HSESI Scholar Series: How Do We teach Pacific Island Matters in High School Ethnic Studies Curricula?

Asian Pacific Islander Education Association (APIEA)(link is external)

Established in 2016, APIEA supports Asian Pacific Islander students, faculty, and staff at Chabot College by promoting their cultural traditions and contributions. This organization hosts critical events and opportunities for students including the Asian Pacific Islander Graduation Celebration, APIEA Scholarship, Lunar New Year Celebration, and a mentoring program. APEIA also helps coordinate the Nesians Unite program(link is external).

Liberated Ethnic Studies (LESMC)(link is external)

LESMC promotes advancing and implementing interdisciplinary approaches to Ethnic Studies courses and programs, including Pacific Islander Studies. It focuses on improving students' academic achievements, educational equity, community-based scholarship, and leadership skills. LESMC promotes the integration of local history, resource sharing, and ongoing support for Ethnic Studies educators. LESMC's curriculum includes a chapter on Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies(link is external), and structured lesson plans that delve into the specific experiences and contributions of Pacific Islanders, emphasizing a comprehensive understanding of their cultural identities and struggles within the broader context of Ethnic Studies.

Pin@y Educational Partnerships (PEP)(link is external)

PEP is a service-learning/learning-service program focused on creating “triangular partnerships” between the university, public schools, and communities to cultivate barangay (community) and critical educators and culturally responsive curricula. This program trains educators to create impactful assignments that teachers can use in their Ethnic Studies classrooms, such as the “Soundtrack of Life(link is external).” 

Samoan Community Development Center (SCDC)(link is external)

SCDC is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment in the San Francisco Bay Area, ensuring that Samoan and Pacific Islander communities are heard, served, and thriving. Executive Director Empowering Pacific Islander Communities Estella Owoimaha-Church recognizes SCDC as an essential resource for Samoan and Pacific Islander communities and a valuable tool for educators looking to incorporate present-day examples of Pacific Islander community work into their lessons. As a pillar for Pacific Islander community organizing in the Bay Area, SCDC offers rich historical and current contributions to the local Samoan and Pacific Islander communities. Teachers seeking to incorporate local Pacific Islander history can turn to SCDC for examples of significant community service and engagement.

The Road to Home (2015)(link is external)

The Road to Home(link is external) chronicles the life of Benny Wenda, a Nobel Peace Prize-nominated West Papuan independence leader, and his ongoing struggle to liberate his people from Indonesian colonial rule. Following his dramatic 2002 escape from an Indonesian prison where he was isolated and tortured as a political prisoner, Benny has tirelessly campaigned internationally to end the oppression of his people by Indonesia's brutal colonial regime. By integrating "The Road to Home" into their teachings, Ethnic Studies educators can enrich their curriculum with a multidimensional view of Pacific Islander studies, enhancing students' understanding and engagement with complex global issues.

College of San Mateo (CSM)'s Mana Learning Community (link is external)

Mana is a transition support program that centralizes intensive retention strategies needed for success throughout their academic journey in community college. MANA provides a Critical Pacific Studies & Oceania Certificate, a specialized curriculum, and a wraparound support community. This program is designed to increase the number of Oceania students who complete the requirements for an Associate of Arts Degree or transfer into a four-year institution of higher learning. “Mana” refers to a belief widely held in the Pacific that describes a supernatural power capable of manifesting miracles.

Mana is an example of the many emerging, grassroots community-college-level Pacific Islander support programs throughout the Bay.

Nesians Unite at Chabot College (NU)(link is external)

NU was founded in Fall 2017 as a student-led club to create a community for the Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (NHPI) populations navigating higher education. The term “Nesians'' encompasses the regions of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. NU provides networking opportunities and resources for mentorship, self-advocacy, and academic success. 

Nesians Unite’s intentional centering of NHPI students’ experiences within the larger landscape of API support services at Chabot College speaks to the importance of designating spaces and initiatives that specifically address the needs and histories of Pasifika students. 

Pacific Islanders Encouraging Fund, Engineering, Science & Technology (PIEFEST)(link is external)

PIEFEST is dedicated to improving Pacific Islander representation and increasing access to STEM-related careers. They engage youth by sharing hands-on STEM activities, events, and programs. Estella shared the initiative as another way that Pacific Islander youth and families have built community throughout the Bay.

Not only does PIEFEST help get PI youth involved in the arts and sciences, but it can serve as a blueprint for other programs that similarly want to provide pathways and services for PI communities in other areas of the country.