Asian/Pacific American Heritage (AAPI)
Month is celebrated annually during the month of May. It marks the celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. It includes people having origins from the continent of Asia and the Pacific islands of Melanesia and Polynesia. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have a rich culture and heritage spanning thousands of years that have shaped the modern history of the US.
AAPI Heritage commemoration was first proposed in 1977 to observe the immigration of the first Japanese to the US (May 7, 1843) and the completion of the transcontinental railroad, constructed mainly by Chinese immigrant workers (May 10, 1869). President Carter made it an annual week-long event in 1978, and eventually, President George H.W. Bush extended the proclamation to include the entire month of May.