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May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Jewish Heritage Month!

by Laracarina Suarez on May 2nd, 2025 | 0 Comments

The school year is wrapping up, and finals are upon us. Students are preparing to move on to their summer plans, and our seniors are anticipating the long-awaited culmination of their time at The Mount, Commencement. May can feel like a time of endings and beginnings, but it is also AAPI Heritage Month and Jewish Heritage Month!

Rather than looking at these communities independently, a common treatment, let's explore the beautiful and vibrant community existing at the intersection!

The LUNAR Collective is an “organization by and for Asian American Jews” that “cultivates connection, belonging, and visibility for Asian American Jews through intersectional community programming and authentic digital storytelling.” In LUNAR’s exploration of Asian-Jewish identity, they created a video series where members of this community discuss different aspects of identity through a different cultural lens in every episode.

The first episode focuses on food, and can be viewed here:

LUNAR: Episode 1: The Taste of Connection

Another discusses representation in media:

LUNAR: Season 2: Episode 2: Representation: Are We There Yet?

Also, check out these books about these unique blended heritages!

Matzo Ball-Wonton Thanksgiving by Amelie Suskind Liu; Leslie Lewinter-Suskind

ISBN: 9780578900148

Publication Date: 2021-11-01

It's Thanksgiving time, and Amelie's Bubbe and Nai Nai are visiting to celebrate the holiday. Amelie cannot wait for the delicious dinner of turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie! But when Bubbe and Nai Nai decide to make their famous matzo balls and wonton soups, Amelie becomes distraught. All she wants is a "real" Thanksgiving like the one she has at school, and so, she makes a decision to do something that very well might ruin the holiday. Come along with Amelie as she reimagines what a REAL American Thanksgiving is, complete with matzo ball-wonton soup and more! Matzo-Ball Wonton Thanksgiving is inspired by author Amelie Liu's experience growing up as a Chinese-Jewish girl.

A Persian Princess by Barbara Diamond Goldin; Steliyana Doneva (Illustrator)

ISBN: 9781681155531

Publication Date: 2019-09-01

Raya can't be in the Purim play this year--Purim will be no fun at all! But her grandmother, Maman Joon, shares with Raya her sparkly scarves and Persian traditions. Together, they discover how to make their American Purim uniquely Persian, delicious, and fun.

Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall; Yas Imamura (Illustrator)

ISBN: 9781536204308

Publication Date: 2022-02-08

Set in an incarceration camp where the United States cruelly detained Japanese Americans during WWII and based on true events, this moving love story finds hope in heartbreak. To fall in love is already a gift. But to fall in love in a place like Minidoka, a place built to make people feel like they weren't human--that was miraculous. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Tama is sent to live in a War Relocation Center in the desert. All Japanese Americans from the West Coast--elderly people, children, babies--now live in prison camps like Minidoka. To be who she is has become a crime, it seems, and Tama doesn't know when or if she will ever leave. Trying not to think of the life she once had, she works in the camp's tiny library, taking solace in pages bursting with color and light, love and fairness. And she isn't the only one. George waits each morning by the door, his arms piled with books checked out the day before. As their friendship grows, Tama wonders: Can anyone possibly read so much? Is she the reason George comes to the library every day? Maggie Tokuda-Hall's beautifully illustrated, elegant love story features a photo of the real Tama and George--the author's grandparents--along with an afterword and other back matter for readers to learn more about a time in our history that continues to resonate.

The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani

ISBN: 9780375871672

Publication Date: 2013-02-12

The Night Diary, a thoughtful and relatable story about cultural identity, friendship, and what it means to fit in without losing who you are. After her father loses his job, Sonia Nadhamuni, half Indian and half Jewish American, finds herself yanked out of private school and thrown into the unfamiliar world of public education. For the first time, Sonia's mixed heritage makes her classmates ask questions--questions Sonia doesn't always know how to answer--as she navigates between a group of popular girls who want her to try out for the cheerleading squad and other students who aren't part of the "in" crowd. At the same time that Sonia is trying to make new friends, she's dealing with what it means to have an out-of-work parent--it's hard for her family to adjust to their changed circumstances. And then, one day, Sonia's father goes missing. Now Sonia wonders if she ever really knew him. As she begins to look for answers, she must decide what really matters and who her true friends are--and whether her two halves, no matter how different, can make her a whole.

Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen by Kate McGovern

ISBN: 9781536215588

Publication Date: 2021-10-12

Maple is in fifth grade--again. Now everyone will find out she struggles with reading--or will they? An engaging read for anyone who has ever felt different. Maple Mehta-Cohen has been keeping a secret: she can't read all that well. She has an impressive vocabulary and loves dictating stories into her recorder--especially the adventures of a daring sleuth who's half Indian and half Jewish like Maple herself--but words on the page just don't seem to make sense to her. Despite all Maple's clever tricks to hide her troubles with reading, her teacher is on to her, and now Maple has to repeat fifth grade. Maple is devastated--what will her friends think? Will they forget about her? She uses her storytelling skills to convince her classmates that she's staying back as a special teacher's assistant (because of budget cuts, you know). But as Maple navigates the loss of old friendships, the possibility of new ones, and facing her reading challenges head-on, her deception becomes harder to keep up. Can Maple begin to recognize her own strengths, and to love herself--and her brain--just the way she is? Readers who have faced their own trials with school and friendships will enjoy this heartwarming story and its bright, creative heroine.

This Is Just a Test by Wendy Wan-Long Shang; Madelyn Rosenberg

ISBN: 9781338037722

Publication Date: 2017-06-27

A 12-year-old boy is caught in the middle of cultures, friends, and growing up Chinese Jewish American in this hilariously witty and heartwarming coming-of-age story. David Da-Wei Horowitz has a lot on his plate. Preparing for his upcoming bar mitzvah would be enough work even if it didn't involve trying to please his Jewish and Chinese grandmothers, who argue about everything. But David just wants everyone to be happy. That includes his friend Scott, who is determined to win their upcoming trivia tournament but doesn't like their teammate -- and David's best friend -- Hector. Scott and David begin digging a fallout shelter just in case this Cold War stuff with the Soviets turns south... but David's not so convinced he wants to spend forever in an underground bunker with Scott. Maybe it would be better if Hector and Kelli Ann came with them. But that would mean David has to figure out how to stand up for Hector and talk to Kelli Ann. Some days, surviving nuclear war feels like the least of David's problems.

Not Your All-American Girl by Wendy Wan-Long Shang; Madelyn Rosenberg

ISBN: 9781338037760

Publication Date: 2020-07-07

A multicultural story full of heart and hilarity about what it means to be all-American. Lauren and her best friend, Tara, have always done absolutely everything together. So when they don't have any classes together in sixth grade, it's disastrous. The solution? Trying out for the school play. Lauren, who loves to sing, wonders if maybe, just maybe, she will be the star instead of Tara this time. But when the show is cast, Lauren lands in the ensemble, while Tara scores the lead role. Their teacher explains: Lauren just doesn't look the part of the all-American girl. What audience would believe that she, half-Jewish, half-Chinese Lauren, was the everygirl star from Pleasant Valley, USA? From amidst the ensemble, Lauren tries to support her best friend. But when she can't bring herself to sing anymore, her spot in the play and her friendship are in jeopardy. With the help of a button-making business, the music of Patsy Cline, and her two bickering grandmothers, can Lauren find her voice again? Acclaimed coauthors Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang return to the 1980s world of the Sydney Taylor Honor Book, This Is Just a Test, with this laugh-out-loud coming-of-age story.

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

ISBN: 9781536204315

Publication Date: 2020-05-05

In a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic, a desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial lady find a connection on the high seas. The pirate Florian, born Flora, has always done whatever it takes to survive--including sailing under false flag on the Dove as a marauder, thief, and worse. Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, a highborn Imperial daughter, is on board as well--accompanied by her own casket. But Evelyn's one-way voyage to an arranged marriage in the Floating Islands is interrupted when the captain and crew show their true colors and enslave their wealthy passengers. Both Florian and Evelyn have lived their lives by the rules and whims of others. But when they fall in love, they decide to take fate into their own hands--no matter the cost. Maggie Tokuda-Hall's sweeping fantasy debut, full of stolen memories, illicit mermaid's blood, double agents, and haunting mythical creatures, conjures an extraordinary cast of characters and the unforgettable story of a couple striving to stay together in the face of myriad forces wishing to control their identities and destinies.

Alma Presses Play by Tina Cane

ISBN: 9780593121146

Publication Date: 2021-09-14

A lyrical novel-in-verse that takes us through the journey of coming of age in New York during the 80s. Alma's life is a series of halfways- She's half-Chinese, half-Jewish; her parents spend half the time fighting, and the other half silent; and she's halfway through becoming a woman. But as long as she can listen to her Walkman, hang out with her friends on the stoops of the Village, and ride her bike around the streets of New York, it feels like everything will be all right. Then comes the year when everything changes, and her life is overtaken by constant endings- friends move away, romances bloom and wither, her parents divorce and--just like that--her life as she knew it is over. In this world of confusing beginnings, middles, and endings, is Alma ready to press play on the soundtrack of her life?

Jasmine Skies by Sita Brahmachari

ISBN: 9780807537824

Publication Date: 2014-09-01

Mira Levenson is bursting with excitement as she flies to India to stay with her aunt and cousin for the first time. As soon as she lands, Mira is hurled into the sweltering heat and a place full of new sights, sounds, and deeply buried family secrets. From the moment Mira meets Janu, she feels an instant connection. He becomes her guide, showing her both the beauty and the chaos of Kolkata. Nothing is as she imagined it--and suddenly home feels a long way away. Before Mira leaves India, she is determined to uncover the truth about her family, whatever it takes, and she must also make a decision that will break someone's heart.

JewAsian by Helen Kiyong Kim; Noah Samuel Leavitt

ISBN: 9780803285651

Publication Date: 2016-07-01

In 2010, approximately 15 percent of all new marriages in the United States were between spouses of different racial, ethnic, or religious backgrounds, raising increasingly relevant questions regarding the multicultural identities of new spouses and their offspring. But while new census categories and a growing body of statistics provide data, they tell us little about the inner workings of day-to-day life for such couples and their children. JewAsian is a qualitative examination of the intersection of race, religion, and ethnicity in the increasing number of households that are Jewish American and Asian American. Helen Kiyong Kim and Noah Samuel Leavitt's book explores the larger social dimensions of intermarriage to explain how these particular unions reflect not only the identity of married individuals but also the communities to which they belong. Using in-depth interviews with couples and the children of Jewish American and Asian American marriages, Kim and Leavitt's research sheds much-needed light on the everyday lives of these partnerships and how their children negotiate their own identities in the twenty-first century.

Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls by T. Kira Madden

ISBN: 9781635571851

Publication Date: 2019-03-05

Acclaimed literary essayist T Kira Madden's raw and redemptive debut memoir is about coming of age and reckoning with desire as a queer, biracial teenager amidst the fierce contradictions of Boca Raton, Florida, a place where she found cult-like privilege, shocking racial disparities, rampant white-collar crime, and powerfully destructive standards of beauty hiding in plain sight. As a child, Madden lived a life of extravagance, from her exclusive private school to her equestrian trophies and designer shoe brand name. But under the surface was a wild instability. The only child of parents continually battling drug and alcohol addictions, Madden confronted her environment alone. Facing a culture of assault and objectification, she found lifelines in the desperately loving friendships of fatherless girls. With unflinching honesty and lyrical prose, spanning from 1960s Hawai'i to the present-day struggle of a young woman mourning the loss of a father while unearthing truths that reframe her reality, Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls is equal parts eulogy and love letter. It's a story about trauma and forgiveness, about families of blood and affinity, both lost and found, unmade and rebuilt, crooked and beautiful.

A World Between by Emily Hashimoto

ISBN: 9781936932955

Publication Date: 2020-09-15

In 2004, college students Eleanor Suzuki and Leena Shah met in an elevator. Both girls are on the brink of adulthood, each full of possibility and big ideas, and they fall into a whirlwind romance. Years later, Eleanor and Leena collide on the streets of San Francisco. Although grown and changed and each separately partnered, the two find themselves, once again, irresistibly pulled back together. Emily Hashimoto's debut novel perfectly captures the wonder and confusion of growing up and growing closer. Narrated in sparkling prose, A World Between follows two strikingly different but interconnected women as they navigate family, female friendship, and their own fraught history.

The Tenth Muse by Catherine Chung

ISBN: 9780062574060

Publication Date: 2019-06-18

An exhilarating, moving novel about a trailblazing mathematician whose research unearths her own extraordinary family story and its roots in World War II From the days of her childhood in the 1950s Midwest, Katherine knows she is different, and that her parents are not who they seem. As she matures from a girl of rare intelligence into an exceptional mathematician, traveling to Europe to further her studies, she must face the most human of problems--who is she? What is the cost of love, and what is the cost of ambition? These questions grow ever more entangled as Katherine strives to take her place in the world of higher mathematics and becomes involved with a brilliant and charismatic professor. When she embarks on a quest to conquer the Riemann hypothesis, the greatest unsolved mathematical problem of her time, she turns to a theorem with a mysterious history that may hold both the lock and the key to her identity, and to secrets long buried during World War II. Forced to confront some of the most consequential events of the twentieth century and rethink everything she knows of herself, she finds kinship in the stories of the women who came before her, and discovers how seemingly distant stories, lives, and ideas are inextricably linked to her own. The Tenth Muse is a gorgeous, sweeping tale about legacy, identity, and the beautiful ways the mind can make us free.

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May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Jewish Heritage Month!

Also, check out these books about these unique blended heritages!

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May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Jewish Heritage Month!

Also, check out these books about these unique blended heritages!

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