Smithsonian launches book for middle schoolers about 30 inspirational AAPI individuals

'We Are Here: 30 Inspiring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Have Shaped the United States'

 introduces readers to incredible stories of resilience, adversity and joy.

As learning about Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander history is gaining more support and momentum in educational and political circles, the search for and the creation of resource material is growing exponentially.

One source often overlooked is the Smithsonian Institution, which has been developing educational material for and about AANHPI for years. The Smithsonian recently released an anthology, We Are Here: 30 Inspiring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Have Shaped the United States published by Running Press Kids. 

"This book came together during a difficult time for our communities," says Dr. Yao-Fen You, acting director of the Smithsonian AsianPacific American Center.

"The global spread of COVID-19 led to increased incidents of anti-Asian hate and bias, prompting us at the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center to think about how we could better support our communities and the nation."

It is authored by Naomi Hirahara and illustrated by by Filipino American artist and illustrator Illi Ferandez. We Are Here is the Smithsonian’s first middle-grade anthology centering stories of Asian American and Pacific Islander people who have made great impacts on the cultural, social, and political fabric of the United States and the Pacific.

When APAC was approached to create the book, the team decided early on that the 30 profiles would be split evenly—15 Asian Americans and 15 Pacific Islanders, all from diverse ethnicities, genders, lived experiences, and livelihoods. 

It was important for to APAC to balance stories we wished to share, from well-known celebrities and community figures such as actors Keanu Reeves and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and tennis star Naomi Osaka, to lesser-known activists, artists, and community leaders in mainstream media, such as Sikh American artist and activist Vishavjit Singh, Lao American leader Channapha Khamvongsa, and Marshallese poet Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner.

Art by Illi Fernandez

It was important for APAC to extend it's relationships with community members with young readers. At the end of We Are Here there is a reflection guide which aims to focus on the importance of relationship building. Readers will be able to reflect on the book's subjects.

The reflection guide also comes with a QR code that will take readers to a new series of collections on the Smithsonian’s Learning Lab. Each collection provides viewers with access to images of art, interviews, music videos, archival materials, and much more.

"It is my hope that these thirty profiles of inspirational AAPI activists, artists, musicians, actors, writers, scientists, and entrepreneurs introduce you to figures whom you did not know before and that they spark conversations about why our stories need to be told," says Dr. You. "With 22 million Asian Americans and 1.5 million Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders residing in the United States, this is just a start. There are so many more stories to tell."

'We Are Here: 30 Inspiring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Have Shaped the United States' is available for sale at Amazon or click here.

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