Military history of Asian Americans

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Asian Americans, who are Americans of Asian descent, have fought and served on behalf of the United States since the American Revolutionary War.^[1] During the American Civil War Asian Americans fought for both the Union and the Confederacy.^[2][3][4] Afterwards Asian Americans served primarily in the U.S. Navy until the Philippine–American War.^[5]

At the beginning of the 20th century, Asian Americans began to attend U.S. military academies, and the first Asian Americans were awarded the Medal of Honor.^[6][7] World War I saw Asian Americans serving as "non-whites" in the National Army.^[8] After World War I, Asian American service fell into obscurity until World War II when significant contributions by Japanese,^[9][10] Chinese,^[11] Filipino,^[12] and Korean Americans^[13] were documented.

With the desegregation of the U.S. military in 1948, segregated Asian American units ceased to exist, and Asian Americans served in integrated armed forces.^[14] Asian American combatants in the Korean and Vietnam conflicts were awarded the Medal of Honor, and Asian Americans have continued to serve into the present day.^[15][16]