May 2008
Calendar of EventsMay
Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month
Month of May
Since 1992 we have celebrated Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month in May. It is a time to commemorate and celebrate the contributions that people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent have made to the United States
The month of May was chosen because of two events in Asian-American history: the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the U.S. on May 7, 1843; and the transcontinental railroad, which was largely built by Chinese workers, was completed on May 10, 1869.
Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month began as a week-long celebration in 1978, when President Jimmy Carter signed a resolution designating the first ten days of May as Asian-Pacific American Heritage Week. The week was extended to a month when President George Bush signed it into law on October 28, 1992.
The month is celebrated with festivals, parades, community events, and cultural performances meant to honor and teach about Asian American history and culture.
Related Links
- Asian Nation: Asian American History, Demographics, and Issues
Discusses the history of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, as well as how it is celebrated. Includes links to information about the history of people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent in the U.S. - Library of Congress: Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
Site from the Library of Congress covers events happening throughout the month, as well as the history and culture of Asian Americans.
Holocaust Remembrance Days
May 1
Holocaust Remembrance Day is a day to remember the victims of the Holocaust. It is observed on the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, which was a revolt by Jews in Poland against the Nazis in 1943. The date was chosen by Israel, and it changes based on the Hebrew calendar. In 2008, it falls on May 1.
In the United States, Congress set up the Days of Remembrance, a week-long commemoration of the tragedy of the Holocaust. The Days of Remembrance are held during the week that Holocaust Remembrance Day falls. The week is set aside for ceremonies and contemplation of the tragedy.
In Israel, ceremonies are held and Israeli television airs only Holocaust-related programs on Holocaust Remembrance Day. A siren is sounded across the country at 11:00 A.M. Pedestrians and traffic stop for two minutes to pay tribute to the Holocaust victims.
High school students from around the world travel to Poland to participate in the March of the Living, a march through Auschwitz, largest concentration camp set up by the Nazis.
The goal of Holocaust Remembrance Days around the world is to make sure that we never forget the Holocaust, and that we learn about it, so that it will never happen again.
Related Links
- Holocaust Memorial Day
This site from the Jewish Virtual Library describes the history of Holocaust Remembrance Day and the ways it is observed in Israel. - Days of Remembrance
This page describes the Days of Remembrance, from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. - March of the Living International
Site devoted to the March of the Living, the educational program that brings high school students from around the world to Auschwitz on Holocaust Remembrance Day. - Nazis & the Holocaust
Explore this site from PBS to learn about the Holocaust itself.
Memorial Day
May 28
On the last Monday in the month of May, Americans will have the day off work and school. Some will attend picnics or even parades, maybe take in a baseball game, go swimming, or just relax and enjoy the three-day weekend and the start of summer.
But others will get up early on their day off and go out to local cemeteries. There they will pay their respects to those American military personnel who died serving their country. In attendance at these ceremonies, there will be many veterans of the U.S. military from all generations. Officially, however, the day is set aside not so much to praise the living veterans (they are honored on Veterans Day, November 11), but rather those who died in battle or from wounds received in battle in any of America’s wars or armed conflicts.
Related Links
- A Brief History of Memorial Day
From PBS, a short article on the origins of Memorial Day. - Memorial Day Background
A history of Memorial Day and ways in which veterans are honored. From the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
