“The American dream belongs to all of us.” ― Vice President Kamala Harris
In 1992, Public Law 102-450 annually designated May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. We celebrate with the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders whose rich heritage has shaped the history of the United States while having their lives dramatically influenced by moments in its history.
Asian/Pacific is a broad term that encompasses all of the Asian continent (though focusing on East and Southeast Asia) and the Pacific islands of Melanesia.
The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese people to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1869. Most of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.
“The power of visibility can never be underestimated.” ― Margaret Cho