Action Guides
Raising Asian American Kids: Questions, Reflections & Resources
Your questions answered.
Why tailored resources? Because children in the U.S. have very different experiences based on their racial and ethnic identities: from their experiences of immigration, family history, and collective history; opportunities to see themselves fully represented in media; opportunities to celebrate their heritage and culture; their experiences of discrimination and stereotyping; and more.
The racial label “Asian American” is a huge umbrella that includes tons of diversity – different ethnicities, immigration histories, languages, and approaches to talking about race. Asian Americans also share some similar experiences, which may include family traditions and values as well as being viewed through particular cultural stereotypes, including the “model minority myth.”
This toolkit contains some resources that are just for you, as a caregiver, and some that are designed to be used directly with kids. Some are downloads and some are videos. They address different themes, including cultural pride and family roots, understanding and managing racism and bias, and cross-racial solidarity. Take a look through and see where you might want to begin!
EmbraceRace is grateful to the researchers from the Asian American Families Study Collaborative for their partnership on this toolkit. Please note that this toolkit - hopefully the first of many - does not focus on kids of Pacific Islander heritage.
Action Guides
Your questions answered.
Articles
This short, kid-friendly video introduces the rich diversity within Asian American communities — perfect for watching together with your child. After watching the videos together, discuss your reactions, reflections, and wonderings by using the accompanying discussion prompts.
Articles
Sometimes, we may feel like being “different” than others — for the way we look, for eating different foods, or for speaking different languages — is a bad thing. Whenever being “different” makes us feel unhappy, thinking about the special details of our cultures and heritages can help us remember how our cultures actually make us unique and important.
Articles
Use this resource as a guide to help prompt your own reflection.
Articles
How can Asian American children understand, process, and respond to being stereotyped? This kid-friendly video gives an introduction and examples that many Asian American kids and adults will relate to.
Articles
These comics are meant to start conversations between children and caregivers about race and racism, centering the diverse experiences of Asian American children. They relate to themes of cultural pride, coping with racism, interracial solidarity, and adoption.
Articles
Watch how educator Katie Yue-Sum Li adapted “A Kids Book About Racism” to reflect her own Asian American experience—and why representation, identity, and community matter when teaching kids about race.
Children’s Books
Picture books celebrating a wide diversity of Asian and Asian American characters, cultures, and experiences.
Children’s Books
Are you looking for “mirror” books that reflect your Asian American children’s own experiences and identities? Or are you looking for “window” books that can show children other identities, experiences, and cultures that are different from their own?
Action Guides
This reflection guide helps caregivers to Asian American children prepare for those hard, real moments when kids are on the receiving end of racism and also help them understand how to avoid perpetuating racism against others —on the playground, in the classroom, or among friends.
Articles
Stories to share with kids about Asian American activists and leaders who have all worked hard to make our world a better place.
Action Guides
Use this story to spark meaningful conversations about heritage, belonging, and pride.