You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Asian
Pacific American Heritage Month’ tag. 1934 Hawaiian Visit May is
Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month. The Hawaiian Islands,
located at the northernmost part of Polynesia, were annexed by
the United States in 1898, and in 1959 became the nation’s 50th
state. By the time of Roosevelt’s presidency Hawaii was
characterized by an incredible diversity of cultural ancestry,
including Native Hawaiian, pan-Asian and North American. To this
day, the state remains one of the most ethnically diverse places
in the world. In July of 1934 FDR became the first sitting U.S.
president to visit the Territory of Hawaii. He traversed the
Pacific aboard the USS Houston, debarked at both the ports of
Hilo and Honolulu, and stayed on the Islands for several days to
tour both cultural landmarks and military areas. The people of
Hawaii made every attempt to welcome the President and share
with him the best of Hawaiian culture, both ancient and modern.
When FDR arrived at Hono