Asian American + Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May 19, 2021

May is Asian + Pacific American Heritage Month!

This means that the entire month is dedicated to celebrating Americans with Asian and Pacific Islander descent. This encompasses the entire Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.

Why May, you might ask? This month was primarily chosen as it commemorates the immigration of the first Japanese citizens to the United States on May 7, 1843.

Now that we have a little background on the holiday and its origins, we would love to share some of our favorite notable AAPI figures, inventions and contributions you may not know originated from Asian cultures, and children's books to help celebrate the diversity of these cultures and the revolutionary contributions AAPI people have had in the United States!

AAPI Notable Figures:

Ellison Onizuka, Astronaut

Onizuka was the very first Asian American in Space! He was a member of NASA's "Thirty-Five New Guys" which was also the first class to allow women. He successfully flew into space on the Space Shuttle Discovery and died in the destruction of the vessel.

Naomi Uemura, Explorer

Naomi Uemura the first person to reach the North Pole on their own. Not only did he make the arduous trek completely alone, he collected scientific data along the way about air pollution and weather patterns. Uemura was also the first Japanese man to climb Mount Everest and the first man to climb Mount McKinley alone.

Chien-Shiug Wu, The First Lady of Physics
Chien-Shiug Wu made major contributions in detecting radiation poisoning and decay. She was the only known Chinese person to work on the Manhattan Project in 1944 and was later named the first woman president of the American Physical Society.

I.M Pei, Architect
Leoh Ming Pei moved to the United States from Guangzhou, China and went on to design some of our most iconic buildings today. These include the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and many more. In 1983, he won the Pritzker Prize (also known as the Nobel Prize of architecture.)

Yuri Kockiyama, Political Activist
Yuri Kockiyama is a political activist who, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, suffered extreme racism in the U.S. She spent two years in a concentration camp and escaped with the invigoration to fight for the Asian American movement. She was part of several movements including the Young Lords and the Harlem Community for Self Defense, and founded Asian Americans for Action. She joined forces with Malcom X working toward justice and human rights.

Joyce Chen, Chinese American Chef, Restaurateur, and Author
Joyce Chen fled China in 1917 with her family as communism was taking over. She moved to Massachusetts where she opened her very first restaurant. She is now attributed with popularizing authentic, northern-style Chinese cuisine in the U.S! Before Chen's contributions, much American Chinese food was a "hybrid chop suey" which is not an authentic Chinese dish.

David Ho, Researcher. Physician, and Virologist

David Ho is a Taiwanese American who has made countless scientific contributions in furthering the understanding of HIV and AIDS that we have today. His research team transformed both diseases which at one time were considered a death sentence into manageable diseases. Today, he continues to work in virology by working on the COVID-19 vaccine and possible treatments.

Anna May Wong, Film Star
Anna May Wong was the first Chinese-American film star in the United States. She starred in over 60 movies and used her fame to speak out about unfair and racist typecasting in Hollywood.

Benazir Bhutto, Pakistani Politician
Bhutto was the first woman to lead a Muslim-majority nation. She became head of the Pakistan People's Party which led to her five-year exile. When she returned, she ran for Prime Minister and won! She served two terms as prime minister in which she improved relations between Pakistan and India and established female police forces.

Junko Tabei, Explorer
Junko Tabei was a Japanese explorer and the first woman to reach the top of Mt. Everest. She started women-only mountaineering clubs which encouraged Japanese women to discover climbing while also redefining what a Japanese woman, wife, and mother could be. By the time she passed in 2016, she had climbed over 70 mountains.

AAPI Books to Share with your Children

Eyes that Kiss in the Corners - Joanna Ho, illustrations by Dung Ho
Joanna Ho has written a series of children's books, all about family! Joanna Ho says that this book in particular "celebrates Asian-shaped eyes."

Drawn Together - Minh Lê, illustrations by Dan Santat
This children's book is a story about how a boy and his grandfather navigate a cultural and language barrier through art together.

Cora Cooks Pancit - Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore, illustrations by Kristi Valiant
Cora Cooks Pancit paints a picture of the author's childhood - cooking authentic Filipino foods with her family!

A Different Pond - Bai Phi, illustrated by Thi Bui
A Different Pond gives a glimpse into a relationship between a father and son and the differences between cultures of the past and present.

Queen of Physics - Teresa Robeson, illustrated by Rebecca Huang
A children's book introducing Wu Chien Shiung and her incredible story of overcoming prejudice and changing physics

Shark Lady - Jess Keating, illustrated by Marta Álvarez Mingués
Shark Lady tells the true story of Eugenie Clark and how she became a fearless marine biologist

A Life Made by Hand - Andrea D'Aquino
The story of Ruth Asawa, an award winning Japanese-American artist and sculptor. This book also includes activities to get your little's creativity flowing.

AAPI Notable Contributions:

Birthright Citizenship

Birthright citizenship means that if you are born in America, you are a U.S. citizen regardless of your parent's citizenship status. This landmark decision was thanks to Wong Kim Ark, a San Francisco-born son of two Chinese immigrants. He fought to defend his right to citizenship and the rights of all American-born children of immigrants.

Modern Architecture
Many of America's most modern architectural marvels are designed and built by Asian descendants. In fact, the main contributors to shaping the cityscape of Los Angeles in the postwar era is thanks to Asian-American architects. These include I.M. Pei, Gilbert Leong, Helen Liu Fong, Eugene Choy, Gin Wong, and many more

Advancements in the Field of Atomic Science
You may recall the name Chien-Shiug Wu, Ph.D. from the Notable Figures above. She was also vital in developing the field of atomic science! She proved the theory of beta decay and improved existing technology for the detection of radiation.

Paper Money
Chinese residents were the first in the world to use paper money. Like most other countries, China previously used circular coins as currency. As their economy flourished, merchants found these coins to be too heavy. To solve this issue, merchants would leave their money with a trusted individual in exchange for a slip of paper recording how much money was left with them.

Soccer
Soccer was invented in China over two thousand years ago. It started as a military exercise (according to FIFA) and morphed into the most loved sport in the world! The original soccer balls were made of a leather casing filled with hair and feathers.

Fair Farmer Labor Practices
In 1965, Filipino American vineyard workers organized a non-violent strike against California wine makers. This was the first time a strike was used in a major labor dispute. This boycott lasted for five years when growers finally agreed to fair wages, benefits, and protections.

Ice Cream Cones
The ice cream cone was invented by a Syrian zalabia maker (a waffle-like confection) who noticed that a nearby ice cream vendor had run out of dishes to serve out of. He rolled out his zalabia to make the first ever ice cream cone and help out a neighbor.

Chopsticks
Chopsticks have been used in Asian culture for over 3,000 years. The earliest chopsticks were used as cooking utensils and transformed to be used as eating utensils as they became more popular.

Toilet Paper
Toilet paper was invented in China in 1391. Originally, toilet paper was only about 2 inches wide (compared to the 6 inch width of today's TP). In the late 14th century, this invention took off and was manufactured at about 10 million packages each year.