As part of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we're highlighting motherhood stories and parenting advice from some of our AAPI Banditas. Read on for their advice on raising proud AAPI babies, celebrating their family heritage, and more.
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First up, blogger and mom of three Danica of Memoirs of a Mommy:
How do you celebrate your AAPI heritage with your children?
My family and I celebrate our Filipino heritage through food and keeping traditions alive during the holidays and birthdays—from eating noodles for long life during birthdays to having 13 round fruits for good luck on our table for New Year's. We do our best to expose our children to different Filipino dishes that are not normally on the menu at local restaurants. They may not speak Tagalog fluently, but we try to teach them words here & there.
What’s your advice for raising a child/children with a sense of pride in their heritage?
Make it fun and incorporate stories about your childhood experiences—the good and even the bad and how you’ve learned from it. I tell my son the financial hardship our family faced in the Philippines and why we moved to U.S. We read books and stories about the Philippines and I tell them how I relate to these characters.
What are some AAPI parenting resources you’ve found helpful?
I am honored to be part of #AAPICreateHers, where a group of AAPI women and mothers are sharing about their experiences as Asian Americans and how we teach our children about our heritage. I also like following Little Feminist Book Club; they provide resources on how to have difficult conversations with our kids about race and being anti-racist.
Do you have any favorite AAPI-owned businesses or brands you’d like to share?
@hellosocietykids is owned by an Asian American mom promoting gender-neutral clothing. @Charlene.Dipaola is another Asian American mama and founder of Hip Shake Fitness. If you’re into Filipino artisan gourmet food, please check out my mom at @bekskitchenLA, and if you have an eclectic palate for ice cream, check out Wanderlust Creamery, owned by another Filipino American mama here in Los Angeles!
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More advice and insight from nutritionist and blogger Serein Wu Ledford:
How do you celebrate your AAPI heritage with your children?
My husband and I want to make sure to surround Lilian with the foods, celebrations, and history of my Chinese/Tawainese background. We are also looking into Chinese schools for when she's ready.
What’s your advice for raising children with a sense of pride in their heritage?
For me, I remember growing up being ashamed that I was different and ate different foods, wore different clothes, and spoke a different language. I think so much has changed now, and I'm so grateful that there has been more exposure to AAPI cultures. We obviously have a long way to go still, but I hope that by sharing the fun parts of my culture with Lilian and her friends, she'll be proud of where she comes from.
For me, it all starts with foods and traditions that involve family and celebrations. My hope is by inviting Lilian's friends and their families to take part in our traditions, it will help them learn about our culture and give Lilian a sense of pride to share with others.
Do you have any favorite AAPI-owned businesses or brands you’d like to highlight?
I really love Kyte Baby—Asian- and women-founded and owned. Their bamboo sleep bags are top quality and help Lilian stay cozy. Orce Cosmetics also holds a special place in my heart. Yu-Chen, the founder of Orce, wanted to create a beauty brand that not only represented the AAPI community, but also broke down some of the stigmas specifically surrounding Asian beauty.
