Special Feature
2011 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2011
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is a month to celebrate and pay tribute to the contributions generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders have made to American history, society and culture.
Like most commemorative months, Asian-Pacific Heritage Month originated in a congressional bill. In June 1977, Reps. Frank Horton of New York and Norman Y. Mineta of California introduced a House resolution that called upon the president to proclaim the first ten days of May as Asian-Pacific Heritage Week. The following month, senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga introduced a similar bill in the Senate. Both were passed. On October 5, 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a Joint Resolution designating the annual celebration. Twelve years later, President George H.W. Bush signed an extension making the week-long celebration into a month-long celebration. In 1992, the official designation of May as Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month was signed into law.
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.
• 2011 Theme: Diversity, Leadership, Empowerment and Beyond
-
Presidential Proclamation on Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
This month, our Nation celebrates the contributions and accomplishments of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). Our AAPI communities have roots that span the globe, but their stories of striving and success are uniquely American.
-
White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
On October 14, 2009 President Obama signed an executive order that restores the White House Initiative and President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to address issues concerning the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Remarks by the President at the AAPI Initiative Executive Order Signing »
-
Celebrating Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders
Each May, when the United States celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, citizens of Asian ancestry showcase their cultural roots through community festivals, traditional Asian foods, parades and cultural events.
USG PUBLICATIONS
-
Asian Reflections on the American Landscape: Identifying and Interpreting Asian Heritage
examines Asian cultural heritage found in the American built environment and its interpretation within NPS cultural resources programs. [source: www.cr.nps.org]
-
Multicultural Literature in the United States Today
The United States is enriched culturally by immigrants from many nations. This edition of eJournal USA focuses on distinguished American writers from various ethnic backgrounds who add immeasurably to mutual understanding and appreciation through tales of their native lands and their experiences as Americans.
VIDEOS AND MULTIMEDIA RESOURCES
-
Actor Daniel Dae Kim talks about his Korean heritage [video]
Actor Daniel Dae Kim talks about his Korean heritage and the importance of maintaining a sense of himself in both the national American identity and the Korean-American community.
-
![Veterans History Project [Library of Congress]](http://photos.state.gov/libraries/korea/397355/May_2011/veteran.jpg "Veterans History Project [Library of Congress]")
Veterans History Project [Library of Congress]
Asian Pacific Americans made lasting contributions to America’s wartime efforts. Collected stories highlight service from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq.
-
![Korean American Authors at the National Book Festival [Library of Congress]](http://photos.state.gov/libraries/korea/397355/May_2011/nbf.jpg "Korean American Authors at the National Book Festival [Library of Congress]")
Korean American Authors at the National Book Festival [Library of Congress]
-
Becoming an American: The Chinese Experience (PBS)
The dramatic story of Chinese immigrants’ struggle and triumph, progress and setbacks, discrimination and assimilation, taken from personal stories.
-
Ancestors in the Americas (PBS)
A documentary film series made by Loni Ding about the History of Asians in America.
-
Searching for Asian America (PBS)
This 90-minute program serves up a genuine taste of what it's like to be Asian American in today's ever-changing United States.
PHOTO GALLERY
-
Asian-American Designers: A Force in Fashion
[source: IIP Digital]
-
Celebrations of Diversity in the American Calendar
[source: America.gov Archive]
-
Gene Yang: Expressions of an American Born Chinese
[source: America.gov Archive]
USEFUL LINKS
- Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month Homepage – Library of Congress
- White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
- National Endowment for the Humanities
- Smithsonian Institution’s Asian Pacific American Program
- National Park Service: Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month 2011
ADOBE READER
-
Download Free
All downloadable documents on this page are provided in PDF format. To view PDFs you must have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may download a free version by clicking the link above.