Since 1990, the United States has observed Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May to "pay tribute to the contributions [that] generations of Asian/Pacific Americans have made to American history, society and culture." The purpose of this guide is to introduce visitors to library resources such as books and digital collections, as well as resources from around the Web, that highlight these many contributions.
The adoption of AAPIHM dates back to the late 1970s when an observance was proposed to Congress through two separate bills; one introduced by Representatives Frank Horton (NY) and Norman Y. Mineta (CA), and another by Senators Daniel K. Inouye (HI) and Spark Matsunaga (HI). Both bills were passed in October of 1978 by President Jimmy Carter. May was chosen as the month to hold the observance; it commemorates the first Japanese immigrants to the United States in May of 1843, and pays tribute to the many Chinese immigrants who were instrumental in the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in May of 1869. Twenty years after its origin, President George H. W. Bush would sign a proclamation that established the month-long observance celebrated today.
Photo: UCLA Library Special Collections, Nisei Festival Week Queen contestants, Los Angeles, 1966, cropped, CC BY 2.0
