Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, a time when we acknowledge and honor the experiences of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders in the spirit of inclusion. This month commemorates both the historic and ongoing sacrifices, as well as the achievements of AANHPI leaders and organizers who have empowered their communities and strengthened the next generation for our collective well-being.

Throughout the year, the Center for Equity and Inclusion strives to celebrate and serve our Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities from all of Oceania and Asia, with specificity. The diasporic stories of migration and displacement from AANHPI peoples convey their distinct needs and different experiences that contribute to campus diversity, one of our most important values.

Here are ways to learn more about Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander histories in the U.S. and the ways we are building our futures together.

Campus Events

UW Tacoma campus members are invited to join the Center for Equity and Inclusion for these celebratory and educational UW Tacoma campus events.

• Sailing Our Stories: Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration on April 30, 4:30-7:30 p.m. at William Philip Hall | Register Here 
• The Ocean in Your Syllabus: Pacific Islands Studies Resources for Faculty on May 4, 12:30-1:30 p.m. at SNO150A 
• Multicultural Night: Rediscovering Roots on May 9, 6-8:30 p.m. at the University YMCA 303/304 | Register Here (Free for UW Tacoma Students)
• Ribbon Lei Making on May 1 (11:00  a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) and May 4 (5:00-6:30 p.m.), University YMCA Student Center | Register Here (non-YMCA members may fill out a waiver to attend) 
• AAPI THRIVE Study Table Lunch | May 11, 12:30-2:00 p.m. at SNO150
• Candy Lei Making with Kiko Salas |  May 28, 12:30-2:00 p.m. at SNO150 Kitchen 

Community Events

• Tacoma Grand Cinema: Saturday, May 2, 2026 at 2 p.m. Nobuko Miyamoto: A Song in Movement Directed by Tad Nakamura and Quyen Nguyen-Le
• Asia Pacific Cultural Center’s Korea Day: Celebrating King Sejong The Great on May 2, 3-6 p.m. at APCC – 4851 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma
• Seattle Center’s Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration on May 2, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Armory Food & Event Hall
• Asian Counseling and Referral Service’s Walk For Rice on May 16, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Seward Park, Seattle 
• Washington State History Museum’s 9th Annual South Sound Day of Remembrance: A Gathering of Japanese American Stories on May 21, 4:00-8:00 p.m. at the Washington State History Museum 

Online Resources and Services 

For additional reading and discovery, consider the Tacoma Public Library reading list. You can also follow the book suggestions and reviews from Mara Mahoney on Instagram as @ThisIslanderReads, Mylyn as @hyperfixatedreader, and Pacific Islander Books. 

We also recommend following the calendars of the Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington and the United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance Washington for their ongoing health, wellness, and cultural services for Pacific Islanders.