Asian Services In Action, Inc. Celebrates Asian American and Pacific islander (AAPI) Heritage Month

Cleveland, OH – This May, Asian Services In Action, Inc. (ASIA) celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month to recognize the culture, traditions, and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.

Originally introduced by Reps. Norman Y. Mineta and Frank Horton in 1977 as “Asian-Pacific Heritage Week,” the celebration was officially designated and extended to a month under President George H. W. Bush 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. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are the fastest growing racial group in our country, growing over four times as rapidly as the population of the United States.  As one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse groups in America, the AAPI community have distinct backgrounds and origins from 320 countries and racial groups who speak more than 100 languages.

At the same time, the AAPI electorate is growing rapidly, nearly doubling over 12 years, and on pace to grow by more than 600,000 voters in each presidential cycle according to AAPIData. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders will play an important part of in the 2016 Presidential Election. In Ohio, there are over 200,000 AAPI voters of 11.5 million Ohioans.

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As we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we remind you to register for the 2016 Presidential Election by October 11, 2016. Call or visit ASIA today. Our staff can guide you through the registration process.