Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM), also known as Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI Heritage Month), is celebrated annually in May with the intention of acknowledging the achievements and contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States. May is the chosen month to commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843. May is also the selected month because of the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869, on which the majority of the workers on the transcontinental railroad were Chinese immigrants but not originally credited for their labor. APAHM began with Jeanie Jew, who was first frustrated that Asian Pacific Americans were not included as recognized communities in the 1976 United States bicentennial celebrations. Her advocacy stemmed from wanting to commemorate her great grandfather M.Y. Lee who had helped build the transcontinental railroad but is not included in the traditional narratives of American history. 

The term, “Asian American” is often used as a monolith even though it encompasses a broad population that is diverse in itself. To share insights on the intersection of APAHM and music education, six AAPI music educators shared their personal reflections and experiences on the significance of APAHM.

TINA HUYNH (She/Her/Hers)

Vietnamese American

Assistant Professor of Music Education at University of Puget Sound

MANJU DURAIRAJ (She/Her/Hers)

Indian

Lower School Music Teacher, Latin School of Chicago, IL
Adjunct Professor, VanderCook College of Music
Level 1 Orff Instructor

OSHADEE SATARASINGHE (She/Her/Hers)

Sri Lankan

Private piano, voice, and music and movement teacher in Sri Lanka

LORELEI BATISLAONG (She/Her/Hers)

Filipina American

Deputy Director of DTMR
Ph.D student in Music and Human Learning at The University of Texas at Austin
Field supervisor of student teachers in Elementary Music

CZARINA JIMINEZ (She/Her/Hers)

Filipina American

PreK-6th Classroom Music & Choir Teacher
Loma Linda, California

What does APAHM mean to you as a music educator?

Lorelei: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month specifies a time to reflect and share my unique experiences as a second generation, Filipina American in the United States. APA Heritage Month as a music educator, sets aside a specific time to share my understanding of the culture of my parents and how that has influenced my understanding of the Filipino culture through the lens of being one generation removed from living in The Philippines. It goes so much further than singing songs from The Philippines, though. It is a moment to acknowledge and highlight AAPI who were integral in the first waves of immigration, as well as those who are visible and representing Asian Americans now. In the music classroom, APAHM is a month to bring attention to the need for more representation through the music and dance of AAPI cultures.

Manju: As an immigrant from India, who came to the USA via the U.K., I did not have knowledge of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month until recent years. It seems incredibly tragic to me that a country that used to be perceived from afar as the beacon on the hill, is in actuality so fractured by racism and prejudice that there is a need to set aside time to educate, to become aware, to recognize, to reflect on implicit and explicit bias and resultant inequities ingrained into the society.

As an educator, I have been made aware that my physical appearance, my manner of speech and dress, give rise to the assumption that I am a cultural expert on all things Indian. It has been a personal journey of self discovery, a continual search for wisdom, acquisition of knowledge and strategies to address the perceived stereotype from the perspective of an educator. To educate with integrity, patience, courteousness and respect for humanity while ensuring that I provide windows, mirrors and doors to reflect and address ignorance, bias, and systemic inequalities, and provide access to awareness and growth is a long term goal with short term minor successes. As a music educator, one of the actionable items that I have been working on is increasing awareness on the diversity of the term Asian Pacific American Heritage. Many of our Asian students felt empowered to speak up about the uniqueness of their identities and the increasing need to unpack the collective represented by the term Asian/ Asian Pacific Islander. Another actionable item has been integrating practices into schoolwide curriculum and instruction that can be highlighted during the heritage month. That these conversations began in the music room while engaging in active music making speaks to the importance of culturally responsive practices in education in general.

Czarina: For me, APAHM is a time to reaffirm my Asian Pacific Islander students. I teach at a school where a majority of the student body is Asian American. I am grateful for the opportunity to connect with students who look like me and to create windows, mirrors (Emily Style), and sliding glass doors (Rudine Sims Bishop) for all of my learners. This month is also an opportunity to connect and celebrate the API families represented on our school campus. For example, students have shared songs or dances representing their family heritage and families have created videos that share their culture. As a music educator, this month is also a chance for me to really push back on the “model minority myth” by sharing stories of API activists and artists. Showing students that our elders were radicals and creatives, and affirming that the same energy still runs through our veins. 

Tina: APAHM is a time for us to recognize and celebrate the contributions that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made and will continue to make in all areas of American life: science, technology, engineering, math, language arts, and visual and performing arts. As a music educator, APAHM serves as a reminder that I am only part of a larger nationwide network of educators who work every day to carry on the heritage of many asian cultures. We do this for posterity, to embody culturally responsive teaching practices, and in honor of those who sacrificed so much for us. As a child of Vietnamese refugees, I live every day acutely aware of the perils my parents overcame in order for me to be here. I also recognize that because I grew up surrounded by rich Vietnamese cultural practices, including songs, games, and festivities, I can bring these experiences to the classroom space. APAHM serves as a temporal springboard from which to continue the work of intercultural understanding. 

Oshadhee: I am a Sri Lankan and have lived in America for approximately nine years as an international student and a short period as a teacher in Texas. I have taught in public schools for a short period of time but I taught privately at Music Academies and as a private piano and voice instructor for 8 years in the States. During my time teaching I have taught many students and as someone who did not grow up in America the AAPI week was certainly new to me. During the period of my stay I tried to write as many lessons that included South Asian music and spread it among the community. I have had many positive responses since there is very little literature in the music community that speaks to South Asian students that can be integrated in lessons. This is definitely a week for students to bring out their identity. However growing up in Sri Lanka we have always celebrated and lived in harmony with many ethnicities and we have never had a “week” to celebrate one thing. We celebrated ourselves everyday! However since this is not the situation in the States, having a week just for the students from Asian backgrounds has empowered them and their traditions. It is important that we make them feel a part of the curriculum and provide them an opportunity to share their cultures and beliefs. As an international it is an honor to be included in a culture and brings back so many memories of our home country! I am sure it is the same for students at a younger age. I started Pre K in the U.K and lived there for about 3 years. I remember how important I felt any time there was an inclusion such as this in school. As an educator I believe we should incorporate music of other cultures often, but having a special week has enabled students to be proud of who they are.

Alice: Asian American Pacific Islander / Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is a time of remembrance, continued learning, and celebration for me as an Asian American. As a first generation, American born Chinese member of my family, I am reminded by my parents’ immigration story to New York City as non-English speakers and their struggles that have contributed to my Asian American upbringing and identity today. I continue to learn about my family’s heritage and the history of Asian Americans, and this month always reminds me how vast a population the term “Asian Americans” encompasses - one in which all members deserve to be spotlighted and celebrated. As a music educator, APAHM gives me a particularly special time where our history and culture can be celebrated and further studied in the classroom. APAHM reminds me that while my Chinese American identity is my lived, daily reality, teaching during APAHM is too often used as a month for teachers to fulfill their diversity quota or multicultural standard within teaching music. APAHM is a time of celebration of Asian American cultures while simultaneously offering moments of questioning of and reflection in one’s understanding of Asian American identities - for both Asian Americans and non-Asian Americans. 

How is this APAHM month in 2020 different than in previous years?

Lorelei: It canʻt be stated enough that what it means to be AAPI (especially those AAPI who are from the eastern and southeastern part of Asia) has been thrown into a different context in 2020. Although exclusionary and discriminatory acts against Asians and Asian Americans are not anything new, each generation that experiences it seems to experience an evolved incarnation of it. With COVID-19, being in my own skin seems to bring to the surface some very real apprehension. Although, this superficially doesnʻt seem to relate to music education, I cannot deny that my racial/ethnic identity serves as an identifier that I cannot hide, so being an Asian American music teacher does carry a burden without ever having to acknowledge that I am Asian American. The need to prove oneself and then to vehemently resist that I have to do that, exists in the same moment and it can be confusing. Like everything we are going through as a society, everything seems more raw, more immediate and although I feel fear and hesitation, I also experience defiance that fuels my pride in my AAPI heritage. I feel this the most in this moment, even more so than in the past.

Manju: Undoubtedly, there is now a marked difference in the attitude, perceptions and treatment of Asians based mostly on physical appearances. It has been said that the time of COVID-19 exacerbates and highlights underlying issues and tensions. Remote teaching in this time has been an enlightening experience. My Asian students have felt comfortable sharing their hopes and fears in ways they would not have had we been in a physical space together. The non-Asian students have been able to articulate what measures they could possibly take to be upstanders.

Czarina: Oh man, this question is heavy. I’ve honestly felt the weight of this pandemic’s anti-Asian sentiment really deeply. For me it’s the realization that meritocracy cannot save us. That no matter how hard Asian Americans have struggled to make the U.S. our home, we are still the perpetual foreigner. It’s also a stark reminder that we are all deeply connected - especially while white culture views Asians as a monolith. I fought against anti-Chinese bias within my Filipino family during the early stages of the pandemic, and then watched as Filipinos (many who are first-responders) experienced racist micro/macro-aggressions from people who believe all Asians are the same. Division will not save us. This month is a reminder that we need to celebrate our unique heritage while also uniting cross-culturally. We are powerful together.

Tina: APAHM this year is particularly poignant because of the recent surge of racist acts against Asian Americans nationwide within the last couple of months. Hatred and fear have manifested as racism, and what saddens me is that these are not new sentiments; they were always there, they were just buried. Some may say that hatred and fear come from not knowing. If this is the case, then one thing we as Asian Americans can do to combat this is try our best to help others unlearn racism by informing people and familiarizing people with us. I refuse to respond with anger and hatred. Instead, I choose to continue to celebrate diversity, to teach others about myself and the Vietnamese culture, and to teach with joy and kindness. Despite the racist acts we’ve seen in the news, it is important to remember that many people and institutions value Asian Americans. We only have to look to sites such as asianpacificheritage.gov to remember this. It is more important than ever during this year’s APAHM to remember those who support us.

Oshadhee: I am currently living in Sri Lanka, and do not have a first hand experience of how it is to be there as an Asian in the States during these times. However I do see the media and see what kind of influence it has brought upon a majority of students and communities. As an educator I believe hatred starts from homes, and communities students live in. We are influenced by our direct circles. I hope that there will be a change in the way a majority of people think and that it will not influence our younger generation in years to come!

Alice: APAHM matters more to me today than it ever has in my life. Although Asian Americans have seemed to make strides in the arts as highlighted in America media through awards, recognition, and positive press, the countless (and counting) acts of violence and hate speech against Asian Americans due to the outbreak of COVID-19 is extremely troubling and disheartening, especially having been on the receiving end of verbal, racist attacks. My most recent experiences having endured hate speech in person and online have catapulted me into searching and reading endlessly on significant historical moments of APAHM within which I can root my direct encounters with racism. I also live in a battle between being fearful of existing and safely interacting in daily life with others, and wanting to speak about my experiences so that others may better understand the struggles of being Asian during this time. As an educator, I am hopeful that this tightrope I am personally walking can help me engage in candid conversations with fellow educators, my students, and community members about my identity. I seek to encourage both youth and adults to engage in critical conversations about what it may mean to be Asian American as the term evolves, for better or for worse, during this pandemic. 

What suggestions do you have for music educators in APAHM month programming and instruction?

Lorelei: My suggestion for any music educator looking to elevate a culture during a specific month is to look for ways to educate yourself about the culture as you look at the songs of that culture. To remember that the music they collect is so much more than notes and rhythms but is a part of a person’s identity and that requires sensitivity and respect from those of us outside of a culture. I also encourage teachers to widen their classes’ song selection throughout the year so that students’ exposure to music unfamiliar to them is a natural occurrence and not only once a year. 

Manju: My perspective would be to spotlight first, then to look beyond Heroes and Holidays. To use the month to develop tools, protocols and strategies to modify and evolve programming and instruction, so that meaningful change can be purposefully brought about, even if it is in increments. Using the Teaching Tolerance Anti-Bias Framework, Universal Design for Learning, Project Zero Visible Thinking Routines and even Understanding by Design where one of the indicators and tools is empathy and the ability to shift perspective, to redesign curriculum, teaching and learning would be a great start. Using these in music education could be tremendously impactful in the way we teach and in the way students learn.

Czarina: I would encourage educators to first celebrate the cultures you have within your classroom. Empower your API students with the agency to tell their own unique stories. For so long API people have been painted as voiceless. This month is a specific opportunity to flip that narrative. Secondly, when choosing cultures to share, it’s important to recognize the API diaspora past what is most commonly portrayed in the media. To be specific - South Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander voices and stories deserve to be amplified more than they have been previously. Finally, Connect your students to real voices and authentic musical resources. Invite API artists and musicians to share with your class. Dig past the surface level to bring the quality of true connection to your students. 

Tina: Music educators interested in exploring specific programming can look for culture bearers within their community to speak to their students. Finding someone who truly lives within and understands a certain culture to share their experiences, songs, and stories will provide a unique and genuine learning experience for students. Plan with the culture bearer in advance what will be presented, what the learning goals are, and what you hope students will take away from the experience. Honor the guest’s time by compensating them for their time and artistry. Now that much learning is happening online, guests can make appearances in online meetings, and the teacher can help students prepare for a successful session by creating questions together or doing a preparatory lesson leading into the session with the guest.

Oshadhee: I believe that music educators should look for culture bearers or resources that are direct from the culture to first understand it. As an authentic culture bearer I am always so proud when educators come to me directly and ask for resources. Ask for recordings, pictures, invite them to your school, etc so that students can experience it in whole. Understanding the roots of musical song/ piece is important to provide the song a home in your classroom. As a musician and educator it gives me pride that other cultures are singing songs from my country. It does not bother me that every single pronunciation is not correct, it is the effort and eagerness to learn/ perform it that matters.

Look for resources in books, such as lesson planning books, story books, song books. Many countries have websites or Facebook associations that almost always will have someone who can assist you as a primary resource to find material. 

Alice: My first suggestion is for educators to dismantle the idea that APAHM is merely an opportunity to program or teach music that one deems to be “Asian”. For example, Westernized tropes of “Asian” music based solely on the pentatonic scale do not need to be perpetuated. In other words, the pentatonic scale does not speak for all “Asian” music, nor is pentatonic a synonym for Asian.

Asian American music does not need to stem directly from Asia; with generations of Asian Americans having been in the United States since the 1850s, Asian American music is inclusive of music by Asian American artists that do not sound stereotypically Asian. I recommend starting by exploring playlists of music by Asian American artists, and reading about the artists’ lives. Whether publicized or not, an artist’s identity and culture is inextricably tied to their music, and learning more about each artist’s life may provide further insight on each person’s music and potentially, their culture as an Asian American. After listening as an educator, I recommend hosting listening sessions with students in order to gain insight on students’ natural responses to the music as performed by the artist. I further recommend engaging in discussion about the artist’s music with your students. It is important to remember that one “deep dive” into a song by a specific Asian American artist is non-representative of one specific Asian American ethnicity; rather, with listening, discussion, and questioning, music created by an Asian American musician provides a sliver into their identities and may represent one aspect of the Asian American diaspora at large.

What can music teachers do to better teach, celebrate, and make music from AAPI history (including digitally)?

Lorelei: I think it would do a lot for students if teachers took teaching, celebrating, and making music from AAPI history deeper than we normally think of these things in a classroom. Besides the fact that everything about teaching has changed, I think it would be interesting to think past the need to collect source material and then turn it into a lesson we would recognize in a US music lesson - learning melodic contours, clapping rhythms (that might not even accurately represent the music in the first place). Perhaps a more appropriate way to approach this would be to expose students to music performed by people of that culture and in the country from which it comes. And to also seek out examples of performances not frozen in time or in the past, but find examples of these cultures as they are represented in the present. With the availability of video resources, we have very little excuse to not find examples of songs performed in this manner. I think it is also important to consider that we do not have to recreate the music of a culture in order to appreciate it and have an understanding of it. Not every lesson needs to end with a performance of a song, instead we should remember that learning and practicing how to be a thoughtful and respectful listener and consumer of the music is also appropriate and maybe even more so in the case of songs from unfamiliar AAPI cultures.

Manju: Inviting culture bearers to teach and learn from has actually become a little easier in this time of remote teaching. Inviting Indian artistes to present and share a mini lesson virtually has been a wonderful way to access authentic material that would have been prohibitive before. Ensuring that they are adequately compensated for their expertise continues to be a priority. Where Indian music is concerned, it is always worthwhile to solicit thoughts and opinions on what is Indian music? Even with Indians, these answers may vary greatly. There have been multiple treatises on the subject for a couple of thousand years. Articulating the objective of a lesson or unit is critical, and delivering the instruction in a developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive manner is even more so. 

Czarina: We literally have the world at our fingertips! But with that comes a lot of shoddy, appropriated resources. Always dig deeper than surface level. Remember there is always a story behind the song, and a culture behind the story. So it is important to do the work of learning before sharing with your students. Teach your students the importance of learning and listening. I always tell my students that the main skill of a musician is their ability to listen; not play or sing. The same goes for when learning about cultures that are not our own. We honor those cultures by truly listening. Also, one of the few perks about this work-from-home life is the normalization of connecting through the internet. If you can connect with a real human being, whether an artist or even your student’s family, that can provide your class with an incredibly meaningful learning opportunity.

Tina: Do your homework! Research as much as you can and choose legitimate music from vetted resources. Listen to many recordings, talk to people, and find out what music is appropriate. Some songs may come with political baggage, have hidden meanings, or have special cultural meaning unbeknownst to you, and may or may not be appropriate to bring into the classroom. Some cultural and historical context may need to be addressed before presenting a song. Talk to as many people of that culture as you can so that you can have a broader and deeper understanding of what that song or activity means to a community or a culture. This way, you will be honoring and celebrating the music of that culture in the most genuine way possible.

Oshadhee: Do your research! Dig deeper into your materials, contact culture bearers, listen to recordings both recorded and live. I know the South Asian community in Dallas holds concerts quite often. Ask a friend who is an Asian American to help by asking them questions on their knowledge. Even if they cannot directly answer they might have a relative that can directly answer. Sometimes students in your classroom will have answers! Their parents might know. Ask students, involve them in your research. When I was in college as an international student, my teachers asked me questions regarding my culture, I was so proud and honored to answer them and find them the best resources I could!

I also think that including Asian music just like other music is included in the curriculum instead of providing it just one week or few days is important. It doesn’t always have to be a song, it could be an instrumental piece for your mindfulness moment, or a walk in/ out piece or physical exercise piece. Especially if you have a community of AA students. I think it is important that other students learn to appreciate music of all cultures! Often there is a misunderstanding that ALL asian music is the same. But it is vastly different. Eastern Asian music is completely different from South Asian music. Make sure to include all varieties.

Alice: To teach music from AAPI history, I believe that musical works must be taught in conjunction with the culture and not devoid of it or as stand-alone pieces. When teaching any cultural piece, remember to include any historical context you have researched as part of the teaching and learning process. Digitally, you can invite Asian American musicians you may know personally or that you meet through social media and email - it is okay to reach out and ask, and you never know! Remember to consider that not all Asian American musicians want to be marked by their Asian American identities, and to plan to ask before their visit if they would like to share their experiences as an Asian American when visiting - not only how to sing or play a song. At the same time, be respectful and gracious still if someone you invite does not want to do this work with you and/or our students. Personally, it can be exhausting to have to explain my culture repeatedly even if I may want to, and I urge us to express our gratefulness when any cultural bearer shares their knowledge with us. Celebrate AAPI history by encouraging students to research music and ask people they might personally know! 

Is there anything else you think is important for the music education community to know about this subject?

Lorelei: My own learning about my Filipino culture has led me on a journey to reconcile my relationship with my parent’s first generation Filipino culture and my own understanding of our shared culture as a second generation Filipina American. Just in the span of a generation, our shared culture has evolved greatly. I think it’s important for the music education community to understand that AAPI cultures are not monolithic. This applies to the misidentifying of cultures with songs or the lack of specificity of naming a culture with a song (e.g., Polynesian). We should take care in our presentation of songs so we don’t inadvertently carry that harmful message of erasure to our students and perpetuate misconceptions. We should do our due diligence as educators to be specific and accurate about the culture of the songs we choose to share.

Manju: Speaking broadly, it is important to have representation in teacher training programs and on boards that are responsible for curriculum and policy. Having teacher trainers, teacher educators, professors that are from a dominant group be it a group that thinks, looks and acts the same perpetuates the biases, thinking and action that becomes systemic. Seeking out and including diverse educators to teach courses beyond the stereotyped multicultural topics often brings about increased awareness and respect for diverse populations.

Czarina: Our curricular choices make a difference. What we might see as just a toss-off activity can have lasting repercussions on how a student views either themself or another culture. Take your time to craft a lesson that not only shares information about a culture but empowers all your students to celebrate their unique API heritage or to listen and learn from others. 

Tina: Celebrating APAHM offers a great opportunity to create an integrated curriculum. Looking for non-music resources about APAHM can boost your unit and lesson plans and help students understand the role that music plays in culture from a bigger-picture stance. 

Oshadhee: Often "culturally diverse" rarely includes the Asian community. Even though there are many many Asian Americans it is not included as much. Include more of Asian music in your curriculum and integrate it more often. I think it is the least incorporated in many situations. 

In the COVID-19 world that we are currently existing in, APAHM rings differently for many AAPI-identifying people - whether that is in celebration of AAPI history and accomplishments, in dismay of our status quo that perpetuates racism and inequity, or anywhere in between including in uncertainty or fear due to continued acts of hate. 

Before music making and inclusion can occur in our classrooms, ask any students you may know who identify as AAPI how they are doing. I also encourage educators to reach out to fellow music educators they know who identify as AAPI, and ask how they are doing. As a music education community, I implore us to look out for each other beyond just our music making and professional practices, as so much of our current lives have changed as a result of this pandemic based on inequitable structures and the perpetuation of racist stereotypes that have put many more lives at risk. APAHM is more than just a month, more than just including music that is considered “AAPI” in the classroom. We, as educators, have the opportunity to evolve what APAHM can become so that misconceptions are halted and the words “Asian” and “Pacific Islander” can safely exist next to “American” in an inclusive, non-othering way. Let’s continue questioning what APAHM means, and what it truly means to be inclusive of Asian American culture and music in our classrooms.

ALICE TSUI (pronounced TSOY) is an Asian American/Chinese American pianist, music educator, and lifelong Brooklynite. She graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and a Master of Arts in Music Education, and is currently a doctoral candidate (ABD) in music education at Boston University. Alice is the founding music teacher at P.S. 532 New Bridges Elementary, an arts-integrated public elementary school in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and is on the piano faculty at the Manhattan School of Music Summer program. She facilitates freestyle rap, hip-hop, improv, and comedy musical experiences with youth and adults across the U.S. with Freestyle Love Supreme. As a product of the NYC public school system, Alice is passionate about anti-racist public music education and empowering the individual and collective voices of youth through music.