Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Today marks the beginning of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the incredible diversity within our community and the significant contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders to this nation. It is also a time to reflect on the trials and tribulations our community has overcome and the many challenges still faced, including barriers to equal access to education, employment, and health care, as well as ongoing struggles with discrimination. President Obama expresses this sentiment and more in his 2015 Presidential Proclamation for AAPI Heritage Month.

As part of the month, we will hold the White House Summit on AAPIs on May 12. This Summit will be an unprecedented and historic all-day convening of senior federal officials and leaders from across the country. The Summit will celebrate President Obama’s leadership, showcase Administration policies and programs that have supported the AAPI community over the past six years, and outline efforts for the next two years and decades to come. Tune in live to the Summit at whitehouse.gov/aapi.   

I am also pleased to share with you a video message from myself and Konrad Ng, Director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific Center. We invite you to share this video and to join the conversation online with #APAEverywhere.

Watch on YouTube

Kiran Ahuja is Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.