Did you know...

... that in 1978, Congress passed a joint resolution to celebrate Asian American Heritage Week during the first week of May. This week marks two important and symbolic events in American history: on May 7, 1843 the first Japanese immigrants arrived in America, while May 10, 1869 marks the completion of the transcontinental railroad, a feat that would not have been accomplished without the backbreaking work of Chinese laborers.

In 1990, Congress voted to expand Asian American History Week from a week to a month-long celebration.

Disagreements have arisen, however, about the month’s name. Asian American Heritage Month is officially referred to as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month by the government. The month is supposed to honor both Asian and Pacific Islander heritage. However, many Asians do not wish to include “Pacific” in the description of Asian American Heritage Month.
“Asians are not the same as Pacific Islanders, and vice versa,” said Cheska Tolentino, a member of an AAHM planning committee. “The compound term ‘Asian Pacific’ was conveniently coined around the time of the 1990 U.S. Census because the government and other agencies did not recognize that the different Asian cultures and issues are significantly unlike those of Pacific Islanders. "