Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2025

May was formally declared as Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in 1992, and in 2021, the name was updated to Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI). AANHPI exists to honor the hardships and contributions of the Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities in American history. AANHPI Heritage Month celebrates the immigration of the first Japanese people to the United States in May 1843 – hence AANHPI Heritage Month being May.  It also celebrates the completion of the transcontinental railroad in May 1869, made possible by the labor of thousands of Chinese immigrants whose story is often untold.   According to the Pew Research Center, a record 23 million Asian Americans trace their roots to more than 20 countries in East and Southeast Asia, as well as the Indian subcontinent. 

In celebration of AANHPI, here are a few inventors, scientists, and other Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders to remember!

Flossie Wong-Stahl Was Crucial to Developing HIV Treatments.

Flossie Wong-Stahl (August 27th, 1946-July 8th, 2020), emigrated from Guangzhou, China to attend the University of California when she was 18 years old. Known for her lifelong academic prowess, she went on to earn a Ph.D. in molecular biology. However, Dr. Flossie Wong-Stahl's greatest achievement occurred in 1985 when she became the first person to clone the HIV virus. Here's why that's important. The first case of HIV in the U.S. was reported in 1980. It became an epidemic impacting countless Americans, and it had no treatment. However, cloning the virus meant researchers could study it in a stable environment, essentially learning how it worked and, in turn, creating treatments. This means Dr. Wong-Stahl's work continues to save hundreds of thousands of people annually.

Roseli Ocampo-Friedmann's Work May Take Humanity to a New Planet.

Roseli Ocampo-Friendmann (November 23rd, 1937-September 4th, 2005), was born in Manila, Philippines, and earned her botany degree from the University of the Philippines. While earning her Ph.D. from Florida State University, she met and later married Dr. Imre Friedmann. Together, they spent years researching rare and exotic microorganisms. Specifically, they focused on how microorganisms exist in harsh, unlivable environments like those with extreme temperatures or lack of food sources. This research led to the couple learning how to culture various microorganisms. In this context, culture means to grow and study a microorganism in a lab environment. The result? They discovered how microorganisms thrive and, in turn, how humanity can terraform Mars—a discovery that NASA itself gave credence to.

Terraforming is the process of changing a natural environment on a molecular level so that it becomes livable for, in this case, humans. For example, humans can't breathe on Mars, as, among other reasons, the planet contains very little air. However, because of Dr. Roseli Ocampo-Friendmann's work, researchers are able to at least theorize how humanity may one day take to the stars.

Min Chueh Chang's Research Revolutionized Reproductive Health.

Min Chueh Chang (October 10th, 1908-June 5th, 1991), better known as M.C. Chang, was born in Shanxi, China, and immigrated to the United States after earning his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. His most noteworthy achievements occurred during his postdoctoral work at the Worcester Foundation of Experimental Biology in Massachusetts. It was there, in collaboration with Dr. Gregory Pincus, that he helped create the oral contraceptive pill, better known as "The Pill" to help prevent unplanned pregnancies. His research also heavily contributed to in vitro fertilization, better known as IVF.

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar Defined the Stars.

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (October 19th, 1910-August 21st, 1995), better known as Chandra, was a child prodigy born in Punjab, Pakistan. He would go on to earn his Ph.D. from Cambridge University while studying astrophysics and related fields. Known for being an academic powerhouse, he became a full-fledged professor at the University of Chicago at the young age of 33. It was at the University of Chicago, where he spent the rest of his career, that Chandra made many astrophysics discoveries. His discoveries include how stars form, the transference of energy in space, and his crowning achievement, The Chandrasekhar Limit, which defines the mass a star can have before it collapses into an eventual black hole.

Michio Kaku's Work Puts The World On a String.

Michio Kaku (January 24th, 1947-Present), was born in San Jose, California. Kaku was inspired to study theoretical physics after learning that Albert Einstein died without proving his final theory. Kaku's journey led him to study at Harvard, where he earned his Ph.D. He's known as a futurist and author of scientific theories on quantum mechanics and relativity. However, Michio Kaku is best known for his work on string theory. For context, string theory is the scientific notion that infinitesimally thin strings connect every part of the universe and the vibration of said strings decides, among other things, the mass and gravity of an object. String theory is often confused with multiversal theory, and while they have overlaps, the two theories are distinctly different. It's thanks to Micho Kaku's research that scientists have a deeper understanding of how the world works on a quantum level.

Bonus Icons from Years Past!

Here are some icons we've had the honor of highlighting in past AANHPI Months.

Queen Liliʻuokalan Personified Royalty.

Queen Liliʻuokalan (September 2nd, 1838-November 11th, 1917), was the last queen of the Hawaiian Kingdom. She ruled from 1891-1893 and worked towards enhancing youth education and bettering relations between her people and other countries. She met with world leaders during a tour in 1887 and, to this day, is the only ruling queen in Hawaiian history.

Susan Pangelinan Leads and Supports The Troops.

Col. Susan Pangelinan (1961-Present), originally from Guam, is a U.S. Air Force Colonel who was once included in the list of Most Impressive Women in the U.S. Military. Plus, she was awarded the STEM Role Model award by the Department of Defense. She was also the driving force behind the 2008 California wildfire relief efforts. In addition to all of that, she's an outspoken advocate for veteran's rights.

How to Support AANHPI

There are many ways you can learn about and connect with Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities and traditions in May and throughout the year. Below is a list to help you get started:

• Learn more about AAPI Heritage Month at AsianPacificHeritage.gov.
• Visit a virtual museum dedicated to AAPI heritage, such as the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) .
• Enjoy dinner or take-out at a local Asian or Pacific Islander restaurant.
• Learn about Asian American actors and activists.
• Take an in-person or virtual Asian cuisine cooking class.

Please join us in celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month with our local Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.