This May, we're revisiting Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, exploring notable history, challenges, and important intersections of AANHPI identity 🌸🌏🌺
‘Ia ora na te mau hoa!
This translates to “Hello to my friends” in reo Tahiti (Tahitian).
The month of May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month! I am sharing with you bits and pieces of what I shared this time of year in 2025, with some new additions.
The History of AANHPI Month
Asian Pacific American Heritage Week, eventually becoming AANHPI month, came to be thanks to the advocacy of former Capitol Hill staffer, Jennie Jew, who was particularly motivated by her great-grandfather’s legacy. Her great-grandfather helped build the transcontinental railroad after immigrating to the U.S. from China, and was tragically killed during a period of anti-Asian rhetoric following the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. The term “AAPI,” combining Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, became established in the 1980s as a strategy to empower both groups given similar values and experiences, such as shared histories of colonialism. The term was reinforced when the U.S. census used AAPI as a racial category in the 90’s.
In 2021, President Biden specifically separated Native Hawaiians from Pacific Islanders to recognize them as an indigenous group whose land was/is colonized by the U.S. As stated by the non-profit Hawaiian Diaspora, “The explicit naming of Native Hawaiians [is] because of Hawaiʻi's specific and fraught political history with the United States: the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, forced annexation, and the ongoing movement for Hawaiian sovereignty.” Check out their guide “Beneath the Surface” on AANHPI month here.
An unfortunate side-effect of pairing these groups together is that many AANHPI specific-events do not always account for Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander representation, which only exacerbates a felt-sense of invisibility and neglect that Pacific Islanders already experience. Additionally, many feel that this umbrella designation flattens the immense diversity that exists within the Asian and Pacific Islander diasporas.
Asian Americans and the Model Minority Myth
Asian Americans include populations of people from:
East Asia: China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan
Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Southeast Asia: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam
From exclusionary policies like the Geary Act, to the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans, to the racially motivated murder of Vincent Chin in 1982, Asian Americans have faced a long history of systemic racism and anti-Asian violence in the U.S. More recently, hate crimes and discrimination against Asian Americans rose due to the racialized rhetoric of COVID-19, with figures such as President Trump calling it the “China virus.” Asian American women have historically been hypersexualized, harkening back to the Page Act of 1875, which unapologetically excluded East Asian women from the country because of stereotypes that they were sex workers. South Asians specifically can be the recipients of “terrorist” accusations due to Islamophobia. Historically, U.S. military interventions in countries such as Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and the Philippines have contributed to war, displacement, and forced migration, shaping the trajectories of many Asian refugees and immigrants. Today, 1 in 7 Asian immigrants are undocumented, many of whom live in California, making them vulnerable to ICE kidnappings. As is clear, harms against Asian Americans have taken multiple forms. These events and experiences are not isolated, but reflect a recurring pattern of exclusion and racialization that continues to shape safety, belonging, and mental health for Asian Americans today.
The “model minority myth” refers to the stereotype that Asian Americans are uniformly successful, hardworking, and academically or economically high-achieving, often framed in contrast to other marginalized groups. While it may appear positive on the surface, this narrative is deeply harmful for many reasons, as it simultaneously upholds white supremacist culture values, perpetuates anti-Blackness, and obscures the vast diversity within Asian American communities. This includes differences in migration histories, SES, and access to resources, erasing the experiences of groups who face significant hardship, such as refugees or under-resourced Southeast Asian communities.This myth also promotes immense pressure to perform well, reducing those that fall short as insufficient or less than. This pressure can have real ramifications, especially in cases where folks experience a reluctance to share their distress, as seen in the rise of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt rates of Asian students in college. This myth also paradoxically endorses the “exotification” of Asians in the U.S. as “perpetual foreigners." Challenging this myth is essential to creating space for more honest, nuanced, and compassionate understandings of Asian American experiences and mental health.
Asian Americans may not always pursue mental health support within a Western context for a number of reasons, such as stigma around mental health, as well not wanting to be “perceived as crazy” by close others, risking shame on their families. Finding culturally-competent and native language specific mental health is also a barrier. As a result of being immigrants and descendants of immigrants, Asian-Americans may experience a sense of being “in-between” two cultures, which may create a sense of not belonging in either one. Navigating diasporic spaces within their communities may conjure feelings of imposter syndrome. Asian culture leans towards being quite collectivistic, with a common thread being the duty and honor of caring for your elders, widely known by the Confucian virtue of filial piety. Filial piety can be a wonderful pillar for family life, strengthening bonds and relationships, developing humility and respect, and emphasizing the transmission of knowledge cross-generationally, but it can also have drawbacks, such as in situations of abuse or control.
Traditional healing practices throughout Asia, such as yoga, Ayurveda, and acupuncture, are commonly implemented within wellness methodologies here in the U.S. This includes Buddhist meditation and mindfulness frequently used in psychotherapy. These practices then become commercialized, glamorized, and a derivative of their original purpose, sometimes without properly acknowledging the people and contexts they stem from. To avoid continued appropriation and exploitation, we can hold curiosity for the creators of these methods, study the settings and purposes in which they were used, and most importantly, give them credit for the wisdom they have given us.
The Kingdom of Hawai’i and the Displacement of Kānaka
Kānaka Maoli (the name for Native Hawaiians in ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i) have been deeply shaped by the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in which American and European businessmen, backed by U.S. military forces, deposed Queen Liliʻuokalani, and imprisoned her to house arrest. This coup was driven by economic interest, particularly the profits of sugar production, and led to the eventual annexation of Hawaii by the U.S. in 1898, despite strong opposition from Kānaka. The theft of Hawaiian land has disrupted traditional systems of stewardship and the right to self-govern, alongside cultural suppression. Thankfully, many Kānaka activists, scholars, and community leaders, such as Haunani Kay-Trask and Jamaica Osario, have and continue to advocate for land back, language revitalization, and protecting sacred sites, showcasing resilience in the fight for ea (sovereignty).
Hawai’i is commonly thought of as the ultimate island paradise, and as an accessible escape for Americans looking for an idyllic tropical vacation. In recent years, an influx of outside buyers purchasing properties for vacation rentals or part-time residences (such as for retirement) have contributed to housing scarcity for locals. Today, there are more Kānaka on the mainland of the U.S. than on the Hawaiian islands: the result of displacement from their native lands due to tourism, the high cost of living, a lack of resources, and a lack of employment opportunities. If not displaced, some Kānaka may experience homelessness, forming encampments. Some Native Hawaiians have never visited their native lands, in contrast to the 9.7 million who visit Hawai’i each year. As folks plan their summer vacations, it might be worth reconsidering travel to Hawai’i, and at the very least, reflecting on the impact your visit may have on Kānaka Māoli.
Te Moana Nui a Hiva: Pacific Islanders
Pacific Islanders, or Pasifika, are geographically identified by three separate groups, with many of these island nations known in the Western world through colonially given names, as our peoples were colonized by the U.S. (territories American Sāmoa, Guam, and North Mariana Islands), England, France, Spain, Germany, and Australia. It’s worth noting that many Pasifika do not necessarily uphold these categorizations because of how innately connected our people are to one another given our tūpuna’s (ancestors) paths of migration.
Polynesia: Aotearoa (New Zealand), Sāmoa, American Sāmoa, Tonga, Hawai’i, Kuki Airani (Cook Islands), Mā’ohi Nui (French Polynesia), Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Niue, Tuvalu, Tokelau, 'Uvea e Futuna (Wallis and Futuna), Rotuma, Pitcairn Islands
Melanesia: Viti (Fiji), Kanaky (New Caledonia), Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu
Micronesia: Chuuk, Yap, Kosrae, Pohnpei (Federated States of Micronesia), Belau (Palau), Kiribas (Kiribati), Naoero (Nauru), Aolepān Aorōkin M̧ajeļ (Marshall Islands), Guåhan (Guam), Islas Mariånas (North Mariana Islands)
With a history of being skilled navigators, the Pacific region is traditionally defined by the ocean, being called iterations of the phrase “Te Moana Nui a Hiva” or “Moana-nui-akea,” both translate to “the great ocean that connects us.” Connection to the land is paramount for Pacific people, and despite contributing the least to environmental global emissions, we face some of the most severe consequences of climate change, including rising sea levels, environmental degradation, and threats to land and livelihood. Nuclear imperialism has also ravaged islands such as Bikini atoll in Aolepān Aorōkin M̧ajeļ (Marshall Islands), as well as Moruroa and Faungataufa in Mā’ohi Nui (French Polynesia). The impact of nuclear fallout to our islands has been immense, including soil and oceans contaminated by radioactivty, and severe consequences on health, such as birth defects and rising cancer rates. Learn more about nuclear colonialism from Moruroa e tatou here.
Economic disparities from a history of usurped resources and a lack of generational wealth affect many Pacific Islanders, leading to high rates of domestic violence, alcoholism and addiction, suicide, and severe mental illness. A common theme for this population is not only land loss, but cultural loss, losing important traditions and languages at the hands of colonization, impacting identity formation. Pacific Islanders are not exempt from experiencing racism, though here in the U.S., like indigenous peoples, are invisibilized.
A recent study called CAPIWAVES, conducted by UC researchers, collected information from Southern California NHPI residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results showed that 1 in 3 participants reported struggling with their mental health within the last year, while 3 in 4 reported never seeking professional help for their mental health. Reasons for delaying care included cost, not knowing how to find a mental health provider, and like Asian-Americans, fears of being “found out” from family and friends. This comprehensive study highlights the unmet needs for the NHPI population, alongside the lack of culturally-specific mental health care and resources. Learn more about this study here.
AANHPI Resources
AANHPI - Ohana Center of Excellence Asian Mental Health Collective Pacific Islander Clinicians - 2nd Annual Pasifika Mental Health Conference is October 16th, 2026 |
May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month, Older Americans Month, Haitian Heritage Month, Indian Heritage Month, and Jewish-American Month. Other culturally significant dates in May:
|
In liberation,
