AANHPI Heritage Month in Pierce County
May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month! In Pierce County, we celebrate our diverse community. Here are some various celebrations and events taking place in Pierce County this month.
Celebrations in Pierce County
Located in Tacoma, the Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) serves as a crossroad between our Pierce County and international communities. APCC celebrates AANHPI month with a variety of events such as Korea Day, Pioneer Crafts and Music Fest, several cultural presentations, group performances, plus the Taste of Asia and Artwork Demo. Find more information about these events on their website.
Join Tacoma Public Library in celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month with curated booklists, events and more. Create your own printing plates, explore the Tacoma Asian American History Scavenger Hunt, and find a list of staff recommended teen books, novels and more. Take a look at what’s happening at Tacoma Public libraries.
KBTC has covered issues involving families and members of the AAPI community in the South Sound. Learn more with recent community programs and stories, including the PBS Asian Americans Documentary Series.
On Thursday, May 18 from 4:30 to 8 p.m., the Washington State History Museum invites you to commemorate and recognize the 81st anniversary of the wartime forced removal of people of Japanese ancestry from South Puget Sound. Explore the exhibition Resilience: A Sansei Sense of Legacy featuring Sansei (third generation) Japanese American artists’ responses to Executive Order 9066 and its subsequent impacts; then build on that inspiration and work with local artists and Write253 to create your own object of remembrance. The museum will show Sansei Granddaughters’ Journey, followed by discussion.
Gain appreciation for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander heritage with a variety of films in Kanopy’s AAPI Heritage Month collection. Kanopy is a free online service for public library card holders and university students.
ArtsWA has put together a digital collection featuring artists of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage who are a part of Washington’s State Art Collection. Enjoy the rich and varied creative expression of these artists through drawings, paintings, cut paper, collage, photographs, ceramics and more. Take a look at where their art is on display throughout the state.
Take a stroll through Tacoma Chinese Reconciliation Park. Designed around the backdrop of a Chinese garden and intended as a place of healing and harmony, the park allows visitors to walk through a Chinese garden and enjoy the views of Commencement Bay. Can’t make it in person? Take a virtual visit.
The Asian Pacific Directors Coalition (APDC) kicks off Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month with Seattle Center Festal on Saturday, May 6! During the celebration event from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Seattle Center Armory, enjoy a performance by the Massive Monkees, plus children’s activities, vendors, community support tavles, and Alan Sugiyama Hum Bow Eating Contest. If you can’t join in person, the festival will be live streamed online.
AsianPacificHeritage.gov
The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum pay tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's history.Explore various events, exhibits and collections.
Follow the Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs on Facebook for a list of other events and celebrations happening throughout the month.