Race & Justice: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month began as a week-long celebration signed into law by President Carter in May of 1978. In 1992, Congress passed a public law designating an annual month-long observance of "Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month."

"A rather broad term, 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). The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants" (www.asianpacificheritage.gov).

We have chosen to use the acronym AANHPI throughout this guide to designate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islanders. However, you might see Asian American Heritage Month, Asian Pacific American (APA) Heritage Month, or Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month on other sites. There is no one "official" or "correct" acronym or name to designate such a diverse group of people. For more information, please check out the video Are You “AAPI” or “Asian American”? It's Complicated. below from "A People's History of Asian America."