SUPPORTING THE ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICAN COMMUNITY

May was chosen for Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month because it marks the immigration of the first Japanese people to the U.S. on May 7, 1843. It also commemorates the May 10, 1869 anniversary of the completion of the first U.S. transcontinental railroad that was built with significant contributions by Chinese and Japanese workers.

As one of the most diverse cities in the world, New York City is home to over one million Asians and Pacific Islanders, making up just over 14 percent of the City’s population. Throughout the course of this month, we will highlight resources and aspects of AAPI culture, and we invite you to share your experiences and stories.  E-mail us at co-presidents@ms54pta.org

In generating and sharing these resources, we aim to translate alliance into action and amplify the voices of Asian Americans who have always been at the forefront of their own civil rights initiatives throughout history and today.

How YOU can learn to make a difference:
If you are looking for literature that reflects Asian and Pacific Islander voices, here are just a few of the many excellent options available:
 
YOUNG ADULT

  • The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
  • Internment by Samira Ahmed
  • American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
  • Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali
  • Barefoot Gen series by Keiji Nakazawa
  • Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhhà Lai
  • When My Name was Keoko by Linda Sue Park
  • Something in Between by Melissa de la Cruz
  • American as Paneer Pie by Supriya Kelkar
  • A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
  • We Are Not Free by Traci Chee
  • The Arrival by Shaun Tan
  • Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

 
ADULT/8TH GRADE+

  • Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
  • The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
  • On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
  • The Interpreter by Suki Kim
  • The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
  • My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki
  • Half Gods by Akil Kumarasamy
  • Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
  • Trust Exercise by Susan Choi
  • Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin
  • This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura
  • Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know by Samira Ahmed

 
SPOKEN WORD POEMS

Diversify your Instagram feed by following Asian accounts.
Here are a few options:


Engaging digital resources for further learning: