This guide, and the accompanying physical display in Bird Library, was curated by undergraduate student Leah Kim '26 (B.S. Candidate in Public Relations & International Relations), Kevin Jiang '24 (M.F.A. candidate in Fiction), Yike Tang '24 (M.A. candidate in Marriage and Family Therapy; Chinese international student; she/her), and Duyen Pham '26 (M.F.A. candidate in Illustration; Vietnamese international student).
Special thanks to adjunct instructor R. J. Santander Malabanan in the Asian American Studies department and Motolani Oladitan from the Intercultural Collective department for consulting on this guide and the curated content.
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is an annual celebration held in May. Syracuse University is celebrating AAPI Heritage Month throughout April. AAPI Heritage Month centers and acknowledges the rich contributions that the AAPI community has made to America’s history and culture. Originally begun in 1977 by Congress as “the first ten days in May,” AAPI Heritage Month has now expanded to the entirety of May in order commemorate the first Japanese arrival in the U.S. on May 7th, 1843, as well as the transcontinental railroad which was completed on May 10, 1869 and built mostly by Chinese immigrants. More information can be found on AsianPacificHeritage.gov.
This curation highlights the heritage and history of Asian American and Pacific Islanders, including Asian American experiences, mental health advocacy, feelings of invisibility, immigration, and identity.
No book, or the display as a whole, represents opinions or positions of the Syracuse University Libraries.