ASIAN & PACIFIC AMERICAN
HERITAGE MONTH
Nisei Veterans attend a ceremony hosted by Governor Gary Hebert in 2011 honoring their service during World War II.
Because May was Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month, this edition of Multicultural Voices honors
the contributions of Asians and Pacific Islanders (API) living in Utah. The featured communities and
community leaders highlight the ethnic diversity among APIs and emphasize the power of identifying
with our cultural heritage.
From arriving as immigrants and refugees and living in the U.S. as multi-generational residents, APIs are
now the fastest growing racial group in the U.S. APIs have been part of Utah’s history since Chinese railroad
workers arrived in the 1860s. The arrival of Polynesians, mainly Native Hawaiians, in 1889 marked the first
Pacific Islanders to settle in the state. Over the course of the next 150 years, other API communities came to
Utah for education and employment opportunities and as a result of religious and wartime resettlement.
Approximately 90,000 APIs now call Utah home.
We are proud to have a vibrant and resilient API population. We thank them for their efforts in establishing
prominent communities that remind them of home — both in Utah and abroad.
With appreciation,
Multicultural Affairs Team
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