Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Overview

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month!(Open external link) During this time, we celebrate the culture, history, and achievements of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in New York City and across the country.

Banner graphic with navy blue and bright orange illustrations that reads "Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month."

AAPI Heritage Month first received federal recognition in 1978 from then-President Jimmy Carter. That year, he signed a proclamation first introduced to Congress by Representative Frank Horton of Rochester, New York to establish Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week to take place in early May. Representative Horton credited Jeanie Jew(Open external link) with the original idea for the resolution. She approached Horton after being disappointed that AAPI communities had been largely ignored during the nation’s bicentennial celebrations in 1976. She was also inspired by the memory of her grandfather, who was one of the laborers working on the transcontinental railroad before he was tragically killed in an act of anti-Chinese violence.

In fact, the reason the month of May was chosen was to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869, in recognition of the Chinese immigrants who made up a majority of laborers completing the work on the project. In addition, it commemorates the arrival of the first Japanese immigrant to the United States(Open external link) on May 7, 1843.

Later, the week-long celebration established by President Carter was extended to last for the entire month of May in 1990. In 1992, Congress passed a law that officially designated an annual celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May.

AAPI Heritage Month celebrates communities with roots throughout the Asia-Pacific region, encompassing the entirety of the Asian continent, as well as the countries and territories that make up the Pacific Islands of Melanesia,(Open external link) Micronesia,(Open external link) and Polynesia.(Open external link) Coming from such a wide geographical area, the Asian American and Pacific Islander community has a rich and varied history(Open external link) and culture to learn more about all month long.

We invite you to join us in uplifting AAPI individuals and communities this month, and throughout the year. In addition, it’s important to take time to acknowledge both the historical and present-day challenges and prejudices that the community has faced. Understanding this history is an important step on the journey to ending racial discrimination and creating a more accepting future.

We encourage you to celebrate with us this month by exploring the resources below—including local and virtual exhibitions, lesson plans like our Hidden Voices curriculum guides, recommended reading, and more—all of which offer excellent learning opportunities both in and out of the classroom.

Events, Exhibitions, and Places to Visit

Reading List

Throughout the month, and all year long, we encourage families, educators, and students to dive into a book about Asian American history, culture, and experiences. The suggestions below are just a few of our favorite titles, with works of fiction and non-fiction for every grade level that feature characters and perspectives that are often not reflected in other popular works. We hope you will enjoy reading and learning from these outstanding stories.

Early Readers (3-K–Grade 2)

Elementary (Grades 3–5)

Middle School (Grades 6–8)

Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)

Many of these books are readily available through the citywide Digital Library on Sora, which provides free access to hundreds of digital e-books and audiobooks for our students. For even more recommendations, check out the  Asian American/Pacific Islanders Collection(Open external link) and Hidden Voices: Asian American Pacific Islanders Collection,(Open external link) both available on Sora. These collections feature over 400 titles that honor and reflect on the significant contributions of AAPI communities to the lives and culture of the United States.

Your family might also find a new favorite read on the New York Public Library’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Reading Lists for Kids(Open external link) and for Teens,(Open external link) or the National Education Association’s list of Recommended Titles for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage.(Open external link)

Video and Audio Resources

  • The PBS docuseries “Asian Americans”(Open external link) tells the history of identity, contributions, and challenges experienced by Asian Americans. Told through intimate personal stories, the series will cast a new lens on U.S. history and the ongoing role that Asian Americans have played. Additional resources connected to the documentary are available on the #DOCUHISTORY: Asian Americans(Open external link) page.
  • Order 9066(Open external link) is a podcast From American Public Media that chronicles the history of Japanese incarceration in the months and years following the bombing of Pearl Harbor through vivid, first-person accounts from the people who lived through it. Named after the executive order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt that authorized the creation of these “relocation” camps, the series explores how this came to pass, and it legacy in the present.
  • As part of Asia Society’s “Asian Americans Building America,” they have created a collection of video biographies(Open external link) that spotlight inspiring Asian Pacific Americans and exploring their specific contributions to life in America in order to spark the curiosity of young learners by helping them to build a more inclusive understanding of American history.

Educator Resources

Hidden Voices

Hidden Voices(Open external link) began as a collaboration with the Museum of the City of New York(Open external link) that was initiated to help City students learn about the countless individuals who are often “hidden” from traditional historical records. Each of the people highlighted in the series has made a positive impact on their communities while serving as outstanding examples of leadership, advocacy, and community service. There are several curriculum options that are especially relevant during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, including:

During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, check out our profiles on:

  • Mabel Ping-Hua Lee,(Open external link) who came to the United States from China in the early 20th Century and went on to play an instrumental role in the growth of New York’s Chinatown and the universal suffrage movement that advanced voting rights for women.
  • Anna May Wong,(Open external link) Hollywood’s first-ever Chinese American movie star, who captivated audiences, earned critical acclaim for her performances, and dared to break free of Hollywood’s early to mid-twentieth century typecasting practices for nonwhite actors.
  • Eugenie Clark,(Open external link) a Japanese American fish scientist who earned herself the nickname “Shark Lady,” thanks to her trailblazing research on fish and shark species around the world as well as her personal dedication to protecting sharks and their ocean habitats from extinction.

You can find more of our profiles throughout the year on our Hidden Voices webpage.