Features, links, news, activities for kids, historical interest, books, and more

Learn something new about Asian American history
See Asian American events, art and other programming in action
Meet diverse APAs from all walks of life
Do something to recognize Asian-Pacific American Heritage your own way

Official Proclamations

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2011 Proclamation
By the President of the United States of America

Canadian Asian Heritage/Mois du Patrimoine Asiatique
The Senate of Canada

Reference / Facts

Asian Pacific American Population Census Facts for Heritage Month
Annual fun feature for stats junkies is back, with some new adjusted projections from Census

 

APA MONTH HISTORY FEATURES

The Legacy of American Citizens for Justice
By Roland Hwang, President, American Citizens for Justice
Asian Pacific American Month is a time to reflect about action and engagement in our communities, says Roland Hwang

“The Rights of the Camera”
By Jasmine Alinder, Special to Asian-American Village
Historian examines civil liberties, representation, and the power and threat of photography during the World War II internment and today

Review: Hollywood Chinese
By Kam Williams
Eye-opening documentary to premiere May 27, 9 PM on PBS series American Masters. [Plus, video clip of actress Nancy Kwan interviewed about the documentary.]

History of Asians in the San Gabriel Valley
By Professor Susie Ling, Special to IMDiversity.com
A historical overview of one of America’s “most Asian” regions

Resources: Asian Heritage Month in Canada
By IMDiversity.com Asian-American Village Staff
A starter list of online information and events resources commemorating Asian Heritage Month in Canada, nationally and by specific cities, provinces and communities

“Camp Home”: Tule Lake Today
By S.D. Ikeda, Editor
Photographs from a series by Kevin J. Miyazaki explore the former internment camp where his family was incarcerated as it stands today

A History of Chinese American Banking in Los Angeles
By the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
Excerpt from the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California tribute to SoCal banking pioneers

Featured @ Amazon

Hope Rises from Ashes of My Lai
By Gil Halsted, VoA News
Forty years ago, a group of U.S. soldiers stormed into a small hamlet in Vietnam, killing more than 500 villagers. Out of the ashes of what became known as the My Lai Massacre has grown hope and friendship, thanks to the work of a Vietnam veteran and a group of Quakers from Madison, Wisconsin.

Archaeologists Find Evidence of Origin of Pacific Islanders
By Heidi Chang, VoA News
The origin of Pacific Islanders has been a mystery for years. Now archaeologists believe they have the answer. As Heidi Chang reports, they found it in China.

“Vincent Who?”
By Roland Hwang, President, American Citizens for Justice
Remembering the historic importance of the Vincent Chin case of 26 years ago

Passing Poston: An American Story
By Joe Fox, Special to IMDiversity.com
Filmmaker discusses inspiration behind new film about Poston internment camp on an AZ reservation in WWII

 

 

APA HERITAGE MONTH FAVORITE FEATURES

Asian American Village’s Bestsellers for APA Heritage Month
By AAV Staff
What are the all-time most popular titles on Amazon that we’ve featured in past years on the Village?  Here’s the shortlist of what other Villagers have been reading.

Notes for Those Responsible for Commemorating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2007
By S.D. Ikeda, Editor
So, you’ve been drafted to program Heritage Month activities this year, and don’t know where to start?


Mapping The Atlas of Asian-American History
By Monique Avakian and Carter Smith
The creators of award-winning Asian American history text on the challenges of recording and reporting the histories of underrepresented Americans

Cool Find for APA Month: Great Asian Americans Poster Series
By S.D. Ikeda, Editor
For all those desperate folks who are responsible for coming up with last-minute APA Heritage Month programming at school or work, this is for you!

Holding Onto Heritage
By Gil Asakawa, NikkeiView
What’s the aspect of your heritage you most want to hold onto?

Secret Asian Man: Celebrate Asian American Month 2006
By Tak Toyoshima, Village Artist-in-Residence
Cartoon: Happy APA Heritage Kids Oldsters Soldiers Month!

APA Heritage Month: Who’s It For?
By Yayoi Lena Winfrey, AAV Contributing Editor
What does it mean and why do so many not know about it?

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month for Kids
By Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, AAV Contributing Editor
Did you know you see Asian-American heritage in action every day?

Favorite APA Books for Kids
By Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, AAV Contributing Editor
Frances reviews and recommends some of her all-time favorites


Photo courtesy Houston Asian American Festival

Secret Asian Man: Celebrate Asian American Month
By Tak Toyoshima, Village Artist-in-Residence
Cartoon: A wry look at the marketing of Asian-American heritage

Ten (Plus) Good Activities for APA Heritage Month
By Rodney Salinas, Political Circus
Suggestions for making this month more meaningful than symbolic

Books on Heritage

 

READINGS FROM OUR HISTORY DEPARTMENT

Mapping The Atlas of Asian-American History
By Monique Avakian and Carter Smith, Special to IMDiversity.com
The creators of award-winning Asian American history text on the challenges of recording and reporting the histories of underrepresented Americans

New Amazon Find

A Kid's Guide to Asian American History: More than 70 Activities (Kid's Guide series, A)
A Kid’s Guide to Asian American History: More than 70 Activities (Kid’s Guide series)
By Valerie Petrillo
Paperback

Born in the U.S.A.
By Frank H. Wu, Wayne State University Law School
The landmark legal case of Wong Kim Ark, and how APAs won the right to be Americans

Lolas’ House: Women Living with War
By M. Evelina Galang
Illustrated excerpt from author and professor’s upcoming history of the “comfort women” of WWII

Hanford, Cal.’s China Alley
By Prof. Susie Ling, Pasadena City College Asian American Studies
A look at a historical Chinatown nestled in California’s Central Valley

Chinese-American Postmaster Left Indelible Stamp on Postal Service
By Carolyn Goosen, New America Media
The nation’s first Chinese American postmaster is little-known today but in his time was a rare role model for Asian Americans and also radically changed what the Postal Service looked like.

Dr. Mom Chung of the Fair-Haired Bastards:  The Life of a Wartime Celebrity
By Dr. Judy Tzu-Chun Wu, University of Ohio
Biography tells fascinating tale of Dr. Margaret Chung, the first known American-born woman of Chinese descent to become a physician, who hob-nobbed with some of the nation’s biggest celebs and powerbrokers during WWII

40 Years of History at Boston’s AACA
By Adam Smith, Sampan, with additional reporting by Yang Yang
After 4 decades, the Asian American Civic Association still going strong, adjusting to new community needs

Centennial of Asian American Pioneer Dalip Singh Saund
By Phil Tajitsu Nash
Recalling an “unsung pioneer,” the first Asian American U.S. Congressman


Photo courtesy Houston Asian American Festival

Fred Korematsu, a Civil Rights Pioneer
By Paul Igasaki, IMDiversity Featured Columnist
Recalling the late activist as a friend, and as an important figure in both Asian American and Civil Rights history

History of Pilipino Americans in L.A.
By Prof. Susie Ling, Pasadena City College Asian American Studies
A brief history of L.A.’s newly named “Historic Filipinotown” district

 

ASIAN-PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE READINGS

So Long, Asian Heritage Month – I Hardly Knew You
By Sandip Roy, PNS
The author asks what purpose ethnic heritage months serve in an increasingly diverse yet paradoxically less welcoming America

The Trials and Tribulations of Learning Other APA Cultures
By Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, AAV Contributing Editor
I criticize non-APAs’ misunderstanding of our cultures. But am I just as guilty?

Roots and Branches: Who’s Japanese American?
By Gil Asakawa, NikkeiView
Increasingly unclear is my relationship to my two “sides” and to other JAs


Photo courtesy Houston Asian American Festival

AAV Profile: Lydia Lum
By Yayoi Lena Winfrey, AAV Contributing Editor
This Texas journalist is on a mission to preserve the heritage and stories of Angel Island immigration station…before it’s too late

Asian-American Women’s History
Various Contributors
Our special section from Women’s History Month focusing on women artists, politicians, educators, businesspeople, activists, and other pioneers

Why Bother Celebrating APA Heritage Month?
By Sam Cacas, AAV Contributing Editor
Sam’s answer to the cynics…

Adoption, Hapas, and Asian-American Heritage
By Stewart David Ikeda, Editor
On the future of the ‘traditional non-traditional’ Japanese-Am. family

(More) Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Sites to See
By Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, AAV Contributing Editor
Can’t get enough?

Does your workplace or school do enough to commemorate Asian American Heritage Month?

Yes – 37.5%
No – 43.75%
Don’t care – 18.75%

Does your workplace or school commemorate Asian American Heritage Month in any way?

Yes – 35.29%
No – 58.82%
Not sure – 5.89%

Roots and Branches: Who’s Japanese American?
By Gil Asakawa, NikkeiView

 

TEMPORARILY REMOVED

Becoming American: The Chinese Experience: Daily Program Guide
Historical notes from the national PBS Bill Moyers series, plus companion interviews

Marker Honors Little-Known Contributions of Asian Civil War Soldiers
Of the Ohioans who fought in the Civil War, at least 17 were Asian, most of them Chinese says Sonya Gong of the Organization of Chinese Americans

Well Whadya Know (About APA Politics)?
By Daphne Kwok, APAICS
Think you know your stuff? Prove it by taking this “Milestones Quiz” from the Asian-Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies

Searching for the China of My Memory
By Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, AAV Contributing Editor
Part 4 of the “Becoming Asian American” series

Asian-American Heritage @ Amazon


The Village’s top-selling APA Heritage reference book has “everything you need to know”

Browse Asian American …
History | Culture | Arts | Family | Studies | Drama | Literature
or do your own search

ReclamAsian: APA Heritage Month as Seen Through the Eyes of a Hapa
By Yayoi Lena Winfrey, AAV Contributing Editor

 

Books for Asian American Heritage Month

A Kid’s Guide to Asian American History: More than 70 Activities (Kid’s Guide series) by Valerie Petrillo, Paperback – May 28, 2007

Everything You Need to Know About Asian American History, by Lan Cao, Himilce Novas

Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans, by Ronald Takaki

Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People by Helen Zia

Eastern Standard Time: A Guide to Asian Influence on American Culture From Astro Boy to Zen Buddhism by Jeff Yang, et al.

Lives of Notable Asian Americans: Business, Politics, and Science, by Ronald Takaki, Angelo Ragaza

Lives of Notable Asian Americans – Arts, Entertainment, Sports by Geraldine Gan, Ronald Takaki

The Asian Pacific American Heritage: A Companion to Literature and Arts, edited by George Leonard

 

 


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