City Council Honors Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community has made great contributions to our city and country, and generations of our AAPI residents have enriched all aspects of our city and nation’s history.

Boston has the largest number of AAPI residents in the state, the third largest Chinatown in the United States, a vibrant Vietnamese community in Dorchester, as well as many other AAPI communities throughout the city.

AAPIs contributed to the building of this nation, with the examples of Chinese immigrants being essential in the building of the transcontinental railroad, and Japanese, Korean, and Filipino immigrants being an important workforce in areas such as Hawaii and California.

Despite their achievements and contributions, AAPIs have faced strong institutional discrimination and racism, with the Chinese Exclusion Act prohibiting immigration from China, and Japanese internment during World War II being two of the most prominent examples.

The Council adopted a resolution, honoring and recognizing the contributions and achievements of our AAPI residents during Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and continues to support the AAPI community in standing up against discrimination and racism.