Focus on America

2010 Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Contributions of Asian Americans to U.S. culture are honored in May...  “I feel very fortunate to have two sets of cultures to enjoy — American and Vietnamese. Rather than divide my identity in half, these two sets of experiences double my understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the world around me.”

Writing these words on his website, Asian Nation, Vietnamese-born C.N. Le adds that he sees Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which is celebrated in the United States every May, as an opportunity “to share in the accomplishments of all Asian Americans before me.”  Le is a professor of sociology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Asian Americans include the well-known, such as actor Bruce Lee, the infantrymen of the 442nd Regiment who fought in World War II and author Maxine Hong Kingston, Le says, as well as those who are not famous “but whose accomplishments are no less impressive and inspiring.”  He cites the Chinese workers on the transcontinental railroad, the Japanese Americans interned during World War II, and “everyday Asian immigrant families who work tirelessly to improve their lives and build a future for their children.”

President Obama praised the contributions of Asian Americans to every facet of life in the United States — business, academia, sports, the arts, science and technology -- in a May 1, 2009, proclamation.

He noted that “Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have endured and overcome hardship and heartache,” including “unjust working conditions, prejudice, and discrimination — yet they excelled.”

Obama also pointed out that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders “have defended the United States from threats at home and abroad, serving our Nation with valor.”

In 2008, President George W. Bush singled out the veterans of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated Army unit that was composed mostly of volunteers recruited from U.S. internment camps during World War II.  “They served America with distinction in eight battle campaigns in Europe,” Bush said, adding that the unit was “one of the most highly decorated in U.S. military history.” (See soldiers’ stories from the Library of Congress Veterans History Project.)

Throughout the United States, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated with community festivals, traditional foods, parades and cultural performances. Many schools and government offices hold educational and cultural events.

Asians are the third largest minority group — and the second fastest-growing group — in the United States, according to the Census Bureau, which predicts that Asians will increase from 5 percent to 9 percent of the total population by 2050.   Approximately 15.2 million foreign-born and native-born citizens — or 5 percent of the U.S. population — identify themselves as Asian alone or in combination with other races.

The largest population of Asians is in California, with nearly 5 million, followed by New York, Texas and Hawaii.  Hawaii has the highest percentage of Asians in its population, 55 percent, followed by California with 14 percent.

More Asian Americans claim Chinese heritage than any other background, followed by Filipinos, Indians, Vietnamese, Koreans and Japanese.

In addition to proclaiming special heritage months, the U.S. government celebrates America’s diversity through the “Outstanding Americans by Choice” awards, which have been presented since 2006 by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) to recognize the professional accomplishments and civic participation of naturalized U.S. citizens.

About a dozen Asian Americans have been named Outstanding Americans by Choice, including former Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and her father, James S.C. Chao, chairman of the New York-based Foremost Group, which has interests in marine shipping, international trade and finance.

The award has been presented to about 60 naturalized citizens from virtually every continent.  Among other Asian American honorees are Indra Nooyi, chairman and chief executive officer of PepsiCo, and Renu Khator, chancellor of the University of Houston system, both born in India; Vietnamese-born Anh Duong, head of borders and maritime security division in the Department of Homeland Security; and retired Major General John L. Fugh, who was born in Beijing and went on to become judge advocate general of the U.S. Army (responsible for legal affairs).

Two Asian Americans have been specially recognized by the Ellis Island Foundation with the Peopling of America Award, which honors immigrants who have made a major contribution to the American experience.  In 2004, the first such award went to Chinese-born architect I. M. Pei, who came to America in 1935. He has designed more than 60 projects in the United States and abroad.  In 2007, the award went to Josie Natori, who was born in the Philippines and came to America in 1964. She become the first female vice president of investment banking at Merrill Lynch and then entered the field of fashion, founding the Natori Company.

The contributions of Asian Americans officially were recognized in 1978 when a joint congressional resolution established Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week.   President George H.W. Bush expanded it to a month in 1990, and two years later Congress made it official with a law designating May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.

The Library of Congress states that the month of May was chosen because the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the United States on May 7, 1843; May also marks the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.

See “U.S. House Recognizes South Asian Festival of Lights.”

More information on Asian Pacific Heritage Month is available from the Library of Congress. Also see the U.S. Census Bureau’s Facts for Features page on Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.