According to the US Census Bureau, Asians and Pacific Islanders make up the fastest growing racial group in the United States, numbering more than 10 million people, or nearly 4 percent of the total population!

The diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander American population includes members of more than 30 ethnic groups who speak more than 300 languages and dialects.

The theme of this year’s Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month is Advancing Leaders Through Collaboration.  One of the reasons May was chosen for this celebration was to pay tribute to the first Japanese immigrants, who came to the United States in May 1843.