May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to celebrate Asians and Pacific Islanders in our area and across the United States.
Asian American and Pacific Islander cultures are so rich in culture and diversity because they are represented in more than 30 countries — including the entire Asian continent and the Pacific Islands — and encompass more than 100 different languages.
The month of May was chosen as AAPI Heritage Month in the United States to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The transcontinental railroad was largely built by Chinese immigrants. Congress officially designated May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month in 1992.
This month-long celebration in previous years has featured the diverse contributions and historical achievements of the AAPI community to the United States through festive celebrations with traditional performances, food, and art.
Here are ways you can support and learn about the AAPI community, while also celebrating their culture and traditions:
Support local restaurants and businesses owned by AAPI
There are so many great AAPI options in our area. Here are just a few of our favorites:
- Aomi Japanese Restaurant and Hibachi-The Forum in Peachtree Corners
- Emerald China Authentic Chinese Cuisine - Duluth
- Hello Rainbow Toy Store- Downtown Duluth
- Liu Fu Chinese Restaurant- Johns Creek
- Jeju Korean Sauna & Spa- Duluth
- Thai Spice Restaurant- The Forum in Peachtree Corners
- Sweet Octopus Fresh Asian Flavors- Downtown Duluth
- Mac Lab Bakery- Gluten-Free Macarons- Duluth
- Sweet Hut Bakery- Duluth
- Happy Valley Dim Sum & Asian Cuisine- Norcross
- Global Mall- Indian food, clothes, jewelry and more in Norcross
- Canton House- Buford Hwy, Chamblee
- Mamak street vendors of Malaysia- Buford Hwy, Doraville
- Snack Boxe Bistro Lao cuisine- Doraville
- White Windmill Bakery & Cafe- Buford Hwy, Doraville
- Maomi Book Store Chinese Bookstore- Chinatown in Doraville
- The Consulate Atlanta Restaurant - Midtown
12 Children's Books to Celebrate AAPI culture
"Eyes that Kiss in the Corners" (Ages 3-7)
Written by Joanna Ho and illustrated by Dung Ho
In this moving book, a young Asian girl talks about what makes her eyes special and how they connect her to the other members of her family. Her eyes "kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea." At bedtime, her mother's eyes "tell me I'm a miracle." Though her Amah (grandma) can't see the same way she used to, her eyes are filled with stories.
"Dear Juno" (Ages 4-8)
Written by Soyung Pak and illustrated by Susan Kathleen Hartung
Juno's grandmother lives in Korea and writes to him often. When her latest letter arrives, he's eager for his parents to translate it. They promise they'll read it to him later, but Juno can't wait. After opening the letter, he realizes that he can't understand most of the letter, except the picture of a cat and the dried flower she's included. Juno wants to write his grandmother a letter without his parents' help. Soon, they are regular penpals, each writing in their own language.
“Suki’s Kimono” (Ages 4-8)
Written by Chieri Uegaki and illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch
It's the first day of school, and Suki wants to wear the kimono her grandmother gave her over the summer. Her older sisters warn her that people will laugh, but Suki doesn't care. At school, her friend Penny asks why she's dressed funny, but Suki simply tells Penny she's not dressed funny. Other children are more mean than curious, but Suki sits tall in her seat, with the same dignity her obāchan (grandma) has.
When she has the chance to introduce herself to the class, Suki is so excited to talk about her kimono that she even imitates the dancing she saw at the festival she attended with obāchan. What will her teacher and classmates do after that introduction?
"Drawn Together" (Ages 4-8)
Written by Minh Lȇ and illustrated by Dan Santat
When a young Vietnamese American boy arrives at his grandfather's house, the two struggle to make a connection. The boy doesn't speak Vietnamese, and his grandfather doesn't speak English, so how can they communicate? Can they find a way to tell each other stories that go beyond words?
"Mama's Saris" (Ages 4-9)
Written by Pooja Makhijani and illustrated by Elena Gomez
It's her seventh birthday, and for her special birthday celebration, she wants to wear a sari, just like Mama will. Mama has so many beautiful saris to choose from, and she lets the girl pick which one she should wear for the party.
"Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same!" (Ages 5-7)
By Grace Ling
This laugh-out-loud chapter book about a pair of twins is perfect for early readers. Everyone tells Ling and Ting that they're exactly the same, which just isn't true.
Ting's forgetfulness leads to several funny moments in the book, while pragmatic Ling usually solves problems. While they're not exactly the same, the sisters agree on who they want to spend their time with: Each other.
"You Can Do It, Yasmin!" (Ages 5-8)
Written by Saadia Faruqi and illustrated by Hatem Aly
The Yasmin series is perfect for children who want to read chapter books but still prefer lots of illustrations and short chapters. From navigating new friendships to figuring out a tricky school assignment, Yasmin shows kids what can happen when we stretch ourselves and try new things.
"Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix" (Ages 5-9)
Written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and June Jo Lee and illustrated by Man One
Renowned Chef Roy Choi spent a lot of his childhood in his family's Korean restaurant in Los Angeles. He looked forward to making dumplings by hand with his parents each afternoon a lot more than he did school. Once high school was over, Roy struggled to figure out his path in life. A friend encouraged him to start a new kind of taco truck that incorporated his passion for Korean barbeque.
"The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee" (Ages 5-9)
Written by Julie Leung and illustrated by Julie Kwon
Hazel Ying Lee refused to accept the barriers that others put up for her as a Chinese American woman living in the first half of the 20th century. She dreamed of flight school, which her mother couldn't understand. After completing flight school, people told her that no one would want to hire her as a pilot. Once the U.S. entered World War II, that was no longer the case. Hazel was one of the first to sign up for the U.S. military's new Women Airforce Service Pilots program.
"The Most Beautiful Thing" (Ages 5-9)
Written by Kao Kalia Yang and illustrated by Khoa Le
The girl is usually willing to go along with her family's sacrifices because they are poor, like eating ice cubes instead of ice cream. But when she grows tired of looking at her crooked teeth, she asks her parents for braces. Her grandmother helps her understand that she doesn't have to have straight teeth to be beautiful.
"Fish for Jimmy: Inspired by One Family's Experience in a Japanese American Internment Camp" (Ages 6-10)
By Katie Yamasaki
This dramatic story is based on the author's family's real experiences of being imprisoned and interned during World War II. One of young Jimmy's favorite things about California is the ocean, and he loves to swim there. But everything changes when his family was taken from their home and sent to an internment camp. Jimmy refuses to eat or play with the other children and nothing brings a smile to his face. When Taro spots a hole in the internment camp fence, he sets out to find something that will remind Jimmy of their life before this terrible time.
"Asian-Americans Who Inspire Us" (Ages 6-10)
Written by Analiza Quiroz Wolf and illustrated by Tuire Siiriainen
This playfully illustrated guide profiles 15 Asian Americans from various fields who have made major contributions to U.S. history. This collection of profiles is written in kid-friendly, engaging language with plenty of illustrations accompanying each inspiring figure.
Virtual Stories:
- AAPI Storytime from The Conscious Kid Featuring a new title every week in May!
- Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao read by author Kat Zhang
- Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon read by author Kat Zhang
- Drawn Together by Minh Le
- Ellie Makes a Friend read by author Mike Wu
- Eyes that Kiss in the Corner read by author Joanna Ho
- Grandpa Grumps ready by author Katrina Moore
- I Promise read by Illustrator Nina Mata
- The Little Engine that Could read by Illustrator Dan Santat
- Lotus & Feather read by Michelle Yeoh
- Roxy the Last Unisaurus Rex read by author Eva Chen
- Grace Lin Author Storytime and Drawing
Movies and shows for kids featuring AAPI characters or culture
Many of these movies and shows can be found on popular streaming networks.
Movies and shows for younger kids:
- Bao
- Bend it like Beckam
- Big Hero 6
- Finding ‘Ohana
- Float
- Launchpad
- Lilo and Stitch
- Over the Moon
- Moana
- Mira, Royal Detective
- Mulan (Animated & Live Action)
- My Neighbor Totoro
- Up
- Ponyo
- Raya and the Last Dragon
- Sitara
- The Speed Cubers
- Spelling the Dream
- Wind
Movies for older kids and adults:
- Blinded by the Light (13+)
- Crazy Rich Asians (13+)
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (+12)
- Driveways (13+)
- The Farewell (11+)
- Gran Torino (17+)
- The Joy Luck Club (16+)
- Meet the Patels
- Minari (13+)
- Namesake (14+)
- Never Have I Ever (14+)
- Yellow Rose (13+)
Other Virtual Activities:
Even though many of these museums are far from Atlanta, most still offer free virtual opportunities for tours and to learn!
- The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, California
- The Crow Collection of Asian Art, The University of Texas at Dallas
- Dallas Museum of Art
- The Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery at The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, D.C.
- The Honolulu Museum of Art, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Museum of Chinese in America, New York
- The Noguchi Museum, Queens, New York
- The Rubin Museum of Art, New York, New York
- The Seattle Asian Art Museum, Seattle, Washington
- Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience
- The Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, California
- Amazing Innovators View this virtual presentation from 9am to 9 pm every day this week by Gwinnett County Library and learn about innovators of Asian heritage who made significant contributions to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.
- See Us Unite for Change: Ken Jeong will host this special event on MTV Entertainment May 21 at 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT. The special will feature music, comedy performances, short film packages, and speakers and seek to educate viewers about the AAPI community’s impact in America and inspire them to support efforts against hate and discrimination. It will be shown across MTV's portfolio of brands (MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Smithsonian Channel, Pop TV, VH1, CMT, TV Land, and Logo), as well as BET and Nickelodeon. It will also stream exclusively on Facebook Watch.
Plus more! Here are four great videos featuring AAPI history:
- Asian Americans PBS Film Series
- Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Hosted by the Library of Congress
- The SIX Documentary (The Untold Story of RMS Titanic's Chinese Passengers)
- Amend: The Fight for America
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