The Copyright Alliance is proud to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, honoring Asians and Pacific Islanders, during the month of May. In 1990 what started as AAPI Heritage Week, was extended to the full month of May, and signed into public law in 1992. The significance of May memorializes May 7, 1843, which marks the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the U.S.; and, May 10, 1869, which marks the completion of the first transcontinental railroad, a fundamental development forged primarily by Chinese workers.
On April 28, 2023, the White House issued a proclamation on AAPI heritage month 2023 stating, “During Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, our Nation celebrates the diversity of cultures, breadth of achievement, and remarkable contributions of these communities; of brave immigrants who, motivated by the promise of possibilities, picked up their lives and found new homes here; of native peoples who have stewarded these lands since time immemorial; and of community leaders shaping a brighter future for us all. Throughout our history, they have represented the bigger story of who we are as Americans and embodied the truth that our diversity is our strength as a Nation.”
Join us to celebrate the invaluable contributions of AAPI creators by checking out our featured creator profiles, blogs, articles, and educational resources below!
If you are an Asian American or Pacific Islander creator who would like to be featured or partner with us in education and advocacy for copyright, please email us at info@copyrightalliance.org.
Scholarships
ASCAP Foundation Announces AAPI Music Scholarship: On May 4, the ASCAP Foundation announced its new AAPI Music Scholarship as it continues its commitment to diversity and equity. The new initiative is designed to benefit undergraduate or graduate students of Asian and Pacific Islander descent who are looking to pursue a career in songwriting. Two students will be selected to receive a monetary prize of $2,500 each, to be used toward tuition. According to a statement by ASCAP Foundation Executive Director Nicole George-Middleton, “Our new scholarship helps support members of the AAPI community who are ready and eager to pursue a music career. We want to help increase representation in the AAPI music communities at the college level as well as recognize new and upcoming talent.”
Copyright Alliance Blogs
- Creators at the Forefront of the #StopAAPIHate Movement
- AAPI Heritage Month 2022: Celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Creators
- Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month 2021
More Blogs and Articles
- A Proclamation on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 2023 (White House)
- Rising Together in Celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (Disney)
- 5 AAPI Arts Organizations To Support (And 5 Awesome AAPI Initiatives To Back, Too) (Recording Academy)
- Understanding What the Term AAPI — Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders — Means (Good Housekeeping)
- How One Woman’s Story Led to the Creation of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (Time Magazine)
- AAPI Action: 100 ways Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and allies have found solutions to racism and violence. (NBC)
- Two Years and Thousands of Voices: Using Community-Generated Data to End Anti-AAPI Violence (NPQ)
- ‘Over-mentored and underfunded’: The biggest challenges facing AAPI women-owned businesses (CNBC)
- Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2023: Films to Watch in Celebration (A. Frame)
Books
- Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
- Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong
- Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
- The Magical Language of Others: A Memoir by E.J. Koh
- All This Could Be Different: A Novel by Sarah Thankam Mathews
Podcasts
- Self Evident: Asian America’s Stories (Self Evident Media)
- They Call Us Bruce (Jeff Yang & Phil Yu)
- TigerBelly (Bobby Lee)
- Add to Cart with Kulap Vilaysack & SuChin Pak (Lemonada)
- Korean American Perspectives (Council of Korean Americans)
Organizations
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC)
- The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM)
- Stop AAPI Hate
- The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)
- National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA)
Creators Featured during AAPI Heritage Month 2023
- Alice Wu is a film director and screenwriter best known for her films “Saving Face” and “The Half of It.” Both of her films feature main characters who are Chinese American and who explore the lives of intellectual, lesbian characters.
- Eric Nam is a singer/songwriter and television host. He’s hosted “No Oven Dessert 2,” “After School Club”, “Yang and Nam Show,” and more.
- Jhené Aiko is a singer/songwriter who has opened for Nas, Lauryn Hill, Drake, and many other noteworthy artists. She has been nominated for six Grammys, two American Music Awards, and more.
- Sheetal Sheth is a talented actor, writer, and producer known for being in numerous TV shows and movies. She has also written two children’s books, “Always Anjali” and “Bravo Anjali.”
- Ross Butler is an actor best known for his role as Zach Dempsey on Netflix’s hit series “13 Reasons Why.” Ross is a huge advocate for Asian American representation in Hollywood.
- Kumail Ali Nanjiani is a Pakistani-American comedian, actor, and screenwriter. He’s starred in “The Big Sick,” “Stuber,” “Eternals,” and more. He also recently started the podcast “Staying in with Emily and Kumail” with his wife.
- Larry Chen is the official series photographer for the Formula Drift series. He is also an ambassador for Canon USA, which allows him to hold his own workshops.
- Raveena Aurora, also known as Raveena, is a singer/songwriter who blends together R&B, soul, and jazz music. She became the first Indian woman to perform at Coachella in 2022.
