Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage (AANHPI) Month

May 1, 2024

Kendee Yamaguchi is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Field

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage (AANHPI) Heritage Month. This is a time to celebrate and recognize the diversity and vibrancy of a community that has made remarkable achievements and invaluable contributions.    

While there is so much to celebrate this month, it is just as important to take this time to recognize the various hardships that AANHPI communities have overcome. For me, it was my own family’s experience of being sent to an internment camp during World War II that shaped my path to public service. Over 120,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly removed and stripped of their property, land, businesses, and human dignity. My family was placed in horse stables on fairgrounds and sent by train to be incarcerated in Minidoka, Idaho. Since then, my grandfather made it his personal mission to increase widespread awareness of this chapter in U.S. history. 

Knowing my family’s story from a young age made me realize the power of government, representation, and how history could have played out differently. I became determined to be a part of the solution and to ensure that this kind of history would never be repeated. These are the motivations that inspired my work on the Executive Order creating the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.  

Now, I am immensely grateful to work at the International Trade Administration and help businesses of all sizes and backgrounds access our services, including through programs like the Global Diversity Export Initiative.  

As you celebrate this month, I encourage you to learn more about the histories and cultures of our incredibly diverse AANHPI communities — integral to our shared national history and culture — through the Smithsonian’s virtual AANHPI collection, or if you happen to be in Seattle, by visiting the Wing Luke Museum where you can see a photo of my family on display.