In the month of May, you may start seeing a lot more AAPI-themed coverage popping up on your social media feeds in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.
Given the name, it’s obvious AAPI Heritage Month doesn’t occur in Australia, yet a lot of the content you may notice in coming weeks is still compelling and worth checking out.
Over 30 years ago the US Congress designated the month of May as a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States and the contributions they’ve made to the country. In this instance, Asian/Pacific includes all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Easter Island).
As a South Asian Australian woman, I particularly enjoy reading articles during AAPI month that zoom in on the experience of young Asian and Pacific Islander people in America who are also navigating their lives as children of immigrants. From stories about representation in the arts to narratives about young people challenging cultural stigmas around mental health, careers, beauty standards and arranged marriages, there is plenty of content I relish reading at this time of the year and find just as relatable and enjoyable to read all the way from Australia.
Here are some places where you’ll no doubt be able to find awesome AAPI content in May, so keep your eyes peeled!
Here are also some tweets that have got me excited for AAPI month: