Celebrate Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

Forward

Theirs are stories of resilience and triumph over seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Their stories are American stories. This month, we are proud to join in the national celebration of the a chievements of generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched our country's history. How are you and your students celebrating? Check out these BRI resources, and please reach out directly or share with us on social media.

Teachers often have amazing hobbies and interests outside of teaching. Beyond “teacher” – what are your other areas of interest, and what do those mean for your classroom? Please join Liz and BRI Teacher Council member Matt Logan next Tuesday, May 18 at 4 p.m. ET as they explore how our hobbies enhance our teaching or simply give us a break from the classroom “headspace”. If you're unable to join live, you can watch this and all of the past episodes of Teacher Time on our YouTube Channel. Learn more and register HERE.

In this Scholar Talk video, Tony Williams is joined by Dr. Stephanie Hinnershitz, author and assistant professor of history at Cleveland State University, as they discuss her thought-provoking essay on the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 in BRI’s digital textbook, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

In this Homework Help video, learn how Fred Korematsu decided to sacrifice himself to fight against Japanese-American internment during World War II.

Student Spotlight

Meet Daniel Zhang!
An 11th grader at Cortland High School in Cortland, New York, Daniel Zhang is a recent winner of our Think the Vote debate contest. As a future voter, Daniel cares most about issues concerning young people’s mental health, LGBTQ+ rights, and affordable health care. Daniel keeps a busy schedule. In addition to his academics–his favorite subjects are Physics and AP U.S. History...Read More.

Join the Debate on Think the Vote!

Encourage your students to join in the latest debate on Think the Vote for a chance to be featured in our Student Spotlight, and to win a $25 gift card and swag for them and for you. This week's question: Should the total number of members of the House of Representatives be increased? Winning students are also entered for a chance to win a $1000 scholarship at the end of the school year.

BoE: Bottom of Email

Dear John,

I am so excited to celebrate Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month with you all! I only recently learned of the woman primarily responsible for it, Jeanie Jew, and it made me wonder what other lesser-known models of civic virtue we may overlook. In my episode of This Week in Civics, I highlighted a few stories, and I would love to hear which ones stand out to you this month!

One of my favorite photos, often seen making its way around posts on the internet, depicts three women students of the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1885: Anandibai Joshi from India, Keiko Okami from Japan, and Sabat Islambouli of Syria. I love this photo for so many reasons: the depiction of powerful women overcoming adversity, the diversity, the opportunity for improvement, the representation, and the hope in America as a beacon of all of those.

BRI has put together a playlist of some of our favorite stories of Asian American heroes and lessons on when America did not live up to its promise of liberty and justice for all. We would love to hear what stories you would like to see told! Please reach out.

Sincerely yours,

Rachel Davison Humphries
Director, Outreach
Bill of Rights Institute

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