KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — During May, people across the U.S. will celebrate Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.
Knox County started celebrating it a day early Friday with a new display in the City County Building. Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs posted a tweet with a photo of it — a colorful eastern dragon displayed near the windows by the City of Knoxville's administrative offices.
The display was made by the Asian Culture Center of Tennessee for a larger project, officials said.
The month is meant to celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander communities in the U.S. The term encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands. It includes islands like New Guinea, Fiji, Guam, Nauru, the Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa and Easter Island.
It recognizes the contributions and influence of Asian and Pacific Islander communities on U.S. history, culture and achievements. It started in 1977 when representatives proposed the first ten days of May be Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week.
That proposal did not pass, and it wasn't until 1978 when Jimmy Carter signed another resolution allowing him to declare a Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week in May that it officially started. It was expanded to a month in 1990, and in 1992 May was officially designated as Pacific/Asian American Heritage Month.
May was chosen in order to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese people to the U.S. in 1843.