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Monthly Feature: The Origin of Asian-Pacific Heritage Month
Featured May 09, 2016
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May celebrates the contributions Asian Americans have made to the San Gabriel Valley. – Photo by Carol M. Highsmith. America Project, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
How You Can Celebrate It
By Roshan Perera
May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month. The San Gabriel Valley is experiencing a boom in the amount of Asian businesses and residents that are deciding to call this area of Los Angeles County home. It is a time for reflection and commemoration for the ways in which Asian and Pacific Islander residents and immigrants have contributed to the civic and social web of the San Gabriel Valley – making it the wonderful community it is.
Much like other commemorative months, Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month originated with a Congressional Act. Representatives Norman Mineta of California and Frank Horton of New York introduced a House resolution that called upon the president to proclaim the first 10 days of May as Asian/Pacific Heritage Week in June of 1977. By 1978, President Carter signed a resolution making it an annual celebration.
It was then expanded to a month-long commemoration in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush. The month of May was chosen for two main reasons: The first is the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. A majority of the workers who laid the tracks on the western half of the construction were Chinese immigrants; reason two is that May marks the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States.
In the 1980s the San Gabriel Valley did not have a thriving Asian demographic. Monterey Park was the only city whose Asian household made up one-third of the city’s overall demographic. However, this began changing in the 1990s and continues through to today. Now, cities such as San Gabriel City, San Marino, Rosemead, Arcadia, and Temple City not only have thriving Asian households and businesses, but they are also the majority of residents there.
To celebrate Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month there will be events and exhibits throughout not only the San Gabriel Valley, but also Los Angeles County for residents to see and do. Here is a small list of those events which celebrate the contributions that Asian and Pacific Islanders have done.
– The USC Asia Pacific Museum hosts: Free Second Sunday: Hawaii. Join them on May 14 as they celebrate the arts and culture of Hawaii. Admission to the galleries is free all day.
– Undiscovered Chinatown: on May 7 explore a number of off-the-beaten-track points of cultural and historical interest, and shop some of Chinatown’s best bargains and trendiest shops. Go to chinatownla.com for more information.
– The Taiwanese American Festival Week is happening in Monterey Park on May 15. The festival features food, merchandise, crafts, games, and art exhibitions showcasing Taiwanese American culture.
For a complete listing off all of the activities planned throughout the Los Angeles area, visit http://apahm.lacity.org. And keep checking in with us as we cover China Week 2016!
