This AAPI Heritage Month, we’re telling the untold stories of women, women of color and LGBTQ+ people. Subscribe to our daily newsletter.

Asian-American/Pacific Island (AAPI) covers such a wide range of experiences. People from the subcontinent, Southeast Asia, East Asia and the islands that dot the Pacific Rim all fall under one demographic. It’s not an easy subject to wrap one’s arms around.

But within this broad category, there is a lot to highlight and celebrate. We talk about strength and inspiration. We also take a hard look at some of the challenges that lie ahead.

Here are our stories about how AAPI people are weaving their stories, traditions and legacies into our country’s. This page will be updated with our coverage throughout the month of May.

The 19th staff reflects on AAPI Heritage Month

Several AAPI staffers at The 19th have come together to reflect on the strength and inspiration of community leaders and storytellers. We look to our families, educators, journalists and advocates who pulled threads from the old world and wove the familiar into something new. 

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Read, watch, listen

Our interview with Connie Wang on ‘Oh My Mother!’

In her debut book, former Refinery29 executive editor Connie Wang captures seminal memories with her mother — and learns they were more alike than she ever imagined.

Recommended reading from AAPI authors

Scholars, bookstore owners and educators curated reading lists centered on geography, motherhood and visibility — all embodying AAPI authors’ work.

Richard Lui shares personal experiences in caregiving documentary ‘Unconditional’

Richard Lui’s second film, “Unconditional,” is personal. The MSNBC anchor talks about gender perceptions and the challenges he faced caring for his father, who had Alzheimer’s and lived across the country.

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Making history

In the House

Rep. Judy Chu started out in politics to better represent the Asian-American community. Thirty-five years later, she continues to fight against hate and advocate for the marginalized.

And on the bench

As the number of Asian Americans grows, so does their political influence, but advocates are continuing to push for increased representation in the pipeline toward judgeship.

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A long legacy

Ballet’s legacy of Asian American stereotypes have continued to create barriers for AAPI women. Dancers and choreographers talk about yellowface in “The Nutcracker” and how a fear of pigeonholing hinders them in expanding the art.

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The data behind the sentiments

AAPI women’s traditional caregiving duties shift as American norms chip away at support

The clashing of cultural norms with American caregiving systems is especially clear to Asian-American and Pacific Islander women — the most likely group to be caring for elderly parents in the United States.

The state of mental and emotional well-being within the AAPI community

Recent surveys found that about half of Asian Americans feel unsafe and nearly 80 percent of Asian Americans, particularly young women, do not feel like they belong.