Skip to Main Content

Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Home

Asian American and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Making Asian American Film and Video
Aloha Rodeo book cover
Last of Her Name
History of Asian Americans
Music of the Ghosts
Here I Am children's picture book
The Oxford Handbook of Asian American History
Story-Wallah
The Song Poet
Suburban Sahibs
Asian American Art
Thanking the Moon children's picture book
Sigh, Gone book cover
A Principled Stand
Talk Thai
recipe and food display picture book display

 

Visit us for book displays and special events

Mekong river in Thailand by boat
About the Guide

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.

About the Observance

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: "Asia, Mekong river, Thailand" by dariasophia on Pixabay

Find Books           Research           Websites

Libby: Download EBooks & E-Audiobooks

Sea Change
Everything I Never Told You book cover
The Committed book cover
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Picture Books

A Different Pond
A Map into the World
Eyes That Speak to the Stars
Kalamata's Kitchen
Watercress
Luli and the Language of Tea
Ohana Means Family
Rainbow Shopping
Mei Mei Lucky Birthday Noodles
The Most Beautiful Thing
Many Colors of Harpreet Singh
Here I Am
Our Favorite Day
Laxmi's Mooch
Take Me Out to the Yakyu
P Is for Poppadoms!
Queen of Physics
I Am Golden
Big Red Lollipop
Sakamoto's Swim Club
Dad Bakes
It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way
Drawn Together
When Lola Visits
Bee-Bim Bop!

Films On Demand