Honoring AAPI Heritage Month

The term AAPI has been defined in multiple ways but can refer to all people of Asian, Asian American or Pacific Islander ancestry, who trace their origins to the countries, states, jurisdictions, and/or the diasporic communities of the Asian continent and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.

The month of May marks two significant events for the AAPI community in the United States. On May 7, 1843, the first Japanese immigrant arrived in the United States. On May 10, 1869, the transcontinental railroad was completed due to the labor of Chinese immigrants who made up the majority of workers laying the tracks.

Over 100 years later, Congress first passed a resolution to designate the first ten days of May 1979 as a week-long celebration of AAPI communities and heritage. In 1990, legislation extended the week to a month-long celebration. In 1992, May was officially designated as AAPI Heritage Month.

Today, as with all cultural celebrations, this month is an opportunity for all Americans to explore the history and contributions of AAPI communities. To start, check out the following resources:

• 10 Essential Podcasts from AAPI Creators, who explore the richness and complexity of Asian American identity and how AAPI history is integral to American History
• Celebrating Asian-American Voices & Stories on The Daily Show, where guests speak on the challenges faced and progress made in having Asian identity seen, respected, and celebrated in America
• PBS Celebrates Asian Pacific Heritage Month, which has a collection of stories to explore AAPI traditions and culture
• The A100 List, which honors impactful AAPIs in culture and activism

As we’ve unfortunately seen in the past year, anti-Asian violence and hate crimes have been on the rise during the pandemic so this month represents another important opportunity to support the AAPI community, uplift their stories, and demonstrate commitment to anti-racism. For resources and to learn more, visit Stop AAPI Hate or join this Modern Health listen & learn session on Combating Anti-Asian Racism.

Finally, May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. To learn more about AAPI heritage and its impact on mental health, check out this post on Instagram from @asianmentalhealthcollective and @kimsaira (and follow them too).