{"id":117682,"date":"2020-05-07T14:32:28","date_gmt":"2020-05-08T00:32:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=117682"},"modified":"2020-05-07T14:35:10","modified_gmt":"2020-05-08T00:35:10","slug":"asian-pacific-week-archives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2020\/05\/07\/asian-pacific-week-archives\/","title":{"rendered":"Library showcases historic collection for Asian Pacific Week"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Rep<\/abbr>. Mineta, Sen<\/abbr>. Inouye, Clifford Uyeda and Mike Masaoka of the Japanese American Citizens League and Sen<\/abbr>. Matsunaga. (Photo courtesy: Senator Spark M. Matsunaga Papers)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More than 40 years ago, the first Asian Pacific American Heritage Week (APAHW<\/abbr>) was celebrated May 4–10, 1979, recognizing the contributions of Asian and Pacific Americans to the U.S.<\/abbr> The University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at M\u0101noa Library\u2019s Hawaiʻi<\/span> Congressional Papers Collection<\/a> houses historic material from the first APAHW<\/abbr> including documents that reveal the integral role Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u2019s Congressional Senators Daniel K. Inouye and Spark Matsunaga played in establishing the designated week.<\/p>\n

The collection includes a letter from Rep<\/abbr>. Frank Horton and Rep<\/abbr>. Norman Mineta<\/a>, inviting Inouye and Matsunaga to propose a Senate resolution designating the first APAHW<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n

Inouye and Matsunaga agreed to their invitation and introduced S.Res.72 on July 19, 1977. The following year, H.J.Res.1007<\/a> authorized and requested the President to proclaim the 7-day period beginning on May 4, 1979, as “Asian\/Pacific American Heritage Week.” It passed both in the House and Senate and was signed by President Jimmy Carter on October 5, 1978.\n<\/p>\n

First Asian Pacific American Heritage Week<\/h2>\n

The period for the first APAHW<\/abbr> was selected to commemorate the 136th anniversary of the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in the U.S.<\/abbr> on May 7, 1979, and the 110th anniversary of “Golden Spike Day,” honoring the contributions of Chinese Americans for the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1979.<\/p>\n

\"disco<\/p>\n

Celebrations were held throughout the country in the form of events such as film screenings, martial arts and ikebana demonstrations, a wayang kulit (Indonesian puppet theatre) performance, poetry readings, a broadcast of interviews, a disco and a fun run. There were policy events as well, including one from then-Rep<\/abbr>. Daniel Akaka who gave a talk on education and the Native Hawaiian community. <\/p>\n

Asian Pacific American Heritage Week was annually proclaimed by President George H. W. Bush, and in 1990 was extended to an entire month.<\/p>\n

This year, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebrations are all happening online due to COVID-19<\/abbr>. However, just like 1979, there are film screenings, panel discussions, performances and, of course, dance parties.<\/p>\n

The Senator Daniel K. Inouye Papers<\/a> and the Senator Spark M. Matsunaga Papers<\/a> are part of the Hawaiʻi<\/span> Congressional Papers Collection in 糖心视频<\/abbr> M\u0101noa Library\u2019s University Archives and Manuscripts Department<\/a>. They are available for research. <\/p>\n

Read more on the 糖心视频<\/abbr> M\u0101noa Library website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u2019s Congressional Senators Daniel K. Inouye and Spark Matsunaga played a key role in establishing the designated week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[225,128,9],"class_list":["post-117682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-history","tag-manoa-library","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t