Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Week was first signed into law in 1978 and expanded to the full month in 1992. That same year in Washington D.C., AAPI nurse met and formed the Asian American Pacific Islander Nurses Association (AAPINA). May was chosen to commemorate the first Japanese immigration to America on May 7, 1843, and the Chinese migrant workers who completed the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869.
The theme for this year’s AAPI Heritage Month is “Advancing Leaders Through Innovation,” paying homage to visionaries and trailblazers who have shaped AAPI history and continue to influence our future. This month, we would like to highlight Filipino nurse Anastacia Giron-Tupas (1890 - 1972), who left a remarkable impact on nursing both in the Philippines and in the United States. Giron-Tupas graduated from the Philippine General Hospital School of Nursing in 1912, but during colonial rule, nurses in the Philippines had to earn education in the United States to hold leadership positions back home. After earning a certificate in Public Health Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania and additional training from the New England Hospital for Women and Children in Boston, Giron-Tupas traveled the country to grow her understanding of health care.
In 1917, she was appointed chief nurse superintendent of the Philippine General Hospital, becoming the first Filipino nurse to hold that position. She went on to develop the first Bachelor of Science in Nursing curriculum in the Philippines and to found the Filipino Nurses Association.
Giron-Tupas is regarded as the “Dean of Philippine Nursing” and her tireless advocacy helped create laws that regulate nursing practices and protect women in health care.
We encourage you to join us in UniSON, honoring the rich heritage and contributions of the Asian American Pacific Islander community throughout the month of May and beyond.