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Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: Home

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

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In the United States, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated May 1- 31st to celebrate all the achievements and contributions of people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. This includes people from the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Easter Island) (https://asianpacificheritage.gov/). The month of May was selected because of two important anniversaries: May 7, 1843, the arrival of the first Japanese immigrant, and May 10, 1869, the completion of the first transcontinental railroad, which was mostly built by Chinese workers (https://asianpacificheritage.gov/). Join the celebration by exploring the RHC Library collection and other resources.

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Books by Asian Pacific Americans

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