May is a month chock-full of holidays.
But there’s another celebration happening, too, and it lasts all month long.
May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
The influence of Asian Pacific Americans is everywhere nowadays.
The influence of Asian Pacific cultures is only going to grow from here.
Jew proposed the idea in part because of the discrimination and difficulties her own family had faced.
According to NPR, her great grandfather, M.Y.
Lee, was killed during a period where racism against Asian Americans was rampant.
The process wasn’t without its difficulties, either.
Why was the month of May chosen?
May has plenty of significance across a whole host of cultures, mostly relating to renewal and warmer weather.
But for Asian Americans in particular, there’s a direct reason to celebrate.
The first Japanese immigrants arrived in the United States on May 7, 1843, according toNPR.
At first, those immigrants were considered “too week” for railroad construction.
But those Chinese workers also faced discrimination and poor treatment during their time on the railroads.
One of the first formal efforts to stifle the Asian American community was way back in the 1800s.
Waves of Chinese immigrants started to enter the country in the 1840s during the Gold Rush, according toHistory.
Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are still dealing withthe effects of U.S. colonialism and settlement.
And countless celebrities and artists cite their Asian Pacific heritage as a source of pride and inspiration.
