We celebrate and honor the generations of American Asian and Pacific Islanders who are part of our country’s rich history. AAPI Heritage month gives us an opportunity to learn from the experiences, achievements and perspectives of Asian American’s who forged new paths and made significant contributions in the arts and sciences. Here is a playlist from the Dorktales Storytime Podcast featuring some of their amazing stories:
Maya Lin
Maya Lin is an architect and artist who combines both skills to create works that blend physical space and natural landscapes. At just 21, she won a national design competition to create the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. It is one of the most emotionally-moving and visited memorials in the United States. That’s the power of her art!
Isabella Aiona Abbott
Isabella Aiona Abbott is the First Lady of Limu—the Hawaiian word for water plants. She was the leading expert on marine algae and seaweeds of the Pacific Ocean. Her story reminds us of the connection between humans and the natural world, and the importance of preserving cultural knowledge.
Dr. Kazue Togasaki
Dr. Kazue Togasaki was one of the first Japanese American women to become a doctor in the United States. She was a pioneer in the field of medicine and a role model for her sense of duty, compassion and service to others. Over the course of her career, she delivered over 10,000 babies!
Eugenie Clark
Eugenie Clark, popularly and affectionately nicknamed The Shark Lady, was an American ichthyologist (ick-thee-O-lo-gist) known for both her research on shark behavior and her study of fish. Her work turned the tides on what we thought we knew about sharks, the ocean’s most misunderstood creatures.
Helen Liu Fong
Helen Liu Fong was an architect in the 1950s and 60s who broke through gender and racial barriers to become an influential leader in architectural design. She was a leading figure in “Googie” architecture style, which was inspired by jets, cars and the space age. She became known for her daring color choices and attention to the little design details that make a big architectural impact.
Duke Kahanamoku
Duke Kahanamoku was a surfer, record-breaking swimmer, Hollywood television and film actor, Honolulu Sheriff and heroic rescuer who lived a life of integrity and honor. He was known for spreading the Spirit of Aloha, which is part of his Hawaiian culture. He valued integrity, respect, and harmony, encouraged a life of giving and sharing, and approached the world with open arms.
Hazel Ying Lee and Maggie Gee
Hazel Ying Lee and Maggie Gee achieved their aviation dreams in a time when they faced prejudice that could have held them back. They were the only two Chinese-American women in the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), and were targeted because World War II created a lot of unfair hostility towards Asian American people. Despite this, Ms. Gee and Ms. Lee continued to push forward, and played an incredibly important role in paving the way for more acceptance in the field of aviation and beyond.
Ruth Asawa
Ruth Asawa is one of California’s most beloved sculptors and was an influential advocate for arts education. She spent 18 months in a US Japanese internment camp where she attended high school and learned from other artists who were living alongside her, including animators from Walt Disney Studios. Throughout her adult life, Ms. Asawa created a large body of work. Today, her art resides in very famous museums and as commissioned public works. Her arts education advocacy lives on in the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, a public arts high school named in her honor.
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