April 1, 2021
Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month
Asian Pacific Islander Desi American, or APIDA, Heritage Month takes an opportunity to celebrate and pay tribute to the contributions that generations of Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi Americans have made to history, society and culture. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants. Since then, members of the APIDA community have been key contributors to society at every level.
Although APIDA Heritage Month is officially in the month of May, many colleges and universities celebrate during April to provide the opportunity for a full month of celebration and programming. The Asian American Student Union, or AASU, will be hosting a series of programs and events to help educate and inform campus around issues within the APIDA community. In addition, AASU will host a variety of events to commemorate 30 years of existence here at K-State.