Washington’s second-largest minority population is Asian American Pacific Islander — a Census term that refers to people with origins in countries stretching from India to Hawaii, from Japan to Tonga. People of AAPI origin make up nearly 13% of Washington’s population, the 2020 Census found. That group was the fastest-growing minority population in the state from 2010–20.
Celebrations of the contributions and culture of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders take place every year in May. Most colleges and universities, however, celebrate in April before students depart for the summer.
Events on Washington State University campuses during April include:
AAPI
Asian American and Pacific Islander, an umbrella term for people from East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Also called Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI), or Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA).
Origins of AAPI Heritage Month
In 1978, Congress passed a joint resolution to commemorate Asian American Heritage Week during the first week of May because of two important anniversaries: the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in America on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad (by many Chinese laborers) on May 10, 1869.
In 1992, that week was expanded into a month-long celebration. In 2021, a presidential proclamation expanded this to include Native Hawaiians.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is a celebration of the culture, traditions, and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.
April, or May?
Many U.S. universities celebrate AAPI Heritage Month in April before many students leave in May.
AAPI population in the United States
Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are among the fastest growing population groups in the United States. There are more than 24 million Asian Americans in the U.S., a population that grew by nearly 40% from 2010–20. There are about 1.6 million Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander residents in the U.S., a population that grew nearly 30% between 2010–20.
Broad Diversity
The term “Asian American Pacific Islander” encompasses some 50 nations and ethnic groups who speak 100 languages. Those groups experience stark differences in health status, household income, educational attainment and more, leading a growing number of data scientists to be concerned about the practice of collecting their many identities under one demographic category.
AAPI residents in Washington
Washington state has significant numbers of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander residents. Washington ranks among the top 5 states in the U.S. for its population of these origin groups:
| Origin Group | Total population in Washington | Percent of national population of that group |
|---|---|---|
| Afghan | 6,875 | 4% |
| Cambodian | 30,867 | 8% |
| Carolinian | 256 | 19% |
| Chamorro | 19,172 | 13% |
| Chinese | 196,228 | 4% |
| Chuukese | 1,578 | 13% |
| Easter Islander | 14 | 7% |
| Fijian | 4,562 | 8% |
| Filipino | 194,682 | 4% |
| French Polynesian | 27 | 4% |
| Guamanian | 2,170 | 9% |
| I-Kiribati | 39 | 5% |
| Indonesian | 7,282 | 5% |
| Japanese | 89,012 | 6% |
| Korean | 101,338 | 5% |
| Kosraean | 343 | 16% |
| Laotian | 12,490 | 5% |
| Malay | 214 | 6% |
| Malaysian | 1,600 | 4% |
| Maldivian | 63 | 9% |
| Maori | 439 | 6% |
| Marshallese | 7,570 | 14% |
| Melanesian | 4,642 | 8% |
| Micronesian | 37,423 | 13% |
| Mien | 1,767 | 8% |
| Mongolian | 2,361 | 6% |
| Native Hawaiian | 31,061 | 5% |
| Nauruan | 8 | 12% |
| New Caledonian | 14 | 5% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 114,189 | 7% |
| Niuean | 45 | 8% |
| Northern Mariana Islander | 109 | 20% |
| Palauan | 1,694 | 14% |
| Polynesian | 61,768 | 6% |
| Rotuman | 12 | 3% |
| Saipanese | 152 | 13% |
| Samoan | 28,743 | 11% |
| Singaporean | 803 | 6% |
| Tahitian | 304 | 4% |
| Taiwanese | 15,917 | 5% |
| Thai | 14,978 | 5% |
| Tokelauan | 115 | 10% |
| Tongan | 3,445 | 4% |
| Vietnamese | 103,370 | 5% |
| Yapese | 261 | 13% |
Six largest Asian groups in Washington:
- Chinese (except Taiwanese)
- Filipino
- Asian Indian
- Korean
- Vietnamese
- Japanese
Six largest Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander groups in Washington:
- Native Hawaiian
- Samoan
- Guamanian or Chamorro
- Other Pacific Islander, not specified
- Other Micronesian
- Marshallese (Micronesian)
Sources: AAPI Data, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, History Channel
