In the United States, May is Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Many people use the month to honor the accomplishments of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States while celebrating their diverse heritages. To learn more about this celebration watch this video from PBS Learning Media.
Here is a curated list of PBS resources (you may not know about) to learn about Asian American Pacific Islander history and culture:
Younger Learners
- PBS KIDS YouTube Playlist – AANHPI Month – Celebrating the history and culture of Asian-Americans, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders.
- Jelly, Ben, and Pogo | PBSKIDS – Adventures of a brother and sister and a sea monster while learning some Filipino culture. Games from Jelly, Ben and Pogo.
- There Is Pele | MOLLY OF DENALI® – Molly learns about Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanoes
- Books to Celebrate AAPI Month | PBS Parents
Middle and Older Learners
- ABCs of AAPIs Coloring Sheets and Lesson Plans | WQED
- Asian American Authors and Books | PBS Books
- Asian American PBS Documentary | PBS Learning Media Collection – Asian Americans is a five-hour film series that delivers a bold, fresh perspective on a history that matters today, more than ever. As America becomes more diverse, and more divided, while facing unimaginable challenges, how do we move forward together? Told through intimate and personal lives, the series will cast a new lens on U.S. history and the ongoing role that Asian Americans have played in shaping the nation’s story. We’re pleased to present over thirty lesson plans based on the Asian American series. You’ll find this collection to include the stories behind the Chinese Exclusion Act, the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, Southeast Asian refugees after the Vietnam War, Filipino American Farmworkers, the fight for civil rights and much more. Teachers may utilize these lesson plans which are drawn from the series to explore the ways that Asian Americans have shaped our nation’s history.
- Asian Americans Rising | PBS Learning Media Collection – This collection of standards-aligned classroom resources, with content from the WNET Group’s Exploring Hate initiative, highlights contemporary stories of the struggles, triumphs and achievements of AAPI communities in the United States.
- AAPI Playlist – PBS Digital Studios
- Why we love it! This is a young and fresh take on a diverse array of AAPI topics, from food to mythology to terminology! This playlist of videos from PBS Digital Studios is bound to resonate with your adolescent learners.
- American Muslims: A History Revealed – Explore the rich and often overlooked history of American Muslims, whose presence in the Americas dates back to the 16th century. Using diverse primary source artifacts and compelling personal histories, the collection tells stories that fill a knowledge gap and address misconceptions. Videos and an interactive timeline highlight American Muslims’ lived experiences during major moments in U.S. history and are designed to broaden students’ understanding of U.S. history and civics; challenge singular narratives about the past; and encourage critical thinking about the ongoing process of building and maintaining a pluralistic, democratic society.
- Relish shares stories of cultural heritage in Twin Cities communities through the universal language of food. In each episode, host Yia Vang of Union Hmong Kitchen takes viewers inside the kitchen with local chefs as they serve up an ingredient or dish that has personal and cultural meaning to them. Viewers learn about and celebrate the diversity of our communities, inspiring them to explore their world in a whole new way.
Famous AANHPI Female Figures:
- Anna May Wong: The first Asian American Movie Star | Unladylike2020 | American Masters | PBS
- The First Chinese American Woman to Vote in the U.S. | Unladylike2020 | American Masters | PBS
- The First American-Born Chinese Woman Doctor | Unladylike2020 | American Masters | PBS
- Queen Lili‘uokalani – The First and Last Queen of Hawai‘i | Unladylike2020 | American Masters | PBS
Lifelong Learning
Remembering Pittsburgh’s Chinatown | Explore a lost neighborhood! – It was a thriving part of downtown Pittsburgh. But not everyone knows the history of this tiny Chinese immigrant community – once located between Grant and Ross Streets. The 1920s ushered in the beginning of its disappearance – largely because of the construction of a major roadway, the Boulevard of the Allies. Today, the popular Chinatown Inn restaurant is the only significant remnant of a bygone era. WQED traces the history of Pittsburgh’s Chinatown and recounts how a new generation of Asian Americans is remembering this landmark site.
What to Watch | Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month – Documentaries and programs that celebrate and center Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander experiences.
Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage | PBS YouTube Playlist – Learn about the diversity within the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities as well as how deep the connections are to all facets of American history. Several new films and shows featuring AAPI stories will premiere this month on your local stations. We’re also happy to present many more titles that you can stream, including memorable films that have previously aired on PBS stations.