Welcome to our Asian, Pacific Islander, Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month book exhibit! Because the library is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are presenting ebooks, online recipes, and pointing to streaming videos you can enjoy from home.
A joint resolution proclaiming Asian American Heritage Week, proposed by Representative Frank Horton, was passed by the first signed into law by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. In 1990, Asian American Heritage Week was expanded to a month and May was officially designated Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month in 1992. AAPI Heritage Month celebrates the contributions and achievements of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Because of Iowa State University's academic calendar, we celebrate APIDA Heritage Month in April.
The John Deere Chinese Pavillion in the Robert D. Ray Asian Gardens in Des Moines. (Photo: Jason Mrachina, "Chinese Pagoda - Des Moines," via flickr. Used under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license)
