ASBA celebrates Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month with educational resources for school board members and school districts.
This webpage contains a variety of resources that are available for board members and school districts to aid them in celebrating Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebrates the culture, traditions and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843. Additionally, a majority of the transcontinental railroad was completed by Chinese immigrants on May 10, 1869.
Join us as we honor the great contributions and success made by the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
“I was raised by a mother who said to me all the time, “Kamala, you may be the first to do many things — make sure you’re not the last.”
–Kamala Harris, first Asian American Vice President of the United States
Below you can find educational resources to use to help celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Infographics




Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Resources
BOARD RESOLUTIONS AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
United States Census Bureau Data and Information
Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
U.S. Senate- History of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month
BOOKS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH
34 books for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (and all months)
Social Justice Books- Asian American Recommended Titles
“Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning”
INFLUENTIAL AND HISTORIC FIGURES
- Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu– Nuclear Physicist
- Duke Kahanamoku– Olympian who helped popularize surfing
- Grace Lee Boggs– Civil and labor rights activist
- Hiram Fong– First U.S. senator of Asian ancestry
- Larry Ramos– First Asian American and Filipino American to win a Grammy Award
- May Chen– Led one of the largest Asian American worker strikes
FOR THE CLASSROOM
Lesson Plan: 9 Ideas for Teaching Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month
Fun Facts: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Teacher’s Guide: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage and History in the U.S
18 Student Activities to Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS
Library of Congress: Celebrate Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month
Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
National Educators Association Teaching Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage
9 Ideas for Teaching Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
ARTICLES
Washington Post- The long, ugly history of anti-Asian racism and violence in the U.S.
Dear Educators, It Is Time to Fight for Asian America
IDENTITY-BASED CURRICULUM MODULES
Asian American Education Project Thematic Identity
UNITS OF STUDY
Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Studies

