Activities and resources to celebrate Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month

May is Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month - a month to honor the accomplishments and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States while celebrating their diverse heritages. Here are a few resources and ideas to help you think about ways to celebrate at your program:

10 activities from the 10 Ways to Celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month with Kids & Teens from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America includes easy to implement activities, from learning the differences between Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, to making AANHPI crafts to hosting kids' movie nights with films that celebrate AANHPI traditions and combat stereotypes .

From the National Park Service, learn about the ancient Hawaiian legends of Pele and explore the the geological formation of the Hawaiian Islands. The lesson begins with the video (or graphic novel) “Pele Searches for a Home,” which tells the legend of Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire, and her search for a home in these islands. Her journey is a result of the ongoing feud with her sister Nāmaka, forcing her to journey throughout the islands trying to find a safe home. Her route closely mimics the path of the islands’ geologic formation atop the hot spot in the middle of the Pacific Plate. (Grades 3-5)

Public media resources (compiled by WNET):

Rising Against Asian Hate (Grades 6-12). Explore the fight against Asian American hate following the March 2021 mass shootings at three spas in Atlanta. These resources encourage students to examine how this critical moment of racial reckoning sheds light on the struggles, triumphs, and achievements of AAPI communities. The collection also includes resources that profile Asian American trailblazers from across the country in five stories of belonging and exclusion; resilience and hope; and solidarity in the face of hate. SEE THE COLLECTION.

Mission US Prisoner in My Homeland (Grades 6-8). Mission US is an award-winning educational media project that immerses young people in transformational moments in U.S. history. The interactive mission "Prisoner in My Homeland" follows the experiences of teenager Henry Tanaka, whose family is forced to leave their home on Bainbridge Island, WA, for a prison camp in Manzanar, CA. Players grapple with the choices and challenges faced by more than 120,000 Japanese Americans as they coped with their unjust incarceration during World War II. Includes an educator guide with resources for integrating the mission into your social studies classroom. ENGAGE WITH HISTORY.

Priya Dreams of Marigolds and Masala (Ages 3-7). In this read-aloud from Let’s Learn, a multidisciplinary public television series for kids ages 3-7, Darlene Thomas reads Priya Dreams of Marigolds and Masala by Meenal Patel. The story is about a young girl who learns about India through her grandmother’s experiences and memories, particularly of the marigolds that reminded her of home. Students identify the five senses used as they read through the book and then make their own paper flowers. READ TOGETHER.