It has been almost 50 years since the United States government established that Asian-Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and their accomplishments should be recognised annually across the nation.
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What started as just one week in May has evolved over the decades into a month-long tribute in cities big and small.
The nature of celebrations has also evolved. Asian-American and Pacific Islander or Asian-American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is not just about showcasing food and fashion, but hard subjects like grief and social justice.
The rise of anti-Asian hate during the Covid-19 pandemic only heightened the effort.
“I think the visibility and increased participation of organisations in Asian Pacific Heritage Month activities is also an indication of the increasing voice of Asian-American and Pacific Islanders in civic life more generally,” said Karen Umemoto, director of the Asian-American Studies Centre at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).
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“And also an indication of the spaces that we’ve come to collectively enter to be able to create those.”