Washington D.C. — May is Asian American and Pacific American Heritage Month, a celebration of the AAPI community in the United States. In 1992, Congress passed Public Law 102-450 which annually designated May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.
To celebrate AAPI Heritage month, The White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) in Washington, D.C. will host a community-wide celebration on May 3, 2023. The forum will feature Biden-Harris Administration officials, groundbreaking artists, and trailblazers.
The month of May as AAPI Heritage month was chosen as a way to honor and commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States; this happened on May 7, 1843. The month of May also is the anniversary of the transcontinental railroad being finished. A majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants, and the work was done on May 10, 1869.
Individual registration for the May 3 event is required.
To attend in person or virtually, RSVP using this link.
Share any requests for reasonable accommodations when registering for this event before April 17, 2023.
Direct accommodations-related inquiries to [email protected].
Related work from the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI):
On May 26, 2021, To address the increased harassment and violence directed at Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students, The Department of Justice and the Department of Education jointly issued a letter to educators about their role in addressing discrimination, including harassment, against AAPI students.
On May 28, 2021, President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 14031, “Advancing Equity, Justice, and Opportunity for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders” to establish the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) and deliver on his commitment to reinstate and reinvigorate this Initiative.
On January 17, 2023, the White House released the Biden-Harris Administration’s first-ever strategy to promote safety and equity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.
Filing a Complaint with the HHS Office for Civil Rights
If you believe that you have been discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, or sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), you can file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal/lobby.jsf.
You can call: 1–800–868–1019, 800–537–7697 (TDD)
You can mail info to:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
200 Independence Avenue SW., Room 509F, HHH Building,
Washington, DC 20201,
Complaint forms are available at: Public Law 102-450.
