Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at FDIA

Every May, schools across the United States observe Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, recognising the histories, cultures and contributions of communities spanning dozens of countries, languages and traditions. At Frederick Douglass International Academy, the month offers a meaningful moment to reflect on identity, ancestry and the lived experiences of students whose roots reach across Asia and the Pacific.

FDIA has long championed character-centred education that welcomes voices from every background. The Oak Park campus reflects the wider diversity of southeast Michigan, where families of Vietnamese, Filipino, Indian, Korean, Tongan, Samoan, Chinese and many other heritages learn side by side. Bringing AAPI stories into the classroom is a continuation of the school's daily commitment to inclusive learning.

That spirit resonates with educators and families in Australia, where Asian Australian and Pacific Islander communities are woven into the national story. From the streets of Cabramatta in western Sydney to the multicultural suburbs of Springvale in Melbourne, AAPI identities shape local food, festivals, sport and language, showing that the conversations at FDIA belong to a wider global community.

This article explores how FDIA celebrates AAPI Heritage Month through classroom lessons, family events, creative projects and partnerships, and how those celebrations can inspire learning that continues long after May.

Honouring AAPI voices in the classroom

Teachers use the month as a springboard for inquiry. Lessons span the Chinese Exclusion Act and the wartime internment of Japanese Americans, alongside figures like Dalip Singh Saund, the first Asian American elected to the United States Congress. Younger students explore folktales from the Philippines, Samoa and Korea, while older learners examine representation in media and AAPI activism.

Guest speakers and virtual visits from authors, artists and community advocates help students connect textbook history with real voices. Library displays feature biographies, poetry collections and novels by writers such as Celeste Ng, Cathy Park Hong and Maxine Hong Kingston, embedding these perspectives throughout the academic year.

Stories of migration and belonging

Migration runs through many AAPI family histories, and FDIA invites students and parents to share their own. During morning announcements, families speak about grandparents who arrived from Punjab, parents who rebuilt their lives after leaving Vietnam, or children who grew up speaking Tagalog at home. These oral histories are recorded and added to a growing archive.

The school also recognises the long history of Pacific Islander navigation across more than 40,000 kilometres of ocean. Students are encouraged to listen, ask questions and treat every story with care.

Cross-cultural connections with Australia

Australia offers a rich comparison point for AAPI learning. Melbourne and Sydney are home to some of the largest Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian and Filipino communities outside Asia, while Brisbane and Perth continue to grow in diversity. Australian law supports this through instruments such as the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, which makes discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity unlawful in many areas of public life.

Students explore how heritage is celebrated in Australian settings, from Lunar New Year parades through Sydney's Haymarket to community markets in Footscray and Hurstville. They also consider how sport, a central part of Australian daily life, brings cultures together through the AFL's multicultural round and the influence of Pacific Islander rugby league players.

Student-led exhibits and performances

The art room and music spaces come alive during the month. Students create batik-inspired canvases, learn Hula movements, rehearse Vietnamese folk songs and design posters honouring influential figures. A hallway gallery becomes a walk-through museum, with each class contributing a theme: food and family, language and identity, or activism and justice.

Performances take place during school assemblies and evening family nights. A student drumming group might open an event with a Taiko-inspired piece, while older learners read original poems written in English and their heritage languages. Parents are invited to bring dishes from home, turning the celebration into a shared feast.

Family partnerships and community voices

Heritage learning is strongest when families help shape it. FDIA invites parents and guardians to lead workshops, share traditional crafts, or speak about their professional journeys in medicine, law, the arts and small business. Local AAPI-owned businesses are highlighted, mirroring the spirit of community-led directories that thrive in places like Sydney's Haymarket and Melbourne's Victoria Market.

Interpreters and translated materials are offered so every family can participate fully. Cultural organisations across southeast Michigan support the school with calligraphy demonstrations, traditional weaving and more.

Books, films and learning resources

Reading lists are shared with families so the conversation can continue at home. Younger students enjoy picture books such as "Cora Cooks Pancit" by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young, while middle school readers explore novels like "When You Trap a Tiger" by Tae Keller and "The Astonishing Colour of After" by Emily X.R. Pan. Documentary recommendations include PBS's "Asian Americans" series.

The library keeps a rotating display of recommended titles, with student book reviews posted throughout the month, and teachers curate age-appropriate podcasts and museum virtual tours.

Carrying the spirit forward year-round

AAPI Heritage Month is a starting point, not a finish line. FDIA weaves AAPI authors, scientists, athletes and activists into the standard curriculum, from maths problems featuring Asian American innovators to science lessons on Pacific coral reef conservation. Assemblies throughout the year recognise AAPI figures alongside other cultural celebrations.

Staff professional development includes workshops on inclusive pedagogy and culturally responsive teaching. Treating May as a moment of focused celebration, and the rest of the year as sustained practice, helps students carry respect, curiosity and pride in their own and others' heritages well into adulthood.

Families interested in joining the FDIA community can start with the student enrollment form, where staff can answer questions about the balanced calendar, before- and after-school programmes, and bus routes serving Oak Park.