Nearly 50 years later, US’ Asian-American and Pacific Islander month features revelry, racial justice
- What started as just one week in May has evolved over the decades into a month-long tribute of events in cities big and small
- The month is not just about showcasing festive fare like food and fashion, but hard subjects like grief and social justice
It has been almost 50 years since the US government established that Asian-Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and their accomplishments should be recognised annually across the nation.
What started as just one week in May has evolved over the decades into a month-long tribute of events in cities big and small.
The nature of celebrations also evolved. Asian-American and Pacific Islander or Asian-American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is not just about showcasing festive fare like food and fashion, but hard subjects like grief and social justice. The rise of anti-Asian hate during the pandemic only heightened that effort.
“I think the visibility and the level that the increased participation of organisations in Asian Pacific Heritage Month activities is also an indication of the increasing voice of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in civic life more generally,” said Karen Umemoto, director of the UCLA Asian-American Studies Center.
“And also an indication of the spaces that we’ve come to collectively enter to be able to create those.”
