St. Margaret’s Celebrates AAPI Heritage Month With Narratives, Education and Celebrations

St. Margaret’s celebrated Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May with a variety of touchpoints, celebrations and educational opportunities.

AAPI Heritage Month celebrates the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture and achievements of the United States. 

At St. Margaret’s, the month was celebrated in a variety of ways

In Upper School Chapel, junior Charlotte Jiang gave a homily speaking to the importance of family and culture in finding one’s identity and the importance of exploring cultures different from our own. Upper School English teacher Kimberly Kim also provided a narrative and a song recognizing the month. 

At an Upper School Convo earlier in the month, math teacher Linda He and band director Chris Carbajal spoke about AAPI Heritage Month, with Ms. He also reading a children’s book in Chinese. 

This week’s Convo also explored AAPI Heritage Month, as Upper School history teacher Daniel Solarz shared his family narrative, before students went out to the Upper School courtyard for a special surprise. 

Ms. Kim invited Breezy, a Filipino restaurant in San Juan Capistrano, to lead a cooking demonstration preparing the restaurant’s renowned honey basil ribeye bowls. The demonstration was a hit, as students watched the Breezy chefs grill and season beef, sear fried rice and more. Students also got to sample freshly baked croissants with whipped cream made from ube, a purple yam native to the Philippines. “The presence of Breezy at convo offered an opportunity for students to experience exceptional cuisine but also served as a reminder of the rich culinary heritage within the AAPI community,” Ms. Kim said.