INFOGRAPHIC: Asian/Pacific American Heritage

100-PO045 (R 6/2019)

Text Version

Asian/Pacific American Heritage

The term Asian/Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.

History of Asian/Pacific Heritage Month

1977

A resolution to proclaim the first ten days of May as Asian-Pacific Heritage Week was introduced to the US House of Representatives.

1978

President Carter signed a joint resolution for the celebration.

1990

President George H.W. Bush signed a bill passed by Congress to extend Asian-Pacific American Heritage Week to a month.

Cultural Traditions

Pacific Islander and Asian Americans of all ethnicities and languages come together to celebrate their heritage through many activities such as dancing, sharing traditional meals, and observing and appreciating their rich history.

Population of Asian Americans

Chinese – 4,880,000
Asian Indian – 4,000,000
Filipino – 3,900,000
Vietnamese – 2,000,000
Korean – 1,800,000
Japanese – 1,400,000
Pakistani – 500,000
Cambodian – 320,000
Thai – 300,000
Hmong – 290,000
Laotian – 260,000
Taiwanese – 190,000
Bangladeshi – 180,000
Burmese – 166,000
Nepalese – 160,000
Indonesian – 110,000
Sri Lankan – 58,000

Population of Pacific Islander Americans

Native Hawaiian – 580,000
Samoan – 200,000
Guamanian or Chamorro – 150,000
Tongan – 64,000

Numbers Keep Growing

According to a survey in 2016, 1.5 million Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders live in the U.S.
“Our attitude towards immigration reflects our faith in the American ideal.”
-President John F. Kennedy