May - Asian Pacific American Heritage Month - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Monthly Observations - Central Louisiana Technical Community College Library at Central Louisiana Technical College

About the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage eBook Display

Passengers of the vessel Shimyo Maru at Angel Island, California, 1931.

National Archives and Records Administration

About Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month originated and provides an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islanders to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States.

AAPI Heritage Month grew out of the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week that Congress established in 1978. Then-president Jimmy Carter started a week-long celebration in the first week of May, and over the next decade, presidents passed annual proclamations sort of renewing the idea that we need to celebrate Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for this week-long period.

Then in 1990, Congress passed a law that expanded the observance of this week into a month-long event, and in 1992 Congress passed a law that designated the whole month of May as AAPI Heritage Month.

The month of May was chosen to commemorate the first immigration of the Japanese to the U.S. on May 7, 1843, and also to mark the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. So the May dates are significant for celebrating AAPI Heritage Month. The Chinese immigrants were critical to the infrastructure of the U.S.

About the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Virtual eBook Display

The CLTCC Library in conjunction with the CLTCC Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce invites you to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month through a curated virtual display of ebooks written by writers of Asian American or Pacific Islander descent.

About the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion eBook Collection

According to LOUIS Libraries, "This perpetual access custom collection of eBooks was created by the Electronic Resources Working Group in conjunction with EBSCO for LOUIS member institutions. This collection enhances the representation of diverse cultures and viewpoints in library collections including Black Americans, LGBTQIA+, religious minorities, Indigenous peoples, Asian Americans, women, and more."

Below is a selection of materials that we've curated to help you learn more about the Black experience in America.

To access the eBooks:

On the "Catalog" tab type your search term(s) in the search bar
Click "Search" or hit "Enter"
When prompted, enter your LoLA username and password
On the left hand side, scroll down, and select "eBooks"
To read an ebook, click on either PDF Full Text or EPUB Full Text

If you cannot remember your LoLA username and password, you can reset it by following the steps on the LoLA homepage.

This LibGuide is brought to you on behalf of the Alexandria Business Foundation Library and the CLTCC Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

Recommended eBooks

Library Databases

Academic Search™ Complete
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Academic Search™ Complete (EBSCOhost®) - Multi-disciplinary (social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, physics, chemistry, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, ethnic studies, and many more disciplines) full text database of scholarly and peer-reviewed publications.
Biography in Context
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Virtually every course of study — from history to science to literature — is ultimately tied to the study of people. Biography in Context delivers outstanding research support with 600,000+ biographical entries — on more than 528,000 individuals — spanning history and geography. Just like all the new revolutionary Gale In Context products, it’s a curriculum-aligned resource that offers media-rich content in context that's updated daily to meet the needs of today’s user. In it you'll find: Biographies from award-winning Gale reference, Multi-media content like videos, images, magazines and newspapers, Current historical information, and Topic pages covering the highest-interest features.
CQ Researcher
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CQ Press Library - the place to search or browse resources on American government, current affairs, history, politics, public policy, and data analysis for the social sciences.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Custom Perpetual Access Collection 2021 - eBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
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This custom collection of eBooks was created by EBSCO for LOUIS with the directive to enhance the representation of diverse cultures and viewpoints in library collections.
History Reference Center®
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History Reference Center® (EBSCOhost®) - The world's most comprehensive full text history reference database, including historical documents, biographies of historical figures, historical photos and maps and videos.

Additional Resources

ABC News Live Honors Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Juju Chang leads a panel of multi-generational Asian Americans on the increasing violence against the Asian community and connecting the dots between generations.
History Channel: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI Heritage Month) is an annual celebration that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States. The AAPI umbrella term includes cultures from the entire Asian continent—including East, Southeast and South Asia—and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, there were about 20.6 million people of Asian or Pacific Islander descent in the United States. According to the Pew Research Center, AAPI people are a diverse and growing population that make up about 7 percent of the total U.S. population. AAPI Heritage Month 2023 will take place from Monday, May 1 to Wednesday, May 31.
NPR: Asian American Heritage Month
Videos, movies, special series and more from NPR.
PBS: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Documentaries
Documentaries and short films about Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage from PBS.
U.S. Army: Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders in the U.S. Army
Individuals of Asian and Pacific Islander descent have historically served in the Army with great valor and distinction and continue to be critical members of the Army team. They play vital roles in today's Army as Soldiers, Army Civilians and Family members.

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebrates the important contributions of individuals of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the nation, both historically and in today's society. The month of May was chosen for this commemoration because it marks the anniversary of the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to American on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad by predominantly Chinese laborers on May 10, 1869.
U.S. Department of State: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
During Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we proudly celebrate Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States and pay tribute to the generations who have enriched and strengthened our nation. The U.S. is home to millions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, representing a diverse array of cultures and traditions. Many serve here at the Department of State and throughout the U.S. government. We celebrate their contributions. In January, 2021, the White House issued a memorandum condemning and combating racism against Asian American and Pacific Islanders and in March, 2021, announced additional actions to respond to Anti-Asian violence, xenophobia, and bias . The Department of State strongly supports these actions. We stand with the AAPI community and are grateful for their talent, contributions, and innovation across our nation.
United Census Bureau: Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: May 2023
In 1992, Congress established May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to coincide with two key milestones: the arrival of the nation’s first Japanese immigrants (May 7, 1843) and Chinese workers’ pivotal role in building the transcontinental railroad (completed May 10, 1869). The move expanded what had been Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week since 1978. In 2021, a presidential proclamation expanded this to include Native Hawaiians. This Facts for Features includes separate sections on the Asian and the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander populations, which the Office of Management and Budget in 1997 split into two race categories.
The following facts are possible thanks to the invaluable responses to the U.S. Census Bureau surveys. We appreciate the public’s cooperation as we measure America’s people, places and economy.
The White House: A Proclamation on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 2023