Asian American and Pacific Islander ( AAPI ) Heritage Month is a solemnisation of the 22.6 million Asians and 1.6 million Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders populate in the United States and the function they play in mould American chronicle . Although Americans have celebrated AAPI Heritage Month every year since 1992 , whenPresident George H.W. Bush signalize legislationthat permanently designated May as the commemorative month , it started out as aweeklong celebration in 1979 – thanks to the sweat of a charwoman make Jeanie F. Jew .
Jew was a board phallus of the Organization of Chinese Americans and a Capitol Hill staffer whenshe approached government officialsabout acknowledge and celebrating Asian Americans for their accomplishments . She take on this challenge after noticing the lack of Asian and Pacific theatrical performance during the bicentenary jubilation of 1976 . It was personal for Jew , as her great - grandfather had facilitate establish theTranscontinental Railroad .
Jew enlisted the support of Ruby Moy , an administrative assistant to former New York Representative Frank Horton , and the two worked to gain support for a proclamation . Rep. Horton introduced a bill in 1977 that called for the first 10 days in May to be Pacific / Asiatic American Heritage Week , while Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye introduced a similar resolution .
The drafters chose the calendar month of May tocelebrate two historical events : The first Japanese immigrant get in in the U.S. on May 7 , 1843 , and the Transcontinental Railroad was completed on May 10 , 1869.About 20,000 Chinese workerstook part in the building of this railway line and 1,200 died from explosions , avalanche and other disaster during its structure .
Jew and Moy foundedthe Asian Pacific Congressional Staff Caucus , while Jew also founded and chaired the National Coalition for an Asian / Pacific American Heritage Proclamation . The Organization of Chinese Americans , Nipponese American Citizens League and the Organization of Chinese American Women also advocated for the notice . Thanks to their persistence , 231 Congressional congresswoman co - buy at it and it passed with massive support in both the House and the Senate .
In 1978,President Jimmy Cartersigned the resolution declare May 4 - 11Asian / Pacific American Heritage Week , and the celebration started in 1979 . Over the next decade , Presidents Carter , Reagan and Bush passed annual proclamations for Asian / Pacific American Heritage Week . In 1990Congress expanded the solemnisation to a calendar month , and in 1992 it became an annual solemnization in perpetuity .
President Barack Obamaexpanded the commemorationto include Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians in 2009 and so the month is now known as Asiatic American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month .
