Celebrate AAPI Heritage
May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asian and Pacific Islander individuals and communities in the United States. Asian/Pacific is a broad term. It encompasses people from the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia), and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Easter Island).
On May 7th, 1843 Manjiro, a 14-year old fisherman, arrived in the United States via whaling ship. He is considered the first Japanese immigrant to come to the United States. May 10th, 1869 marks the completion of the transcontinental railroad, which was built largely by Chinese immigrants in very poor conditions. For these reasons, Congress chose May to celebrate AAPI heritage.
In this blog, you can find information on ways to support and celebrate the AAPI community. In addition to the virtual and non-virtual celebrations below, you can also celebrate AAPI heritage with books for kids and adults and movies – sharing with your family is encouraged!
Support the AAPI Community
Support Asian/Pacific American folks in our community by regularly patronizing AAPI-owned restaurants, business, and by buying from AAPI artisans.
You can also support AAPI business by buying Asian/Pacific American owned brands. Here are some of the Asian/Pacific American owned brands we carry at the Co-op.
- Mother in Law’s (gochujang paste and sauce)
- Dang (sticky rice chips)
- Red Boat Fish Sauce
- Maya Kaimal (Indian pantry staples)
- ALO (aloe vera beverages)
- World Centric (compostable picnicware)
- Monsoon Kitchens (frozen Indian food)
- Sun Tropics (juice & mochi snacks)
- Catalina Snacks (keto cereal)
- Nutpods (non-dairy creamer)
- Happy Pho/Star Anise Foods (instant noodles)
- Mylk Labs (oatmeal cups)
- Cocokind (skincare)
- Masala Blends (spice blends)
- Numi (tea)
- Sherpa Chai (chai concentrate)
- Matr Boomie (candles and jewelry)
- Onibi Beer (beer)
- Three Trees (almond milk)
- Simply Gum (gum)
AAPI Heritage Month Events
- 4/30 South Asian Radical History Walking Tour in Berkeley
- 5/1 AAPI Heritage Month Launch at the CA State Railroad Museum in Sac
- 5/6 Joy on Joice Street Fair and Festival in San Francisco
- 5/6 Asian Pacific Culture Fest in Elk Grove
- 5/6 AAPI Heritage Month Celebration in Livermore
- 5/7 Free Admission Day at the Asian Art Museum in SF
- 5/7 Cultural Roots Nursery pop up at Third Culture Bakery in Berkeley
- 5/12 Cultural Roots Nursery Ancestral Foods Planting Workshop at SJSU Campus Garden
- 5/13 Locke Asian Pacific Street Festival in Walnut Grove
- 5/13-14 Sacramento AAPI Film Festival
- 5/13 Taiwanese American Cultural Festival in San Francisco
- 5/13 Merced Branch Open House in San Francisco
- 5/19 AAPI Heritage Month Celebration in San Jose
- 5/27 AAPI 5K in San Francisco
Places To Go
- Visit Historical Locke Town, the only town in the United States built exclusively by Chinese Americans for Chinese Americans
- Explore the East Asian Collection at the Arboretum/UC Davis Public Garden
- Stop by The Viet Museum in San Jose
