May is Asian Pacific American Heritage MonthLet’s celebrate!
May is Asian Pacific American (APA) Heritage Month—a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Much like Black History and Women’s History celebrations, APA Heritage Month originated in a congressional bill.
In June 1977, Representatives Frank Horton (NY) and Norman Y. Mineta (CA) introduced a House resolution that called upon the president to proclaim the first ten days of May as Asian/Pacific Heritage Week. The following month, senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga introduced a similar bill in the Senate. Both were passed.
In October 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a Joint Resolution designating the annual celebration; and in May 1990, the holiday was expanded further when President George H.W. Bush designated May to be Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States in 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated with community festivals, government-sponsored activities, and educational activities for students. This year’s theme is “Lighting the Past, Present, and Future.”
To help you plan your classroom celebration, visit http://www.infoplease.com/spot/asianhistory1.html — you will find an amazing array of resources, including Asian-American history and timeline information; special features which contain background information on traditional customs such as the meaning behind the tea, fortune cookies, and chopsticks. Great tools to engage your students in a fun and educational experience include quizzes and crossword puzzles.
You may also visit Education World’s website for lesson plans than can be incorporated in K-12 grades.
May is Asian Pacific American (APA) Heritage Month—a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Much like Black History and Women’s History celebrations, APA Heritage Month originated in a congressional bill.
In June 1977, Representatives Frank Horton (NY) and Norman Y. Mineta (CA) introduced a House resolution that called upon the president to proclaim the first ten days of May as Asian/Pacific Heritage Week. The following month, senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga introduced a similar bill in the Senate. Both were passed.
In October 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a Joint Resolution designating the annual celebration; and in May 1990, the holiday was expanded further when President George H.W. Bush designated May to be Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States in 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated with community festivals, government-sponsored activities, and educational activities for students. This year’s theme is “Lighting the Past, Present, and Future.”
To help you plan your classroom celebration, visit http://www.infoplease.com/spot/asianhistory1.html — you will find an amazing array of resources, including Asian-American history and timeline information; special features which contain background information on traditional customs such as the meaning behind the tea, fortune cookies, and chopsticks. Great tools to engage your students in a fun and educational experience include quizzes and crossword puzzles.
You may also visit Education World’s website for lesson plans than can be incorporated in K-12 grades.