May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. It is a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. A rather broad term, Asian/Pacific encompasses all the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, and Easter Island).  Like most commemorative months, Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month originated by an act of Congress in 1977.

Immerse yourself in Japanese culture at Delray Beach’s Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, which recognizes a long-standing connection between Japan and The Palm Beaches. This connection dates to 1904 when Jo Sakai led a small group of farmers to pioneer a settlement in what is now northern Boca Raton. They named their colony the Yamato Colony after an ancient name for Japan. The settlement was short-lived, and the pioneers began dispersing in the 1920s, but today’s Morikami celebrates and honors that history by continuing to share Japanese culture with the public.

Any trip to the Morikami will be filled with peaceful, inspiring, and educational moments, but you can also plan a special visit to take advantage of the following events and exhibits in May.