May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. AANHPI heritage has been federally celebrated in May since 1977, beginning as Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week, before being declared a heritage month in 1992. It is a time to reflect on the contributions Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have made to the sciences, arts, industry, government, and commerce in our nation. In her proclamation for the month, Governor Whitmer stated: “members of the AAPI community have shared their resilient family values, strong work ethic, dedication to education, and diversity in faith and creed, which have strengthened our great democracy.”
Each year during AANHPI Heritage Month, the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) selects a theme to guide celebrations across the nation. This year, they have selected the theme “Power in Unity: Strengthening Communities Together.” The goal of the theme is to leverage collective power, tell stories, and build bridges. Additionally, the imagery selected for this year’s celebration features a bridge to represent the shared values of innovation, resilience, hard work, connecting, and a sense of belonging that are prevalent in many AANHPI communities.
In honor of this theme, the Michigan School of Psychology is sharing the stories of just a few AANHPI leaders who have been identified as bridge builders.
Wong Kim Ark was born in San Francisco to Chinese parents in 1873. Despite having traveled between China and the United States in the past with no issue, he was denied entry back into the US following a trip in 1894 due to the Chinese Exclusion Act. With the help of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, Wong would argue that his rights as a US citizen were being denied. This would lead to the landmark Supreme Court Case United States v. Wong Kim Art which codified what we now know as birthright citizenship as a constitutional right.
Sonal Shah was the founding President of The Asian American Foundation, which is the largest philanthropic effort dedicated to AANHPI people. She is also the founder of Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation, which allows students to partake in social impact projects. In 2021, she became one of the commissioners for the first President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. In this role, she and other AANPI leaders assisted with the creation of policy to address anti-Asian sentiments and promote AANHPI culture.
Ramsay Taum is a member of the Board of Directors for the Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs, is the director of Pacific Islands Leadership Institute at Hawaii Pacific University, and the founder of the Life Enhancement Institute of the Pacific LLC. In all his roles, he is known for integrating Native Hawaiian practices into contemporary business models. This work serves to help Hawaiian industries thrive in a global market while retaining their cultural identities. This work has led him to be awarded the University of Hawaii’s Star of Oceania honor, which recognizes individuals who have raised greater awareness of Oceania and its people to the world.
Dalip Singh Saund became the first Asian American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1956. Saund, was born in India’s Punjab province, where he became familiar with nonviolence and civil disobedience before moving to the US to attend the University of California. He was a supporter of Gandhi’s independence movement, and his criticism of British rule made it difficult for him to return home following his graduation, so he decided to build a life in America. He began his political career organizing support for a bill that would allow Indian immigrants to become naturalized citizens. Following his election to Congress, Saund was a staunch supporter of civil rights, often leveraging his own personal story to garner support.
Ruth Nomura Tanbara was born to Japanese immigrants in the early 1900s. In 1942, Ruth and her husband were forced to choose between an incarceration camp or assisting the War Relocation Authority with the resettlement of Japanese Americans to the Midwest or the East Coast. Facing this tough choice, the couple became the first Japanese Americans to resettle in St. Paul, MN. During this time, they talked to churches, schools, and other community organizations about Japanese Americans in an attempt to build acceptance. Ruth remained a strong activist following the end of WWII and Japanese internment, serving on the board of a variety of organizations, including the Japan America Society of Minnesota, and helping to repeal a law barring Japanese immigrants from gaining citizenship.