On Jan. 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14148, which, among other things, took away the federal recognition of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month. But that does not mean people are not able to celebrate the wide diaspora of culture and history that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have contributed to this country.
AAPI Month was officially created in 1992, but the celebration of these diverse cultures began way before. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a proclamation designating the first week of May to celebrate Asian-American and Pacific Islander cultures. In 1992, Congress passed a law extending the heritage week and making the month of May AAPI Month.
The Smithsonian, a hub for cultural and historical information and awareness, is hosting a slew of events to celebrate AAPI month. They have many events being hosted at their New York and DC locations including a hands-on crafting event for children and families to learn about Hawaiian culture while making crafts with materials used in traditional Hawaiian arts. They also have events catered to the older audiences presenting different art and architectural pieces from Asian and Pacific Islander artists in an extensive gallery walk, among other events.
Many universities still celebrate AAPI month with shows and events catered to their Asian and Pacific Islander students and their families. Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, had a showcase held in their arts center to display different dances from across Asia and the Pacific islands including tinikling and hula. Tinikling is a traditional Filipino folk dance that involves rhythmically beating two bamboo poles away and against each other while people try to skip and walk between them. Hula is a traditional Hawaiian dance that was used to pass down stories through generations before a written language was formed.
Likewise, there are also many local events that are also being hosted. There is a Common Roots Festival happening in Durham, NC, on Sat. May 17. In many communities across the country there are AAPI festivals and celebrations. For example, POST Houston, an entertainment venue in Houston, Texas, is hosting a large festival on their properties for AAPI month.
AAPI month, while not a federally recognized heritage month anymore, can still be an opportunity to celebrate the Asian and Pacific Islander communities around you and their cultures. Inclusivity is a huge part of heritage months and should be celebrated regardless.
