This May, students at the Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA) put together a cultural celebration with performances, food and traditional dress in honor of its Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. The program was an opportunity for all students to celebrate their culture and learn about their traditions. Among participants were the Korean American Culture Arts Foundation and the Asian Pacifika Arts Collective.
These groups and other student participants worked with classmates closely to arrange the program, an effort by the school to foster student initiative and leadership, as well as provide meaningful entertainment for its student body.
AAPI heritage became nationally recognized after a joint resolution in Congress was signed into law by then-President Jimmy Carter in 1978 declaring a week of celebration in May, according to asianpacificheritage.gov. The recognition was extended to a month in 1990 and became an annual tradition in 1992. May is significant because it was the month Japanese immigrants first came to the United States in 1843, as well as the month the transcontinental railroad (largely constructed by Chinese immigrants) was completed.
Explore the creative student-led programming to commemorate AAPI Heritage Month from BSA below.
