Paying homage to visionaries, trailblazers who have shaped AANHPI history
From staff reports
On May 4, 1979, President Jimmy Carter signed Proclamation 4650 to commemorate the contributions and accomplishments of Asian/Pacific Americans. “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week” was celebrated by communities until 1990, when Congress expanded the observance to the entire month.
Two years later, President George H.W. Bush passed Public Law 102-540 designating the month of May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. In May 2022, President Joe Biden amended the May observance to honor all Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritages.
“This month, we celebrate our fellow Americans from AA and NHPI communities and pay tribute to all they have done to help fulfill the promise of America for all,” Biden proclaimed in April. “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.”
This year, the theme for AAPI/AANHPI Heritage Month 2024 is “Advancing Leaders Through Innovation.”
To learn more about this year’s observance, celebrations across the country and the rich history of these represented communities, visit any of the following:
- The National Archives
- Library of Congress
- National Endowment for the Humanities
- National Park Service
- Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
- History.com
- APA Heritage Foundation