Wednesday, May 4, 2022

MAY IS ASIAN-AMERICAN AND PACIFIC HERITAGE MONTH

The month of May is National Asian-American and Pacific Heritage Month. This year's theme, selected by the Federal Asian Pacific American Council, is "Advancing Leaders Through Collaboration." 

To Cynthia Choi, co-executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action and co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, the month is "a time to speak out, share stories and debunk myths about Asian communities, she said. But it's not the only time to celebrate Asian culture or diversity. Our history is also filled with incredible stories of resilience, of persistence, of determination, to fight for our basic rights. This is a celebration of our history, of our culture... and all the different ways in which our community has really demonstrated that we're not only here to stay, we are a part of this fabric - a part of this country."

History of the Month

According to NPR, the month was the brainchild of Jeanie Jew, a former Capitol Hill staffer, who shared the idea with U.S. Rep. Frank Horton, who introduced the legislation that formed it. In 1977, Horton introduced a  resolution that would establish Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week. Sen. Daniel Inouye introduced similar legislation to the U.S. Senate. In the following year, Horton, with cosponsor Rep. Norman Mineta, introduced another related resolution that passed. President Jimmy Carter signed it in October,  1978. The resolution "authorized and requested" the president to proclaim the 7-day period beginning May 4, 1979 as Asian Pacific American Heritage Week.

Congress later passed legislation to extend the observance to a month in 1990. In 1992, Congress passed a law to annually designate May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The legislation to annually designate May was due to two events that happened during that month in U.S. history: May 7 and May 10. On May 7, 1843, the first Japanese immigrants to the United States arrived. On May 10, 1869, or Golden Spike Day, the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S. - which had significant contributions from Chinese workers - was completed.

In Baltimore

The Baltimore Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (MIMA) is hosting many events during this month. Stay tuned for a special edition of "The 410 Report" with Mayor Scott on May 19th at 6:00 p.m. 

Nationally

The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum joining in several events to pay "tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's history and are instrumental in its future success." 

The Smithsonian's Stand site has several very interesting and informative virtual exhibits and presentations. 

There follows some very useful links. The source of this information is here. It is part of the Teacher's Guide, which "offers a collection of lessons and resources for K-12 social studies, literature, and arts classrooms that center around the experiences, achievements, and perspectives of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across U.S. history" (Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, 2022).

National Archives11Hide All

National Endowment for the Humanities16Hide All

National Gallery of Art5Hide All

National Park Service8Hide All

Smithsonian Institution7Hide All

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

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