"Friendsgiving" describes a meal, usually potluck-style, shared with friends around the time of Thanksgiving. The custom may be centuries old, but the word only entered Merriam-Webster's dictionary in 2020.
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Topline:
Friendsgiving is exactly what it sounds like: A gathering close to the date of Thanksgiving, starring many of its starchy staples, usually served potluck-style, with friends instead of relatives. This installment of NPR's Word of the Week series takes a look at where Friendsgiving comes from, why it stuck around and how to celebrate it.
New name, old tradition: The concept of Friendsgiving has long permeated pop culture, from 1973's A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (in which an overburdened Snoopy cooks for the gang after they invite themselves over) to Friends, which went on the air in 1994 and included Thanksgiving plotlines in each of its 10 seasons. Merriam-Webster started tracking "Friendsgiving" in 2007, after it appeared in posts on what was then Twitter and the early message board Usenet. The word's obvious meaning and accessible pronunciation helped it catch on quickly.
How to celebrate: There's not one right way to do it, considering the holiday is made-up and the real thing is just around the corner. The most important thing is to make clear who is responsible for what.
Read on . . . for things both hosts and guests should keep in mind to help make Friendsgiving as easy as pie.
Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday of November. But many Americans don't wait that long to share a fall feast with their loved ones — that is, if they celebrate Friendsgiving.
Friendsgiving is exactly what it sounds like: A gathering close to the date of Thanksgiving, starring many of its starchy staples, usually served potluck-style, with friends instead of relatives.
Think fewer dinner-table political debates, less travel time, turkey optional (more on that later).
"There are your friends, and there's Thanksgiving," says Emily Brewster, a senior editor at Merriam-Webster. "It's a great example of a word that is just an excellent candidate for adoption as soon as someone thought of it."
This installment of NPR's Word of the Week series takes a look at where Friendsgiving comes from, why it stuck around and how to celebrate it.
A new name for an old tradition
Of course, people have been celebrating Thanksgiving with friends for centuries.
The concept of Friendsgiving has long permeated pop culture, from 1973's A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (in which an overburdened Snoopy cooks for the gang after they invite themselves over) to Friends, which went on the air in 1994 and included Thanksgiving plotlines in each of its 10 seasons.
But the proper noun only came along relatively recently.
Merriam-Webster started tracking "Friendsgiving" in 2007, after it appeared in posts on what was then Twitter and the early message board Usenet. The word's obvious meaning and accessible pronunciation helped it catch on quickly, Brewster says.
"Friendsgiving" popped up in lifestyle blogs and news articles over the years before hitting it big in 2011. That year, it was both the focus of a Bailey's Irish Cream ad campaign and a major plot point in a Real Housewives of New Jersey episode (titled "Gobblefellas").
"All a word like this really needs is to just have more of a presence in the culture, and then it gets adopted into the language very quickly," Brewster says.
Merriam-Webster added "Friendsgiving" to its dictionary in 2020, 13 years after its first known use. While Brewster wasn't involved in that decision, she says "it was clear that it met our criteria."
"We had been seeing these examples of it for a few years, and … it looked like it wasn't going to go anywhere," Brewster adds.
The made-up holiday has inspired chain restaurant deals and numerous hosting guides, and even counted a sitting president among its participants in 2023. There are no official statistics on how many Americans celebrate Friendsgiving, but online surveys from recent years suggest numbers could be as high as 20%.
Brewster wonders whether we are seeing more Friendsgiving gatherings at least in part because there is now a name for them. It doesn't hurt that it's a catchy "blend word," which she says Americans especially get a kick out of (see: "Barbenheimer" or "Galentine's Day").
"I'm curious … if the existence of the word has somehow generated more of this kind of socializing," she adds. "I think words do have that power, that they can actually influence action."
<em>A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving</em> depicts an early example of Friendsgiving in 1973, well before the term entered the lexicon.
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"Friendsgiving" isn't one-size-fits-all
Lizzie Post, the co-president of the Emily Post Institute, says the etiquette-focused organization started getting questions about Friendsgiving do's and don'ts around the time the word entered the lexicon.
"They were questions along the lines of: 'Is it OK to host Friendsgiving and go to your family Thanksgiving?' 'Can you only do Friendsgiving if your family isn't around and you can't travel to them?' " she explains.
The answer turned out to be a resounding yes. Many of those who celebrate Friendsgiving typically do so in addition to their family Thanksgiving, not instead of it.
"I think Friendsgiving is a nice way to be able to do both," says Emily Stephenson, a cookbook author whose work includes The Friendsgiving Handbook, published in 2019.
Stephenson says she has been hosting Friendsgiving — even though she never called it by that name — for about two decades, starting when she attended college abroad.
"It kind of implies … a younger person who's maybe doing things that's not going to be super traditional," she says. "And I do think part of what's implied in Friendsgiving is maybe it being the first time you host."
To Stephenson, younger generations' embrace of Friendsgiving makes perfect sense, particularly after the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throwing a dinner party can be a rare and special experience, especially for 20-something apartment dwellers who are potentially many years away from hosting a family Thanksgiving.
And there's not one right way to do it, considering the holiday is made-up and the real thing is just around the corner. Stephenson says that hopefully takes some pressure off.
"If you are hosting and a turkey stresses you out, you don't need to make turkey," she adds.
Post says these days, most of the questions the institute gets about Friendsgiving revolve around the etiquette of potlucks. The most important thing, she says, is to make clear who is responsible for what.
"I think that as people, we really value spending time with one another, taking a break from the everyday," Post says. "And whether that means eating off of paper plates … in front of a football game on the couch with a big buffet behind us, or whether that's a formally set table, matters not. It's the gathering that makes the big difference."
Every season of <em>Friends</em> had a Thanksgiving plotline, but the show isn't credited with coining "Friendsgiving." It ended in 2004, three years before Merriam-Webster started tracking the word's usage online.
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Tips for your next Friendsgiving
That said, there are things both hosts and guests should keep in mind to help make Friendsgiving as easy as pie. Here's some of the best advice we got from Post and Stephenson:
For hosts:
Do ask people if they have allergies or dietary restrictions beforehand.
Do keep track of who is bringing what, whether you assign specific dishes or leave guests to fill out a shared spreadsheet. And if someone shows up with something that wasn't on the list, serve it anyway.
Do take responsibility for the main dish — but it doesn't have to be a full turkey. Stephenson suggests preparing a less time-consuming turkey leg or breast, or skipping the bird altogether in favor of something like a shepherd's pie, savory galette or lasagna.
Do make it easier for out-of-town guests by tasking them with store-bought contributions, like drinks, napkins or a premade crudité platter.
Do give guests key details in advance, like what time the meal will actually be served (especially on a weekend) and a dress code if you're planning a more formal event.
Don't be afraid to ask guests to help out. Post recalls that when her mom used to host some two dozen Thanksgiving guests, she would ask people to not only bring a dish but sign up for a job — from setting out place cards to lighting candles to checking who wants ice cream with their pie. "Some people faint when I say this," Post laughs. "But … little tasks like that, when spread out over the whole group, not only make it a little bit even more of a communal experience, but they help ease the burden on the host."
Do try to send guests home with leftovers of the dish they brought. "Just because they've brought it to your house doesn't automatically make it yours," Post says. If they don't want it, transfer it into another container so you can clean their original dish and send it home with them.
For guests:
Do inform the host of any dietary restrictions (if they don't ask), but do so "with an offer to bring something that meets your needs," Post says.
Don't arrive empty-handed. "I don't think there's many rules for being a guest besides … don't make soup," Stephenson says, since it adds another round of dishes to clean.
Do the heavy lifting before you leave the house. Since kitchen space will be limited, it's best to bring a dish that is ready to eat, even if it needs a few minutes in the oven first.
Don't show up expecting leftovers, though of course it's nice if you end up with some.
Do remember to thank your host — verbally is fine, Post says. If your friends are into group activities, you may well get a chance to share what you're thankful for anyway.
Nestled between Historic Filipinotown and Echo Park is a bookstore turned artisan craft space turned food market, all within 900 square feet. Every Sunday, A Good Used Book on Glendale Boulevard transforms from a retail bookstore into what they call “Sunday Funday Market.”
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Topline:
Nestled between Historic Filipinotown and Echo Park is a bookstore turned artisan craft space turned food market, all within 900 square feet. Every Sunday, A Good Used Book on Glendale Boulevard transforms from a retail bookstore into what they call “Sunday Funday Market.”
Background: Founders Jenny Yang and Chris Capizzi spent seven years operating as a pop-up without a brick-and-mortar location. Opening their doors to local vendors pays homage to their own roots selling at Los Angeles markets, from the Melrose Trading Post to the Pasadena Rose Bowl Flea Market.
Read on ... for more on this community space.
Nestled between Historic Filipinotown and Echo Park is a bookstore turned artisan craft space turned food market, all within 900 square feet. Every Sunday, A Good Used Book on Glendale Boulevard transforms from a retail bookstore into what they call “Sunday Funday Market.”
Founders Jenny Yang and Chris Capizzi spent seven years operating as a pop-up without a brick-and-mortar location. Opening their doors to local vendors pays homage to their own roots selling at Los Angeles markets, from the Melrose Trading Post to the Pasadena Rose Bowl Flea Market.
“Mega giant online sellers have the scale and the resources and the patience and the reach to capture most people,” Capizzi said. “Whereas for us, I think we have to be really creative — we have to band together.”
Nestled between Historic Filipinotown and Echo Park is a bookstore turned artisan craft space turned food market, all within 900 square feet. Every Sunday, A Good Used Book on Glendale Boulevard transforms from a retail bookstore into what they call “Sunday Funday Market.”
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Nick Ducassi
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The LA Local
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Yang and Capizzi’s long history of vending at markets taught them how isolating running a small business can be. At their market, they aim to build connections with each vendor and strategize the best timing and layout so everyone can succeed.
“[Amazon and Barnes & Noble] are Goliath, and we’re not even David — we’re just the ant underneath David’s foot,” Capizzi said. “I think we can do what we do and try to get as many people, at our level or even smaller, to get together.”
Weekly markets at A Good Used Book have captivated the neighborhood since its opening in October 2023, with charming names like “Sunday Funday,” “Saturday School” and “Hi-Fi Friday Night,” plus hand-drawn flyers by well-known artist Noah Harmon. Now, it’s become a weekly occurrence where LA pop-ups can display their own crafts, allowing local readers to indulge in a little more than a pocket paperback.
Each week holds a Pandora’s box of niche snacks, crafts or trinkets you didn’t know you needed, ranging from Southeast Asian-inspired trail mix to natural incense sticks to vintage Japanese audio equipment. One week you might be enticed to adopt a kitten from a rescue booth outside, another week you might impulsively get a stick-and-poke tattoo in the back of the store.
Nestled between Historic Filipinotown and Echo Park is a bookstore turned artisan craft space turned food market, all within 900 square feet. Every Sunday, A Good Used Book on Glendale Boulevard transforms from a retail bookstore into what they call “Sunday Funday Market.”
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Nick Ducassi
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The LA Local
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On one sunny Sunday afternoon, Brandon Stanciell hand-tossed fresh pizza dough on the sidewalk outside the bookstore. His 2-year-old pop-up, Pizza Ananda, which he named after his daughter, is an homage to her and to Italian cooking, a hobby he started during paternity leave. An hour before the market closed, Stanciell had already sold out and garnished his last pepperoni-and-hot-honey pie for one lucky customer.
“I love that places like this allow us all to meet at once to share what we have and give it to the community around us,” Stanciell said.
Nestled between Historic Filipinotown and Echo Park is a bookstore turned artisan craft space turned food market, all within 900 square feet. Every Sunday, A Good Used Book on Glendale Boulevard transforms from a retail bookstore into what they call “Sunday Funday Market.”
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Nick Ducassi
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The LA Local
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For the owners, building a community market is about deepening relationships with the people who walk through their doors. In an increasingly digital landscape, it is also a reciprocal partnership among local businesses.
“A lot of people talk about community building nowadays as a marketing strategy,” Capizzi said. “But I think the actual community building comes from talking to each vendor and each customer and being a consistent presence in the neighborhood.”
Nestled between Historic Filipinotown and Echo Park is a bookstore turned artisan craft space turned food market, all within 900 square feet. Every Sunday, A Good Used Book on Glendale Boulevard transforms from a retail bookstore into what they call “Sunday Funday Market.”
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Nick Ducassi
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The LA Local
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While customers browsed for unique titles, Gerin del Carmen worked her booth of ceramic dishware, oyster-shaped trinket holders and vases resembling miniature boxes. As a ceramicist, del Carmen draws from her Filipino heritage, including the Balikbayan boxes that represent immigrants sending gifts to family in the Philippines.
“Sharing the community and your space is such a big deal. This is not a huge, gigantic Barnes & Noble store,” del Carmen said. “It has so much foot traffic, and the fact that [the owners] are setting up and sharing the space once or twice a week with other vendors and other artists is huge.”
Yang and Capizzi may think of themselves as an “ant underneath David’s foot,” but A Good Used Book is building a colony of vendors, rooted in community.
DJ Medina in the Mix plays music during an event at BLVD Market.
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Topline:
Food halls make for an easy, affordable place to satisfy cravings — especially in SoCal, where diverse selections of dishes reign supreme.
Why it matters: These spaces fill a void much deeper than our appetites. They bring new life to old storefronts, factories or even airfields, and can offer a way to keep dollars within the community by becoming a hub for local businesses.
Read on... to learn about our recommendations for four food halls in L.A. and O.C.
Whether you and your friends are looking for a brunch spot to cater to everyone's palates, or taking a trip to the historic Grand Central Market, food halls make for an easy, affordable place to satisfy cravings — especially in SoCal, where diverse selections of dishes reign supreme.
But these spaces fill a void much deeper than our appetites. They bring new life to old storefronts, factories or even airfields (see list below), and can offer a way to keep dollars within the community by becoming a hub for local businesses.
With that said, here's a short list of food halls where you'll get more than just a killer meal.
For good vibes
BLVD MRKT food hall on the corner of 6th Street and Whittier Boulevard in downtown Montebello.
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BLVD MRKT 520 Whittier Blvd., Montebello Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Closed Monday.
BLVD MRKT is an open-air food hall in downtown Montebello that feels like a party. The 8,500-square-foot space currently has five eateries, or "concepts" as they're known in the restaurant industry, and hosts live DJs every Friday night and Sunday during brunch. They also host Open Vinyl Night on the second and forth Tuesday of every month, where patrons get $2 off beers and margaritas from Alchemy Craft if they bring a vinyl record to be played in the BLVD courtyard.
The space is pet-friendly and has growing concepts like Los Taquero Mucho, which offers classic al pastor, grilled chicken and slow-cooked carnitas tacos, as well as specialty flavors like vegan tacos with whiskil sautéed in coconut milk, and Pork Belly Cochinita Pibil Tacos, perfect for those who crave crispy, slow-roasted pork with a hint of sweetness.
Los Taquero Mucho participates in BLVD's incubator program, run by co-founders Barney and Evelyn Santos. The program offers mentorship to local entrepreneurs until they can set up shop permanently.
Pork Belly Cochinita Pibil Tacos with salsa from Los Taquero Mucho at BLVD MRKT in Montebello.
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BLVD MRKT is part of the couple's commercial real estate development firm, Gentefy. Its mission is to invest in retail and hospitality projects that ignite economic development and revitalization in Black and brown neighborhoods.
"Blvd Mrkt is our first project," Barney Santos wrote in a text message. "It was our social proof to prove to banks, investors and cities that a socially conscious business model could exist in a traditionally overlooked area."
VCHOS Pupuseria Moderna also has a spot in the BLVD courtyard, offering handmade pupusas with filling choices such as shrimp with spinach and cheese, and tender beef birria with a side of consommé, onions and cilantro. Coffee lovers can get an Oaxacan Mocha at Cafe Santo, or stop by Cold Pizza for a wood-fired slice.
For eclectic tastes
Rodeo 39 Public Market in Stanton.
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Rodeo 39 Public Market 12885 Beach Blvd., Stanton Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
An O.C. favorite, Rodeo 39 Public Market lives on Highway 39, also known as Beach Boulevard, in Stanton. This 40,000-square-foot space is an eclectic mix of more than 20 food and drink concepts and retailers. There are three outdoor patios and five murals, plus an arcade, tattoo shop and photo booth. Food options cover everything from Lil' Breezy's adobo breakfast burritos to Cajun crab fries at The Crawfish Hut.
Mural by artist David Flores outside of Joystix arcade at Rodeo 39 Public Market.
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Rodeo's menu choices make it well-suited for a casual weekend brunch. At its entrance sits Here & There, where you can grab a coffee or matcha latte, or try one of their signature drinks like the Iced Vienna, a combination of milk with caramelly demerara sugar and your choice of matcha or espresso, topped with sweet cream and garnished with sea salt. The result is a drink that's smooth and not too sweet.
Eggyo bulgogi egg sandwich with spicy mayo at Rodeo 39 Public Market.
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Eggyo, a recent addition to Rodeo, offers Korean corn dogs and fluffy egg sandwiches on crispy, house-baked milk bread. Try the bulgogi option with spicy mayo for a savory kick. If you crave a cocktail, venture over to CAPO, which also serves craft beer. Or just sit on one of their sun-filled patios while you decide what to try.
For a page from history
The Hangar in Long Beach.
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The Hangar 4150 McGowen St., Long Beach Monday and Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Hangar is a 17,000-square-foot food hall that pays homage to Long Beach's aviation history. It sits on former Boeing Co. land where military and commercial aircraft were built. Today, it serves as a dining destination at the Long Beach Exchange Shopping Center, or LBX, neighboring the city's international airport.
This space currently has a mix of 14 food concepts and two retail shops. Patrons can enjoy local favorites outside their flagship locations, like the Joe's Special bagel sandwich from Cassidy's Corner Cafe, with bacon, egg and the star of the show — tangy jalapeño cream cheese. Fans of spice can try Jay Bird's Nashville Hot Chicken, which offers chicken sandwiches and tenders, and Blazin' Fries, all with six levels of heat.
Historic aviation photos are displayed above food concepts at The Hangar food hall at LBX in Long Beach
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Inside, there are vintage pictures of aircraft that were built at the site, and a wall of clocks showing the time in cities named Long Beach across the country.
A Pan Am Hawaii travel poster (left) and a TWA Spain travel poster (right) at the patio of The Hangar food hall.
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Outside, you'll find patio seating with umbrellas where you can sit and watch the occasional plane fly overhead. Or sit and enjoy the adjacent display of towering Pan Am and TWA posters promoting travel to Hawaii, Spain and Paris.
3655 South Grand Ave., Los Angeles Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Open since 2001, the approximately 34,000-square-foot Mercado La Paloma sits in the Figueroa corridor of South L.A., and is known for its focus on community, art and culture. From rotating art exhibits to colorful tiled tabletops, this space feels like it was made to nurture creativity.
Interior of Mercado La Paloma.
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There are meeting rooms to rent starting at $25 an hour. It's a space where locals can bring their laptop to work or study, or have a long conversation with a friend, with bites from six acclaimed restaurants.
Holbox's Erizo dish at Mercado La Paloma.
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At the Mercado, visit Holbox for Michelin-starred seafood dishes like Erizo — velvety sea urchin laid atop a bed of tender scallop ceviche. The combination is fresh, flavorful and oceanic. Tip: If you can swing it, come on a weekday to avoid a long line, or order ahead.
For something sweet, walk over to Oaxacacalifornia Cafe & Juice Bar for a Spicy Pineapple Juice with a gingery kick, or go for the classic pairing of Hot Oaxacan Chocolate, made with your choice of water or milk, and light-as-air conchas crowned with a solid layer of vanilla or chocolate streusel.
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Fiona Ng
is LAist's deputy managing editor and leads a team of reporters who explore food, culture, history, events and more.
Published May 17, 2026 5:00 AM
One of 1,200 pinball machines at Captain's Auction House in Anaheim.
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Topline:
There’s an auction warehouse in Orange County dedicated to pinball and arcade machines.
Why now: Musician Ryan Adams is an avid collector. On Sunday, his collection will be under the hammer.
The background: Chris “Captain” Campbell has been dealing in pinball and arcade games for more than 25 years. He opened his giant auction warehouse in Anaheim in 2008.
Read on… to find out about the auction on Sunday
Vinyl records and cassette tapes are nice and all, but when it comes to '80s nostalgia, few things make a bigger statement — or at least take up as much space — as arcade games and pinball machines.
Just ask Chris Campbell, who runsCaptain's Auction House in Anaheim that specializes in these refrigerator-sized consoles.
Campbell (he says everyone calls him "Captain") founded the O.C. business in 2008, but he’s been in the trade for more than 25 years, having auctioned off, or directly sold, "tens of thousands" of the machines.
Chris "Captain" Campbell, owner of Captain's Auction House in Anaheim.
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Auctions take place around every four to six weeks — both in-person and online. The priciest pinball he auctioned off was for around $48,000. And he recently sold a 1990 arcade game for $70,000.
Currently, Captain says he has about 1,200 machines in his inventory — housed in about 40,000 square feet of space. On Sunday, a special lot of about100 machines belonging to musician Ryan Adams will go on the auction block.
Adams, Captain said, is an avid collector. "When he's played concerts, some of the equipment that he has on stage with him are arcade games," Captain said.
The auction
Captain's Auction House 4411 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim Sunday, May 17, 2026 Preview at 9 a.m. Auction starts at 11 a.m. You can also bid virtually.
Along with the machines, a handful of musical equipment owned by Adams will also go under the hammer, including avintage Gibson Barney Kessel hollowbody guitar estimated to fetch up to $10,000.
Captain says about his auction house has an inventory of about 1,200 arcade games and pinball machines.
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Captain said the things that get brought into his auction warehouse still blow his mind "almost every day." He's seen his share of Ms. Pac-Man and Donkey Kong — mainstream and highly collectible coin-operated games — but he's also gotten his hands on lesser-known titles likeMazer Blazer. It's a 1983 game where one or two players shoot down aliens to protect a spaceship. It used a special magnifying lens to create its fisheye look.
"What makes it so cool is some of these games were very prototypical. Companies were trying different things," he said. "It's just a different-looking game."
Then there are pinball machines, evolving from their electromechanical beginnings in the '50s, to their early solid-state transition in the '80s, to their ongoing technological evolution today — both multifaceted and singular in all their forms.
"The one cool thing that melds them all together is the idea of mechanical and electronic playing together," he said. "But the main part of pinball that makes it so nice is it's still very visceral."
One of his wows is the "Black Knight" trilogy — machines made by legendary pinball designer Steve Ritchie that were released in 1980, 1989 and 2019.
Captain said the machines feature super-fast shooting, great gameplay and, for the 2019 version, a soundtrack created by Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian.
"It's not super rare, but it's like one of my favorites because it's an in-your-face pinball machine, you know?" he said.
And Captain's Auction House has all three machines in its possession.
"I'm fortunate enough that I — the captain — get to be around them, play them, know a little bit about them, learn more about them," he said. "And I love to buy, sell and trade just like everybody else."
Josie Huang
is a reporter and Weekend Edition host who spotlights the people and places at the heart of our region.
Published May 17, 2026 5:00 AM
A new digital textbook developed at UCLA spans centuries of AAPI history.
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Topline:
A free online textbook developed by UCLA educators aims to make Asian American and Pacific Islander history more accessible to students through videos, archival materials and interactive storytelling.
The backstory : The project grew out of both California’s push toward ethnic studies education and the rise in anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project's co-editors say AAPI histories remain invisible in mainstream curricula.
What's next: The team behind the textbook plans to expand the number of chapters to 50. They're also seeking to raise another $5 million to keep the platform sustainable and pay for teacher training programs.
A rich trove of Asian American and Pacific Islander history lives in academic journals and university library stacks that many students don’t know how to tap into.
A new multimedia textbook developed out of UCLA's Asian American Studies Center is trying to change that.
Called Foundations and Futures, the online platform combines written chapters, archival documents and artwork with videos and podcast clips, geared at students in high school and up, along with their teachers.
“It’s the largest collection of Asian American and Pacific Islander histories in one location — free and open access for anyone with an Internet connection,” said Karen Umemoto, director of the UCLA center and one of the project’s co-editors.
The textbook officially launched this month — Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month — after some six years of development with contributions from more than 100 authors and curriculum developers from across the country.
Designed with the TikTok generation in mind, the platform is optimized for phones and tablets for easy scrolling.
“A lot of young people, of course, are really into TikTok videos and Instagram posts,” Umemoto said. “So we thought, 'Let’s leverage that.'”
Responding to invisibility
The project was seeded in 2020 when Umemoto and co-editor and fellow UCLA professor Kelly Fong began drafting proposals chapter by chapter.
At the time, California was moving toward implementing an ethnic studies graduation requirement. The professors worried AAPI histories could still be sidelined without dedicated resources.
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic and a surge in anti-Asian hate incidents.
“There’s so many people who have no idea who we are, where we come from, how we got here,” Umemoto said.
The textbook grew into a $12 million project, supported through a mix of state funding, grants and private donations.
Much of the textbook does focus on AAPI history in California, like the Filipino farmworker movement and Vietnamese refugee communities in Orange County.
But other modules cover Chinese immigrant garment workers in New York and Asian American communities in the South.
Getting into schools
Umemoto said the textbook is for anyone to use as needed, but a major goal is helping educators incorporate AAPI perspectives into existing courses.
“We’re so woefully invisible and underrepresented in educational curricula,” she said, noting that there are few teachers to instruct from lived experience. Just 2% of public school teachers in the U.S. are AAPI.
The plan is to offer everything from two-day in-person teacher workshops to national webinars in partnership with teachers unions.
Even with the project’s launch, organizers say their work continues with raising funds for teacher training, as well as outreach and operations.
The team is seeking another $5 million for the next three years.
"I'm a professor not trained in doing startups or ed tech projects, and so I didn't realize how much it would take just to keep the lights on," Umemoto said.
All the while, the team is building the textbook to 50 chapters. It's currently at 42.
Learning amid polarization
The project arrives amid charged political debates over how race and identity are taught in schools.
Umemoto acknowledged that some critics view ethnic studies as divisive, but she said the goal of the textbook is the opposite.
“We need to learn about each other’s history so that we can build an inclusive society,” she said.
For Umemoto, the work is deeply personal.
She said she grew up knowing her parents and grandparents had been forced into camps during World War II, but did not fully understand the broader history behind the incarceration of Japanese Americans until later in life.
“I grew up thinking everybody was in camp,” she said.
Ultimately, she hopes the textbook helps students better understand both themselves and one another.
“In all my years of teaching, there has not been a student who has left the classroom unchanged,” Umemoto said. “If we want to deal with the problems of polarization, we need to start in the classroom."
