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Every May we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! This is a great opportunity to learn more about the history, contributions, and global impact of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with your Little. We hope these biographies and activity suggestions will inspire you and your Little to recognize and honor the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the culture and achievements of the United States.

Why Do We Celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month?

The United States first acknowledged Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage during the first 10 days of May to commemorate two milestones: when the first Japanese immigrants arrived May 7, 1843, and when the transcontinental railroad was completed on May 10, 1869. The transcontinental railway was built predominately by Chinese workers. It took more than a decade of legislating across multiple administrations to have the entire month of May designated as Asian American Pacific and Islander Heritage Month in 1992.

To celebrate this month, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay wanted to share the stories of strong Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have impacted America’s history and have inspired others along the way

Katherine Tai, United States Trade Representative

Chinese American Katherine Tai, former House Ways and Means Committee trade lawyer, is now the new U.S. trade representative. The Office of the United States Trade Representative is part of the President’s Executive Office, and Tai is the first Asian American and first woman of color to serve in the position. Tai will advise the president on trade issues and oversee international negotiations and dispute resolutions. The Senate voted unanimously to confirm Tai to fill the role. 

Fred Korematsu, Civil Rights Activist

Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu was arrested for refusing to evacuate to an internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II. He was represented by two lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), but his case challenging the decree failed at the Supreme Court. However, almost 40 years later, it was discovered that the government intentionally hid evidence from the court. This documentation eventually led to the dismissal of the charges. His daughter, Karen Korematsu, now runs a foundation that aims to share his story through the development of educational materials designed for multiple grade levels.

Sunita Williams, Astronaut

Sunita Williams is an Indian American astronaut. Williams holds numerous records and has received more than a dozen awards for her service. She has spent a total of 322 days in space across the span of two missions, placing her second on the U.S. endurance list for women and ranking sixth on the all-time U.S. endurance list. Her awards and honors include two Defense Superior Service medals, Legion of Merit, two Navy Commendation Medals, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, an honorary doctorate, and other service awards. She was chosen as a crew member for commercial flights with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft and is currently training for the post-certification mission.

Amy Tan, Author

Many of us know the prolific works of Chinese American author Amy Tan, particularly her novel Joy Luck Club, which was later made into a movie produced by Wayne Wang. She continued to pen several best-selling books, paving the way for the next generation of Asian American artists and writers. One notable Asian American with acclaimed commercial success is Singaporean American author Kevin Kwan, who wrote the novel Crazy Rich Asians and served as executive producer for the movie of the same name. Oscar-winning Minari is a recent movie masterpiece from Korean American Lee Isaac Chung.

Find out how you can become a mentor and influence the next generation of leaders by becoming a Big. 

Match Activities

MOVIES TO WATCH:

• The Namesake
• The Farewell
• Moana
• Kubo and the Two Strings
• Princess Kaiulani

EASY RECIPES TO MAKE TOGETHER:

• Eggroll Recipe
• Ramen Recipe
• Naan Recipe
• Poke Bowl Recipe 

BOOKS TO READ:

• Asian Pacific American Heroes by Mia Wenjen.  Meet 18 Asian Pacific American leaders from yesterday and today! From musician Bruno Mars and Olympian Chloe Kim to chef Niki Nakayama, these real­life heroes inspire us to learn about Asian Pacific American history, language, and culture. Illustrated with photos.
• A Different Pond by Bao Phi.  This beautiful story about Vietnamese culture from the perspective of two generations is a heartwarming tale paired with expert illustrations.
• We Are Inspiring: The Stories of 32 Inspirational Asian American Women by Angel Trazo.  A collection of inspirational stories about Asian American women from all walks of life, different ethnicities, and professions, your child will learn about the colorful and amazing Asian American women who have impacted our world today.

Check out this awesome list of books exploring Asian and Pacific Islander American heritage for all ages!

 

Do you need some ideas for things to talk to your Little about? Check out our May Conversation Starters to help you and your Little learn about new topics and discover new hobbies and interests. 

Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month – Learn more about the history, contributions, and global impact of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with your Little. 

National Bike Month – Does your Little know how to ride a bike? When did they learn? How often do they ride? Discuss Bike Safety. Research the Tour De France and famous cyclists. 

National Photograph Month – Try a Picture Scavenger Hunt. You and your Little come up with a list of things to take photos of and share via Video Chat or email. Your list might include: An Animal, A Person, A Plant, An Action Shot, a Fruit or Veggie, A Selfie, A Building, Something from the Kitchen, Something that has a shadow, something that has texture, etc. 

National Salad Month – Do a salad challenge: Can your Little eat 5 Salads in May? What are your favorite kinds of salads? Does Fruit Salad count as a salad? How about Tuna Salad or Chicken Salad?

May 1st is May Day – Research May Day together. Do you or your Little celebrate this holiday? Is it a Holiday we should celebrate more? 

May 2nd is National Fitness Day – Why is fitness so important? What do you do to stay fit? Brainstorm some fun ways to stay fit physically, emotionally, and mentally.  

May 5th is Cinco De Mayo – Do you or your Little celebrate Cinco de Mayo? What do you do to celebrate? Check out this video from PBS Kids. 

May 5th is National Teacher’s Day – Why are teachers so important? If you were a teacher, what would you teach? Do teachers get enough appreciation for all that they do? Why or Why not?

May 7th is World Athletics Day – What is your favorite sport to play and to watch? Check out this article from Sports Retriever about unique sports that you probably haven’t heard of. 

May 9th is Mother’s Day – Do you or your Little celebrate Mother’s Day? What traditions do you have? If you had all the money in the world, what would you do for your mom to show her that she is special?

May 11th is National Technology Day – Make a list of available technology today that wasn’t available when Big was young. Make another list of technology that wasn’t available when someone in their 40s, 60s, 80s was a kid. What piece of technology do you think you could live without if you had to?

May 15th is National Endangered Species Day – Research some of the critically endangered species on the World Wild Life list. Why do animals become endangered? What can people do to keep animals from going extinct?

May 23rd is World Turtle Day – Check out these turtle facts from Petco. Would you consider a turtle for a pet? How many different kinds of turtles are there? 

May 26th is Sally Ride Day – Learn about Sally Ride together from Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls. Would you like to be the first at something? Would you travel to space?

May 31st is Memorial Day – Why is Memorial Day important? Watch this video from Homeschool Pop to learn more facts about Memorial Day. 

 

Do you want to learn what it takes to become a Big? Learn more at our Big Orientation & Training info session. View the schedule.

 

April 22nd is Earth Day, a day focused on promoting a clean and healthy, sustainable habitat for people and wildlife alike. Celebrating Earth Day serves as a conscious reminder of how fragile our planet is and how important it is to protect it. Here are ten simple activities that you and your Little can do to celebrate together!

1. Start a garden
2. Join a community cleanup—Find local community cleanups with Keep Florida Beautiful
3. Have a recycling contest to see who can collect the most recyclables throughout the week
4. Paint some terracotta pots and plant a variety of flowers or herbs in them
5. Read books about environmental issues—Check out this list of the best Earth Day books for kids
6. Gather sticks, leaves, and flowers to make a natural collage
7. Go for a bike ride
8. Build a bird feeder
9. Go to your local thrift shop and find a cheap item to upcycle together
10. Start a composting project

Want more eco-conscious activities? We Are Teachers has activities for Littles of all ages! 

Learn how you can become a Big and be a positive, supportive mentor for youth in our community at one of our Big Orientation & Training info sessions. View our schedule. 

 

 

 

 

We all suffer from stress from time to time, each having our own relationship to stress. And everyone processes stress differently. How our stress responses get hardwired into our systems during childhood can affect how we deal with stress as adults. We typically think of stress as something negative, but not all stress responses are inherently harmful. There are three stress responses found in children: positive, tolerable, and toxic. 

Positive Stress Response

A positive stress response is a brief and mild mental state. A positive stress response is something we all experience, such as nervousness before a presentation or anxiety about the first day of school. Caring and responsive adults are central in helping a child cope with the stressor. Mentors, teachers, and caregivers can provide a protective effect that allows children to manage effectively.

Tolerable Stress Response

A tolerable stress response involves exposure to a non-normative experience that presents more significant adversity or threat. These stressors may include a family member’s death, a severe illness or injury, or a natural disaster. The effects of a tolerable stress response can lead to long-term consequences to health, learning, and mental health. A supportive and protective relationship with a trusted adult helps reduce the adverse outcomes associated with a tolerable stress response.

Toxic Stress Response

A toxic stress response results from intense, frequent, or prolonged activation of the body’s stress response system. The toxic stress response is the most far-reaching, long-lasting, and dangerous. These stressors include parents or guardians struggling with substance abuse, mental health struggles, and absence due to incarceration or divorce. The buffering protection of a supportive adult relationship lessens the long-term effects associated with toxic stress responses. 

How to Reduce Stress

You can brainstorm ideas together to children find positive ways to channel their energy. Below are some stress and anxiety-reducing strategies you can teach your mentee, or Little, that may be helpful: 

• Try 4-7-8 breathing. Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, breathe out for 8 seconds.
• Try journaling about feelings. Make sure that your Little knows they don’t need to share the things they write down and that getting their feelings out is the therapeutic part. Suggest that in the first 5 minutes of your visit, you write down some things that have been on your mind. Set a timer and put on some calming music. 
• Do something creative. Color a picture, draw or paint something, write songs or poetry, play with clay or play-dough. 
• Work on a hobby together. Cook or bake something. Put together a model, do a craft, or make something out of Legos. Knit something. Make something out of paper, like paper airplanes or origami. 
• Do something active. Take a walk outside, and make it fun by incorporating a scavenger hunt. Shoot some hoops. Try some stretching or yoga. Dance. Play catch. Jump rope. Just get moving! 
• Try meditating. There are lots of free or low-cost apps and websites that help walk you through the process. Get started with this Finding Positivity meditation from Headspace for “Young Kids” and “Big Kids”. 

How to Empower Children When They Struggle with Stress

A caring adult’s presence is related to numerous positive outcomes for young people, including greater resilience and lower stress. The caring and consistent relationship you build with your Little is a vital protective factor that will help them develop self-esteem throughout their life. There are numerous ways you can support your Little if they are experiencing stress: 

• Listen and empathize – practice listening when your Little vents to you about a problem.
  • Provide choices.
  • Validate your Little’s feelings.
  • Ask your Little open-ended questions; prompt with questions, “What do you think would happen if you tried ___?”
  • You can also ask, “What do you need from me?”
• Model the attitude you want to see – your Little will watch how you handle challenges.
  • Use phrases like, “This is hard. I need a break”, or “This is hard, I’m going to keep trying.”
  • Ask your Little to help you brainstorm solutions.
  • Avoid expressing negative opinions of yourself or making comments like, “I can’t do this.”
  • Focus on the positive. Was a lesson learned? Did you improve? Did you overcome the struggle – and how great did it feel?
• Build up confidence with age-appropriate tasks – boost your Little’s feelings of confidence and capability by allowing them to do age-appropriate tasks.
  • Choose an activity for an outing together between a couple of choices.
  • Prepare foods for a planned meal.
  • Order for themselves at a restaurant (within approved budget).
  • Pump gas before an outing (with oversight & help as needed).
• Remind them of past struggles and accomplishments – remind your Little of tasks that were once difficult and became easier with time.
  • What are your Little’s strengths?
  • How did they grow these strengths?
• Teach problem-solving skills – teach a simple process like the following:
  • What am I feeling?
  • What’s the problem?
  • What are the solutions?
  • What would happen if …?
  • What will I try?
• Know when to lend a hand – step in when:
  • There is a safety concern.
  • When a task is not developmentally appropriate.
  • The skills need to be learned before your Little can succeed.
  • Your Little has tried multiple strategies and persevered but is still struggling. In this case, offer guidance and help. Then, discuss what your Little learned and praise the effort and progress.

Helping a young person struggle with stress can be a learning experience. Ultimately, the presence of an adult mentor helps act as a protective factor against stress, leading to greater resilience and self-esteem. Do you want to help a child in our community reach their fullest potential? Becoming a volunteer Big means you’ll be a positive, supportive mentor for a child in our community. View our Big Orientation & Training schedule to attend a virtual orientation and get started as a mentor today!

 

 

Below are some articles and videos that you can watch with your Little, or forward to them to check out on their own, as these may open up a meaningful dialogue with your Little. Many of the videos are by young people, so your Little may connect more. 

Additional Resources

Talking to Your Child or Teen about Anxiety

7 Ways to Help Teens Cope with Stress

Tips on Getting Ready Mentally and Physically for a New School Year

3 Tips to Promote confidence

Meet Yourself: A User’s Guide to Building Self-Esteem – Niko Everett

Overcoming Anxiety — Jonas Kolker 

Stress Management Strategies: Ways to Unwind 

Teen Stress (Causes, Effects, Tips) 

Stress and Anxiety for Teens 

Stress at School — Carley Rogers 

Anxiety – Teen Talk 

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and we believe it takes everyone working together to keep youth safe and healthy.  Studies show that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), such as verbal abuse, incarceration, or substance abuse by parents, can halt a child’s healthy development. ACEs can lead to “toxic stress,” or highly stressful situations, for kids. Too much toxic stress for a child can lead to physical and mental health problems from childhood into adulthood. The early years of a child’s development are critical. Children need safe & encouraging relationships to help them build protective factors.

Adverse Childhood Experiences 

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events occurring before age 18. ACEs include all types of abuse and neglect as well as parental mental illness, substance use, divorce, incarceration, and domestic violence. A landmark study in the 1990s found a significant relationship between the number of ACEs a child experienced and a variety of negative outcomes in adulthood, including poor physical and mental health, substance abuse, and risky behaviors. The more ACEs experienced, the greater the risk for these outcomes.   

Research about the lifelong impact of ACEs underscores the urgency of prevention activities to protect children from these and other early traumas. When children do experience trauma, understanding the impact of ACEs can lead to more trauma-informed understanding and interventions that help to mitigate negative outcomes. Mentoring relationships provide a protective factor for children who have experienced ACEs. 

What Are Protective Factors?

Studies reveal that a meaningful way to prevent ACEs and toxic stress is to build “protective factors” in children. Protective factors can shield kids from ACEs, build resilience, and positively counter adverse events. They are things like:

• A nurturing caregiver
• Caring adults outside of the family who can serve as role models or mentors
• Positive school environment
• Social connections
• Opportunity for expression through art, music, etc.
• Opportunity to learn healthy coping skills 
• Access to services
• Cultural identity

How can you help children who have been abused or neglected?

Children who have experienced abuse or neglect need additional support from caring adults who understand the impact of trauma and how to help. As a volunteer mentor, consider the following suggestions when helping your mentee, or Little:

• Help your Little feel safe. Support them in expressing and managing intense emotions.
• Don’t force a conversation. However, if your Little opens up, dialogue helps them understand the link between their trauma history and current experiences. For example, help them understand what happened was not their fault or discuss how their current emotions might be related to past trauma.
• Support and promote safe and stable relationships. Be supportive of your Little’s family and caregivers if appropriate. Often caregivers have experienced trauma so be mindful that their responses to situations may be coping mechanisms as a result of their own trauma experiences.
• Manage your own stress. Supporters who have histories of trauma themselves may be at risk of experiencing secondary trauma symptoms.  

A caring adult’s presence is related to numerous positive outcomes for young people, including greater resilience and lower stress. The caring and consistent relationship you build with your Little is a vital protective factor that will help them develop self-esteem throughout life.  Find out how you can become a Big and be a positive, supportive mentor for youth in our community at one of our Big Orientation & Training info sessions. View our schedule get started!

 

Additional Resources

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

About Adverse Childhood Experiences
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Provides an overview of adverse childhood experiences. 

Adverse Childhood Experiences: Looking at How ACEs Affect Our Lives & Society 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Discusses the types of ACEs, their prevalence, their effects on physical and mental health and society, and strategies to address them. 

Essentials for Childhood Framework: Steps to Create Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships and Environments for All Children
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Explains a strategic approach to building strong communities that support positive child and family development. The goals of the approach include raising awareness, making data-driven decisions, promoting positive norms, and assessing policies that impact families. 

Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Provides two learning modules to help participants understand, recognize, and prevent adverse childhood experiences (ACES). This training is available to anyone interested in learning more about ACES regardless of profession or educational attainment.  

 

Do you need some ideas for things to talk to your Little about? Check out our April Conversation Starters to help you and your Little learn about new topics and discover new hobbies and interests. 

National Humor Month – What makes you laugh? How about your Little? Tell some jokes together or look some up!

International Guitar Month – Do either you or your Little play the Guitar? Check out some guitar solos on YouTube.

Keep America Beautiful Month – What are some beautiful places in FL and other states that you have been to or would love to travel to? Make a Bucket list together, Share some of your Travel Pics, or research some of the most beautiful landscapes in the USA. Discuss ways to keep America beautiful.

Move More Month – Find an easy YouTube stretching video or easy exercise video to try together.

Stress Awareness Month – Does your Little get stressed? If so, how often, what makes them stressed? Talk about strategies to relieve stress. Try a meditation or yoga video together.

National Poetry Month – Find some poems to recite to one another or make your own Haiku.

April 4^th Easter – Does your Little celebrate Easter? If so how? Color or creative Easter Eggs together.

April 4^th is World Party Day – What makes the best party? What are good things to celebrate? A fun group activity would be to plan a party with an unlimited budget and we can each go around and add something fun for our party.

April 7^th is World Health Day – What do you/your parents do to stay healthy? What is something you can change daily to become healthier? Why is it so important to stay healthy?  What are some jobs that help people stay healthy? Would you like to go into a field that helps people stay healthy?

April 8^th is Zoo Lover’s Day – Research the most popular Zoos in the world, the pros and cons of zoos, or what it takes to be a Zookeeper. Is it a job that you would like?

April 10^th is National Siblings Day – Do you have any siblings? What are the pros and cons of being an only child? Is it better to be an older, middle, or younger sibling? What is the best thing about your sibling? What is your favorite thing to do with your sibling? What do you think your sibling will be when they grow up? Come up with a list of popular books/shows/movies that feature siblings.

April 13^th is International Plant Appreciation Day and  April 14^th is National Gardening Day (April is also Gardening Month) – Discuss different plants and take a “can you name this plant” quiz together. Discuss the pros and cons of having a garden. Discuss the benefits of gardening. Discuss differences and similarities of having a flower or fruit/veggie garden.

April 14^th is National Dolphin Day – Check out some neat facts about dolphins and watch “A Dolphins Tale” story if you haven’t already.

April 21^st is National Kindergarten Day – What do you remember most about being in K? Who was your K teacher? Did you like them why or why not? What makes a good K teacher? Would you like to be a K teacher and why/why not?

April 22^nd is Earth Day – Check out this video about Earth Day. What can you do to participate in Earth Day?

April 25 is National Telephone Day – What do you do most on the phone? (Text, call, email, games) Why are phones important? How would your life be different if you couldn’t take your phone with you places? How would your life be different if you didn’t have a phone at all? How would you communicate, plan things, get help in an emergency?  Look up some pictures of the first phones and see how far our technology has come!

April 28 is National Superhero Day – Who is your favorite Superhero? If you had a superpower what would it be? Would You Rather Questions “Xray vision or flight, super strength or super speed,” etc. Design your own superhero costume.

April 24^th is Arbor Day – Research this day together. Why is it important to plant trees? Can you imagine your neighborhood or favorite park without trees? What would that be like? Do you have a favorite kind of tree? How many different types of trees can you think of?

 

Do you want to learn what it takes to become a Big? Learn more at our Big Orientation & Training info session. View the schedule.