Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage
In honor of celebrating the AAPI community year-round, we are spotlighting how our music teachers and partner schools are recognizing AAPI artists, culture, and history with their students.
Scroll down to check out additional resources!
ETM-LA Shares the Magic Behind Disney Pixar’s Bao in Honor of Lunar New Year
On February 15, 2024, Education Through Music-Los Angeles (ETM-LA) continued its Family Hour Series, bringing the charming world of Disney-Pixar’s Bao into the classrooms of ETM-LA Partner Schools across LA County. Over 3,000 students tuned into this virtual celebration of Lunar New Year, which featured a behind-the-scenes look into the creative process for the Academy Award-Winning short film Bao along with an interactive drawing session.
Choir Students Learn Maori Proverb Through Music
On March 30, 2023 approximately 250 students from across LA County joined for the first time to learn and present “Tama Tu”. This song is based on a Maori Proverb: ‘He who stands, lives He who sits, suffers’ Meaning that it is healthy to exercise every day.
Spotlight on William Yang, Volunteer
“[Music] served as an outlet to create, explore, discover, and express my emotions that amplified my voice when I could not express them through words.”
Spotlight on ARVI Lapuz, Music Educator & Intern Specialist
“I’ve become so invested in my students and the journeys they are all on. I have the privilege to see those journeys through the lens of music learning and music appreciation.“
This school year, Friends and Alumni of Castelar Elementary School (FACES) launched a webinar series spotlighting local Asian American artists, led by student interviewers. Guest artists included Journalist Laura Ling, Actress/Advocate Tamlyn Tomita, Grammy-Winning Music Producer Carlos de la Garza (Ziggy Marley, Paramore; pictured top), and Artist Susie Ghahremani.
ETM-LA Music Teacher Matt Brundrett recently facilitated a conversation with Music Producer Carlos de la Garza about topics ranging from his creative process to current events impacting the AAPI community.
Roosevelt Elementary shared a detailed Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month worksheet that you can use! It includes the lunar calendar and highlights historical events, notable members of the AAPI community, and more.
Check out the questions to test your knowledge!
May is AAPI Month – Asian American and Pacific Islander Month – which according to asianpacificheritage.gov is “a rather broad term that encompasses all of the [Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia]”.
Explore teacher resources offered on asianpacificheritage.gov/for-teachers/.
Additional Resources
The Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and more join in paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success. Learn More: asianpacificheritage.gov
PBS: Asian Americans – a documentary series on the history of Asian America
Chinese American Museum (Los Angeles)
Japanese American National Museum (Los Angeles)
LA vs. Hate – a community-centered creative campaign to encourage and support all of Los Angeles County to unite against, report, and resist hate
LA vs. Hate: Coloring Book for students in the early grades
Six Lessons from South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) – addresses the bullying of South Asian American youth, specifically biased-based bullying
Two Lessons from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) – expands student understanding of how the Coronavirus pandemic is increasing racism against people who are of Chinese or Asian descent, and what they can do about it