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High School Resources

Please see the resources below.

 

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Texts

Poem: Honey Nut Cheerios by Arpi Park A poem about growing up Asian-American
Poem: Los Angeles, Manila, Đà Nẵng by Cathy Linh Che Poem by Cathy Linh Che, the author of Split (Alice James, 2014), which won the Kundiman Poetry Prize and the Norma Farber First Book Award, among other honors
Short Story: Coming Home Again by Chang-rae Lee In “Coming Home Again,” a memoir originally published in the New Yorker (1995), Lee looks at his relationship with his mother through the lens of cooking and Korean food.
Article: Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku Blog of the Textual Records Division at the National Archives about Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku, a five time Olympic medalist who won three gold medals for the United States
Article: 4 U.S. Supreme Court Cases Where Asian Americans Fought For Civil Rights by Suzanne Nuyen While the "model minority" myth often characterizes Asians living in the U.S. as hard-working, successful and cooperative citizens, historically, many have had to fight unjust laws to be recognized as full-fledged Americans. Here are four cases where Asian Americans fought injustice in the courts.
Text: Set Maxine Hong Kingston Maxine Hong Kingston’s Genre-Defying Life and Work (article), "No Name Woman" (short story), Excerpt Maxine Hong Kingston: Talking Story (video), Excerpt: 'I Love A Broad Margin To My Life" (article, interview, and text), A Poet a Day: Maxine Hong Kingston Reads Sandy Scull’s ‘Sea Salt’ (poem and reading), Immigration Reading (U.S. Treaty and Poetry by Maxine Hong Kingston) (video of reading)

Videos

Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority (2:24) In 1965, Patsy Takemoto Mink became the first woman of color in the United States Congress. Seven years later, she ran for the US presidency and was the driving force behind Title IX, the landmark legislation that transformed women’s opportunities in higher education and athletics.
Are You “AAPI” or “Asian American”? It's Complicated. | A People's History of Asian America (11:01) A People’s History of Asian America is a series of thoughtful visual essays and explainers, hosted by Emmy award-winning journalist, Dolly Li, and Asian studies scholar and professor, Adrian De Leon. This video explores the pros and cons of disaggregating Asian American as a statistical category.
How Manga Took Over American Bookshelves (Feat. Princess Weekes) | It's Lit (14:48) Discussion about manga as its own rich literature, reflecting the complicated political history of Japan
I Am Not Your Asian Stereotype | Canwen Xu | TEDxBoise (9:38) Bad driver. Math wizard. Model minority. In this hilarious and insightful talk, eighteen-year-old Canwen Xu shares her Asian-American story of breaking stereotypes, reaffirming stereotypes, and driving competently on her way to buy rice. Transcript can be found below.
Eyes Open: An Anti-Asian Racism PSA (2:32) PSA from Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice (CCNCSJ), a national organization that educates, engages, and advocates for equity and justice for all
The Dark History of the Chinese Exclusion Act - Robert Chang (5:57) and lesson Dig into the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which suspended Chinese immigration to the U.S. and blocked Chinese immigrants from citizenship. Lesson link can be found below.

I Am Not Your Asian Stereotype | Canwen Xu | TEDxBoise Transcript

The Dark History of the Chinese Exclusion Act – Robert Chang Lesson

Additional Resources

Lesson Plan: Hamlet Meets Chushingura: Traditions of the Revenge Tragedy This lesson sensitizes students to the similarities and differences between cultures by comparing Shakespearean and Bunraku/Kabuki dramas. The focus of this comparison is the complex nature of revenge explored in The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark and Chushingura, or the Treasury of the Loyal Retainers.
Lesson Plan: Leo Valledor This set of lesson plans explores the life and art of Leo Valledor from the Asian Art Museum.
Lesson Plan: The Impact of the Vincent Chin Case The 1982 murder of Vincent Chin represents a pivotal moment in civil rights history. The legacy of the Vincent Chin case has inspired generations of Asian Americans to stand up against anti-Asian racism, bringing them together in solidarity within the community and across racial lines. Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class.
Digital Collection - Hmong Keeb Kwm: The Hmong Heritage Project From the Catawba County Library, Historical Association of Catawba County - Hmong Keeb Kwm artifacts were collected from 16 participants, yielding over 145 digitized items, and 14 oral history recordings.
Learning Lab Music & Migration: "We Are the Children" by Chris Iijima, Nobuko Miyamoto, "Charlie" Chin In this collection, you can explore migration histories of Japanese and Chinese Americans and reflect upon the social power of music through a song recorded by three Asian American artists/activists in 1973. Watch videos; learn about objects and artwork in the Smithsonian collections; find articles and lesson plans.
Lesson Plan: Exploring Language and Identity: Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue" and Beyond In this lesson, students explore the issue of how speaking "different Englishes" or languages other than English contribute to identity by brainstorming the different languages they use in speaking and writing, and when and where these languages are appropriate.
Toolkit: Asian American Racial Justice Toolkit This toolkit represents the work and thinking of 15 grassroots organizations with Asian American bases living in the most precarious margins of power: low-income tenants, youth, undocumented immigrants, low-wage workers, refugees, women and girls, and queer and trans people.
Film: Asian Americans on PBS Asian Americans is a five-hour film series that delivers a bold, fresh perspective on a history that matters today, more than ever. As America becomes more diverse, and more divided while facing unimaginable challenges, how do we move forward together? Told through intimate personal stories, the series will cast a new lens on U.S. history and the ongoing role that Asian Americans have played.

Grade Level Standards