May marks Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a time in which we pay tribute to the generations of people who have enriched our country’s history -- and the ones who are still growing up, who will be instrumental in future successes.
Just in the past few weeks, efforts to create a national Asian Pacific American museum in Washington, D.C., pushed ahead.
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The House passed legislation that would create a commission to study the feasibility of a new National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture. The commission would study the costs involved, possible locations in Washington and whether it should be part of the Smithsonian Institution. The bill was approved overwhelmingly, and now heads to the Senate.
Also, people of Japanese descent are gearing up for their first-ever parade in New York City, set for Saturday on Manhattan’s Central Park West.
Organizers initially aimed to coincide with the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic postponed their plans.
Ambassador Mikio Mori, the Japanese consul-general in New York, said the delay created momentum to make the event even better.
The parade stands to boost visibility for the New York metropolitan area’s Japanese and Japanese American community. A Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data says the New York area has the nation’s fourth-largest Japanese population at roughly 56,000.
Below are some notable names and faces showing people of Asian and Pacific Islander decent. These are athletes, celebrities, scientists, musicians and more.