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May 1st marks the start of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month! Beginning as a week-long celebration in 1979, Presidents Carter, Reagan and George H.W. Bush continued to annually issue proclamations designating a week in May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. The 1990s saw it become an annual event that lasted an entire month! 

The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States in May 1843. It also marks the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, for which the majority of the workers were Chinese immigrants. This month is set aside to reflect and celebrate the important role that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) have played in our shared history! This year’s theme, according to the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC), is “A Legacy of Leadership and Resilience.”

“Asian/Pacific” encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Easter Island). (https://asianpacificheritage.gov/). 

We hope to aid in encouraging all people to learn about the contributions, cultures, and experiences of the Asian American and Pacific Islander people! Below are some of our resources for children and families to utilize and explore!