AAPI Heritage Exploration Project

• Asian Pacific Student Advisory Council meeting took place March 5, 2025
• The themes present in the meeting were an Escape Room and Migration Map Lesson

Group Members

• Christopher Lee attended Walter Reed Middle School
• Nathan HuYoung attended Walter Reed Middle School
• Akshita Islam attended Kennedy High School
• Josephine Chun attended Chatsworth Charter High School

Project Guide

• Focus is on an AAPI Heritage Exploration
• The exploration is designed to uncover the history, culture, and contributions of AAPI Communities

Project Purpose

• This project aims to provide students with an interactive, interdisciplinary exploration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history and culture
• Historical empathy and cultural awareness will form through storytelling, problem-solving, and creative projects
• A deeper appreciation for the contributions of AAPI communities develops, and digital literacy and research skills are engaged
• The overall project looks to empower students

Learning Objectives

• Key events in AAPI history are examined, including the Delano Grape Strike, Japanese American Internment, and the Chinese Exclusion Act
• The cultural and economic development of the United States is viewed in light of migration patterns
• Cultural contributions of AAPI communities, including traditions, art, and food, are highlighted and appreciated
• Comparing cultural similarities and differences between various AAPI groups such as Filipino, Japanese, and Pacific Islander communities
• Students will solve riddles, puzzles, and decoding challenges related to AAPI historical milestones and influential figures
• Utilizing primary and secondary sources helps to show conclusions about the resilience of AAPI communities
• Interactive maps trace migration routes and settlement patterns of AAPI communities
• Key locations significant to AAPI history, such as Morro Bay (Filipino landing), Promontory Summit (railroad completion), and Manzanar (internment camp) will be identified
• Reflection on historical and contemporary contributions of AAPI activists and leaders
• Marginalized groups civil rights are discussed in terms of the importance of advocacy, resilience, and unity
• Digital projects like podcasts or virtual city designs, using platforms like Google Slides, Minecraft, or podcasting software, are created and shared
• Multimedia resources (videos, audio narratives, digital timelines) help expand the understanding of AAPI heritage
• Interactive activities, such as the "Escape Room" challenges or scavenger hunts, will have students working in teams
• Findings are delivered by creative formats, such as oral presentations, skits, or digital storytelling
• Perspective-taking is promoted through listening to firsthand accounts from AAPI community members
• Discussions about social justice and fairness, using examples from AAPI history, can be expected
• Interactive games, timelines, or podcasts are designed to share AAPI stories and lessons
• Art, engineering principles, and digital tools (e.g., origami structures and Minecraft cities) create a strong learning system
• Research is conducted to uncover "hidden figures" in AAPI history, such as Larry Itliong and Dalip Singh Saund
• Historical events like the Immigration Act of 1965, are reviewed to see how this influenced AAPI migration and community growth

Icebreaker Activity

• The prompt is "What’s your favorite food to eat from your culture?"

Why AAPI Heritage Matters

• AAPI communities have significantly contributed to the history, culture, and progress of the United States
• Many of their stories are overlooked in textbooks, although there are significant contributions, like building railroads to fighting for civil rights

Milestone Moments

• 1869: The Transcontinental Railroad’s completion saw Chinese laborers making up over 80% of the workforce
• 1882: The Chinese Exclusion Act prohibits Chinese laborer immigrants for the next 10 years
• 1917: The Immigration Act of 1917 introduced literary tests, preventing nearly all Asian countries laborer immigrants
• 1942: Japanese American Internment took place during WWII, with nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans forced into internment camps due to fear and prejudice
• 1965: The Immigration Act of 1965 welcomed Asian and Pacific Islander immigrants

Begin your Adventure

• The challenge is to explore a timeline of key events
• The prompt asks to consider what is most surprising about this journey
• Milestones include:
  • 1843 First Japanese Immigrants
  • 1863 Central Pacific Railroad Construction
  • 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act
  • 1917 Immigration Act

Luzonians Set Sail

• The Philippines maritime history highlights Filipino sailors, known as "Luzonians," as among the first Asian explorers to arrive in the Americas
• They landed in Morro Bay, California, in 1587, as part of a Spanish expedition
• Historical Insight: Filipino sailors shared knowledge of the sea and introduced fishing techniques
• Users are prompted as to why they believe these sailors traveled the world

Ancient Writing Systems

• Baybayin, AKA Tagalog or Basahan, is the main language of the Philippines before Spanish colonization in the 1560s
• After the Spanish colonization, it was replaced by the colonists Latin alphabet
• The language is making a resurgence

Escape Room Station 1 - Filipino Sailors’ Arrival

• The challenge involves solving a puzzle in Baybayin script, which hints that Filipino sailors arrived at _____ Bay in 1587

Building America (Chinese Railroad Workers)

• Chinese immigrants played a crucial role in helping build the Transcontinental Railroad in the 1860s
• These immigrants connected the East and West coasts of the U.S.
• Many of these workers left their families to search for economic opportunities, facing harsh winters and dangerous conditions.
• Chinese workers earned $27-$30/month, which was less than non-Asian workers ($35/month), and worked longer hours
• They were responsible for the most difficult tasks, such as blasting tunnels through the Sierra Nevada Mountains
• Although they made up about 85% of Central Pacific Railroad’s workforce, they lived in worse conditions than their non-Asian, Irish immigrant counterparts

Life of a Railroad Worker

• Engagement Prompt: "How do you think their resilience helped them overcome daily challenges?"
• Chinese workers ate seafood and a variety of foods, and vegetables, and even kept live animals to eat
• Behavior and hygiene was maintained by taking baths and washing clothes.
• Tea was consumed instead of water
• Workers lived in canvas tents and wooden bunkhouses in the mountains

Escape Room Station 2

• The overall theme is Chinese Laborers and the Railroad
• Building America with a math problem about the transcontinental railroad and laborers
• 13,000 Chinese immigrants worked on the transcontinental railroad for Central Pacific and made 690 miles of the transcontinental railroad
• Chinese immigrants were about 85% of Central Pacific workers
• The challenge is to Calculate how many miles each worker (total) construct.

Tracing AAPI Migration

• The prompt seeks what role the various communities played in shaping the regions
• AAPI migration happens in distinct waves:
  • First Wave (1500s–1800s): Filipino and Chinese sailors, laborers, and settlers occurred as a result of the transcontinental railroad construction and the sugar industry in Hawaii drawing a lot of immigrants to America
  • Second Wave (1800s–1924): Japanese, Korean, and South Asian immigrants sought farming and business opportunities. Japanese and Korean immigrants began traveling to America, including the forming of various communities. Many laws restricting immigration were passed; this resulted in the Chinese Exclusion Act 1882, and Immigration Act of 1924
  • Post-1965 Wave: After the Immigration Act of 1965, more immigrants came to the U.S. -Southeast Asian refugees were forced out of their homes because of war so that many refugee camps were set up
    • Asian-Americans became one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the United States.
• Manjiro Nakahama, the first confirmed Asian Immigrant

Mapping AAPI Contributions

• California is known for Japanese-American contributions to farming and agriculture impacting the economy and infrastructure
• Hawaii is a hub for laborers from Japan, China, the Philippines, and Portugal who worked on sugarcane plantations
• Hawaii became the gateway into America for many immigrants because a lot of labor was requried with the sugar industry
• Hawaii is one of the most diverse cultures in the United States

Interactive Migration Map

• Communities shape regions on maps using Angel Island, San Francisco, Hawaii, and New York regions

Art and Science of Origami

• Origami blends design and folding to carry artistry, precision, and beauty
• Origami uses geometry and math, including angles, lines, and ratios, to create shapes, symmetry, and tessellations

Modern Uses of Origami

• Architecture & Engineering inspires efficiency, lightweight designs with dynamic structures, advancing aerospace, robotics, and sustainability
• Modern Applications see efficient designs being used in robotics, aerospace, and medicine, like flexible mechanisms and deployable structures
• Influence on Design Thinking utilizes creativity, precision, and adaptability, inspiring sustainable designs blending both art and math for beauty and function
• Examples can be seen as deployable, compact, and portable structures, Minimally Invasive Surgical Tools, and Earthquake Resistant Designs

Fold the Future

• A challenge is set up to create an origami structure inspired by Japanese engineering principles
• A prompt is asked for what connection was learned between the arts and sciences

Breaking Stereotypes

• There are stereotypes that are associated as myths:
  • Myth 1: AAPIs are only good at excelling in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) instead of their other talents such as arts, humanities, business, athletics, etc.
  • Myth 2: All AAPIs are model minorities which overlooks struggles like poverty, discrimination, and limited access to resources
  • Myth 3: AAPI culture is monolithic when the community’s diversity and individual identity, goes unacknowledged Myth 4: All AAPIs are immigrants because many can be U.S. citizens who were born and raised in the country
• The challenge is to share what is most shocking regarding the stereotypes and any stereotypes that you have encountered

AAPI Diversity

• Asia is made up of 48 countries
• They individually contain their own unique languages, foods, and traditions
• Asia is broken up into Northern, Central, Western, Southern, and South-East regions
• Ask users to share specific foods and traditions that are attributed to AAPI culture

Virtual Heritage Exchange

• Share cultures and traditions within the respective heritages by creating a short video that explains the person's heritage
• The participant should consider speaking about traditional foods, stories, and games
• Users are asked what they would share about their heritage
• Use the link provided to submit

Hidden Figures Scavenger Hunt

• The goal is to solve riddles to find hidden AAPI figures
• Two options: Larry Itliong or Dalip Singh Saund
• Prompt: "How do these figures inspire you?"
• The riddles help to discover Larry Itliong or Dalip Singh Saund
• A Filipino-American labor leader and leader of 1965 Delano Grape Strike, Larry Itliong fought for better wages and conditions for farmworkers
• The first Asian-American and Sikh elected to U.S. Congress in 1957, Dalip Singh Saund advocated for fair laws, farmers, and inclusivity

AAPI Resilience Timeline: Stories of Strength

• Key events from AAPI are used inside a timeline
• Participants drag-and-drop key events into a timeline.