Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2025

Members of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) population find community amongst one another over shared cultural practices, religion, ethnic/national origin and other individual and collective similarities. Presently, we know that the AANHPI population is rapidly increasing, having more than doubled since 2000, currently comprising 25+ million people, or 7% of the US population. Here in California, our state is home to the largest AANHPI population in the country, with 7+ million residents. Furthermore, the AANHPI community is sowing deeper roots in the United States, with the immigrant population declining for most ethnic groups (although still a majority of several). (Source:Pew Research Group)

Understanding Health Through Heritage

This May, as we celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month, we acknowledge that this shared heritage of the AANHPI community reflects the evolving heritage and history of the entire United States. Through a holistic and intersectional understanding of AANHPI heritage, we are able to harness the diversity of this community as a catalyst to achieve better health outcomes for all.

In the medical field, one specific case where researchers, clinicians and communities are trying to understand AANHPI heritage as a means to promote better health outcomes is through the recent discovery of emerging lung cancer diagnoses in non-smoking, Asian American women. A separate study found that lung cancer rates were decreasing over a decade-long period for every demographic group (smoking and non-smoking) except for non-smoking Asian American women. Potential hypotheses run the spectrum of modern and historical causes and correlations, including genetics, cooking methods, fields of employment, and locations of residence.

Each of these factors is linked to unique legacies of AANHPI heritage. AANHPIs are highly concentrated in specific geographic areas (California, New York, New Jersey, Texas and Washington are home to half of the AANHPI population), which may facilitate greater exposure to urban environmental risks. Additionally, AANHPI immigrants have historically been underemployed in service sectors, and through a combination of cultural norms and fear of economic and political repercussions, have been hesitant to speak up against unsafe working conditions or seek preemptive health screenings. The answer likely lies in some combination of these and other factors, thus illustrating that a person’s heritage is not merely related to a distant, historical past but directly relevant to their present and future well-being. 

More information about this topic can be found with the Female Asian Never Smokers (FANS) Study, based out of UCSF.

Join Us for a Special Event

In commemoration of AANHPI Heritage Month, we invite you to a virtual research talk:

Cutting-Edge Research: Changing the Future of Cancer Prevention
Speaker: Carolyn Y. Fang, PhD (Fox Chase Cancer Center)
Date: Wednesday, May 21
Time: 11:00 a.m.

Register for the Talk

Explore More Resources

• UCI Asian & Pacific Islander Faculty and Staff Association
• UCI Libraries Asian American Studies Research Guide
• Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
• Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association