Did You Know May Is Asian-American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month?

Did you know that May is Asian-American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month? There are many ways to celebrate in a fun, respectful way. First, be aware that there is a large range of Asian cultures, with different customs, languages, religions, foods, festivals. Do a bit of research, so you don’t inadvertently pass on stereotypes.

Read All About It: Asian-American and Pacific Islander Books

As a librarian, I always start with books. You can read nonfiction books with your students to gather some facts. And try to include fiction books, as many cultures are underrepresented in fiction.

We Are Here: 30 Inspiring Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Have Shaped the United States offers mini biographies of people of Asian backgrounds. You can read snippets from the book, or assign each student one person to research and report to the class.

The same author wrote a version of the book for younger readers:

In The A,B,Cs of Asian-American History, the author shares facts about nineteen different Asian groups in the U.S. Many students aren’t familiar with that level of diversity.

Be sure to include stories about everyday children, rather than focusing only on famous adults. Read books about kids making friends, helping family members, cooking, and learning about their cultures.

Try Traditional Asian Arts and Crafts

Students can make artwork in the style of different cultures. How about Japanese kites or origami, or Chinese lanterns, Indian peacocks, Phillipine parols, or Hawaiian leis? Pinterest has lots of ideas. Sharing food is probably out, due to allergies, but kids could make traditional dishes at home and give out the recipes. They could even create a PowerPoint presentation of how to cook the dish.

Fun Educational Options

Do you use BOOM™ Cards in your library or classroom? They are digital task cards that are self-correcting. You can use them for free, with the “Fast Pin” option, or get a paid subscription to get access to progress reports. Kids think they are playing a game, so they hardly know they’re learning. Try this deck:

Buy HERE on Teachers pay Teachers

I have an easy research packet to use with your subscription to the Pebble Go database. The worksheets are printable, or can be used digitally in Google Slides. There are 12 people to research. If time is limited, you can just use one sheet (6 people). Try to go beyond the the most popular subjects, who are usually athletes or entertainers, and include scientists, inventors, artists.