History of AANHPI Month

By Sophia Seraile Yam

May is National AANHPI Month! AANHPI stands for Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Month This year, it spans from May 1st to May 31st. This is a time to celebrate and honor the historical and cultural achievements and contributions made to the US by people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. According to a Kettering College article, “AAPI Month celebrates the rich, diverse culture that spans from countries such as China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, Samoa, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, to name a few”. Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Native Hawaiians have all contributed significantly to this country in aspects of American culture, science, medicine, art, food, literature, government, and activism, just to name a few.

AAPI Month was originally designed to commemorate the Japanese immigrants who arrived in the US on May 7th, 1843, and to mark the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10th, 1869. Chinese immigrants working on the railroad worked in dangerous conditions and were treated poorly and unfairly compared to their White counterparts. This federally recognized month started as only a week in 1979. From 1980 to 1990, each US president passed annual proclamations for AAPI week until Congress expanded the observance from a week to a month in 1990. However, the term has recently been switched from AAPI to AANHPI to be a more inclusive umbrella term to include Native Hawaiians. According to the Federal Asian Pacific Amerian Council, this year’s theme of AANHPI Heritage Month is “Advancing Leaders Through Innovation”.

Some ways to celebrate and recognize this month’s culture could be reading a book or watching a movie by an AANHPI author or director, enjoying AANHPI cuisine, or learning how to cook a dish from an AANHPI culture. You can also wish your Asian friends or family a Happy AANHPI Month!