Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons: Dorothea Lange picture of Japanese-American children reciting the pledge of allegiance

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. But in my family, we try to learn about Asian American history year round. Because they are multiracial Asians, my kids especially need to learn about the history and contributions of Asian immigrants in the United States. But everyone can benefit from learning about the experiences of Asians in America, especially as Congress debates proposed changes to the nation’s immigration policies.

My own parents arrived in the United States in the late 1960s, after the passage of the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965, which makes my children third-generation Asian Americans. My children know no other home but America, and a multicultural one at that – where Asians, Latinos and whites live, work and go to school together. But it’s important to learn about the experiences of other Asian Americans who came before them.

Honoring the accomplishments of the people who paved the way for today’s Asian Americans helps us understand the obstacles that our forbears have faced – and overcame. Nearly 50 years before Jeremy Lin created “Linsanity” by taking the New York Knicks on an unexpected winning streak, Wat Misaka was the first Asian American – and first person of color – to play basketball for the NBA. Long before Lucy Liu starred in Ally McBeal, Anna May Wong was the first Chinese American woman to grace the silver screen.

But despite the stereotypes that Asians are the “model minority”, not all immigrants who cross the Pacific find success in the United States. It’s also important to remember the violence against Chinese railroad workers and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Acknowledging these difficulties helps us to have understanding for the obstacles faced by any minority group – Asian, African-American, Latino, Muslim or Native American. As the Spanish philosopher George Santayana once said, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Visit my blog, HapaMama for recommended children’s books for Asian Pacific Heritage Month and suggested museums and landmarks to visit with your family.