The History of AAPI Heritage Month

What is the Purpose of AAPIHM?

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM), also known as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) until 2009, is a month dedicated to celebrating the historical and cultural contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans in the United States.

The month of May was designated as AAPIHM due to two historic events—the immigration of the first Japanese person to the U.S. on May 7th, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869, which was completed due to the significant contributions of Chinese immigrant workers. Originally, AAPIHM was a week-long to encompass the dates of May 7th and 10th, but over time, it grew to last an entire month.

How did AAPIHM Start?

AAPIHM originated with Congress in 1977 when Representative Frank Horton of New York introduced House Joint Resolution 540, which proclaimed the first 10 days of May as Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week. However, this resolution did not come to pass. Similarly, Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii introduced Senate Joint Resolution 72 for the same purpose, but this also did not pass.

It was not until 1978 when Representative Horton introduced House Joint Resolution 1007, which proposed that the president would officially be able to proclaim when Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week was held as long as it was at the beginning of May, that it was passed. In 1994, Congress passed Public Law 102-450 that officially designated May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.

Early Immigration

The earliest recorded instances of Asian people immigrating to America were Filipinos in the 16th century who were fleeing Spanish enslavement. They eventually established a settlement in St. Malo, Louisiana, in 1763.

The California Gold Rush brought another wave of Asian immigrants to America in the 1850s–this time, most of them were Chinese. These Chinese immigrants found work not only in the gold mines but also in factories and the transcontinental railroad. By the 1880s, Japanese and Korean immigrants began to come as laborers in farming, fishing, and construction as well.

Finally, the last wave of Asian immigration occurred in the 1970s, with many of the immigrants being refugees from Southeast Asia, like Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.

Historic Hardships

Asian and Pacific Islanders were not always welcomed with open arms in the United States. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 banned Chinese immigration for 20 years. A similar act, the Gentlemen's Agreement of 1907-1908, denied any Japanese emigrant from coming to America while relatives of then-current Japanese-Americans were still allowed to enter the U.S. Only when the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act was enacted during the civil rights movement did these immigration restrictions finally lift.

During World War II, people of Japanese descent were forced to live in internment camps from 1942–1945. This was a direct response to the Pearl Harbor attack and perhaps one of the most egregious violations of American civil rights in the 1900s.

Anti-Asian Hate Crimes

Unfortunately, the historic unjust treatment of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans has not stopped but has even increased in severity from the days of the immigration bans.

One of the most well-known cases of anti-Asian hate crimes was the murder of Vincent Chin at the hands of two white men the night of his bachelor party in 1982. More recently, in March 2021, a man shot and killed six Asian women in Atlanta that worked in spas. These crimes were motivated by hate against the AAPI community.

Perhaps the biggest wave of anti-Asian hate crimes came with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw an increase in racism and violence against AAPI people. This was due to biased rhetoric about the origins of the virus.

AAPIHM Theme for 2022

This year, the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) has announced that the theme for AAPIHM is "Advancing Leaders Through Collaboration." This theme is a part of the four-part series, "Advancing Leaders," for the years 2021–2024. Despite the struggles that the AAPI community faces, members still manage to rise against hatred and lead their community.

"Collaboration involves two or more individuals, groups, or organizations actively working together to accomplish a task or achieve a goal. Collaboration at its core requires leadership. Collaboration improves team dynamics, enhances problem-solving leading to increased innovation, process efficiency, improved communication, and ultimately overall success" (FAPAC 2022).

Sources

https://fapac.org/pressreleases/12235330

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/asian-american-pacific-islander-heritage-month

https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/immigration-challenges-for-new-americans/

https://asianpacificheritage.gov/about/

https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/immigration/japanese/

https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/immigration/chinese/