May is Asian American Heritage Month, celebrating the achievements and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. ^*

The month of May was chosen to commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants 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. ^*

Visit the Library's Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Virtual Display to learn more about Asian and Pacific American food, history and culture!

*Source: Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) web page, https://apaics.org/events/asian-pacific-american-heritage-month/.