Every May we take extra time to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month by shining a light on AANHPI experiences and highlighting resources to learn more.

This year Brighworks will be honoring Hawaiian Native peoples. The BI&PoC Spring Family Kickback on May 1st featured Hawaiian cuisine arranged by Alex Oeffinger, whose heritage originates in the Pacific. Brightworks will continue celebrating Hawai'ian culture in the coming weeks with a Hula Dance offering through the grades provided by Lehua (mother of Reza in Lapis).

*Check out the AAPI Heritage Month* Celebration Guide, which showcases AAPI events, activities, and educational opportunities from their official celebration partners. The Foundation amplifies awareness of the month and its significance within the community.

Why is AANHPI Heritage Month celebrated in May?

AANHPI Heritage has been celebrated nationally in May for many decades. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a joint resolution which designated the first ten days of May as Asian/Pacific Heritage Week. This period was chosen to commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843. It also marked the completion of the transcontinental railroad—largely built by Chinese immigrant laborers—on May 10, 1869.

Over the years, the observance evolved, and May was established as AAPI Heritage Month in 1992. Now, AANHPI Heritage Month is celebrated with a variety of events and activities that highlight the cultures, traditions, and histories of these communities.

Here you will find links for organizations, learning, events and films. By acknowledging the racism and violence targeted towards AAPI communities, we can begin to heal from the wounds of hate and in doing so, make a better future together.

Local resources for learning and connection

More Than a Song: APIA Singers. The eleventh anniversary of the APIA (Asian Pacific Islander American) Biography Project highlights distinguished APIA singers, past and present, local and international, engaged in social justice through their actions and/or lyrics in the music industry. View “Wall of Fame” and related exhibits at the Children’s Center and the Chinese Center and participate in a scavenger hunt at the Main Library. The first 50 children ages 12 and under get a free prize bag! Throughout May, access videos and activities online at APIA (Asian Pacific Islander American) Biography Project.
Islands By The Bay Festival. Check out the San Francisco Community Festival Celebrating Asian and Pacific Islands. Scheduled for May 19th 2024 held at the Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco. They will have a great lineup of amazing Hula, Tahitian and Polynesian dances. Music, Food and Novelty Vendors too! Check out their website for more information as well as scholarships they host for the young student community.
SF Public Library. Experience a variety of free programs this May during Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month at San Francisco Public Library. The Library’s ongoing celebration of AANHPI heritage, Weaving Stories, showcases the rich culture and diverse stories of the AANHPI community in the Bay Area and beyond.
There will be events for all ages at Library locations throughout the City, including free author talks, book clubs, film screenings, crafts, food programs and musical and dance performances. Check out all the details here.
Samoan Community Development Center: Fealofani Festival on May 4, 2024, 1pm - 3pm at Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School (Auditorium). Put on by the Tupulaga Talavou Tula’i (3T’s) Young generation Group. 3T’s is an intergenerational cultural enrichment program designed to build personal and collective interpersonal strength among PI children and youth residing citywide in San Francisco. Using traditional dances and songs, their goal is to provide Pacific Islander youth with life skills that promote resilience; knowledge of their heritage that will inspire.

More ways to honor AANHPI cultural heritage

Can’t make it in person? Check out three additional ways to celebrate AAPI culture this May.

Take a virtual art tour across Asian cultures at the Smithsonian.
Join the Youth In Action: What the Youth Can Do (Hoʻolale I Ka ʻai A Ka Uʻi) online event
“Hoʻolale i ka ʻai a ka uʻi” is a Hawaiian proverb that roughly translates to “what the youth can do.” This special Youth In Action program was filmed in Hawaiʻi and showcases what Native Hawaiian youth are doing to protect their traditions. The program has four segments: voyaging and wayfinding, hula as resistance, heiau (sacred space) restoration, and food sovereignty. (Smithsonian Institution)
Check out the New York Public Library’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage “Reading List for Adults.”
Listen to Asian American History 101 on Apple podcasts.
Enjoy this selection of films from KQED, some premiering in May as well as some gems to revisit. These documentaries celebrate the light and love in our diverse AANHPI communities.
Check out some of these incredible organizations:

Bravespace

Bravespace is a compilation of original songs, sounds, and meditations created by Asian American women and non-binary artists and musicians. Arriving amidst a period of collective trauma and heightened xenophobic violence, Bravespace offers listeners a refuge for contemplation, grief, and growth.

Citizen Archivist

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The National Archives holds a wealth of material documenting the Asian and Pacific Islander experience, and it highlights these resources online, in programs, and through traditional and social media. You can help make more records accessible by becoming a citizen archivist. Find out more about transcribing and tagging Chinese heritage records from the exclusion era.

National Park Service Celebrates Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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. Every May during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and throughout the year, the National Park Service and its partners share those histories and the continuing culture thriving in parks and communities today. Visit the site »

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Collection

The AAPI Collection features more than 230 public radio and television programs in the American Archive of Public Broadcasting from 1965 to 2019 that highlight Asian American and Pacific Islander cultures in the United States. The collection includes interviews with Asian American artists and writers, such as Maya Lin, Aimee Lee, Jhumpa Lahiri, Amy Tan, and Frank Chin.

Teaching Resources – Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage and History in the U.S.

Since 1990, the U.S. government has designated the month of May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, celebrating the achievements and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the United States. This Teacher's Guide offers a collection of lessons and resources for K-12 social studies, literature, and arts classrooms that center around the experiences, achievements, and perspectives of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across U.S. history.

May: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month