the United States. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing minority group in the United States.
There are far too many Asian American/Pacific Islander’s accomplishments to mention in this space. There are many films and documentaries this month for your information. To watch the trailer for Waterman, a film about a great American swimmer and surfer Duke Kohanamoku follow this link: Waterman – Official Trailer (2022) Jason Mamoa, Kelly Slater | Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Documentary – Bing video
To find more information on the accomplishments of Asian American and Pacific Islanders check out the links below:
Asian American Historical Figures You Might Not Know About (tinybeans.com)