Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is API Heritage Month! Someone gave me a compliment recently -- she said she knew that the stuff I post here and the links and blogs and all are out there, but I let her be lazy by digging it all out for her. So, if you're feeling a little lazy, here are a few sources for finding information to help you celebrate and learn more about API heritage in America:

• 8asians -- one of my favorite Asian-American blogs
• Angry Asian Man -- another favorite, lots of popular culture
• Celebrating API Heritage Month -- 5 lesson plans for K-12
• Asian-Nation -- Asian-American history & issues
• Asians in America Magazine -- news, features about Asian Americans
• papertigers.org -- all about Asian- and world-focused books for young readers
• Notable Asian Pacific Americans -- from Scholastic, for kids
• API Heritage Month for Kids -- from IMDiversity.com
• APA Women's Wall of Fame -- focus on Asian-American women
• The Chinese Exclusion Act -- the statute that stopped Chinese immigration to the U.S.

I've tried to give a mix of sites; some are general-purpose, interesting-all-year websites, others are specific to teaching kids history about the API experience in America. I've also included a site to information about the Chinese Exclusion Act.

One of my usual soapboxes is that China adoptive parents tend to emphasize Chinese-in-Ancient-China history and culture(you know, silk pajamas and fans and Mulan) over Chinese-American history and culture. Not that I have an objection to silk pajamas and fans and Mulan -- we do all that, too! It's when that's ALL one does that I have a problem. I think it's important to connect our kids to the immigrant experience -- they are, after all, first-generation Chinese immigrants! -- and the history of the Chinese in America. So, we need to start with that bar to immigration and why it happened. End of soapbox . . . . for now!