G overnment Representing California in 1956,
Dalip Singh Saund became the first Asian-American U.S. Representative.
S cience and m edicine In 1957, Tsung-Dao Leeand Chen Ning Yang became the first AsianAmericans to win the Nobel Prize for physics.
They were awarded the prize for disproving aquantum-physics law.
L iterature and P ubLiShinG In 1974, both Ken
Kashiwahara and Connie Chung became thefirst Asian-American network news reporters. In
1993, Chung also became the first Asian-American news anchor (main reporter) for a majortelevision station.
F iLm In 1921, Anna May Wong became the firstwidely recognized Asian-American film star. In1951, she also became the first Asian-Americanto have her own television series, “The Gallery ofMadame Liu Tsong.”

Dalip Singh Saund
Calvin China ir and S Pace In 1932, Katherine Sui Fun Cheung
became the first licensed Asian-American aviator. As a co-member of the woman-only aviation“99-Club” (headed by Amelia Earhart), Cheung
participated in numerous aerial performancesand races, eventually retiring from aviation afteran accident destroyed her plane.
m iLitary In 1944, Calvin Chin and Anthony Loo
Wong became the first Chinese Americans to becommissioned as second lieutenants (officers),
after graduating from the Medical Administrative Corps Officer Candidate School at Camp
Barkeley, Texas.

Anna May Wong
Anthony Loo Wong

S PortS In 1948, Richard Tom became the first
Asian-American to win an Olympic medal. He
received the Bronze Medal for weightlifting.

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UCH LIKE Black History Monthand Women’s History Month, Asian
Pacific American Heritage Monthoriginated with a congressional bill. Two Representatives introduced the bill to the House of Representatives and two senators introduced the bill to the Senate. Both of them passed, and U.S. President Jimmy
Carter officially recognized Asian/Pacific Heritage Week
on October 5, 1978. Several years later, in May 1990,
President George H. W. Bush expanded it to a month,and designated it as Asian Pacific Heritage Month. The
month of May was chosen in honor of the arrival of thefirst Japanese immigrants to the United States on May
7, 1843 and also the completion of the transcontinental
railroad on May 10, 1869.
May is celebrated with community events that involve historical, educational, and cultural activities,
and the recognition of famous Asian Americans in suchfields as architecture, entertainment, athletics, education, art, and science. One historical period often discussed in school curricula in May is the building of thefirst railroad that spanned the American continent. Thisrailroad, largely built by Chinese immigrants, is considered one of the crowning achievements of President
Abraham Lincoln, even though it was completed fouryears after his death. To build the railroad, the Union
Pacific Railroad began in Nebraska, and worked westward through Colorado and Wyoming to Utah. At thesame time, the Central Pacific Railroad began in California, and moved eastward through Nevada to Utah,
carving out places for railroad tracks in high mountainpeaks. The two railroad companies met in the town ofPromontary, Utah, where they drove in the final “golden spike” that brought together the east and west
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coasts of the American continent. This feat revolutionized the economy and population of the U.S. It caused
the wagon trains to be obsolete, and affected commerce, trade, and travel across the continent.
Glossary
congressional: adj. of an elected group of representatives
bill: n. a proposed law in government
designate(d): v. to officially choose for a particularreason or purposetranscontinental: adj. extending across a continentspan(ned): v. to cross the length between two points
largely: adv. mostly; almost completelycrown(ing): adj. greatest
drive: v. to provide the power to make something
happen; to pound in
spike: n. a narrow thin shape with a point on one end,
usually metalfeat: n. an action that involves risk or difficulty
wagon train: n. a group or line of vehicles with four
wheels, pulled by animals
obsolete: adj. not in use anymore because something
more modern has replaced itaffect(ed): v. to cause to change

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