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Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May)

May has been designated Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. This guide provides resources that highlight the history and contributions of Asian and Pacific Islanders.

Asian American and Pacific American Heritage Month

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

According to the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month website, "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."

In 1978, Congress passed Public Law 95-419, which directed President Carter to designate a week in May 1979 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Week. In 1990, Congress passed a law amending the 1978 law, requesting a month-long observance.