Every year, the month of May is officially designated Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) Month. May was chosen to commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in the United States on May 7, 1843, as well as the completion of the transcontinental railroad by a large Chinese workforce on May 10, 1869. Here are a few ways to celebrate and acknowledge AAPI culture and history in the classroom.
Explore Asian American Culture and Arts
Look into Asian American authors, musicians, and performers to showcase Asian American culture within a classroom. Literature and music provide students with different views and understandings of others, while connecting to the students’ own experiences. Highlight the success of different Asian Americans in American history and how their contribution changed the views on their culture. Check out this list of books with Asian, Asian American, Desi, and Pacific Islander Characters, and filter by age to find something for your grade level.
Explore Asian American and Pacific Islander History in America
America wouldn’t be America without Asian immigrants and people of Asian heritage. Every aspect of life, including arts, literature, culture, science, and more, has been positively impacted. One piece of history that played an enormous part in American history is the Transcontinental Railroad. Chinese immigrant crews set records for lengths of track completed in a single day. Workers earned a reputation as effective, quality workers and community members. Despite their legendary work, they also faced racism, legal discrimination, and unfair labor practices. Researching Asian American history can show students the hardships and unfair practices that Asian American have faced. Acknowledging these discriminations can help students understand and fight against this unfair treatment.
Learn about Asian American culture through STEAM
There are hundreds of hands-on STEAM activities students can do to get in touch with Asian American culture. Try cooking with STEAM. Make some tasty Asian treats while learning how math, science, and arts all play a part in cooking. Learn techniques and the science behind boiling water, the sweetness of sugar, and why pickling and fermentation are used so often. Another STEAM activity can be folding cranes. While students are making cranes, teachers can go through the history behind the art style, explaining how cranes in Asian cultures symbolize peace, good health, longevity, and healing. There is also plenty of STEAM activities for Lunar New Year as well. Have your students try their hand at these activities while explaining the history behind the culture and significance.
What are some other ways you celebrate and teach AAPI in the classroom?
Sources:
https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view-single/aapi-heritage-month-classroom
https://www.waterford.org/education/celebrate-asian-american-pacific-islander-heritage-month
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