May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and all during May we have been highlighting resources to learn more about the many Asian American and Pacific Islander contributions and the issues they face. Below we recap those resources and add a few more!
Establishment of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
After decades of celebrating Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week, Congress finally passed Public Law 102-450 which annually designated May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869.
Learn more about the establishment of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by visiting the Law Library of Congress guide to the laws and presidential proclamations related to establishing and designating Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May).
Read ABA President Mary Smith on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month
UC Celebrations for Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month
UC Alumni Association Celebrates Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
Library Displays at UCBA, Asian-Pacific Heritage Month
UC Clermont Frederick A. Marcotte Library, Digital Display AAPI Heritage Month
CECH Be Historic Asian Pacific Heritage Month
Selected Resources about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the Legal Profession
May ABA-Wide 21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge © AAPI Heritage Month
The goal of the Challenge is to assist each of us to become more aware, compassionate, constructive, engaged people in the quest for racial equity, and specifically to learn more about the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. It transcends our roles as lawyers. Non-lawyers are also welcome to participate.
ABA Asian American and Pacific Islander Legal Trailblazers
A presentation featuring leaders in activism and the legal profession who are of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage.
U.S. Courts, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is observed throughout May to pay tribute to the achievements of generations who have contributed to American life. The federal courts join in celebrating their accomplishments at every level of the Third Branch of government.
Library of Congress Research Guides on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Library of Congress, Asian American and Pacific Islander Materials: A Resource Guide
This guide serves as a point of entry for researchers seeking materials in multiple formats on Asian American/Pacific Islander studies and related resources at the Library of Congress. The types of resources covered in this guide range from special collections containing photographs, diary entries, and recorded interviews to monographs, reference works, and serials.
Library of Congress, Discrimination Against Asian and Pacific Islander Americans: A Research Guide
Throughout the history of the United States, Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans have been discriminated against legally, socially, and economically. This research guide provides primary and secondary sources, in electronic and print formats, regarding historical and contemporary aspects of discrimination against Asian Americans.
Library of Congress, Behind Barbed Wire: Japanese-American Internment Camp Newspapers
Behind the barbed wire of assembly centers and relocation centers around the country during World War II, interned Japanese-Americans produced newspapers to chronicle the stories and experiences of their community in a time of crisis. The Library of Congress has made available online a rare collection of the newspapers produced by Japanese-Americans interned at assembly centers and relocation centers around the country during World War II. The collection includes more than 4,600 English and Japanese language issues published in 13 camps.
Library of Congress, Chinese Exclusion Act: Primary Documents in American History
The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was signed into law on May 6, 1882. Officially titled “An act to execute certain treaty stipulations relating to Chinese,” the Chinese Exclusion Act prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers for ten years. It was extended in 1892 for another ten years by the Geary Act and then made permanent in 1902. In 1943, at a time when the United States and China were allies during World War II, the ban on Chinese immigration and naturalization was finally repealed.This guide compiles Library of Congress digital materials, external websites, and a print bibliography.
Library of Congress, Filipino-American Materials: A Resource Guide
Filipino-Americans comprise the second largest Asian ancestry group in the United States. This guide provides information on how to locate all physical and electronic material on Filipino-Americans available for use at the Library of Congress and online.
Library of Congress, Patsy T. Mink Papers
Congresswoman Patsy T. Mink (1927-2002) was a vigorous and tireless champion of women’s rights, an early and vocal opponent to the Vietnam War, and a leader on issues involving education, the environment, welfare, and civil rights. With her election in 1964, Mink became the first woman of color and the first Asian American woman to serve in Congress. This guide provides context for a selection of digitized materials from the Patsy T. Mink Papers in the Manuscript Division and includes related resources for researching Mink’s life and legacy.
Media Resources to Learn More about Asian Americans and Pacific Islander History and Culture
Films on Demand, Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month
In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, here are films about the Asian American & Pacific Islander experience that you can stream through our University Libraries’ Films on Demand subscription.
Kanopy, Films for Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month
In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, here are films about the Asian American & Pacific Islander experience that you can stream on Kanopy through our University Libraries’ subscription.
PBS, Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Every May PBS celebrates Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month by shining a light on AANHPI experiences and filmmakers. These documentaries and programs celebrate and center Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander experiences.
Selected Museum and Archival Resources to Learn More about Asian Americans and Pacific Islander History and Culture
Duke University Libraries, Asian American Oral Histories
A list of Asian American oral history collections.
National Archives, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
The National Archives holds a wealth of material documenting the Asian and Pacific Islander experience, and it highlights these resources online, in programs, and through traditional and social media. You can help make more records accessible by becoming a citizen archivist and tagging and transcribing Chinese Heritage Records.
The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center serves as a dynamic national resource for discovering why the Asian Pacific American experience matters every day, everywhere, and all of the time.
Learn More
For more resources on Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage, see our past blog posts!