Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI)

The U.S. celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month each May.

Pew Research Center

In 1978, a joint congressional resolution established Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. The first 10 days of May were chosen to coincide with two important milestones in Asian/Pacific American history: the arrival in the United States of the first Japanese immigrants (May 7, 1843) and contributions of Chinese workers to the building of the transcontinental railroad completed May 10, 1869.

In 1992, Congress expanded the observance to a monthlong celebration that is now known as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Per a 1997 U.S. Office of Management and Budget directive, the Asian or Pacific Islander racial category was separated into two categories: one being Asian and the other Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. Thus, this Facts for Features contains a section for each.

"This month, we celebrate our fellow Americans from Asian American and Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities and pay tribute to all they have done to help fulfill the promise of America for all.  Together, let us recommit ourselves to building a country in which every American — regardless of who they are, where they come from, or what they look like — has an equal opportunity to thrive." -- President Biden

By U.S. Census Bureau