May 2004
4th Floor West

An exhibit celebrating Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States.

On October 5, 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a Joint Resolution designating the first ten days of May as Asian/Pacific Heritage Week; President George H. W. Bush expanded the holiday into a month-long celebration in 1992. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843 and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. Chinese immigrants comprised the majority of the workers who laid the tracks.

During Asian Pacific American Heritage Month we honor the achievements of Asian/Pacific Americans and recognize their contributions to the culture and heritage of the United States.

Exhibit produced by the Asian Pacific American Student Organization (APASO) and the Multicultural Center, with the assistance of the MSU Libraries' Exhibits staff.