In 1992, the official designation of May as Asian/Pacific Heritage Month was signed into law. Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month got its start as a congressional bill, inspired by Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month, with the mission of bringing attention to the contributions Asian and Pacific Islander Americans have made to the history and culture of the United States.
On October 5, 1978, President Carter signed a Joint Resolution designating an annual celebration. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed an extension turning it into a month-long celebration. The proposed resolutions sought that May be designated for two reasons; on May 7, 1843, the first Japanese immigrant arrived in the United States, and more than two decades later, on May 10, 1869, the Golden spike was driven into the First Transcontinental Railroad, which was completed using Chinese labor. To continue learning click here.
About the Resource Guide
Commonfund, in conjunction with our Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month subcommittee has created a resource guide to help all of us celebrate the contributions of Asians and Pacific Islanders in all aspects of American Life. With that said, this resource guide is not an exhaustive list by any stretch of the imagination, the hope is that you will take advantage of at least a few of these resources to begin your exploration of this very important part of American history; your history, our history.
