Join the Charleston County Public Library in celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2026. It’s a time to highlight the lives and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The monthlong celebration began in the United States in 1992. Visit select branches for programs, displays and explore our collection.
Programs
Here are some programs happening in May. For a list of all programs happening across the 18 library branches, click here to learn more.
Wednesday, May 6th at 3:30 PM
Celebrate a great artist this Asian American Heritage Month, Yayoi Kusama by creating colorful and creative painting with polka dots! Ages 6-11.
Wednesday May 13th at 3:30 PM
Join us for a special movie singalong in celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month! We'll be screening Moana, a Disney movie featuring Moana, the daughter of a chief from a Polynesian village who sets sail on a daring mission to save her people! Moana is rated PG with a run time of 107 minutes. All ages.
Thursday, May 27 at 3:45 PM
Learn about the importance of fans in various Asian cultures and then decorate one to take home.
Learn a new language with Mango
Your CCPL library card gives you access to Mango Languages where you can choose from more than 70 languages to learn. This resource adapts to your unique learning style, so you pick up on new vocabulary and train your pronunciation, all while boosting your cultural IQ, according to Mango. Get started learning new languages here.
About Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month began as a weeklong celebration in 1979. This joint resolution was passed by the House and then the Senate and was signed by President Jimmy Carter on October 5, 1978, before becoming a monthlong celebration. May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869, according to the Library of Congress. The website says, the majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.