Since 1978, the celebration move of Asian American milestones had been expanded to Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. In 1992, Congress established May as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2023, the estimated number of Asian alone-or-in-combination residents in the United States was 25.2 million, and 89.1% of them age 25 and older had at least a high school diploma or equivalency in 2023.
The chart below shows the AANHPI population and percentage change between 2013 and 2023.
Asian Americans is "an umbrella term for immigrants who came from the Asian land mass and for the modern Americans who are descended from them." Though they "are not homogeneous ethnically, religiously, politically or culturally," " there is an impressive human reality behind the words." "One and a half million Asians left their homes and came to the USA for a new life" and brought their cultures to the United States (Kendall, 2010).
Note:
Kendall, J. (2010), "Asian American History and Culture: an Encyclopedia", Reference Reviews, Vol. 24 No. 8, pp. 16-17. https://doi-org.queens.ezproxy.cuny.edu/10.1108/09504121011090971.
The books about Asian/Pacific American studies are selected to honor the heritage and cultures of Asian American and Pacific Islanders.
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"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."
(From asianpacificheritage.gov)
“Collection documents the lives of Filipino migrants in Stockton, California dating primarily from the 1920s to the 1970s and includes correspondence, photographic prints, military documents, financial records, books, wallets, and other ephemera.”
“At the center of Becoming US is the understanding that some people were already in the land that is today the United States, some people were brought against their will, some people came voluntarily, and some people never moved but became part of the United States as its border expanded to include them.”
“The United States annexed Hawaii in 1898 at the urging of President William McKinley. This guide provides access to material related to the “Annexation of Hawaii” in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.”
“During the late 1800's, the Chinese Exclusion Act prevented Chinese laborers from immigrating to the U.S. This guide provides access to materials related to the “Chinese Exclusion Act” in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.”
“An early 20th century gift of cherry trees from Japan to the United States became a symbol of friendship. This guide provides access to materials related to the "Cherry Blossom Trees" in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.”
Recognizing “many contributions and rich heritage of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities,” the National Museum of American History (NMAH) “has been steadily building” their “museum collections to “reflect the wide breadth of traditions, experiences, and achievements across these groups.”
“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders can trace their histories to a region that spans more than half the globe. They have played key roles in shaping America's past, leaving an enduring impact in areas such as work, politics, culture, and law. They have done so as immigrants, sojourners, settlers, refugees, citizens, non-citizens, residents, U.S. nationals, and members of overthrown sovereign kingdoms. Join us in exploring the rich and complex histories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders through NMAH's collections, exhibitions, archives, and scholarly research.”
"The rags to riches story of Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian refugee arriving in America in 1975 and building a multi-million-dollar empire baking America's favorite pastry, the donut. His story is one of love, hard knocks, survival, and redemption. Ted sponsored hundreds of visas for incoming refugees and helped them get on their feet teaching them the ways of the donut business. By 1979 he was living the American Dream, but a great rise can come with a great fall."
Native Hawaiian filmmaker Conrad Lihilihi presents a four part historical Docu-series examinig the 1896 Hawaiian Language Ban from public education. This series approaches the subject culminating a rich and diverse panel of academics in language, history, and politics.
FORKLIFE traces the journeys of immigrant food traditions taking root in the United States, narrated by the D.C. chefs and cooks who carried them here.
In New York City's Chinatown, college student Regina Lee and other volunteers organized a neighborhood health fair to improve health literacy in their community.
Hiu Newcomb, a third generation Chinese American, is the co-owner and operator of Potomac Vegetable Farms in Vienna, Virginia. In this interview she discusses her family's origins in the United States and her start as an organic farmer in Virginia.
Data and statistics on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders:
