Each May, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month offers an opportunity to recognize the history, diversity, and contributions of AAPI communities across the United States. Central Jersey is home to one of the most vibrant AAPI populations in the country, particularly across Middlesex, Mercer, and Somerset counties. Coincidentally, the AAPI 2026 theme, “Power in Unity: Strengthening Communities Together,” couldn’t align more perfectly with the mission of Impact100 Garden State.
AAPI Heritage Month originated in 1978 as a weeklong observance and later expanded to the full month of May. It commemorates both the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the U.S. in 1843 and the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, which was built largely by Chinese laborers. These early chapters reflect a broader history marked by perseverance, contribution, and, at times, exclusion.
Source: Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month
Who Is Included in AAPI?
The term Asian American and Pacific Islander encompasses a wide and diverse group of people with roots in:
- East Asia (e.g., China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Mongolia)
- Southeast Asia (e.g., Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore)
- South Asia (e.g., India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives)
- Pacific Islands (e.g., Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Marshall Islands, Micronesia)
Indian Americans and other South Asian communities are a vital part of the AAPI community. While early U.S. immigration narratives often focused on Chinese and Japanese communities due to historic labor migration and legislation, the broader definition of “Asian American” has evolved to more accurately reflect the full diversity of the continent, including South Asia.
Today, Indian Americans represent one of the largest and fastest-growing AAPI populations in the United States, with deep contributions across healthcare, science, business, and community leadership, many of which are strongly represented here in New Jersey.
Resources
Click this link to find local AAPI Heritage Month Celebrations: https://aapinewjersey.org/events/
Click these links to find articles, essays and books about the Asian American experience:
- Asian American Writers’ Workshop (AAWW) – Essays: A wide range of personal narratives, cultural criticism, and community reporting (https://aaww.org/category/essays/)
- Princeton Public Library – Asian American Memoirs & Essays list: Curated essay collections and memoirs you can borrow locally (https://princetonlibrary.org/lists/asian-american-memoirs-essays/)
- “Code-Switching Was a Survival Tactic for Me in School” (Curtis Chin): A reflective essay on identity, assimilation, and belonging (https://time.com/6327302/code-switching-school-curtis-chin-essay/)
- New York Public Library AANHPI Heritage Reading List (https://www.nypl.org/books-more/recommendations/aanhpi-heritage/adults)
- Penguin Random House AANHPI (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/the-read-down/books-for-asian-pacific-american-heritage-month/)
- Reedsy’s “40 Must-Read Books by Asian American and Pacific Islander Authors” (https://reedsy.com/discovery/blog/asian-american-pacific-islander-books)
Impact100 Garden State’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee is committed to building awareness and educating our members about the cultures, histories, and lived experiences represented within our own membership and across the broader communities we serve. Feel free to reach out to member@impact100gardenstate.org for additional information or to participate in an upcoming event.
