8 Influential AAPI People to Teach About

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Individuals from the Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities have played and continue to play important roles in shaping our nation — from advocating for labor law changes to popularizing the sport of surfing. However, the stories of many of these individuals and their achievements have often remained untold and untaught. 

Help highlight the legacies of some inspiring Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) people with whom you and your students may not be familiar. While this is by no means a comprehensive list, feel free to use it as a starting point for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month lessons in May and beyond.

Duke Kahanamoku, the father of modern surfing

Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku was a competition swimmer, a leading figure in the world of sports, and one of the most famous Pacific Islanders. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Kahanamoku was a five-time Olympic medalist in swimming. Following his record-shattering and barrier-breaking athletic career, Kahanamoku helped to popularize the Hawaiian sport of surfing to a new generation of surfers worldwide.

Dalip Singh Saund, politician

Born and raised in Punjab, Dalip Singh Saund enrolled in the University of California, Berkeley in 1920 and earned a PhD in mathematics. In the 1940s, he organized a successful effort to convince the U.S. Congress to pass the Luce-Celler Act of 1946, which granted Indian immigrants the right to become naturalized American citizens. 

After becoming a citizen himself, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1956, becoming the first Asian American and the first Sikh to serve in Congress. Over the course of his three terms in office, he was a champion of small farmers and civil rights legislation and worked to improve the United States’ relations with India and Mexico.

Larry Itliong, labor leader

Larry Itliong was a Filipino-American organizer and community leader who played an important role in the farm labor movement. He became well-known in the 1960s for spearheading the Delano Grape Strike and teaming with Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. 

The five-year strike was one of the most pivotal labor movements in United States history, ultimately leading to better pay and benefits for agricultural workers and the formation of the United Farm Workers. The state of California officially celebrates October 25th as “Larry Itliong Day” in honor of his legacy fighting for social and economic justice.

Isabella Aiona Abbot, marine biologist

During her long and successful career as a scientist, author, and university professor, Dr. Isabella Aiona Abbott broke many barriers. She is thought to be the first Native Hawaiian person to earn a PhD in science and was the first woman and first person of color to become a full professor at Stanford University’s biology department. 

Over her career, she strove to uncover historical uses for marine algae and find ways to reintroduce seaweeds into everyday life. This famous native Hawaiian is credited with discovering over 200 different algae species, many of which were named after her. After teaching at Stanford for more than two decades, she retired and pursued a second career as a professor of botany at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Patsy Mink, politician

Patsy Matsu Takemoto Mink was a third-generation Japanese American, born and raised on the island of Maui. When Hawaii became a state in 1959, Mink decided to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Although her first congressional campaign bid was unsuccessful, she ran again in 1964 and won, making her the first woman of color and the first Asian-American woman to serve in Congress. 

During her years in the House, she was instrumental in writing bills like Title IX (which banned discrimination based on sex in higher education), the Early Childhood Education Act, and the Women’s Educational Equity Act.

Michelle Yeoh, actress

Actress Michelle Yeoh is the first Asian woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress and is known for her martial-arts-infused roles in films. Born into an affluent Malaysian family, Yeoh initially pursued a career as a ballerina before being crowned Miss Malaysia in 1983. 

In the years that followed, she emerged as one of the film industry’s top female action stars, garnering international attention for starring in blockbuster films such as Tomorrow Never Dies and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Her recent performances in Crazy Rich Asians and Everything Everywhere All at Once — for which she won an Academy Award — have contributed to a wave of films highlighting Asian-American talent in Hollywood.

Cecilia Chung, civil rights activist

Cecilia Chung is an internationally recognized civil rights leader and social justice advocate. Born in Hong Kong, Chung immigrated to San Francisco in her late teens. Through her advocacy and philanthropic work, she has established herself as a leading voice in anti-discrimination, transgender rights, and HIV/AIDS education and awareness.

Jhumpa Lahiri, author (b. 1967)

Jhumpa Lahiri is an award-winning author whose work has been widely celebrated for its depiction of the East Indian immigrant experience. In 1999, she debuted onto the publishing scene with a collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies, and won the Pulitzer Prize. She followed up in 2003 with her first novel, The Namesake, and returned to short stories with the #1 New York Times best-seller Unaccustomed Earth. 

Her novel, The Lowland, was partially inspired by real-world political events and was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize and the National Book Award for Fiction. Since moving to Italy in 2011, she’s published two books of essays and a novel in Italian, and has translated some of her own writings and those of other authors from Italian into English.

5 Activities About AAPI People

Knowing how to teach about Asian Pacific heritage and famous AAPI figures is a great start! (But using resources created by Asian and Pacific American teacher-authors is even better!)

Famous Asian American Pacific Islanders Coloring Pages and Posters 
By Happy Days in First Grade
Grades: PreK-2nd
Subjects: Art, Asian Studies, Social Studies

This resource includes coloring pages with images and biographical information about influential AAPI people, like Amy Tan, Maya Lin, and Dalip Singh Saund. It also includes posters for teaching and displaying in the classroom.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Influential People Posters and Pennants 
By Real Life in the Classroom
Grades: 1st-6th
Subjects: U.S. History, Writing

This set of 36 report pennants is ideal for creating a diversity bulletin board to celebrate Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. It comes with a project tracker, research assignment note pages, and step-by-step instructions. 

Asian Heritage Month Resource FREEBIE – includes assessment 
By My Call to Teach
Grades: 4th-8th
Subjects: Asian Studies, Informational Text

Available as Google Slides or PDFs, this set includes information on notable individuals of Asian descent and a biography project outline with rubric assessments.  

Asian American & Pacific Islanders Heritage Month Bulletin Board – AAPI Posters 
By The Creative Classroom
Grades 6th-9th
Subjects: Asian Studies, Writing
Standards: CCSS RI.6.1, 6.4, 6.7 

Create an engaging bulletin board with these 42 eye-catching posters that contain thought-provoking quotes to pique student curiosity and get them thinking critically! Each poster focuses on an AAPI individual and includes a H.O.T question. Question types include analysis, making connections, making inferences, comparisons, and argumentative.

Asian Pacific Heritage (A-Person-A-Day) Google Classroom & PDF 
By Adrienne Wiggins
Grades: Not Grade Specific
Subjects: Social Studies

This slideshow includes mini biographies of 30 people with pictures, video links, book or article recommendations, and a response prompt or question for each. Cover one slide per day in your class’s morning meeting, or assign slides to students in Google Classroom where they can share thoughts and responses. 

Where to Research AAPI People

If you want to read more about the individuals in this post (or research more individuals from the Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities), check out these websites:

Discover more resources for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month on TPT

While May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage month in the U.S. and Canada, there are many influential people of Asian descent from around the world to celebrate. Explore AAPI Heritage Month resources on TPT to discover people you may never have heard of who influenced life today.