May 2008
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Many years ago there were few books that accurately portrayed Asian Americans in books. Books like The Five Chinese Brothers are out-of-date, and makes it hard for any Asian Pacific American to relate to the culture that the book portrays. Now there are many authors such as Lawrence Yep, Grace Lin, Allen Say, Linda Sue Park, and more newcomers such as Cherry Cheva, Gene Luen Yang, and An Na. Books portraying Asian Pacific American Heritage are changing, and it’s exciting to see the new books that are now available. In addition to the books listed below, Fusion Stories is a great place to find more books that celebrate the Asian Pacific American Heritage.
The White Elephant
Written by Sid Fleischman
Illustrated by Robert McGuire
A white elephant is an idiom for a gift or project that seems like a wonderful thing, but in reality it is burden. For example, a sports car would make a wonderful gift, but the price of gas and the insurance—not to mention the cost of maintaining the running condition of the sports car—makes it a burden for an average person, making an average salary.
Fleischman wrote this story based on an old story where the King of Siam (today’s Thailand) was angry with one of his courtier. The king gave the courtier a white elephant, which drained the courtier’s resources and ruined the courtier. The story Fleischman wrote explains the subtle nuance of the idiom in a way students will easily understand. Fleischman also created a rich world that most students have never experienced.