May marks the start of barbecue season. Americans dust off their grills, replenish charcoal supplies, and fill propane tanks to prepare favorite barbecued foods. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that approximately 78 million Americans will attend at least one barbecue before years' end. As the aroma of barbecued meat, wood smoke, sweet sauces, and spicy rubs fill your neighborhood, consider these barbecue facts:
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Lyndon B. Johnson (with J. Edgar Hoover, left) hosted the first cookout at the White House featuring Texas-style barbecued ribs. Jimmy Carter introduced “pig pickin’” to about 500 guests, and George H. Bush held annual barbecues for Members of Congress on the White House’s South Lawn.
May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. The month of May commemorates the first recorded Japanese immigrants to the U.S. on May 7, 1843, and the contributions of Chinese laborers who completed the Transcontinental Railroad May 10, 1869.
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