Each May, the nation celebrates Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage month to recognize the contributions, culture, and history of AANHPI communities across the country. The month of May was designated to honor the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants on May 7, 1843, and Golden Spike Day on May 10, 1869—which marked the completion of the transcontinental railroad, largely achieved through contributions, often under harsh and exploitative conditions, of Chinese workers.
The 2026 theme, created by the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC), is “Power in Unity: Strengthening Communities Together.” According to the FAPAC website, “this year’s theme highlights the importance of leveraging our collective power, telling our stories, and being bridge builders in our communities.”
From ancestral land practices to modern climate advocacy, AANHPI communities model unity—across generations and disciplines—that can propel powerful environmental stewardship. Many are rooted in values that emphasize harmony between people and the natural world. In Native Hawaiian traditions, mālama ʻāina means “to care for the land” as if it was a living relative. Across Asia and the Pacific, traditional practices like agroforestry, rotational farming, and waste-reduction philosophies like Japan’s mottainai prioritize long-term ecosystem health over short-term gain.
AANHPI communities are among the most directly impacted by climate change. In response, these communities have come together locally and globally to advocate for climate justice.
Here in New York, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) plays a critical role in protecting natural resources and ensuring environmental justice throughout the state. The “Power in Unity” theme is exemplified in the Regenerate New York Forestry Cost Share Grant Program, administered by DEC. This program creates a public-private partnership by providing financial assistance to private landowners to support sustainable forest management practices. By helping landowners actively manage and protect their forests, the program strengthens ecosystems for the long-term benefit of all New Yorkers, while collaborating with communities to take part in conservation efforts.
Through DEC’s Community Air Monitoring Initiative, DEC shared localized results from a year long study of air quality in 10 disadvantaged communities and provided results to community members to enable them to offer input and prioritize air pollution areas of concern, identify contributing sources of burdens, and help develop solutions for statewide mitigation strategies.
From the trees to the air, DEC makes connections across cultures to conserve New York’s natural resources. By celebrating and educating diverse cultural ideas, including those of AANHPI, together we can incorporate diverse strategies and thoughts to improve our ability to meet the conservation needs of New York State and its people.
In recognition of AANHPI Heritage Month, DEC’s Library recommends the following publications to enjoy:
- Antonio, Marjorie Justine. 2025. “Pinoys, Parks, and (Historic) Places: Interpreting Filipino American History at the National Park Service.” Filipino American National Historical Society Journal 13 (1): 74–81. https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/5/article/976734.
- Bare, Gina, Emma Erwin, and David T. Dyjack. 2025. “Climate Change in Hawaii and the United States-Affiliated Pacific Islands: A Call to Action for Environmental Public Health.” Journal of Environmental Health 87 (9). https://doi.org/10.70387/001c.137192.
- Chen, Kelly, Emily Beglarian, Duyen Kauffman, et al. 2026. “Associations Between Seafood Consumption and Serum PFAS Levels Among Asian/Pacific Islanders in the San Francisco Bay Area, California.” Exposure and Health 18 (2): 14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-025-00743-y.
- Escobar Torio, Jeremy John, and Conny Davidsen. 2025. “Communicative and Cultural Challenges to Public Participation in Climate Action Initiatives: A Case Study of Hiya among Filipino Immigrants.” Journal of International and Intercultural Communication 18 (3): 261–80. https://doi.org/10.1080/17513057.2025.2522889.
- Guo, Ziwei (Jessi). 2025. “Asian Enclaves under Pressure: Social and Environmental Justice in Flushing and Boston’s Chinatown.” Master of Regional Planning, Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning Department of City and Regional Planning. https://hdl.handle.net/1813/116907.
- Heagele, Tara, JungMoon Hyun, So-Hyun Park, William Ellery Samuels, and Jin Young Seo. 2025. “A Home Disaster Preparedness Intervention Study with Korean American Residents in New York City.” Journal of Urban Health 102 (2): 332–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-025-00974-z.
- Hoang, Nguyen Vu. 2025. “Hurricane Katrina: Disaster for Many, Opportunity for Others.” In Race, Resilience, and Vietnamese Americans in New Orleans: The Unmaking of Home, edited by Nguyen Vu Hoang. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-2465-5_4.
- Juarez, Ruben, Krit Phankitnirundorn, Samia Valeria Ozorio Dutra, Daniela Bond-Smith, Alison G. Lee, and Alika K. Maunakea. 2025. “Health and Social Support in the Aftermath of the Maui Wildfires.” JAMA Network Open 8 (8): e2525430. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.25430.
- Kim, Suk-Hee, and Sukyung Yoon. 2025. “Climate Change and Mental Health: Community-Based Mental Health Interventions for Older Adults Korean-American Immigrants.” Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment 0 (0): 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2025.2599830.
- Shaw, Vivian, Jacqueline Leung, and Julie Sze. 2025. “10 Messy Solidarities: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Environmental Justice in the Pandemic and Beyond.” In Asian America Rising. New York University Press. https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.18574/nyu/9781479834051-015/html.
- Thomas, Jasmina, Nidhi Wali, Nichole Georgeou, and Seeseei Molimau-Samasoni. 2025. “Indigenous Knowledge, Gender and Agriculture: A Scoping Review of Gendered Roles for Food Sustainability in Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Fiji.” Land 14 (6): 1210. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14061210.
- Zraick, Karen. 2026. “Court Rejects Trump Administration Climate Lawsuit Against Hawaii.” Climate. The New York Times, April 16. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/16/climate/hawaii-climate-lawsuit-dismissed.html.
