Our nation, and more specifically our field of law, is endlessly enriched by the contributions of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and AAPI legal professionals. During May, we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and take time to recognize and honor their accomplishments as well as commemorate their history and legacy.
AAPI Heritage Month was officially designated in 1992, with May as the chosen month because of its significance to the community. May 7, 1843 was the day the first Japanese immigrant arrived in America, and May 10, 1869 marked the completion of the first transcontinental railroad, which was made possible with the help of 20,000 Chinese workers. Throughout the month of May, we are dedicated to listening and learning from the AAPI community as well as taking time to reflect on its culture, heritage, and the countless barriers it has broken over the course of history. One recent broken barrier was the election of Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the first person of South Asian descent as well as the first woman and the first Black person to hold the office of Vice President of the United States.
We also acknowledge the challenges the AAPI community has endured and continues to face, particularly in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. We at the University of Houston Law Center believe it’s critical to be conscious of the fact that we still have far to go in terms of equity and progress, and we are striving to do our part to arrive there.
