10 Washington, D.C. The history of service by Asian American Pacific Islanders in the U.S. military has been documented back to the Civil War, when historians say 58 of the estimated 200 ethnically Chinese people living in the eastern U.S. served in the military. Though an 1862 act of Congress authorized the naturalization of honorably discharged foreign veterans, those of Chinese descent were denied the right to U.S. citizenship, including Edward Day Cohota, a Shanghai-born man who served 30 years in the U.S. Army.
American perspectives have since changed. In 2008, a House resolution was passed commemorating the service of Asian Americans like Cohota during the Civil War. Fostering an appreciation and understanding of the diverse people and cultures that constitute the U.S. population has become more of a priority. The District of Columbia National Guard joins other federal organizations in celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month each May.