List of Asian Pacific American Medal of Honor recipients
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The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The recipient must have distinguished himself at the risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States. Due to the nature of this medal, it is commonly presented posthumously.
Of the 3,515 Medals of Honor awarded as of 2023, 36 have been awarded to Asian-American recipients.
The first Asian/Pacific Islander to receive the Medal was James Smith, a native Hawaiian, who was awarded the medal in 1872 in peacetime. The first Asian-American Medal of Honor recipient was Charles J. Simons, who was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1896 for his actions in the Battle of the Crater in 1864 during the American Civil War.
In 1996, a study determined that Asian Pacific Americans were discriminated against in the awarding of medals during World War II; consequently, 22 had their medals upgraded to the Medal of Honor. Except for those awarded during the 1996 discrimination study the most recent Asian-American recipient of the Medal of Honor was Rodney Yano, who received it for his actions during the Vietnam War.
In 2022, President Joe Biden awarded four Medal of Honors to Vietnam War veterans, two of which are Asian-American veterans Edward N. Kaneshiro and Dennis Fujii, the first awarded to Asian-American soldiers in 26 years (since 1996).
Dennis Fujii is the only currently living Asian-American Medal of Honor recipient as of 2023.
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