Voices of Asian American people have not always been at the forefront of history, even though their contributions have greatly impacted our country and our world. The national early literacy nonprofit Reading Partners, in collaboration with Panda Express, has created a children’s book list to celebrate and highlight Asian American & Pacific Islanders (AAPI) stories and cultural traditions.
“Have you eaten yet?” is a common greeting in many Asian languages, which is why it can be hard to talk about Asian American Pacific Islander culture without including a discussion about food. Six colorful picture books about the importance of food were written, illustrated and remembered by people of AAPI descent.
The book list focuses on AAPI food traditions as a unifier in and across cultures, providing a fun and productive way for families to create a dialogue around celebrating AAPI experiences and culture amid recent hate crimes. Reading Partners and Panda Express implore parents and caregivers to help children build cultural understanding through celebrating the different cultures that are an integral part of the rich, diverse fabric that makes this country so unique in the world. The book list is available at PandaCubClub.com and ReadingPartners.org.