What is AAPI Heritage Month?
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month honors the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community’s many contributions to US history and culture.
The story of AAPI Heritage Month begins in 1976 with Jeanie Jew, a former Capitol Hill staffer, who brought up the idea after noticing that the US Bicentennial celebration failed to acknowledge Asian Americans. This led to former President Jimmy Carter signing a joint resolution into law that designated the week of May 4, 1979 as Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week. In 1992, Congress passed a law permanently establishing the entire month of May as AAPI Heritage Month.
When is AAPI Heritage Month?
AAPI Heritage Month is celebrated every May. The month of May marks two key moments in AAPI history: the arrival of the first known Japanese immigrant on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad—in which Chinese immigrants played a major role—on May 10, 1869.
What is the AAPI community?
The AAPI community represents a rich diversity of histories, languages, and cultures. According to the most recent US Census Bureau data, it encompasses 24 million Asian Americans and 1.7 million Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders.
The Census defines Asian Americans as individuals who can trace their lineages to East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent, and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders as those with ancestral roots in Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.
Advice from AAPI business owners and business leaders
To celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, BILL is amplifying the voices of our AAPI customers. We asked them to share their best small business advice:
1. Don’t be afraid to bet on yourself
It took a while for my mom to be okay with the idea that I was starting a brand and putting my own money into something, because it's risky. In entrepreneurship, it’s not about following the rules. It’s about making your own rules. And if you believe in yourself, and you're willing to put in the blood, sweat, and tears into something you truly believe in, you should 100% follow the path.
—Ann McFerran, CEO and Co-Founder, Glamnetic
2. Remember: you can build leadership skills outside of work too
From the ages of 19 to 21, I was a member of the Santa Clara Vanguard, a drum and bugle corps with about 150 young people. It completely changed my life. It was my first foray into leadership skills. When I entered the program, I was a very shy kid, Asian American, didn't grow up with Asians around me, daughter of immigrants, with expectations of obedience and being a certain way.
And then I get to Santa Clara Vanguard, and it was so diverse, and you're expected to be a leader and to be very independent. All of those things that I learned about leadership and accountability, they still carry me and follow me to this day.
—Jennifer Bauman, CFO, AE3 Architecture + CM
3. Find strength in numbers through networking with other small businesses
Having a powerful network allows for greater access to small business experts; local, state, and federal resources; and opportunities to connect with corporate and government partners, and with other small businesses.
When it comes to advocacy efforts, there is strength in numbers. The chamber ensures that AAPI and small business voices are heard when it comes to policies and decisions that impact our communities.
—Matt Sumida, Director of Marketing and Community Relations, Sacramento and California Asian Pacific Chambers of Commerce
4. Connect with other founders to stay motivated
It was inspirational for me to hang out around other entrepreneurs—understanding their mindset, seeing their lifestyle, seeing how it’s achievable and you can be on the same level. That made me feel more confident in myself and have the self-belief to get into entrepreneurship.
—Ann McFerran, CEO and Co-Founder, Glamnetic
5. Build your community visibility
The Sacramento and California Asian Pacific Chambers of Commerce held our first AAPI Night Market last year. We had entertainment, AAPI-owned vendors and food trucks, as well as a beer and wine garden. It was really well-attended, which provided a lot of visibility for us in the community.
As a Chamber of Commerce, we tend to focus more on the technical assistance and advocacy stuff that drives our mission, and don’t often have the chance to engage with the broader non-business community. The fact that we were able to put something on that was a wide general audience, with a high level of success, was really positive for us.
—Ryan Fong, Director of Finance, Sacramento and California Asian Pacific Chambers of Commerce
BILL recognizes AAPI-owned businesses and celebrates AAPI customers
How many AAPI businesses are there in America? Over 2 million, per the US Chamber of Commerce.
If you’re not sure how to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month this year, consider shopping from AAPI small businesses. Not sure where to find AAPI businesses to support? AAPI business directories and chambers of commerce are great places to start.
We’re committed to empowering our customers from all backgrounds, to championing them, and to helping them grow their businesses and thrive. Focus on growing your business when you automate your financial operations with BILL.
