Asian and Pacific American Heritage month was the idea of former congressional staffer Jeanie Jew who first approached Rep. Frank Horton of New York about the idea of designating a month to recognize Asian Pacific Americans, following the United States’ bicentennial celebration in 1976.
In June 1977, Horton and Rep. Norman Y. Mineta, introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives to proclaim the first 10 days of May as Asian Pacific Heritage Week. A month later, a similar bill was introduced in the Senate by former U.S. Senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga.
President Jimmy Carter signed a joint resolution for the celebration on Oct. 5, 1978. Then in 1990, George H.W. Bush signed a bill passed by Congress to extend Asian American Heritage Week to a month.
On May 14, 1991, a public law was passed unanimously by Congress and then signed by Bush, proclaiming May 1991 and May 1992 as Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month.
By 1992, May was officially designated as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
