May is a time for flowers and nicer weather. However, the month is special for another reason too. It’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Month!
The U.S. government created AAPI Heritage Month in 1992. Officials chose May to remember the arrival of the first Japanese to America in 1843. The month also marks the date that workers completed the transcontinental railroad in 1869. That railway connected the eastern and western United States. Most of the workers were Chinese immigrants.
Read on to honor some important AAPI people!
Philip Vera Cruz (1904–1994)
Philip Vera Cruz was born in the island nation of the Philippines in 1904. He always dreamed of moving to the United States. That dream came true in 1926! Vera Cruz became a farmworker. He quickly realized that America wasn’t everything he had thought it would be. Farmers worked long hours with little pay. He later wrote a poem about his experience. He wrote that “beautiful bright pictures painted / were just half of the whole story.” In the 1950s, Vera Cruz brought Filipino farmworkers together to protest working conditions. He led strikes and fought for workers’ rights.
Anna May Wong (1905–1961)
As a kid in California, Anna May Wong would use her lunch money to go to the movies. When she was 9 years old, she decided she wanted to be a movie star. Wong was often bullied because of her race. But that didn’t stop her. She grew up to become the first Chinese American film star! Wong was in more than 60 movies. They included one of the first-ever movies in color.
George Takei (Born 1937)
Many people know George Takei from the TV show Star Trek. But before that, Takei lived a tough life. During World War II (1939–1945), Japan attacked the United States. As a result, the U.S. created Japanese
. The Takeis, from California, were one of thousands of families that were forced into these centers. George Takei stayed in these camps from about the ages of 5 to 9. In 2019, Takei wrote a graphic novel about his experience.
George Helm Jr. (1950–1977)
George Helm Jr. was a musician and
from Hawaii. He was dedicated to his Hawaiian roots. Helm spent his life protecting the land and its people. In 1975, Helm turned his attention to the Hawaiian island of Kahoʻolawe. The United States was using the island to test bombs. This was destroying the land. Helm and eight other people went to the island to protest. The bombing continued for years. Helm inspired many people.
Kamala Harris (Born 1964)
You have likely heard of Kamala Harris. After all, she is the vice president of the United States! Harris is the first Asian American person to hold that top job. Harris has said her family is a part of her success. She often talks about her mother, who was a scientist from India. “My mother had a saying: ‘Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you’re not the last.’”
Michelle Kwan (Born 1980)
Michelle Kwan can shred it on the ice. Kwan started ice skating at the age of 5. She won her first competition in the sport at age 7! The Chinese American ice skater went on to win more than 40 championships. Those include five world championships and nine titles in the United States. She even earned two Olympic medals! Kwan paved the way for many other AAPI athletes.
Updated May 11, 2021, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Alexa Tirapelli
