WASHINGTON D.C. — The Smithsonian and White House launch Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month May 1 — to begin discussions and announce a number of special AAPI events that include a museum exhibit, a forum set for May 9 and internship opportunities in Washington D.C. for AAPI college students.All are invited to participate in AAPI events that kick off the first of May, ‘May Day’, Lei Day in Hawai’i.The AAPI Heritage Month theme is “I Want the Wide American Earth”, the title of a poem by acclaimed Filipino Writer Carlos Bulosan. The Smithsonian’s “I Want the Wide American Earth” exhibit explores and celebrates how AAPIs have shaped and been shaped by the course of American history.May 9, the Department of Interior, The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and The White House Office of Public Engagement host the Forum on Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage. It will be held at the Department of Interior’s Yates Auditorium on C Street in Washington D.C.At the May 9 forum, senior government officials and panel discussions including AAPI scholars and historians—meet to discuss how the legacy of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders—should be recognized, preserved, and interpreted for future generations.Fall 2013 internship opportunities with the WHIAAPI have also been announced. Deadline is May 15.