The Berkeley Unified School District stands with the Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and wishes to affirm its commitment to the safety and well-being of Asian American students, staff and community members. At its March 24, 2021 meeting, the Berkeley Unified School District Board of Education unanimously ratified a resolution denouncing hate crimes and bigotry targeting the AAPI community.
In May, we embrace the significance of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month – a time to celebrate the rich cultural tapestry and invaluable contributions of these diverse communities. Amidst our celebrations, it is crucial to recognize that within the broader AAPI umbrella, there exists a multitude of distinct and unique identities, each deserving of acknowledgment and respect.
As we embark on this month-long celebration with roots dating back to 1990 in the US, let us take this opportunity to educate ourselves and others about the uniquely rich histories and cultures of both Asian American and Pacific Islander people.
To truly honor the spirit of AAPI Heritage Month, we must commit ourselves to dismantling all forms of racism and discrimination within our communities. This means confronting prejudices and biases that perpetuate harmful stereotypes that can lead to the marginalization of, or worse, victimization of those who identify as AAPI.
In March of 2021 our school district passed a school board resolution Denouncing Hate Crimes and Bigotry Targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. In this resolution, we affirmed how “the rise of anti-AAPI racism and violence that occurs every day also
serves as a reminder of the dire need for Ethnic Studies from TK-12th grades.
All of this nuance around identity and naming is deep, happening in real time, and we as an educational institution acknowledge the limitations of heritage and history months, which is why our district is dedicated to investing in ethnic studies work in all of our schools.
We continue to deepen our commitments to support our students to embrace and learn about the diversity of Berkeley’s AAPI community. These resource guides for educators and families, events, and reading lists compiled by our Library department, are just one small way that we are working toward this goal.
Family Guides
Please take advantage of BUSD’s Family Guide for Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, compiled by BUSD’s Ethnic Studies Teacher on Special Assignment. It provides resources for families to Listen, Learn, and Lift Up as they celebrate AAPI Heritage Month throughout May and beyond.
Educator Resources
Lifting Up BUSD Staff AAPI Voices
AAPI Heritage Month: May 2024
In celebration of our AAPI community, please enjoy “Lifting Up AAPI Voices,” a campaign to share our staff AAPI narratives with our students and community by creating posters featuring the stories and experiences of AAPI staff. In May, these posters will be displayed at schools, work sites, on the BUSD website, in social media, and in district publications. Sharing these narratives with our students will allow them to deepen connections with AAPI adults in the district.
Upcoming Events
Celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander History Month at Longfellow Middle School on Wednesday, May 14, 2025! Enjoy food, books, crafts, and fun from 5-5:30 PM, followed by 5:30-7:00 PM presentations featuring a Thai dance troupe, children’s hula group, middle and high school API clubs, and more. All BUSD families are invited to celebrate and build community around the theme “What it means to be AA & PI in Berkeley.”
Recordings of Prior Events
Hear us Roar! Celebrating AAPI Voices in the Year of the Tiger
(May 2022)
Date: Thursday, May 19, 2022
Special presenters included children’s book author, Innosanto Nagara, author of A is for Activist; Drag Queen Story Hour founding queen, Panda Dulce, who read celebratory AAPI stories; as well as the author of upper grades novel, The Samosa Rebellion, Shanthi Sekaran, who is also a BUSD parent!
Thank you to our generous donors for helping to make this event happen: Asian American Affairs and BAM PTA, Cragmont PTA, Rosa Parks PTA, and several AAPI families of BUSD.
Hear Us Now: BUSD’S Asian American Community Speaks Out Against Anti-Asian Racism (May 2021)
View the Hear Us Now Panel Recording Here
On May 6, 2021, BUSD’s Asian American community and district leaders held a discussion and reflection on anti-Asian racism with all members of the BUSD community invited.
Moderated by Berkeley School Board Director Ana Vasudeo, aand with panelists including Khatharya Um, Associate Professor, Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies, U.C. Berkeley, as well as parent, teacher and student representatives of BUSD schools, this panel delved into not only the current crisis in the Bay Area and across the country over the past year as cases of anti-Asian racism in the form of discrimination, scapegoating, harassment and violence have skyrocketed, but also the historical roots of hate and racism against people of Asian descent in the U.S. The Panel also discussed how this prevailing racism has impacted Asian American students, families, teachers and staff of BUSD, and how allies can offer support in meaningful ways.
This event was held in partnership with BUSD Superintendent’s Office; BUSD School Board; the BUSD Office of Civil Rights, and a newly-formed group of BUSD AAPI parents, teachers, staff and students. (For more information about this group, please email: busdaapi@gmail.com
BHS Educators Share Anti-AAPI Hate Stories (May 2021)
These videos from our own BUSD teachers are a powerful reminder of the pervasive impact of hate and systemic racism.
“I am a Korean-American, first generation, and a proud Asian-American. I was not always able to say that I was a proud Asian-American. A lot of what I heard and experienced growing up made me feel like I shouldn’t be proud.”
-David An, Counselor at BHS
“My sister and I still remember the boy a year older than me, who used to chase us home from school daily (or what felt that way for some time) calling us “Chinese” and yelling his slurs at us…I still remember his face.
“Sometimes in front of his own mom, who once suggested to me he had a crush on me: the ways we’ve conditioned ourselves to rationalize the looks, the slights, the slurs, the overt acts of racism.”
-Saikiko Muranaka, Teacher at BHS
NOTE: these videos may contain racial slurs or references to hate crimes.
More AAPI Resources
Resources for Families
Bystander Intervention Training to Stop AAPI Harassment and Xenophobia | Hollaback!/AAAJ
Stop AAPI Hate: Resources for Supporting Conversations with Children | Article from Momentous Institute
How to Talk to Kids about Anti-Asian Violence | Article from Parents
Asian American Attacks: A Guide for Parents Struggling to Explain Hate Crimes to Their Children | Article from CBS SF BayArea
Resources for Educators
Teaching AAPI Heritage | Webinar from Learning for Justice
Bystander Intervention Training to Stop AAPI Harassment and Xenophobia | Hollaback/AAAJ
K-5 Mini Teaching Guide | Joemy Ito-Gates
LGBTQ Asian Identities | Article from Learning for Justice
The Model Minority Myth | Article from Learning for Justice
Get Involved and Learn More
Here is a list of AAPI Organizations in the Bay Area and beyond to contact for more information.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC)
Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
Bay Area Regional Pacific Islander Task Force
Pacific Islander Initiative, Centers for Educational Justice & Community Engagement, UC Berkeley
Other Related Articles
How to Support the Bay Area’s Asian-American Community Right Now | Article from Thrillist
Track us Better: Overlooked Pacific Islanders Hit Hard by Coronavirus | Article from Cal Matters
The Pandemic Hasn’t Stopped Native Hawaiians’ Fight to Protect Maunakea | Article from Vox
In 2021, our district made a commitment via our ResolutionDenouncing Hate Crimes and Bigotry Targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, to actively counter racist and harmful ideology against the AAPI community with our greatest tool: education.
In October, we honor the over four hundred years of history of Filipino/x Americans in this country. Since 2009, U.S. Congress has recognized October as Filipino American History Month and our district joins the many communities and organizations that are celebrating the fact that Filipino/x American history is American history.
Family Guide: Listen, Learn, and Lift Up
The Family Guide PDF in English.
The Family Guide PDF in Arabic.
The Family Guide PDF in Spanish.
TK-8 Teaching Resources
This diverse collection of resources was compiled by BUSD’s Ethnic Studies TSA in collaboration with the Professional Development Team.
Some additional resources for teachers can be found on BUSD’s Ethnic Studies Website.
Click here to read the BUSD Filipino/x American History Month Tk-8 Teaching Resource Guide.
AAPI Reading Lists for All Ages
These reading lists, organized by grade level, represent books published in recent years that are devoted to uplifting Asian-American and Pacific Islander history, celebrating heritage, affirming identity, and promoting antiracism. Sharing these books is one part of our effort to develop anti-racist consciousness with and for our youth and ensure they know they are not alone and that they can speak out to help stop the spread of bigotry.
