While Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is technically celebrated in May, AAPI Heritage Month is celebrated during April on most college campuses. Here at MSA, we want to ensure that each of our students experience the richness of the Asian and Pacific Islander cultures without running into finals and summer break.
In 1978, Congress passed a joint Congressional Resolution to commemorate Asian American Heritage Week during the first week of May because of two important anniversaries: the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in America on May 7, 1843 and the completion of the transcontinental railroad (by many Chinese laborers) on May 10, 1869.
In 1990, this week was later expanded into a month-long celebration. Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is a celebration of the culture, traditions, and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.