Happy Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! Designated by the United States government in 1992, May was chosen because of the first Japanese to immigrate to the U.S. was in May of 1843, and the transcontinental railroad — mostly completed by Chinese works — was completed in May of 1869. In President Obama’s proclimation of APAHM, he pays tribute to the struggles of the past:
“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have endured and overcome hardship and heartache. In the earliest years, tens of thousands of Gold Rush pioneers, coal miners, transcontinental railroad builders, as well as farm and orchard laborers, were subject to unjust working conditions, prejudice, and discrimination–yet they excelled. Even in the darkness of the Exclusion Act and Japanese internment, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have persevered, providing for their families and creating opportunities for their children.”
Earlier this week, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus also released a proclamation highlighting President Obama’s own personal ties to Asia and the Asian & Canadian American experience, with a half Indonesian sister and a Chinese-Candian brother-in-law.
But you don’t have to have be related to the president to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, especially in the Bay Area, as there are number of events that have been happening in the Bay Area alone:
- Saturday, May 9th: San Francisco Taiwanese American Cultural Festival
- Saturday, May 9th: San Mateo 9th Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Celebration 2009
- Saturday, May 16th: San Francisco Asian Heritage Street Celebration
- Saturday, May 23rd: Mountain View Asian/Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration
- Excited
- Fascinated
- Amused
- Disgusted
- Sad
- Angry
