Celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have a rich heritage thousands of years old and have both shaped the history of the United States and had their lives dramatically influenced by moments in its history.

In 1978, a joint congressional resolution established Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. The first 10 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 May 10, 1869.

In 1992, Congress expanded the observance to a month long celebration that is now known as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Today the United States has a population of 22.9 million Asian Americans and 1.6 million Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders!

The Library and the City of Palo Alto are looking forward to celebrating our Asian American and Pacific Islander community and sharing their rich heritage through activities, events, and education.

Library Events:

City Events:

Book Recommendations:

AAPI Titles for Teens

eLibrary Resources (available with your library card):

Additional Resources:

Supporting AAPI:

-Liz Stewart, Senior Youth Services Librarian, Mitchell Park Library | Follow @LiztheLibrarian, opens a new window on Bibliocommons

-Doris Chen, Adult Services Librarian, Mitchell Park Library | Follow @dochn, opens a new window on Bibliocommons