US Senator Hirono and Smithsonian APAC host exhibition to honor AANHPI icons

The exhibit celebrates May as AANHPI Heritage Month and highlights 20 individuals from Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.

The exhibit is being held to commemorate May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. / AANHPI Russell Rotunda

To commemorate May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, US Senator Mazie K Hirono (D-HI) has joined hands with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) for a dual-phase photo exhibition in the Rotunda of the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington.

The first segment, running from May.6 to May.10, will spotlight 10 icons from Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander backgrounds. The second phase, taking place from May.13 to May.17, will feature 10 icons from Asian American communities.

“I am proud to host this exhibition in collaboration with APAC and help share the stories of so many leaders in our community,” said Senator Hirono. “Throughout May, as we celebrate our communities’ historic contributions, we also reaffirm our commitment to building a more inclusive and equitable future for all. I will continue working to ensure that members of the AANHPI community and all people have the opportunity to live freely, treated with dignity and respect.”

“On behalf of the Smithsonian Institution, we extend our sincere gratitude to Senator Mazie K Hirono for the opportunity to partner on ‘Portraits of Our Cultural Icons’ featuring AANHPI sitters drawn from APAC’s publication We Are Here and the National Portrait Gallery,” said Yao-Fen You, acting director, Smithsonian APAC.

“We hope that visitors to the Russell Rotunda will gain a deeper appreciation of the AANHPI cultural icons featured in this portrait exhibition. All of us at APAC look forward to future collaborations with Senator Hirono’s Office to continue sharing Smithsonian treasures and resources that preserve and celebrate the rich and diverse history, art, and culture of AANHPI communities,” You added.

The Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander exhibition will display illustrations from APAC’s book titled, ‘We are Here: 30 Inspiring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Have Shaped the United States’.

It will include: