Asian Pacific Islander Desi Month
Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity
Our diverse community provides opportunities to learn and celebrate with each other.
We highlight heritage and identity months in Bellingham Public Schools to recognize contributions of various groups in the United States, many who remain underserved in education. We honor and acknowledge diversity allowing us to explore the origins of heritage and identity.
Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month | May
National Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month celebrates Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. May was chosen to commemorate the Chinese immigrants who completed the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869 and the first Japanese immigrants to the United States in May 1843.
APIDA Heritage and History Lesson Plans
Teaching and Learning Resources
On Feb. 10, communities around the world will be ringing in the new year with traditions specific to their own cultures. Similarities in traditions revolve around cleaning the house, eating symbolic foods, and spending time with family. For example, the color red and red envelopes containing lucky money can be found in Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean families celebrating the Spring Festival, Tet and Seollal. In Mongolia, unlike other Lunar New Year celebrations, white is the color of happiness and health, rather than red.
Lunar New Year, following a lunisolar cycle, typically starts on the second new moon following the winter solstice. The Gregorian calendar, the calendar used by most countries, the date/day of Lunar New Year changes every year, just like cultural holidays like Rosh Hashana, Diwali and Ramadan.
Cleaning, both physical household chores and social and mental cleansing, helps many cultures prepare for the new year. Arguments should settled, new clothes made or purchased, and kitchens cleaned for food preparation.
Foods for the new year are often special traditions:
- In China households, fish is a part of the meal, representing prosperity.
- In Vietnamese households, banh trung might be prepared. Banh trung is a traditional dish made from sticky (glutinous) rice, mung bean, and meat (traditionally pork), all wrapped in banana leaves to steam.
- In Korean households, a dish made with beef broth and thinly sliced rice cakes is served.
Resources: Smithsonian, Medium, New York Times
In the Chinese lunar calendar each of the 12 years is named after an animal. According to legend, Lord Buddha asked all the animals to come to him before he left the earth. Only 12 animals came to wish him farewell, and as a reward Buddha named a year after each one.
Resource: Scholastic
From Wendy Hagin (Wade King ES): This video is more representative to authentic lives in China. Pause and teach into the content.
