APAHM received its official designation in 1992 and stands for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. It is a month to commemorate the rich history and culture of the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) community. Now more than ever, the APIDA community has been making greater strides toward increased representation and visibility in American politics, media and entertainment. APAHM is an important time to reflect on the achievements that the APIDA community has accomplished both past and present.
So, here are a few fun facts about the APIDA community you might’ve not been aware of:
1. There are about 15 million Asian Americans in the states.
This is according to a survey from 2012. This number is also rapidly growing too as Asians are the fastest major ethnic group in America; from 2000 to 2015, the Asian-American population grew by 72%.
2. Patsy Mink was the first Asian-American woman in Congress.
She was both the first Asian-American woman and woman of color be elected into Congress. She represented the state of Hawaii from 1965 to 2003.
3. Yuji Ichioka coined the term “Asian-American” in the late 1960s
According to Ichioka, the term was used to form an “inter-ethnic-pan-Asian American self-defining political group.” The term played a key role for political organizing in the 1960s as it brought together different racial groups that once thought of themselves as separate from one another.
4. Merle Oberon was the first Asian nominated for an Academy Award.
Born in British-Occupied India to Irish and Indian parents, Oberon received her nomination for Best Actress in her role in the film The Dark Angel in 1935. She remains the only Asian ever nominated for Best Actress.
5. Currently, here are 16 Asian-American members of Congress.
This is as of 2019 where there are currently 13 Asian-American representatives and 3 senators in office. They serve the states of Illinois, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Virginia.
Although APAHM is officially designated to the month of May, it’s celebrated in April at Mason. April might be ending soon, but there are still events you can check out–including the Second Annual Mason Night Market at the Merten Lawn on April 30.
I hope you learn something new about the vibrant APIDA community in the coming weeks, collegiettes!