Asian Pacific American Heritage Month - Government Information - Hot Topics

Asian/Pacific Heritage Month

May is Asian/Pacific Heritage Month!

Asian/Pacific Heritage Month originated through a joint resolution of Congress in 1978 declaring a week in May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. This continued until 1990 when Congress expanded to celebration to the full month of May. Since 1990, Asian/Pacific Heritage Month has continued to be celebrated annually in May. This guide highlights a variety of government information resources that focus on Asian and Pacific Americans.

Legislative Documents

Pub.L.95-419
1978 Joint Resolution declaring the first Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week
Pub.L.101-283
Congressional Act extending the celebration Asian/Pacifican American Heritage to the full month of May
Pub.L. 102-450
Law permanently designating May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

Government Publications for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month!

Finding a Path Forward, Asian American and Pacific Islander National Historic Landmarks Theme Study

Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Congress, 1900-2017

Building the American mosaic

Asian reflections on the American landscape : identifying and interpreting the Asian heritage

Winning the future: a road map for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

Asian/Pacific Heritage Month image

Online Exhibits and Collections

The Nisei Soldier
This exhibition presents the extraordinary life stories of 12 Nisei soldiers who served in the US Armed Forces in World War II.
A Day in the Queer Life of Asian Pacific America
A Day in the Queer Life of Asian Pacific America (ADQLAPA) is a digital exhibition by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) documenting queer life in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities throughout the country
Care Package
Poems, meditations, films, and other cultural nutrients for times like this. Curated exhibit from the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center

Government Websites

Asian/Pacific Heritage Month - National Park Service
Every May during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and throughout the year, the National Park Service and our partners share the histories and the continuing culture of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
AsianPacificHeritage.gov/
This Web portal is a collaborative project of the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The contents of this site highlight only a small portion of the physical and digital holdings of the participating partners
Asian Pacific American Center
The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center serves as a dynamic national resource for discovering why the Asian Pacific American experience matters every day, everywhere, and all of the time.

Government Information - Hot Topics: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month