Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

 May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Every year, it’s an opportunity to learn about the diversity within AAPI communities as well as how deeply rooted their connections are in American history. In 1978, the holiday was originally established to last the first ten days of May, which coincided with two important milestones. The first was the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants on May 7th, 1843, and the second was the completion of the continental railroad on May 10, 1869 which honored the contributions of Chinese workers. The holiday was later expanded to last the whole month in what is now AAPI Heritage Month. 

This year’s commemoration comes at a tense time in which those in AAPI communities have experienced prejudice and violence fueled by the pandemic. They have been marginalized and depicted as carriers of the disease by politicians and media. In our history, it’s unfortunately not the first time this has happened. The current rhetoric mirrors the incidents from the mid-1800s when Chinese immigrants were depicted as a threat to public health. Both then and now, this justifies immigrant restrictions and exclusion, and leads to targeted attacks on Asian Americans.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. The Asian population has nearly doubled in the last 20 years and is projected to double again by 2060. Within the population, almost a quarter are of Chinese descent. They are the largest group followed by Asian Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, and Pacific Islander, just to name a few. Interestingly, nearly half of all Asian Americans live in the west, with almost a third in California alone. Other states with sizable Asian populations are New York, Texas, New Jersey, and Washington. In Hawaii, U.S. Asians make up 57% of the population. 

Around six in ten Asian Americans (57%), including 71% of Asian American adults, were born in another country. The modern immigration wave from Asia has accounted for a quarter of all immigrants who have arrived in the U.S. since 1965. But when and how Asian immigrants arrived in the U.S. varies, which helps explain why some Asian groups are more likely than others to be born in the U.S. For example, immigrants account for only 27% of Japanese Americans, who began arriving in the 19th century as plantation workers in what is now the state of Hawaii. In contrast, many Bhutanese arrived recently as refugees, and a large majority (85%) are foreign born. By the middle of the century, Asian Americans are projected to be the nation’s largest immigrant group.
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With all that we know about the diversity of the Asian population as well as the many other ethnicities within the U.S., it’s important that we respect the customs and traditions of each group’s culture. We must also celebrate and honor the amazing contributions all communities have made to our culture, the arts, science, technology, sports and public service, including those who have served on the front lines of the pandemic as health care providers, first responders, teachers, and other essential workers. Thank you for your service. 

References

• Budiman, A. & Ruiz, N. G. (2021). Key facts about asian americans, a diverse and growing population. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/29/key-facts-about-asian-americans/ 
• National Museum of American History. (2021). Asian pacific american heritage month 2021. Retrieved from https://americanhistory.si.edu/topics/asian-pacific-american-history/pages/apa-heritage-month-2021
• United States Census Bureau. (2021). Asian american and pacific islander heritage month: May 2021. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2021/asian-american-pacific-islander.html