In 1977, a House resolution to proclaim the first ten days of May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Week was introduced by Representatives Frank Horton and Norman Y. Mineta to advocate federal recognition of the group’s culture. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter designated it an annual proclamation. Congress extended the observance to a month in 1990, and May became the month of celebration under President George H.W. Bush’s administration in 1992. Today, the group is the fastest-growing demographic and constitutes about 7% of the U.S. population.
May 7, 1843 commemorates the first Japanese immigrants to the United States, and May 10, 1869 is called Golden Spike Day, which celebrates the completion of the transcontinental railroad constructed by innumerable Chinese immigrant laborers. May is the month to pay tribute to the AANHPI people.
The term AANHPI does not refer to a monolithic group. The category covers many geographical areas and various ethnic groups of Asia, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands. They contribute to diversity, our nation’s strength in the academia, economy, science, technology, architecture, arts, business and industry, journalism, politics, entertainment, culinary, music, fashion, religion, law, literature, military, sports, and space among others. Kamala Harris, Tiger Woods, Michelle Yeoh, Markiplier, Keanu Reeves, Sandra Oh, and Jason Momoa are descendants of the AANHPI people. Likewise, Jerry Yang co-created Yahoo! Inc., YouTube was co-founded by Steve Chen and Jawed Karim, and Eric Yuan established Zoom Video Communications. These global corporations are indispensable for billions of people in the world.
Food is one of the most distinctive and significant aspects of any culture. I have traveled to more than 84 countries and love ethnic foods. Many AANHPI foods are available in supermarkets, grocery stores, and restaurants right here in Little Rock. Korean kimchi is one of the best probiotic foods. Japanese sushi is a very healthy food with low calories, protein, carbohydrate, minerals and other nutrients. (Sushi should always be eaten with pickled ginger, wasabi, and green tea.) I like Hawaiian poke, too. As for noodles, there are pad thai (Thailand), pho (Vietnam), and ramen (Japan). Asian dumplings include Nepalese momo, Korean mandu, Chinese jiaozi, and Japanese gyoza. Indian curry is my medicine. It reduces inflammation and stress, fights cancer and bacteria, and promotes brain, digestive, and heart health.
AANHPI Heritage Month celebrates and honors diversity, and it acknowledges the history, resilience, sacrifices, and determination of these people as well as their achievements and contributions to the United States. One of the goals of the heritage month is to teach and learn about one another’s unique and vibrant culture promoting mutual understanding, appreciation, and respect. This definitely leads to the solidarity, enrichment, and strengthening of the nation.
You might want to join the AANHPI Heritage Month celebration by learning how to make Asian dumplings at home. All the ingredients in this video are available at most American supermarkets, and you can enjoy a pot sticker party with your family and friends.
Let us continue to build bridges of understanding and solidarity while enjoying America’s rich and diverse cultural history.
At UA Little Rock, we ask you to join us in celebrating our faculty, students, and staff who enrich our campus with their heritage and culture and honor their presence in American history.
Dr. Kinko Ito, Professor of Sociology
University of Arkansas at Little Rock