Saturday marks the start of Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM).
The APAHM was first created in 1977 when Reps. Frank Horton (R-NY) and Norman Mineta (D-CA) proposed establishing the first 10 days of May as Asian-Pacific Heritage Week. It was later expanded onto a whole month in 1990 when former President George H.W. Bush signed a bill expanding the celebration.
May was chosen for two reasons. First, because according to U.S. records, the first immigrant from Japan arrived on May 7, 1843. Second, because on May 10, 1869, the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S. was completed with significant contributions from Chinese pioneers.