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About the USA is a digital collection of background resources on american society, culture, and political processes. In addition to featuring selected websites, it provides access to documents in full text format (E-Texts) on topics ranging from the history of German-American relations, government and politics to travel, holidays and sports. About the USA is maintained by the Information Resource Centers/U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Germany. usa.usembassy.de


In Focus: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2007

Children of high class, Chinatown, San Francisco, 1900 (Library of Congress)

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month honors the achievements of American ethnic groups with roots in Asia and the Pacific Islands and recognizes their contributions to the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau lists more than 25 such groups -- Vietnamese, Chinese, Filipinos, Indian, Pakistani, Korean, Japanese, Cambodian, Laotian, Indonesian, Thai, Burmese, Malaysian, Taiwanese, Sri Lanka, Bangladeshi, and native Hawaiians, Polynesians, New Zealanders and Australians.

In 1978, a joint congressional resolution established Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. The first ten days of May were chosen to coincide with two important milestones in Asian/Pacific American history: the arrival in the United States of the first Japanese immigrants (May 7, 1843) and contributions of Chinese workers to the building of the transcontinental railroad, completed on May 10, 1869. In 1991, Congress expanded the observance to a monthlong celebration. (more from the USINFO website)

The Asian population is not homogeneous. It includes many groups who differ in language, culture, religion and length of residence in the United States. Some Asian groups, such as the Chinese and Japanese, have been represented in the United States for several generations. Other groups, such as the Hmong, Vietnamese, Laotians, and Cambodians, tend to be comparatively recent immigrants.

In July 2005, 14.4 million U.S. residents said they were Asian or Asian in combination with one or more other races. This group comprised about five percent of the total population. California had the largest population (4.9 million) of people of this group. Asian Americans are currently the fastest growing racial/ethnic group with a 3% growth rate between 2004 and 2005. The increase in the Asian population over the period totaled 421,000. An estimated number of 990,000 U.S. residents said in July 2005 that they are Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, or Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander in combination with one or more other races. This group comprised 0.3 percent of the total population.

President Bush President Bush praised Americans claiming ancestry from the Asian Pacific region in his proclamation on Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, 2007:

“During Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, we honor the many contributions citizens of Asian and Pacific Island ancestry have made to our great land. The millions of Americans who trace their origins to nations in the Asian/Pacific region have enriched America.  The entrepreneurship and innovation of Asian/Pacific Americans have strengthened our economy.  Asian/Pacific Americans enrich our Nation with their strong values of love of family and community.” 

Last updated: May 2007