The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO, founded in 1992, is the first and only national organization of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers. Backed with strong support of the AFL-CIO, APALA has more than 22 chapters and pre-chapters and a national office in Washington, D.C.
That same year (1992), Congress established May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to coincide with two key milestones: the arrival of the nation’s first Japanese immigrants (May 7, 1843) and Chinese workers’ pivotal role in building the transcontinental railroad (completed May 10, 1869). The move expanded what had been Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week since 1978. In 2021, a presidential proclamation expanded this to include Native Hawaiians. (The U.S. Census Bureau).
The 2024 National Asian American, Native Hawai’ian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Theme: "Advancing Leaders Through Innovation''. This year's theme is a continuation of the "Advancing Leaders'' series that began in 2021 by the Federal Asian Pacific American Council.