When you think of a country in Asia, what do you think of? Perhaps China, Japan, and Korea all come to mind, but few other countries usually do. There are 48 different countries on the Asian continent, but only a few are taught about in school, despite the astounding diversity that the largest continent on Earth holds. To give students an appreciation for the ethnic diversity that spans the continent, schools must ensure that all Asian countries and all Asian cultures are incorporated into their curriculum year-round.
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) History Month is all about celebrating diversity. It is tragic that all too often, the designation of Asian American excludes many Asian people. In the West, “Asian” culture is often thought of as what is actually East Asian culture, which is comprised of the cultures of Korea, China, and Japan. In reality, Asian culture is extremely diverse. Asian celebrations include Holi, a celebration in India of the Hindu Festival of colors that celebrates the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil; Nowruz, the Iranian new year; Galungan, a Balinese holiday celebrated in parts of Indonesia about remembering the dead; and Yhyakh, the new year celebration of the Sakha indigenous people, native to northern Siberia. Students should learn about all of these cultural celebrations during AAPI history month, in addition to holidays in East Asian culture.
Whether it be Northern, Central, Southeast, or Western Asia, all Asian cultures deserve representation in AAPI History Month lesson plans. Teachers should integrate content about all Asian cultures into their classes by having students watch international films, read books by AAPI authors, and learn about AAPI contributions to science and math. This would give students a more well-rounded perspective on Asian cultures than if teachers only talked about East Asian cultures.
However, students shouldn’t be learning about Asian cultures only during the month of May. Content about Asian cultures should be integrated into the curriculum all year long. It is vital to learn about all of Asia’s cultures in order to be able to effectively counter negative Asian stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. Seeing Asia as only East Asia and only teaching about East Asian cultures can lead to a lack of representation for individuals who identify as other Asian cultures.
Education during AAPI History Month must include a greater breadth of countries, cultures, and people. Many people of Asian descent are not adequately recognized as such in Western culture, and this must change. All Asian cultures and people deserve to be honored. Students learning about various Asian cultures throughout the school year will enrich and improve their experience as well as give them a greater awareness of the diversity the continent holds.