21 Quotes for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month! To celebrate, my school shares quotes during our daily announcements as well as individual projects within their classroom. These are the list of quotes I generated for our daily announcement. Please feel free to share, bookmark, and use these quotes too!

Day 1

Patsy Takemoto Mink, she was the first woman of color and the first Asian American woman to serve in the U.S. Congress. She represented the people of Hawaii during two periods, the first from 1965 to 1977 and again from 1990 until her death in 2002. Her quote is, “We have to build things that we want to see accomplished, in life and in our country, based on our own personal experiences to make sure that others do not have to suffer the same discrimination.”

Day 2

Philip Vera Cruz, a Filipino American labor leader, farmworker, and leader in the Asian American movement. His quote is, “I think that whatever nationality you are, you should be treated equally, otherwise you don’t have equality.”

Day 3

Queen LiliʻUokalani she was the queen and last ruling monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. She was the first and only queen to rule the Hawaiian Islands, reigning from 1891 until they were seized by the imperial government of the United States of America. Her quote is, “Knowledge has been a passion with me during my whole life, one which has not lost its charm to the present day.”

Day 4

Fred Korematsu an American civil rights activist who resisted the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. His quote is, “One person can make a difference, even if it takes forty years.”

Day 5

Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask, a Native Hawaiian activist, educator, author, and poet. Her quote is, “The people cannot exist without the land and the land cannot exist without the people.”

Day 6

Gail Tsukiyama, an American novelist from San Francisco, California, her quote is, “Don’t ever think that just because you do things differently, you’re wrong.”

Day 7

Yoko Ono, a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist, her quote is, “You change the world by being yourself.”

Day 8

Gene Luen Yang, is an American cartoonist. His quote is, “Books help kids to explore the world. They are the real ambassadors.”

Day 9

Lisa See, a writer and novelist. Her quote is, “Read a thousand books, and your words will flow like a river.”

Day 10

Phillipa Soo, actress and singer. Her quote is, “Life isn’t perfect, any failures you have are actually learning moments. They teach us how to grow and evolve.”

Day 11

Bruno Mars, a singer, songwriter, and record producer from Honolulu, Hawaii. His quote is, “…success is having fun.”

Day 12

Allan Pineda Lindo, is a Filipino-American rapper, singer and record producer. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Black Eyed Peas. His quote is, “I love our [Filipino culture], and you know I wanna share that all over the world.”

Day13

Kristi Yamaguchi, is a former competitive figure skater and author. In 1992, she became the first Asian American to win a gold medal in a Winter Olympic competition. Her quote is, “Every day, someone realizes a dream. I believe dreams help light our darkness and give us the push we need to move across the rink of life.”

Day 14

Bui Simon is a Thai American beauty queen, crowned Miss Universe in 1988 and the president and founder of the Angels Wings Foundation. Her quote is, “…one’s happiness in life is about your ability to be grateful.”

Day 15

Kamala Harris, Vice President Kamala Harris is the first female, first Black and first Asian American vice president of the United States, Her quote is, “The American dream belongs to all of us.”

Day 16

Kalpana Chawla, was an Indian-born American astronaut and aerospace engineer who was the first woman of Indian origin to go to space. Her quote is, “You must enjoy the journey because whether or not you get there, you must have fun on the way.”

Day 17

Hubert Vo is a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives for House District 149. He is the first and only Vietnamese American to be elected to the Texas legislature. His quote is, “This is a land of opportunity. It’s a wonderful land. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication having your goal. I believe everybody will make it, not only me, because we have so much opportunity here and we want to keep it that way also for our kids.”

Day 18

Andrew Yang is a businessman, attorney, lobbyist, and a candidate in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. His quote is, “Mistakes are acceptable if they’re the result of moving forward.”

Day 19

Tiger Woods, a professional golfer that is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time. His quote is, “Education is a priority over any sport because without a mind you can’t contribute to society.”

Day 20

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood and former professional wrestler who is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. His quote is, “Don’t be afraid to be ambitious about your goals. Hard work never stops. Neither should your dreams.”

Day 21

Michelle Kwan, a retired figure skater, a two-time Olympic medalist, a five-time World champion and a nine-time U.S. champion. Her quote is, “Don’t focus on the negative things that can happen, just think about the positive things.”