sure
For far too long the achievements and history of minority groups in the United States have been overlooked in textbooks, the media, and society as a whole. Cultural heritage months seek to help remediate that oversight and give communities of color more recognition. The history of these cultural observances sheds light on the achievements minority groups have made in a country where they often face discrimination.
The creation of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month owes its thanks to several lawmakers. New York Congressman Frank Horton and California Congressman Norman Mineta sponsored a bill in the U.S. House mandating that part of May be recognized as “Asian Pacific Heritage Week.” In the Senate, lawmakers Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga entered a similar bill in July 1977. When the bills passed the Senate and the House, President Jimmy Carter declared the beginning of May “Asian Pacific Heritage Week.” Twelve years later, President George H.W. Bush turned the weeklong observance into a month-long event. Lawmakers chose the month of May because it marks milestones in Asian American history. For example, the first Japanese American immigrants entered the U.S. on May 7, 1843. Twenty-six years after that, on May 10, Chinese workers completed building America’s transcontinental railroad.
