As We Celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaíian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 

This May, First 5 LA joins Los Angeles County in celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaíian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. Originally designated as a week-long observance in 1978 by President Jimmy Carter and later expanded in 1992 by Congress, this monthlong commemoration pays tribute to the rich tapestry of contributions made by AANHPI communities to American society while amplifying their unique and diverse stories.

This year’s AANHPI theme, Advancing Leaders Through Innovation, continues the “Advancing Leaders” series that began in 2021. While past themes in the series focused on service and collaboration, the focus this year is on the trailblazers whose creativity, ingenuity and perseverance have left an indelible mark in history and continue to change the face of the future. From trailblazing Hollywood actress Anna May Wong and labor movement leader Larry Itliong to NASA astronaut and biochemist Eugene Trinh and YouTube co-founder Steve Chen, AANHPI innovators have and continue to transform the world.

Long known as a global hub of innovation and creativity, Los Angeles is home to the largest AANHPI population in the nation, with nearly 25% of California’s Asian population and 17.4% of its Native Hawaíian and Pacific Islander population.[1] Although AANHPI individuals make up only 16% of L.A.’s total population, our county boasts an incredibly diverse mix of AANHPI communities: In addition to drawing the largest Native Hawaíian and Samoan population in the state, we are also the top county of residence for nearly every Asian American group, including Bangladeshi, Burmese, Chinese, Filipino, Korean Japanese, Sri Lankan, Thai and more. [2]

That remarkable diversity is one of the reasons why Los Angeles ranks as the most linguistically diverse county in the state, with more than 45 AANHPI ethnic groups speaking 28 languages. In fact, over 1 million people in Los Angeles County speak an Asian or Pacific Island language, such as Chinese, Tagalog, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, Hindi or Hmong! [3]

First 5 LA recognizes this vibrant tapestry of language, learning and culture, and we uplift the importance of bilingual education, especially in early learning, when children are most open to building multilingual foundations. Knowing more than one language has been linked to a host of benefits — including stronger brain development, higher academic achievement and positive and respectful attitudes toward different languages and cultures — that are crucial in shaping tomorrow’s leaders.

That’s why we’re honored to be working in partnership with agencies and organizations throughout L.A. on innovative projects like the Dual Language Learner Initiative. Following a successful 2023 media and family resources campaign in Spanish and Chinese, the initiative was renewed this spring and expanded into three additional languages – Khmer, Korean and Vietnamese.

To help you celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month this May, we’ve compiled a list of related activities and events in the Los Angeles area, including educational resources for young children and their families. Check them out below.

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[1] State of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in California (June 2022)

[2] Ibid

[3] A Community of Contrasts: Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in Los Angeles County (2013)




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