The Asian American Education Project, 11 W 53rd St, New York, NY (2026)

08/26/2026

On this day in 1903, the Philippine Commission passed Act 854, the Pensionado Act, which created a scholarship for Filipinos aged 16-21 to study in the United States. The sponsored students were known as pensionados, a Spanish-derived term referring to students receiving government financial support. Learn more about the pensionados and the impact of the Pensionado Act in the following slides.

The Spanish-American War was fought between the United States and Spain and lasted from April 21 to August 13, 1898. One of the primary locations of the conflict was the Philippines. There, the U.S. Navy fought alongside Filipino forces seeking independence during the takeover of Manila. Filipino forces would declare independence on June 12, 1898, and on December 10, 1898, the Treaty of Paris ended Spanish colonial rule (1565-1898) after Spain sold the Philippines to the United States for $20 million.

The Philippine forces felt betrayed and did not want another occupier. This resulted in the Philippine-American War (1899-1902). The Philippine-American War would result in around 4,200 American and at least 20,000 Filipino soldier deaths, in addition to an estimated 200,000 civilian deaths; this war had more casualties than the Spanish-American War.

Despite opposition from Filipino nationalists, the United States established full colonial rule in the Philippines in 1900. Many ilustrados, the most educated and wealthiest members of the Filipino elite, filled government positions. With a half-Filipino, half-American commission board, they developed the Philippines’ governing structure, which resulted in the Philippine Organic Act of 1902. This act recognized the Philippines as an “unorganized” territory, with an elected assembly and two Resident Commissioners with partial autonomy, but without any power to vote in the House of Representatives.

Over time, as the Philippine government became more stable and the economy grew, the United States would eventually grant the Philippines independence through the Tydings–McDuffie Act. After a 10-year transition period, the Philippines finally gained independence in

08/17/2026

Did you know? India Abroad was one of the longest-running Indian newspapers, bringing about Indian Americans, India-U.S. relations, and connecting news from India to the Indian diaspora abroad until it ceased publication in 2020. The newspaper ran for 50 years, giving a platform to many Indian Americans.

There are an estimated 6 million or more Indian Americans in the U.S., the largest Indian diaspora outside of India. Indian Americans also make up the largest Asian-alone group (“Indian-only”) and the second largest Asian American ethnicity.

Indian immigrants have been in the U.S. since at least 1790. The population grew rapidly due to the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which allowed highly skilled or educated immigrants to enter the U.S.; many waves of immigrants came in the 1970s-1990s.

India Abroad was a weekly newspaper based in New York City that brought news about Indian Americans, India-U.S. relations, news from India to the Indian diaspora abroad. The company also had editions in Canada and Great Britain. It was founded by Gopal Raju (1928-2008) in 1970.

India Abroad had correspondents around the world, which became known as the India Abroad News Service (IANS) in 1985.

Gopal Raju was an Indian American media entrepreneur and publisher. Raju also founded the organizations Indian American Foundation (IAF) and the Indian American Center for Political Action (IACPA), and published News India Times, Desi Talk, and Gujarat Times.

Raju was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, the highest civilian honor to overseas Indians, in 2007 for his work in bridging India and the U.S. together.

India Abroad also gave a voice to many Indian Americans by highlighting them through their platform. It had a “India Abroad Person of the Year” ceremony between 2002 and 2011, honoring Indian Americans who have made notable accomplishments across various fields.

It also promoted Indian American participation in U.S. politics, including Indian Americans serving in government, in Congress, and in the diplomatic corps between the U.S. and India.

Gopal Raju sold India Abroad to Redi

08/14/2026

During the 2025-2026 school year, we started working with New York City organizations to provide free professional development and develop resources to support Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) curriculum in New York City schools through the NYC AAPI K-12 Studies Initiative.

We are pleased to announce that the New York City Council has approved funding for the NYC AAPI K-12 Studies Initiative for the school year 2026-2027! AAEdu will continue to provide localized history development, curriculum training, outreach, and material dissemination for schools in New York City.

The NYC AAPI Studies Curriculum K-12 Initiative is funded by The New York City Council Education Equity Action Plan.

08/11/2026

Did you know? Walter Tin Kit “Sneeze” Achiu was the first Asian and Pacific Islander American to play in the NFL.

Achiu broke barriers with the Dayton Triangles during a time when AAPI athletes faced limited opportunities and discrimination in professional sports. Beyond football, he built a successful wrestling career and paved the way for future generations of athletes.

Walter Tin Kit “Sneeze” Achiu was born on August 3, 1902 in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. His father was a Chinese immigrant and his mother was Native Hawaiian. As he grew up, Achiu developed into a multi-sport athlete, excelling in football, track and field, and baseball. He attended the Kamehameha Schools as well as President William McKinley High School. He also attended Saint Louis School, a historic Catholic college preparatory school in Honolulu. His speed and athletic ability earned him recognition as one of Hawaii’s top young athletes. Encouraged by a former classmate, Achiu left Hawaiʻi to attend the University of Dayton, where he continued to build his reputation as an athlete.

Achiu attended the University of Dayton in 1922. He became one of the school’s standout football players; he played multiple positions including fullback, halfback, and lineman. Achiu also continued to be a versatile athlete, playing baseball, wrestling, and track. He was the first person of Chinese descent to play college football at the University of Dayton.

He received the nickname “Sneeze” from teammates who claimed that his last name, Achiu, sounded like the word someone says after sneezing (“achoo”). When asked by people how to pronounce his last name, Achiu has often been quoted with saying “Sneeze and you’ll get it.”The nickname stuck throughout his athletic career.

In addition to his stellar athletic resume, Achiu was no slouch academically, as he graduated in 1927 with a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Dayton.

In 1927, Achiu made history by becoming the first Asian and Pacific Islander American to play in the National Football League (NFL). He joined the Dayton Triangles, one of the league’s original franchises, br

08/06/2026

Did you know Bollywood is a portmanteau of “Bombay” and “Hollywood”? Bollywood is India’s Hindi-language film industry, and over the years its influence has grown to shape filmmaking abroad and in the United States!

07/23/2026

Today is the birthday of Danny Barcelona, the Hawaii-born Filipino-American percussionist most notably known for being the drummer in Louis Armstrong’s All-Stars for 15 years. Barcelona is one of many Asian American artists who immersed themselves in the jazz genre, highlighting the connection between Asian American musicians and Black American art. Learn more about his life and legacy here!

Danny Barcelona was a Filipino-American jazz drummer, best known for being the percussionist in trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong’s (1901-1971) All-Stars, a six-piece traditional jazz group. Barcelona played with Armstrong for 15 years, and his percussion appeared in more than 130 of Armstrong’s records.

Danny Barcelona was born in Waipahu, Hawaii, on July 23, 1929. He was a self-taught percussionist. By the age of 18, he was playing music with James “Trummy” Young (1912-1984), a trombonist. In the early 1950s, he joined Young’s Hawaii All-Stars (also known as Hawaiian Dixieland All-Stars), a six-member jazz band, and toured in Japan, the Hawaiian Islands, and other Asian countries. His wife, Dee Barcelona (1929-2012), was also a musician, once a part of the Morgan Sisters singing trio.

James Young introduced Barcelona to Louis Armstrong in 1956 (Young also played with Armstrong in the early 1950s). Barcelona soon became Armstrong’s drummer and played with his jazz band for several years. Barcelona was introduced to audiences as “The Little Filipino Boy.” Barcelona traveled the world, playing percussion with Louis Armstrong’s All-Stars. He recorded hits with Armstrong, such as “Hello, Dolly!” and “What a Wonderful World.” Throughout his career, Barcelona appears on over 130 of Armstrong’s recordings.

Louis Armstrong, also known as “Satchmo,” was one of the most prominent jazz musicians. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Armstrong is known for steering the genre towards solo performance, using his trumpet and voice to become a notable band soloist and recording artist. On top of influencing the genre of jazz as a whole and reaching mainstream audiences, he received m

07/21/2026

On this day in 1954, the Geneva Accords (also called the Geneva Agreement) were signed, leading to further U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia. It ended the French rule of French Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos), but also led to the Vietnam War and subsequent “secret wars” in Cambodia and Laos due to unresolved tensions between communist and anti-communist forces.

Starting on April 26, 1954, representatives from the U.S., the Soviet Union, the People’s Republic of China, France, and the United Kingdom met in Geneva, Switzerland, to resolve several conflicts in Asia, including the Korean War and the First Indochina War. They were joined by North Korea and South Korea to handle issues regarding Korea, but they failed to reach an agreement.

Indochina discussions began on May 8, 1954, with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), the State of Vietnam (South Vietnam), the Kingdom of Cambodia, and the Kingdom of Laos.

Caption: French Indochina, established in 1887, was the term used to describe what is now known as the countries of Vietnam (regions Tonkin, Annam, & Cochinchina), Laos, and Cambodia, and the Chinese territory of Guangzhouwan under French rule.

The First Indochina War (1946-1954), also known as the French Indochina War, was a conflict between the Việt Minh, communist Northern Vietnamese forces led by Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969), and the French, who sought to maintain their colonial rule. Cambodia and Laos had already gained independence from France in 1953. By April 1954, the Việt Minh captured Dien Bien Phu. France then added matters regarding Vietnam to the agenda at the Geneva Conference.

Captions:
Việt Minh victory at Dien Bien Phu.

The U.S. supported France, wanting to stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia.

On this day in 1954, the Geneva Accords (also called the Geneva Agreement) were signed by all parties except the U.S. and South Vietnam. In order to meet the 30-day deadline, official documents state it was signed on July 20, 1954, but it was actually signed on July 21, 1954.

The Geneva Accords officially ended French rule in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Vietnam

07/20/2026

July 20 is National Fortune Cookie Day! Did you know that fortune cookies, often associated with Chinese American restaurants, actually have Japanese roots? Learn more about the confection’s history and how the fortune cookie we know today is shaped by immigration, cultural exchange, and war.

Did you know that the treat many know today as a “fortune cookie” has origins in Japan? Despite its common association with Chinese American restaurants, most historical evidence points to Japanese roots.

During the late 1800s, shops near Kyoto would sell “tsujiura senbei” (“fortune cracker”) and other types of crackers. They were larger and darker, made with sesame and miso. The fortune, omikuji (“sacred lot”), was located in the bend of the cookie and had no lucky numbers. Tsujiura senbei are considered the blueprint and ancestor of the American fortune cookie. They are still sold in some regions of Japan today.

Tsujiura senbei most likely were brought to the United States during the late 1800s and early 1900s by Japanese laborers who settled in California and Hawaiʻi.

In the United States, especially in cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, there are many origin stories of inventing and popularizing fortune cookies: Makoto Hagiwara (1854-1925) & Suyeichi Okamura* of Benkyodo, David Jung*of the Hong Kong Noodle Company, Seiichi Kito* of Fugetsu-Do Bakery Shop, and Yasuo Hamano* of Umeya Co.

*years of life unknown

The Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, ran by Makoto Hagiwara, is one of the first known U.S. restaurants to serve fortune cookies. Hagiwara claimed it was his idea to put the fortunes in the cookies, and in 1914, he would fold them by hand to serve customers. Benkyodo, a Japanese confectionery in San Francisco’s Japantown, was a supplier of fortune cookies for the Japanese Tea Garden. These were made one at a time using a sembei iron kata (hand-skillet mold).

In 1918, David Jung, founder of the Hong Kong Noodle Company in Los Angeles, claimed that he invented the fortune cookie. He passed out fortune cookies with Bible passages to individuals facing homelessness on the streets.

07/18/2026

In honor of Disability Pride Month, we are spotlighting some APIDAs with disabilities/disabled APIDA activists and advocates who are shaping the narrative for better inclusion and accessibility in various ways.

Description:
All slides have a gray background, with spotlights on top, and disability pride stripes in the corners. AAEdu logo in a circle at top of page. Text reads “APIDA Spotlight: Disability Pride Month.” Blue stripe on bottom with text, “ASIANAMERICANEDU.ORG.”

Title slide includes graphics of disability pride flag, and group of fourteen individuals with various disabilities.

Text reads: Disability affects more than 1 in 4 adults in the United States. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a person with disability is legally defined as “a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more life activity. This includes people who have a record of impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability.”

There are two types of language when referring to people with disabilities: people-first language and identity-first language. People-first language emphasizes the person, with the disability as only part of them (e.g., “person with disability”). Identity-first language is when a person identifies with their disability to demonstrate pride in who they are (e.g., “Disabled person”). It varies by the individual or community regarding which language to use, so ask for preferences if possible. When preference is unknown or cannot be determined, people-first language is typically the default.

Description:
All slides have a gray background, with spotlights on top, and disability pride stripes in the corners. AAEdu logo in a circle at top of page. Text reads “APIDA Spotlight: Disability Pride Month.” Blue stripe on bottom with text, “ASIANAMERICANEDU.ORG.”

Text reads: Since 2015, Disability Pride Month has been officially celebrated each July to honor people with disabilities, their identities, cultures, and contributions to society. It commemorates the signing of the ADA on July 26, 1990. Disability Pride pushes for full in

07/16/2026

Did you know many popular shaved ice desserts around the world share connected histories? Desserts such as Japan’s kakigōri, Korea’s bingsu, Hawai‘i’s shave ice, and more reflect many years of cultural exchange, migration, and innovation.

Share below: Let us know what your favorite Asian shaved ice dessert is and/or how you keep cool in the summertime!

The Asian American Education Project

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