LibGuides: Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month May 2023: AAPI HERITAGE MONTH 2023

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month May 2023

Welcome to McCarthy Library's 2023 LibGuide for the celebration of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month!

In 1977, congressional lawmakers proposed bills for the creation of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. After passing a law for a seven-day commemoration in 1978, Congress passed Public Law 102-450 in 1992, which annually designated May as Asian American/Pacific American Heritage Month.

The history of North America is shaped by the stories of immigrants from Asia and the Pacific and the native people of the Pacific Islands. While some of the earliest Asian immigrants arrived from China, Japan, India, and Korea, immigration reforms tied to U.S. civil rights legislation brought even more groups to the United States—such as Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians, Indonesians, the Hmong and other peoples from South and Central Asia.

-Compiled by S. Meader

National Resources

Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art
The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, are located on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Committed to preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting exemplary works of art, the National Museum of Asian Art addresses broad questions about culture, identity, and the contemporary world.
National Council of Asian Pacific Americans
The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), founded in 1996, is a coalition of 38 national Asian Pacific American organizations around the country. Based in Washington D.C., NCAPA serves to represent the interests of the greater Asian American (AA) and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities and to provide a national voice for AA and NHPI issues.
Ancestors in the Americas
A companion web site for the PBS series Ancestors in the Americas. Join us for an exploration Asian American immigrants history and stories. Visit the Asian American Timeline to learn about specific moments and events that shaped Asian American history. Join an online discussion to talk about the series or related topics regarding Asian Americans. Use the Resource section to further explore the Asian American experience.

Bay Area Events

How They Got Here: APIA Politicians Past and Present
SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2023 12:00 PM-3:00 PM
Main Library, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco
The tenth anniversary of the APIA (Asian Pacific Islander American) Biography Project launches APIA Heritage Month at the Main Library with a kickoff event by honoring past and present APIA politicians. Through illustrated displays, games, and craft activities, learn about the voting process and accomplishments of distinguished APIAs serving in office.
Throughout May, access videos and activities online at apiabiography.sfsu.edu. View “Wall of Fame” exhibits at the Children’s Center and the Chinese Center.
AANHPI Heritage Month Launch Celebration
MONDAY MAY 1, 2023 6:00 PM
California State Railroad Museum, 125 I Street, Sacramento
Our Celebration of the Launch of AANHPI Heritage Month will include a self-guided historical tour of AANHPI’s contributions to the creation of California’s Railroads & Wineries. At the event, you will be able to enjoy numerous AANHPI foods and wine from local AANHPI-owned wineries.
APA Heritage Awards
WEDNESDAY MAY 3, 2023
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco
The APA Heritage Awards is a signature program of San Francisco’s celebration of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Every year the APA Heritage Celebration Committee honors civic organizations that have achieved significant milestones in serving the community. The Committee also presents awards to individuals who have achieved distinct and inspirational impact in their careers and community service. Our event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
CAAMFest Film Festival
MAY 11-21, 2023
145 Ninth Street, San Francisco
CAAMFest (presented by the Center for Asian American Media) is one of the nation’s largest and enduring showcases for Asian and Asian American films. Since 1982, the annual festival has been an important launching point for Asian American independent filmmakers as well as a vital source for new Asian cinema. CAAMFest 2023 will be a hybrid festival experience that includes a dynamic curation of film screenings, performances, culinary pleasures, and civic engagement, diving deep to illuminate the nuances of our vast and diverse diaspora.

Bay Area Resources

Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin Street, San Francisco
The Asian Art Museum collects and displays Asian & Asian-American art ranging from ancient to modern in order to deepen understanding and empathy among people of all backgrounds.
Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center
934 Brannan Street, San Francisco
The APICC is an arts and cultural center dedicated to the support and presentation of multidisciplinary art reflective of the unique experiences of Asian Pacific Islanders living in the United States.
Japanese American Museum of San Jose
535 N. Fifth Street, San Jose
The Japanese American Museum of San Jose showcases a unique collection of permanent and rotating exhibits chronicling more than a century of Japanese American history.
Napa County Historical Society
1219 First Street, Napa
Brief history of Chinese immigrants in Napa County