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May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month!

This month we recognize the cultures and histories of Asian and Pacific Americans, as well as the contributions they have made to American society. May was chosen as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in part because the Transcontinental Railroad, which was largely built by Asian immigrant laborers and had a huge impact on the American economy, was completed on May 10, 1869. While unfortunately most in-person events have been postponed to allow for safe social distancing practices, this year it is particularly important to recognize the importance of Asian, Pacific American, and Asian American communities to help combat the racist and xenophobic beliefs that have led to a rise in racist attacks on people of Asian descent since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here are some useful resources for celebrating these unique cultures.

 

  • The Library of Congress website also has a helpful explanation of the series of executive orders that led to the official designation of May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in 1991.

 

Hakone Estate and Gardens (California) Photo by doopokko, CC BY-SA 2.0
Hakone Estate and Gardens (California)
Photo by doopokko, CC BY-SA 2.0
  •  APALA (the Asian Pacific American Library Association) does not have any events planned for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month this year but has been very active in addressing the rise in racist and xenophobic attacks on Asians and Asian Americans since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their Facebook page is regularly updated with information about how to get involved.

 

  • For those in the UT community interested in researching Asian American history and culture, the UT Libraries’ liaison librarian to Asian American Studies, PG Moreno, has created a research guide about access to relevant academic resources.

 

As the curators of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center’s Care Package write In the introduction to the collection:

While this body of work may not hold the solutions for everything, we hope that it helps you find some calm amidst the chaos.