Leadership, Diversity, Harmony:
Gateway to Success

Asian-Pacific Islander American Heritage Month was first established in 1977 when Representatives Frank Horton and Norman Mineta and Senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga introduced resolutions asking the President to declare the first ten days of May (the month when the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the U.S. in 1843) as Asian/Pacific Heritage Week.  In 1978 President Carter made it an annual event and in 1990, President George H.W. Bush proclaimed the entire month of May to be Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.*

This year’s theme: Leadership, Diversity, Harmony: Gateway to Success, picks up from the 2007 theme Pursuing Leadership through Diversity and Unity.  Leadership and Diversity are constants which resonate throughout the Asian and Pacific American Community.  Today, Asian and Pacific Americans are leaders in public service, business, government, science, law, education, athletics, the arts, medicine, and many other areas. 

The diversity among Asian and Pacific Americans is striking in itself, with origins from nearly fifty countries and ethnicities, each with distinct cultures, traditions, and histories, and they speak over 100 languages and dialects.  While Asian Americans represent about 5% of the U.S.'s population (as of May 2005), they are one of the fastest growing racial/ethnic groups (in terms of percentage increase) in the U.S.

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*  Le, C.N. 2008. "The Model Minority Image." Asian-Nation. (April 28, 2008).