Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month takes place in May. It celebrates the culture, traditions, and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. 

Who identifies as Asian American or Pacific Islander?

Asian Americans trace their roots back to more than 20 countries in East and Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, including Bangladesh, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Pacific Islanders trace their roots back to the Pacific Islands, which consists of three main regions: 

  • 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);  
  • Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, and Easter Island).

Historical Facts about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

The history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is as diverse as the various communities that make up both groups. The following facts only encompass a small portion of that history. 

  • During the gold rush, Chinese miners headed to California seeking riches, with 25,000 arriving by 1851, according to the Library of Congress. With uncertain work and hostile locals, not to mention a language barrier, many Chinese laborers took dangerous work, for little pay, building the transcontinental railroad.
  • On February 5, 1917, Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1917, which included an "Asiatic Barred Zone," banning Chinese, Asian Indians, Burmese, Thai, Maylays and others. Japan was not on the list of those excluded, as prohibitions against immigrants from that country were already in place, nor was the Philippines, as it was a U.S. territory at the time.
  • Duke Kahanamoku (1890-1968) was an American and Native Hawaiian competition swimmer who popularized the ancient Hawaiian sport of surfing in the early 1900s.
  • Minoru Yasui (1916-1986) was a World War II-era lawyer who fought the legality of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during the war. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.
  • In 1957, Dalip Saund of California was sworn in as a U.S. Representative, becoming the first Asian-American, first Indian American, and first Sikh to serve in Congress.
  • Larry Itliong (1913-1977) was a Filipino American labor organizer and co-founder of the United Farm Workers. He played a pivotal role in the Asian American Movement in the late 1960s-1970s.
  • Emelihter Kihleng (Present Day) is a Micronesian (and more specifically Pohnpeian) poet. She is the first ever Micronesian to publish a collection of poetry in the English language, and is one of few published Micronesian poets. According to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, "[m]uch of her work is about Pohnpeian identity and diaspora.”

Today's Climate: AAPI Hate Crimes increase by nearly 150%

While it's important to recognize the substantive history of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, it's also important to look at our climate today. Hate crimes against the AAPI community increased by nearly 150% in 2020 and are happening in our state as covered in a recent WCVB podcast. We encourage everyone to read Stop AAPI Hate Safety Tips and also review other resources on the site.

Take part in Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

You can take part in Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. We welcome everyone to get involved. Have resources you would like to share about Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month? Did you come across an upcoming or previously recorded event that may be of interest? Would you like to hold an event to share a heritage story? Feel free to post to the #inclusion channel on Slack or contact the UITS DEI Collaborative.