May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a time to celebrate and honor the achievements of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders throughout history. Throughout history, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have overcome challenges and have helped those who come after them to rise as well. Take time this month to learn about the rich and diverse heritage of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have paved the way for those around them.

All kids can benefit from having a defender of potential, and it is important to acknowledge those who are willing to help others around them find success. This month Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay will highlight Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have helped others reach their full potential. Find out how you can become a mentor and defend the potential of all youth in your local area by becoming a Big. 

Dr. Margaret “Mom” Chung

Dr. Margaret “Mom” Chung was born and raised in California and became the first female Chinese American physician during a time of extreme discrimination toward Asian Americans.

When World War II broke out, Dr. Chung started hosting American soldiers, politicians, and actors for dinners. In her autobiography she recalls a pilot telling her “Gee, you are as understanding as a mother, and we are going to adopt you,” and Dr. Chung became “Mom”.

During the Sino-Japanese War, Mom volunteered as a front-line surgeon for the Chinese, and recruited the American-Chinese pilot unit known as the “Flying Tigers”.

Mom went on to support efforts to allow for greater inclusion of women in the United States military, using her connections formed at her dinners, eventually creating Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. She died in 1959, leaving behind over 1500 “children” including John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, and Amelia Earhart.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

Born in California to a black father and Samoan mother, Johnson grew up around professional wrestlers who taught him that showing emotions wasn’t masculine.

After a college football career that ended with no teams selecting him in the draft, Johnson fell into a deep depression with no tools to get out of it.

Once Johnson started therapy, he realized the benefits of having someone to talk to and explains that “the key is to not be afraid to open up.” Johnson is now the highest paid actor in the world and credits his success to being true to himself.

Johnson has since become an advocate for mental health awareness, encouraging others, particularly men, to find someone they can talk to.

Mindy Kaling and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan

When Mindy Kaling rose to fame on “The Office” she was one of the first mainstream Asian Americans in Hollywood. She has since been a champion for other Asian Americans breaking into the industry, particularly young women.

Kaling met Maitreyi Ramakrishnan on the set of her show “Never Have I Ever” which is loosely based on Kaling’s life as the daughter of Indian immigrants in Massachusetts.

Kaling discusses her mentorship of young women, including Ramakrishnan, explaining that she wants young women of color to say, “Oh yeah, Mindy Kaling was my mentor.” Ramakrishnan has echoed the sentiments, oftentimes expressing her gratitude for the help Kaling has offered her.

As the show has progressed, Ramakrishnan has collaborated with Kaling on plot points and character arcs for “Never Have I Ever” allowing for the young actress to gain vital experience to further her career.

Match Activities

Attend:

• Monday, May 16, 2022, 6 p.m Online | The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) museum shares Asian Pacific American history, art, and culture through innovative museum experiences online and throughout the United States. Click here to register.

•  Monday, May 16th, 2022 | Multicultural Social: Asian Pacific American Culture| Enjoy delicious food from around the globe! Safety Harbor Museum & Cultural Center, 329 Bayshore Blvd. S., Safety Harbor, 34695

Read:

• The Hillsborough County library has a great selection of books from AAPI voices for all ages. Click here to see the list.
• The history of Asian Americans is deeply intertwined together with all of America’s history. The online lesson plans provided here offer age-appropriate K–12 learning and activity items.

Watch:

• Mindy Kaling’s shares her perspectives on launching her own production company, Kaling International. Click here to watch the video or read the Time article.

Helping your Little identify, understand, and learn how to better manage their emotions can be an important part of your relationship, especially if they are getting in trouble for emotional outbursts at home or in school.

Experiencing anger is a normal part of everyday life.  It plays a positive role in identifying where there may be a problem or a need that is not being met, yet students must learn how to deal with anger appropriately.  Many students suffer daily emotional stress and frustrations, especially if they are experiencing family issues, which can boil over at school and cause them to get in trouble and struggle
socially and academically. Failing to deal effectively with strong emotions can lead to problems not just now, but also later in life, including a host of health problems.

You can help your Little learn to manage his or her emotions constructively by providing a safe space to discuss their feelings and by acting as a positive role model. You may be the one person they can talk to without feeling judged, and it is important to try to see things from their perspective and validate their experience, regardless of how you may initially perceive it. As you likely know, it can be very hard to think rationally when in the grip of strong emotions, so first give your Little a chance to simply express what they feel and practice your reflective listening.  Reflective listening is a communication strategy involving two key steps: seeking to understand your Little’s idea, then stating the idea back to your Little to confirm the idea has been understood correctly.

Once they feel understood and more relaxed you can help them name the emotion, try to identify the cause of the emotion, explore what the emotion felt like physically, and then problem-solve the best ways to respond to that emotion when they experience it again. This will help them gain a better understanding of why they experience these emotions in the first place, recognize what the emotions feel like so they can identify them in the future before they boil over, and have several appropriate responses prepared so they handle emotional situations correctly and avoid getting in trouble.

Just by being an outlet for them to talk about their emotions you are probably already well on your way to influencing your Little for the better.

It’s pretty simple.

By building a trusting friendship with your Little you can have a positive impact on their life. It may not be immediately noticeable, but you are planting seeds and cultivating future effects. That’s what it’s all about.

Here are some additional thoughts on making a difference with your Little:

Showing up consistently and sharing activities together (events, having lunch, just talking) is the biggest factor in forming a positive relationship with your Little.
Simply focusing on your Little’s interests and having fun together will build connection.
Learn about your Little; their experiences, background, and family traditions play an important role in who they are.
Deciding what activities to do together fosters a stronger relationship.
By being there you are making a difference even if you don’t think you are. If you’re ever concerned about not making a difference, talk it over with your Match Support Specialist. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay provides you with support and resources as a volunteer.

Remember, the success and power of mentoring are not about one mentoring session or conversation.

It is about building trust over time and allowing Littles to express themselves, ask questions, and know that they are heard, seen, and valued for who they are and what they believe.

GET STARTED AS A BIG BY ATTENDING A BIG ORIENTATION & TRAINING SESSION. WE HAVE UPCOMING IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL OPTIONS AVAILABLE.

March is Women’s History Month, a time to uplift women’s voices and honor the contributions of women throughout history. Girls and young women face a unique set of challenges but continue to persist and break-down barriers. Take time this month to learn from women throughout history who have paved the way for the next generation of young women to reach their full potential. 

Firsts are powerful and important, but we must not forget those who helped them arrive there. This Women’s History Month, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay will highlight women who were “firsts” and the greats who stood behind them along the way.

Viola Davis, Actor & Producer

Viola Davis was the first African American to achieve “triple crown” status by being awarded a Primetime Emmy, an Academy Award, and two Tony Awards. 

She credits Cicely Tyson, a friend, and fellow actress, as a key mentor who inspired her. “You made me feel loved and seen and valued in a world where there is still a cloak of invisibility for us dark chocolate girls. You gave me permission to dream…because it was only in my dreams that I could see the possibilities in myself.” 

Cicely was known for her on-screen performances, which garnered her three Primetime Emmy Awards, four Black Reel Awards, an honorary Academy Award, one Screen Actors Guild Award, a Tony Award, and Peabody Award. In addition to these accolades, President Barack Obama awarded her the Medal of Freedom in 2016. She stated this was the most important award she received in her lifetime. 

Lucy Stone, Women’s Sufferage Movement

Susan B. Anthony’s name is typically the first to come to mind when thinking about women’s right to vote in the United States. She appears on our currency and in most history books. She is arguably the most well-known contributor to the Women’s Suffrage movement. 

But who inspired Anthony to become involved with Women’s Suffrage? A woman named Lucy Stone is said to have inspired Anthony to take up the cause in the first place after Anthony attended a convention that Stone had spoken at. 

Lucy Stone became the first woman from Massachusetts to obtain a degree after completing her studies at Oberlin College. An accomplished orator with sharp rhetoric, she was asked to compose the class commencement speech. She declined the request because she would not be allowed to read it due to being a woman. At Oberlin’s 50th Anniversary celebration, Stone returned and spoke on stage. 

Stone spent much of her life traveling and giving lectures regarding Women’s Suffrage and abolishing slavery. Stone is also known as the first American woman to keep her original name after marrying. “I believe that the influence of woman will save the country before any other power.”

Ibtihaj Muhammad, Olympic Bronze Medalist

The first woman to wear a hijab while competing in the Olympics on behalf of the United States was Ibtihaj Muhammad. She earned a bronze medal for her sabre fencing at the Rio Olympics and is ranked 7th globally. 

Earlier in life, she joined the Peter Westbrook Foundation, a fencing program that helps develop life skills in underserved young people. This foundation was established by Asian American Peter Westbrook, whose mother insisted he begin fencing to keep him out of trouble and expose him to a different life. 

Muhammad serves as a sports ambassador on the U.S. Department of State’s Empowering Women and Girls Through Sport Initiative. She travels to various countries to speak about the importance of sports and education. She has written two books and established Louella, a clothing line that focuses on bringing modest, fashionable clothing to America. 

Claudette Colvin, Civil Rights Movement

Claudette Colvin was pregnant and sitting in the back of the bus, as African Americans were required to do so in 1955. When the bus filled up, she was asked to stand to give her seat up to a white person. She loudly refused and exclaimed that it was her “constitutional right” to occupy the seat. “History kept me stuck to my seat. I felt the hand of Harriet Tubman pushing down on one shoulder and Sojourner Truth pushing down on the other.” 

Colvin was handcuffed, arrested, and pulled out of the bus. Though this was not a planned action by Colvin, she was part of the Youth NAACP and had dreams of becoming the United States president one day. The NAACP decided it would premiere Rosa Parks as the face of its bus de-segregation campaign 5 months after the incident with Colvin. 

Colvin struggled being labeled a troublemaker in her community and moved from Montgomery to New York. She worked as a nurse’s aid in Manhattan for 34 years and raised her children, rarely telling her story to others. She was later honored for her lifetime commitment to public service with a Congressional Certificate and an American flag. 

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

Match Activities

Watch:

• Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities (PBS)
• Hidden Figures: Discussing the Women of NASA with Margot Lee Shetterly (Library of Congress)

Read:

• Shall Not Be Denied: Women Fight for the Right to Vote (Library of Congress)
• Women’s History Month: 31 Days of Amazing Women (USA TODAY)

Podcasts:

• “Unlocking Us with Brené Brown” Glennon Doyle and Brené on Untamed (Podcast)
• Best Women Empowerment Podcasts (Medium.com)