The History Behind the Holiday
In 1979, an act to make May 4–11 “Pacific Islander week” was passed in Congress. That month, Jimmy Carter made a proclamation celebrating the role of Asian/Pacific Americans in building the nation. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a bill to make the holiday into a whole month, and two years later, May officially became Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.
All presidents since Carter have made statements regarding the holiday; in 2009, President Barack Obama made a proclamation detailing the struggles of AAPI (Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders) throughout U.S. history. The month of May has specific significance in Asian and Pacific Islander history in the U.S., as it marks the anniversary of both the first Japanese immigration to the U.S. on May 7, 1843, and the culmination of the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1869. The railroad was built primarily by Chinese immigrants and laborers.
In 1882, the federal government’s apparent xenophobia and hatred manifested into the Chinese Exclusion Act. An extension of an 1875 Act banning the inflow of Chinese women, it outlawed Chinese immigration into the U.S. entirely. Though severe and unusually strict, the Act was largely evaded by Chinese immigrants, who snuck into the country in large numbers. It was only in 1943 that the Act was repealed, allowing just 105 Chinese immigrants per year. In 1952, this quota was lifted along with several other racially-motivated quotas.
This exclusion was not specific to China, as Japan and the U.S. engaged in a so-called “Gentlemen’s Agreement,” which stated that Japan would not allow their citizens to immigrate to the U.S. because the U.S. simply didn’t want them there. However, America’s history of overt racism and discrimination towards Japanese-Americans does not end there. The wrongful internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII is yet another example of discrimination against AAPI. During internment, Japanese-American citizens were stripped of their land and possessions and were forcefully relocated to dismal camps, losing their livelihoods in the process. This holiday serves as an informal apology for these stains on U.S. history, and while the federal government has never issued a formal apology, the month-long holiday serves to raise awareness to these inhumanities and help repair generational trauma.
Celebration this Year
The recognition that the month brings is important in gaining a holistic view of American history, and recognizing the roles AAPI had in it. For example, the military history of Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders is often forgotten, even though AAPI have been involved in every major conflict since the genesis of the country. Hundreds of notable Asian and Pacific Islander people throughout history are finally being learned about. The theme of this year is notable AAPI suffragettes, as 2020 marks the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment and suffrage from women. It is important to remember the influential Asian and Pacific Islander women who made it happen. It is also important to recognize that though the 19th Amendment dramatically changed the American voting bloc, women of color still had a long way to go to reach equality.
One specific suffragette who made large contributions in the fight for equality was Wilhelmina Kekelaokalaninui Widemann Dowsett. She was born in Hawai’i to a Native Hawaiian mother and a German immigrant father. She was an ardent feminist who fought against the notion—which was supported by many white suffragettes—that women of color should not get to vote. She was a founding member of the National Women’s Equal Suffrage Association of Hawai’i (WESAH) in protest to exclusion from the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). Several important suffragettes joined her group or served as guest speakers. She helped pass policies through the Hawai’ian government, paving the way for statehood and equal rights for women of color.
In this photo, Wilhemina is on the right.
Ways to Celebrate
There are many ways to celebrate AAPI month, even remotely. Check out the Smithsonian’s Asian Art collection, where there are walking tours that share the rich and intricate history of Asian culture and art. If you feel ambitious, try making an Asian/Pacific Island dish yourself. You should also listen to traditional and modern music from Asia and the Pacific Islands. A good place to start is with the ukulele-driven folk music of Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, the late Hawai’ian superstar who gained massive popularity in continental America for his rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What A Wonderful World.” But not many people know about “Hawai’i ’78,” a hidden gem in his discography. Symbolically sung in both Hawai’ian and English, the song is a somber but empassioned reflection of the 19th Century colonization of Hawai’i. He sings about the British and American imperial takeover of Hawai’ian lands:
Cry for the gods, cry for the people, cry for the land that was taken away. And then yet you’ll find, Hawai’i.
Israel “Iz” Kamakawiwo’ole, “Hawai’i ’78”
Why it Matters
Staring up at a screen or briefly glancing out of a window and catching sight of someone who looks like you is extremely important to the development of children. For decades, AAPI children were denied this and did not see themselves reflected anywhere they looked. However, this is rapidly changing with the further inclusion and representation of AAPI in media, largely due to AAPI Heritage Month and the visibility it gives members of the community. Now children can look up to Moana, the strong island princess who single-handedly saved her people, and dream of their own fantastical adventures, or they can see the record amount of AAPI people and Congress and hope that one day they can too help lead their country.
“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have a rich heritage thousands of years old and have both shaped the history of the United States and had their lives dramatically influenced by moments in its history.”
asianpacificheritage.gov
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