By Alyna Rei

In the month of May, we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. 

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, like most memorial months, began in Congress. House Joint Resolution 540, proposed by Rep. Frank Horton of New York in 1977, declared the first ten days of May as Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week (asianpacificheritage.gov). Senator Daniel Inouye presented Senate Joint Measure 72, a similar resolution, the same year (asianpacificheritage.gov). Because neither of these resolutions passed, Rep. Horton sponsored House Joint Resolution 1007 in June 1978 to “proclaim a week” during the first ten days in May as “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week” (asianpacificheritage.gov). On October 5, President Jimmy Carter signed this joint resolution (asianpacificheritage.gov).

Presidents issued annual proclamations honoring Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week over the next decade, until Congress approved Public Law in 1990, extending the celebration to a month. It was President George H.W. Bush who signed the bill extending Asian American Heritage Week to a month (apsva.us). Then, in 1992, Congress established a law designating May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month each year.

The month of May is designated as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to honor the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States.

There are many activities that you can do to celebrate this special month. But here are three of my favorites to do with a group of people or even by yourself (verywellfamily.com).

Book Clubs–Learning about Asian culture is best when you read from Asian authors. A few favorites are Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha, and way more.

Interactive maps--Interactive maps are a great icebreaker activity. The National Park Service hosts interactive opportunities to visit the “stories of ordinary and extraordinary Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders preserved in our nation’s parks, memorials, and historic sites” (nps.gov). And, teambuilders.com offers activities that highlight the different countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the ties we have to them.

Watching a movie–This one can be great for any family and for the people that want to learn about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. If you log onto your streaming sites, you’ll see several Asian-American/Pacific Islander movies and series recommended. Movies that I like are mostly Disney movies. These would include Turning Red, Mulan, Lilo and Stitch, Raya and The Last Dragon, and the short Bao.