“We belong here”: A Virtual Anti-Racist Lesson for Kindergarteners Featuring Artists Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya and Isamu Noguchi

Luned Palmer, Educator, Noguchi Museum

“What we cannot imagine cannot come into being.” -bell hooks

Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve seen a rise in harassment, violence, and xenophobic rhetoric against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities (Nawaz, 2020; PBS, 2020; Petri, 2021). At the Noguchi Museum, where I am an educator, we have many AAPI staff members, friends, and visitors who have been affected. Noguchi staff are committed to standing by the AAPI communities who are our neighbors in Queens, NY, and any community targeted by hatred and violence, as well as to raising the profiles of AAPI artists, thinkers, and institutions, past and present.

Noguchi educators began to develop curriculum focusing on themes of belonging, sharing culture, Asian American identity, hybridity, and more. We sought to imagine a new way of centering race, culture, and identity in our education work, in which race is an open topic for all ages, and equity and belonging are available for all people. Our greatest tool in this act of solidarity is the programming we offer; inspired by bell hooks’ 1994 book, Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom our department seeks to center anti-racism in our teaching through dialogue, “one of the simplest ways we can… cross boundaries, the barriers that may or may not be erected by race, gender, class, professional standing, and a host of other differences” (pp. 130–131).

“One of the simplest ways we can… cross boundaries, the barriers that may or may not be erected by race, gender, class, professional standing, and a host of other differences” (hooks, 1994, pp. 130–131).

As I’ll demonstrate in this lesson I created for a Kindergarten class, if we widen the door, all ages can cross those boundaries together. This curriculum is particularly designed to support educators who work with younger students, who may feel particularly anxious about addressing race with younger audiences; however, as early childhood researchers Derman Sparks and Ramsey (2015) indicate, racial prejudices start as young as infancy, and as anti-racist practitioners it is all of our responsibility to support little ones in course correcting as early as possible.

Background to the Lesson

In the spring of 2022, I worked closely with a Kindergarten teacher in Queens to design and implement a virtual three-part program. Together we decided that we would examine the work of Isamu Noguchi (pronounced ee-sa-mu no-gu-chi) (1904–1988) and Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya (pronounced uh-man-duh ping-bodee-bak-ee-ah) (b. 1992) with a goal of talking about race and racism towards AAPI communities with her three Kindergarten classes. We were both astounded by the results.

The lesson I will share, which is the third in the three-part series, uses art as a powerful tool for teaching anti-racism. In these semi-virtual lessons (in which students were in the classroom and I was on the smartboard) I invited kindergarteners to feel and manipulate this power through a series of contemplative practices.

In the first two lessons, I introduced students to Isamu Noguchi. The students learned that he was a biracial sculptor born in Los Angeles, California, to a white mother from the United States and an East Asian father from Japan. I explained that he had grown up in both countries and was subjected to racism during his lifetime. In the first lesson, entitled “Loving Homes,” we talked about what makes our own homes safe and welcoming. I presented the Noguchi Museum as a loving home that he created for his sculptures. I prompted them to think of something they love (e.g., artworks, books) and draw a loving home for it. In the second lesson, entitled “Welcoming Spaces,” we used our senses to explore Noguchi’s playgrounds, and find out what makes a place welcoming. I asked them, “How might you use your paper and art making tools to create an imaginary playground where everyone feels welcome?” Our activities in these lessons helped us build empathy for his feeling that there was no country where he belonged, and his determination to forge a sense of belonging within, so that he would feel at home no matter where he was. I wanted to include this idea particularly because of what I knew about many of the students I work with Queens who come from immigrant backgrounds themselves.

In the third and final lesson, I offered a comparison of the two artists–Noguchi and Phingbodhipakkiya–focusing on the ways in which both artists address the subject of belonging and have effectively created spaces of belonging in their communities. The artists’ social awareness led them to fight for social justice using art in different ways. Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, who is Asian American, says of her public artwork: “my goal with this art series was to turn these hurts into something beautiful and powerful. I really wanted to find a way to say, despite everything we have faced as Asian-Americans and New Yorkers, that I still believe in New York.” This lesson aims to show that art has the power to communicate solidarity and dissent. Through art we can say that we stand with you and any community targeted by hate and violence and we can say that I, too, feel your suffering. Through looking at and making art, all people can turn hurts into something beautiful and powerful.

“My goal with this art series was to turn these hurts into something beautiful and powerful. I really wanted to find a way to say, despite everything we have faced as Asian-Americans and New Yorkers, that I still believe in New York.” (artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya)

We all learn and respond differently, so I offered a menu of contemplative practices with which to engage. We looked closely and responded verbally to the feelings brought up by looking at Phingbodhipakkiya’s artwork. We used our bodies to mimic her subject’s poses empathetically. We listened to her words and practiced deep breathing. We engaged in meditative, personal, and quiet drawing. Lastly, our artworks included positive affirmations that underscored the themes of empathy and dissent. Through these practices, students were able to “quiet and shift the habitual chatter of the mind to cultivate a capacity for deepened awareness, concentration, and insight” (Hart, 2004, pp.28–46.) During the lesson, the kindergartners examined their own experiences with racism and hate, and empathized with the painful experiences of others. They were invited to respond with solidarity and dissension. They were invited to transform.

I wish you could have been there! Instead, please take a look at my slides, which I have supplemented with captions that explain how I introduced different ideas, and then discuss what happened in response. Of course, we all have different teaching styles, and I want to communicate that this is just an example of how deep, contemplative conversations about race can be appropriate for all ages of learners. I don’t presume that you will do it the way I did, but rather that you might be inspired to adapt some of these ideas in your own teaching. I hope you enjoy the experience and I invite you to contemplate and engage in your own transformative experience.

Slide 1

Image description: On the left the text “noguchi” and “I belong here” float above a memoji of Luned, who is a white woman, waving and smiling. On the right is a photograph of Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya’s brightly colored artwork against the backdrop of tall gray buildings in Times Square, NYC.

What I said: “I’m Luned and I’m visiting you from the Noguchi Museum. Thank you for inviting me to your class today. This is relaxed–please feel free to get up and take a break at any time and interrupt me with questions and comments and share! We’ll be looking at some of Noguchi’s art, making some art, and sharing it, all in 45 minutes! Let’s begin by playing a game of museum.”

Discussion: This was our third visit together, so with a brief reminder of my name, I began with a big smile and an overview of our plan. I included a game of the “museum,” which is a movement activity in which students pretend to be magical moving sculptures that freeze when the “museum guard” (me) is looking. In the words of Lakoff & Johnson (1999), “our sense of what is real begins with and depends crucially upon our bodies” (p. 17); moreover, “the mind is not merely corporeal but also passionate, desiring, social” (p. 565). By beginning with movement, I introduced the students to the type of non-discursive space we would inhabit together. Additionally, I wanted the students to feel alert and active during our lesson, which macro-movement achieves, and to enforce that we would all be participants.

Slide 2

Image Description: The words “How are you feeling today?” are typed above ten emojis representing the following emotions: happy, excited, silly, cool, sleepy, bored, annoyed, worried, angry, and scared.

What I said: “It’s so good to see you! How are you feeling today?”

Discussion: This check-in invites students into a mindful practice of recognizing their own state of mind at the beginning of an experience. This practice is private, students were encouraged to inwardly consider how they felt, but were not asked to share in any way.

Slide 3

Image Description: A black and white photograph of the artist Isamu Noguchi accompanied to the right by the words, “I find myself a wanderer in a world growing rapidly smaller. Artist, American citizen, world citizen, belonging anywhere but nowhere”.

What I said: “Noguchi said this: I find myself a wanderer in a world growing rapidly smaller. Artist, American citizen, world citizen, belonging anywhere but nowhere. Noguchi is not the only person who has felt this way. Today I want to move away from our focus on Noguchi and take a look at an artist who is working today: Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya.”

Discussion: At this point, I had already met with the Kindergarteners two times, and both times we had focused on the work of Isamu Noguchi as it related to welcoming spaces and a sense of belonging, so they were already familiar with him as an artist and ready to hear his words. This slide served as a visual reminder that I was visiting from the Noguchi Museum, and that Isamu Noguchi was an Asian American artist, and a verbal reminder that we were thinking about the themes of belonging and race together.

Slide 4

Image Description: A purple tinted half-body photograph of Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, an Asian woman. She is smiling.

What I said: “This is an artist named Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya. Amanda was born in Atlanta to Thai and Indonesian immigrants. She studied neuroscience at Columbia and worked at a research lab before becoming a full-time artist, educator, and activist based in Brooklyn, NY.”

Discussion: I showed the Kindergarteners what Phingbodhipakkiya looks like, and told them about her Asian American heritage, but did not limit my introduction to that aspect of her identity. I value the practice of showing pictures of artists alongside their work, both to reinforce that someone made this and to help the students form a context for the artwork. In this case, I wanted to allow students to make potential connections between Phingbodhipakkiya’s appearance, and the appearance of the people she depicts in her artwork. Additionally, I wanted them to know she is from New York, like them.

Slide 5

Image Description: Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya’s graphic poster of a woman with short black hair, multicolored earrings, and a yellow shirt. The placement of her hand implies that she has her arms crossed and the poster is emblazoned with the blue words towards the bottom:“we belong here.” The subject’s gaze is direct at the viewer.

What I said: “Here is one of her artworks. It says ‘we belong here.’ What is the first thing you notice? Amanda is reacting to the racist history and present of New York City and America toward Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Amanda is speaking up against racism with her art. Make this pose. The person in this artwork is Asian, and she has been treated with hatred. How do you think she feels?”

Discussion: Having seen the artist, the students were ready to engage with her art visually, verbally, and physically. Some kindergarteners cannot read yet, so I let them know what the poster says. Then I asked for a few observations about what we were looking at, and I said out loud that there is racism toward AAPI communities here in New York that the artist is responding to. The students noted that the poster is colorful, and shows a person with words. They noticed her black hair and strong eyebrows and they talked about the design in the background. Then we engaged in the contemplative practice of taking on the posture and expression of the person in the image. I modeled making the pose and clearly and directly stated that this person has been treated with hatred and is Asian American. The students were able to empathize with her as they took the pose and contemplated how it feels to be treated with hatred. Responses to my question about how she feels include: “proud,” “angry,” “determined,” and other strong emotion words.

Slide 6

Image Description: Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya’s graphic poster of a woman with short black hair, green lipstick, large teal graphic earrings, and a yellow shirt emblazoned with the blue words towards the bottom: “we belong here.” Her body is sidewise to the viewer, and her gaze is direct at the viewer over her right shoulder.

What I said: “It says: ‘I did not make you sick.’ Make this pose. The person in this artwork is Asian, and she has been treated with hatred. How do you think she feels?”

Discussion: Repetition is a strong, developmentally appropriate tool for contemplative practice and empathy building. We looked at another poster by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, made the pose, and I repeated that the person is Asian, and has been treated with hatred. The students made the pose and responded to the subtle differences this person may be feeling. Responses included “afraid” and “sad.”

Slide 7

Image Description: Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya’s graphic poster of a woman with short black hair, blue lipstick, colorful graphic earrings, and a blue shirt. The poster is emblazoned with the pink words towards the bottom: “I still believe in our city.” Subject’s gaze is up, away from the viewer.

What I said: “It says ‘I still believe in our city.’ Make this pose. The person in this artwork is Asian, and she has been treated with hatred. How do you think she feels?”

Discussion: Yet again, but with more confidence through practice and repetition, the students responded with their bodies and words to the artwork. This spiraling technique (spiral learning is a teaching method based on the premise that a student learns more about a subject each time the topic is reviewed or encountered) brought the students closer to feelings of empathy and understanding of the complex feelings that come with being the target of racism. By showing three different posters, I emphasized that racism touches a diversity of people who may look and feel differently about it.

Slide 8

Image Description: Purple square containing an animated gif of a turquoise circle expanding and contracting and the words, in white: “Breathe with the shape”.

What I said: “Thanks for looking at art with me! Now let’s sit again and breathe for a moment and allow those feelings to sink in.”

Discussion: I acknowledged their hard work, and provided a quiet opportunity for the students to absorb and reflect on the experience.

Slide 9

Image Description: A purple tinted image of Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, an Asian woman with long black hair, smiling. Next to the image is the text: “‘My goal with this art series was to turn these hurts into something beautiful and powerful, I really wanted to find a way to say, despite everything we have faced as Asian-Americans and New Yorkers, that I still believe in New York’ — Amanda.”

What I said: “Amanda says: ‘My goal with this art series was to turn these hurts into something beautiful and powerful, I really wanted to find a way to say, despite everything we have faced as Asian-Americans and New Yorkers, that I still believe in New York.’

Discussion: Now that the students had seen the art Amanda made and what the art could do, I offered them a hopeful quote about why she made the art, and the magical power of art-making. After reading the quote I emphasized that she wanted to transform the hurt into beauty. Listening to the artist’s own words can be a powerful experience on its own, and this also served as a transition to seeing how her art is publicly presented.

Slide 10

Image Description: A photograph of Atlantic Barclays Center in Brooklyn, which is a curved cement building. Hung on the front of the building is a large yellow banner depicting four illustrated adults — two Black and two Asian — with flowers and the words in pink: “I still believe in our city” and smaller, in purple, “istillbelieve.nyc.”

Slide 11

Image Description: A New York City bus stop seen from the side. A poster where there is usually an advertisement shows an illustrated image of an older, white haired Asian woman with blue glasses, with a bright green and yellow background and the words “This is our home too.”

What I said: “Here is her artwork on billboards at Atlantic Barclay’s Center, and here it is on a bus stop. They are all over the city! How do they make NY a more welcoming place?”

Discussion: These two slides showed students the art in situ, and extended our conversation about welcoming spaces. The question elicited responses such as “the posters are colorful and people like it,” “they show different people who are proud,” “they are really big so lots of people see them,” and “hey! That’s my bus stop!”

Slide 12

Image Description: The same image from the bus spot pictured above. An illustrated image of an older, white haired Asian woman wearing blue glasses, with a bright green and yellow background and the words “This is our home too.”

What I said: “We have sent you two of these posters for your classroom. [Teacher], will you please put the poster up in the classroom? How does putting the poster in the classroom make it a more welcoming place?”

Discussion: I had sent the poster to the teacher to display in her classroom so that the students could own the artwork and be reminded of our experience together through the rest of the spring. It brought to their own classroom our conversation about welcoming spaces and anti-racism through art. Students responded, “anyone who comes into this classroom will know they are welcome, no matter what they look like or who they are” and “it is really pretty so it makes the classroom feel nice.”

Slide 13

Image Description: Text typed to the left of the slide read:“We all belong here. Draw a portrait of yourself and write on this paper. It says ‘I belong here.’” To the right of the slide, an animated gif of a pencil drawing and a thin line drawing of a person sitting crosslegged and drinking from a cup with the words “I belong here” underneath.

What I said: “We all belong here. Write this phrase, ‘I Belong Here,’ and draw a portrait of yourself.

Discussion: With all the scaffolding in place, we expressed the experience through drawing. The drawing was a self-portrait which created a space for the students to recognize themselves in the themes we discussed. It gave them the power to belong, and welcome others. The mood was meditative, personal, and quiet. Our artwork included the positive affirmation, “I belong here,” which underscored the themes of empathy and anti-racist dissent. After the drawing time was up, students who wanted to have an opportunity to share their drawings, which many proudly did. Please see a selection of their artworks below as testimony to what they may have gained from the lesson.

Image Description: Six self portraits by students including the words “I belong here.” Some are drawn with colored pencil, some have collaged multicolored paper.

Slide 14

Image Description: The indoor/outdoor gallery of the Noguchi Museum including sunshine and sculptures next to a memoji of Luned (who is white and blonde) smiling with her hands in a heart shape.

What I said: “Thank you for spending time with me! I hope you can visit the museum soon!”

Discussion: I ended with a message of love and appreciation for all their hard work.

The students did in fact come to the museum as a group, and I visited them in person at the school. At the museum the students experienced the mass and atmosphere of the sculpted spaces Noguchi created, which we had previously only looked at on the screen. They expressed awe as well as ownership upon entering the space. Through our virtual lessons, these Queens based students internalized the museum as a place where they belonged . During the visit to their school I saw the posters displayed in the hallways (see images below), and felt welcome in their space. During our time together in their classroom, we shared memories of their visit to the museum and I reminded them that Noguchi created the museum as a place where everyone could feel welcome. He said, “this is their place.” We were also able to play again together; I brought strips of cardstock, colorful masking tape, and foam core bases, and challenged them to create a 3D “welcoming sculpture” with just three pieces of paper. Together again we contemplated ideas of belonging and welcome as we created in yet another format.

Image Description: Three images of posters previously shown in the slides, showing Asian American women with bright backgrounds hung up around the hallways of public school PS212.

Conclusion:

The conversation between these two artists spans time, culture, and space, and offers a rich ground on which to engage in inquiry and art making with all people. They help us explore questions like: how does one gain belonging in a place or in a community? Who can give or take away the right to belong? How do we bring anti-racism into our engagement with art and art making? I wanted to share with you the virtual lesson I created and gave to kindergarteners because I found so much magic, joy, and transformation in our activities and conversation, and I believe the students did too. Using inquiry, contemplative, and interdisciplinary learning we connected together around the experience of being human.

I am grateful to all the educators who have shared their ideas for non-discursive and contemplative activities with me over the years. In particular, I am indebted to Shannon Murphy and my colleagues from the Noguchi Museum in New York City who introduced me to Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya and tirelessly and passionately discussed race, culture and pedagogy with me. I am also grateful to Caroline Picard, who shared her classroom, her students and her warmth with me. This article came together with the help and encouragement of Shannon Murphy, Hannah Heller, and Daniela Fifi. Lastly, a big thank you to Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, whose courageous and inspiring work made this work possible.

Luned Palmer (she/her)

Luned Palmer is a New York City based museum educator with a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from Swarthmore College and a Master of Science in Museum Education from Bank Street College. She currently facilitates all types of programs for all people at The Noguchi Museum, The Morgan Library and Museum, The Jewish Museum and The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. She has worked as a high school and elementary school teacher, graphic designer, curriculum designer, camp director and teaching artist. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, her daughter and her cat.

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Ramsey, P. G. (2015). What If All the Kids Are White, 2nd Ed: Anti-Bias Multicultural Education with Young Children and Families. Teachers College Press.

hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. New York, NY: Routledge.

Hart, T. (2004). Opening the Contemplative Mind in the Classroom. Journal of Transformative Education, 2(1), 28–46.

Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1999). Philosophy in the flesh: The embodied mind and its challenge to Western thought. New York: Basic Books.

Petri, A. E., & Slotnik, D. E. (2021, February 26). Attacks on Asian-Americans in New York Stoke Fear, anxiety and anger. The New York Times. Retrieved November 22, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/26/nyregion/asian-hate-crimes-attacks-ny.html

Public Broadcasting Service. (2020, April 1). Asian Americans report rise in racist attacks amid pandemic. PBS. Retrieved November 22, 2022, from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/what-anti-asian-attacks-say-about-american-culture-during-crisis