# data[].attributes.body
Asian Pacific American Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Home | Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center tells Asian Pacific American stories through innovative museum experiences.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible.

# data[].attributes.body
Lots of Activities for the Month of May

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Celebrated in May, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM) recognizes and honors the contributions , achievements, and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans t hat ha ve shaped the culture and history of the United States. It is celebrated during the month of May to commemorate the arrival of the first known Japanese immigrant to the U.S. on May 7, 1843, and to honor the completion of the tran scontinental railroad built by as many as 20,000 Chinese workers on May 10, 1869 .

During the 1970s, Jeannie Jew, a Capitol Hill staffer, approached New York Congressman Frank Horton about designating a time to recognize the AAPI community. Rep resentative Horton, with co-sponsor Norman Mineta of California, introduced a bill in 1978 that called for the week beginning on May 4 to be designated as Asian Pacific American Heritag e Week. With the advocacy of Jew and Ruby Moy , Horton's chief of staff, the bill passed with overwhelming majorities in both the House and the Senate. In 1992, May was permanently designated as the commemorative month.

With the increased violence and discrimination against the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the past year, the need for AAPIHM is even more apparent. The Asian Art Museum stands in solidarity with the A API communities in Atlanta, San Francisco, and Oakland, and all AAPI communities that have been targeted with hate and violence. We condemn racism and xenophobia in all its forms. We are committed to providing a platform for Asian and Asian American voices - presenting art and programming that fights xenophobia, prejudice, and discrimination - and to making the museum a welcome space for all. Read our full statement and find more resources .

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month | Asian Art Museum

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Celebrated in May, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM) recognizes and honors the contributions , achievements, and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans t hat ha ve shaped the culture and history of the United States.

# data[].attributes.headline
Asian Pacific American Heritage Association

# data[].attributes.subject
Asian Pacific American Heritage Association

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Promoting Asian American and Pacific Islander culture through education and celebration...

The Asian Pacific American Heritage Association (APAHA) was formed in Houston in 1992 with the mission to recognize and promote awareness and increase understanding of Asian American and Pacific Islander culture, diversity, and accomplishments through education and celebration.

Stay tuned for APAHA's annual meeting announment

Please continue support our AAPI featured artist

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Promoting Asian American and Pacific Islander culture through education and celebration... The Asian Pacific American Heritage Association (APAHA) was formed in Houston in 1992 with the mission to recognize and promote awareness and increase understanding of Asian American and Pacific Islander culture, diversity, and accomplishments through education and celebration.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
View Asia Society's work across many topics, countries and regions.

# data[].attributes.body
this is a Texas based organization, but some events are virtual that anyone can attend.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, join Asia Society for 31 ways to celebrate the vibrant and diverse traditions and contributions of Asians and Asian Americans. Highlighting live programs - virtual and in-person alike - our calendar also features a curated selection of on-demand family activities, art breaks, staff recommendations, and more.

Since 1979, May has been a dedicated time to celebrate Asian Pacific American heritage, but it wasn't until 1992 that May was officially designated Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Selected to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the U.S. in May 1843 and the completion of the transcontinental railroad in May 1869 that was made possible by thousands of Chinese laborers, APAH Month elevates the stories, contributions, and experiences of the Asian and Asian American communities.

Tune in for a live program, try a new restaurant, expand your bookshelf, and find inspiration to celebrate Asian Pacific American heritage throughout the month of May and beyond.

At a Glance

Our 31 ways to celebrate APAH Month include live webcast discussions, in-person art tours, and activities and content available on-demand.

Live programming highlights:

May 1: Enjoy live standup and a conversation with comedian Sheng Wang!

May 6: Join us for a live discussion on how individuals and organizations can demand action and create change against anti-Asian racism.

May 7: Watch Academy Award-nominated at our outdoor film screening!

Each Saturday, we're offering docent-led art tours of our Shahidul Alam: Truth to Power exhibition.

On-demand highlights:

Each Sunday, refresh and reset with staff recommendations for music, books, podcasts, and what to watch.

On Mondays, take an art break! Connect with the art and architecture at Asia Society Texas Center, plus artist talks.

Wednesdays offer At-Home Adventures through Asia - lesson plans highlighting a different country through five simple, at-home activities.

On Fridays, explore restaurant options available in Houston or food content online!

Jump to any date through the calendar below! We have also created a two-page PDF for easy reference.
Download the PDF
* indicates a live program is scheduled for this day

Saturday, May 1

[LIVE] Saturday Night with Sheng Wang | 7 p.m. Central, Virtual

We welcome to our digital stage an interactive performance with deadpan humorist Sheng Wang! Raised in Houston, Wang has been performing and writing for over a decade, bringing his self-deprecating humor to everyday topics like grammar, aging, and avocados. Pull up a chair and join us for your own private talk show as Sheng gets into a comic conversation with Houston Cinema Arts Festival's Jessica Green. Learn more "
Purchase Tickets
[IN-PERSON] Art Tour | 11 a.m. Central at Asia Society Texas Center

See our current exhibition Shahidul Alam: Truth to Power with a docent-led tour to experience the art on a personal level. Tours are free for members and $5 for nonmembers. Learn more "
Purchase Tickets
Sunday, May 2
Playlist: Jams and Bops
Start your week with a dreamy selection of music by Asian and Asian American artists! Production Technician Liz Nguyen has curated this three-hour Spotify playlist for a groovy Sunday.

Monday, May 3
Monday Art Break: Miya Ando
Buckle up! In this can't-miss video, curator Bridget Bray takes us on a vertical tour to explore artist Miya Ando's Mizukagami installation. Learn about our Miya Ando exhibition "

Tuesday, May 4
Curriculum: The Gee Family
In collaboration with the Houston Asian American Archive, we've developed a curriculum toolkit bringing local and personal context to the topic of immigration by featuring stories of Houston's Asian American community. These lesson plans, presenting interviews and stories of the Gee family, can be used any time of year. Find the toolkit "

Wednesday, May 5
At-Home Adventures through Asia: Vietnam
Our ongoing series of at-home lessons and activities is designed to help young learners explore the diverse cultures of Asia. In our At-Home Adventure through Vietnam, learn about Vietnamese history, food, and more, as well as the Vietnamese community in Houston. Start exploring "

Thursday, May 6

[LIVE] Webcast: Standing Against Racism in the Time of COVID: A Conversation on Activism | 7:30 p.m. Central, Virtual

What can people and organizations do to combat escalating acts of racism and xenophobia against Asian Americans? Join Asia Society Texas Center and Asia Society Southern California to learn what immediate and long-term changes are possible. We'll be joined by Stop AAPI Hate co-founder Dr. Russell Jeung, Georgia State Rep. Bee Nguyen, Compassion in Oakland co-founder Katrina Ramos, and CNN anchor Amara Walker. Learn more "

Friday, May 7

[IN-PERSON]Front Lawn Film Nights: Minari | 8 p.m. Central at Asia Society Texas Center

Enjoy fresh air and fresh popcorn as we screen critical darling Minari outdoors as part of our Front Lawn Film Nights series! A tender and sweeping story about what roots us, Minari follows a Korean American family that moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American dream. Nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Learn more "
Purchase Tickets
Saturday, May 8

[IN-PERSON] Art Tour | 11 a.m. Central at Asia Society Texas Center

See our current exhibition Shahidul Alam: Truth to Power with a docent-led tour to experience the art on a personal level. Tours are free for members and $5 for nonmembers. Learn more "
Purchase Tickets
Sunday, May 9
Deep Dive: Asian American Authors
Expand your bookshelf with Marketing and Communication Manager Chris Dunn's recommendations for fiction and nonfiction by Asian American authors! Selections span novels like Vanessa Hua's A River of Stars, essays such as Cathy Park Hong's Minor Feelings, and cultural history including Helen Zia's Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People. Start reading "

Monday, May 10
Monday Art Break: Cary Fagan
Revisit Houston-based artist Cary Fagan's artist talk, sculptural meditation piece, and audience Q&A through the full program video below or the written recap. Touching on themes of creation, transformation, and cultural exchange, the artist also shared how his practice has been shaped by his residency at Arts Itoya in Japan.

Tuesday, May 11
On-Demand Discussion: Building Black and Asian Solidarity: Women Leading Across Race, History, and Culture
Our sixth year of the Bank of America Women's Leadership Series opened with a stirring discussion with Prairie A&M University Ruth Simmons and activist and author Helen Zia. In conversation with ABC News' Nightline co-anchor Juju Chang, Simmons and Zia shared how their experiences as Black and Asian American women have shaped their leadership and discussed their hopes for solidarity between the two communities. Read the recap "

Wednesday, May 12
At-Home Adventures through Asia: Indonesia
Our ongoing series of at-home lessons and activities is designed to help young learners explore the diverse cultures of Asia. In this At-Home Adventure, learn about Indonesian clothing, food, geography, and more, plus create crafts inspired by Indonesian traditions. Start exploring "

Thursday, May 13

[LIVE] Webcast and Program: Restoring and Revitalizing Alliances: A Look Ahead at U.S.-Republic of Korea Relations | 6:30 p.m. Central, Virtual and at Asia Society Texas Center

Alongside a panel of experts, Ambassador Myung-soo Ahn, the Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Houston, discusses the current state of relationship between the U.S. and South Korea, and how it is likely to evolve in the future. We invite you to join us at the in-person program at our building or to tune in for the live webcast. Learn more "

Friday, May 14
Friday Food: Soups of Asiatown
Whether you're celebrating with loved ones, nourishing your health, or in need of a mood-booster, there's an Asian soup for you - and Production Technician Liz Nguyen's guide to soups (and where in Houston to find them) is indispensable. Embark on a delicious adventure through haleem, kimchi jigae, hot pot, and much more! Start slurping "

Saturday, May 15

[IN-PERSON] Family Day: Eid | 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Central at Asia Society Texas Center

Join us to celebrate Islamic culture and Houston's Muslim community at our Family Day highlighting Eid al-Fitr! Marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr is an occasion of peace, joy, and festivity. Enjoy a showcase of Islamic traditions, arts and crafts, food, music, and more at Asia Society. Learn more "

[IN-PERSON] Art Tour | 11 a.m. Central at Asia Society Texas Center

See our current exhibition Shahidul Alam: Truth to Power with a docent-led tour to experience the art on a personal level. Tours are free for members and $5 for nonmembers. Learn more "
Purchase Tickets
Sunday, May 16
Deep Dive: Podcast Picks
Find your next must-listen podcast (or two, or three!) with Business and Policy Programs Manager Mei Qi's selection of Asian American podcasts! Chew on the history of boba, dish on K-dramas from a Korean American perspective, join two book nerds' weekly conversations, and much more. Start listening "

Monday, May 17
Monday Art Break: Lee Ufan
Step outside for an unprecedented, up-close look at our permanent exhibition, Relatum-signal by Lee Ufan. Learn about Relatum-signal "

Tuesday, May 18

[LIVE] Webcast: Artist Talk: Hong Hong - On Material, Time, and Transference | 7 p.m. Central, Virtual

To celebrate our new exhibition The Mountain That Does Not Describe a Circle, we welcome the featured artist Hong Hong for an artist talk. She will discuss her site-responsive installation at Asia Society, where the architecture is both a support and counterpoint for ideas of scale, visual perception, and experiential connection. Learn more "
On-Demand Discussion: Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Asian Americans
An August 2020 report from McKinsey & Company examined the pandemic's initial effects on Asians and Asian Americans. In conversation with the Kinder Institute for Urban Research founding director Dr. Stephen Klineberg, report co-authors Elaine Dang and Harrison Lung discussed what drove the study, key insights and findings, and their main takeaways on the topic, including the crucial need for disaggregated data. Read the recap "

Wednesday, May 19
At-Home Adventures through Asia: Philippines
Our ongoing series of at-home lessons and activities is designed to help young learners explore the diverse cultures of Asia. In this At-Home Adventure, learn about school life, clothing, food, and holidays in the Philippines, plus learn a new dish and game! Start exploring "

Thursday, May 20

[LIVE] Bystander Intervention Training | 12-1:30 p.m., Virtual

Be part of the change and learn practical tips to safely stand up against hate and bigotry through this interactive workshop presented by Houston Coalition Against Hate, OCA Greater Houston, and Hollaback! This online training is free and takes place monthly; weekend and evening sessions are also available. Learn more "

[LIVE] Virtual Book Club: Interior Chinatown hosted by Charles Yu | 5:30 p.m. Central, Virtual

Gather with others online to reflect, discuss, and connect in a virtual book club led by author Charles Yu to discuss his book Interior Chinatown. A 2020 National Book Award winner, this novel is about race, pop culture, immigration, assimilation, and escaping the roles we are forced to play. This live event is for Asia Society members only. Learn more "

Friday, May 21
Friday Food: Takeout Inspiration with 60+ Houston AAPI Restaurants
The rest of the world is finally catching on to what Houstonians have always known - that we live in the new food capital of America. We've made it easier to choose your next meal from Asian and Asian American-owned restaurants serving up regional dishes as well as trendy new bites. Find 60 tried-and-true restaurants and eateries representing a cross-section of our city's diverse Asian and fusion cuisines through our virtual Night Market - and each profile includes a way to order your next delicious meal! Start your order "

Saturday, May 22

[IN-PERSON] Art Tour | 11 a.m. Central at Asia Society Texas Center

See our current exhibition Shahidul Alam: Truth to Power with a docent-led tour to experience the art on a personal level. Tours are free for members and $5 for nonmembers. Learn more "
Purchase Tickets
Sunday, May 23
Deep Dive: Magical Realism
Escape into realms of magical realism through Performing Arts and Culture Program Manager Kaitlyn Ellison's recommendations for novels that speak to serious human issues while also revealing unexpected layers to the world. With established authors like Haruki Murakami alongside debut novelists like C. Pam Zhang and more, you'll find no shortage of moving stories and mythologies. Start reading "

Monday, May 24
Monday Art Break: Filipinx Artists
Revisit this program with three Filipinx artists from different coasts across the United States. New York-based artist Jeanne F. Jalandoni, Houston-based artist and community organizer Matt Manalo, and San Francisco-based artist Charlene Tan gathered to reflect on new perspectives and practices during lockdown in a conversation with curator Bridget Bray. Read the recap "

Tuesday, May 25
Fold an Origami Crane!
Cranes have long symbolized peace, good health, longevity, and healing in many Asian cultures. According to the Japanese tradition of senbazuru, anyone who folds 1,000 origami cranes will be granted their most desired wish. Learn how to fold an origami crane, which can be displayed on a desk or shelf or strung together with other cranes for a beautiful effect. Learn about our 1,000 Cranes for Hope project "

Wednesday, May 26

[LIVE] Webcast: Trailblazer and Tycoon: Conversation on Success with Ethan Allen's Chairman and CEO Farooq Kathwari | 7 p.m. Central, Virtual

Farooq Kathwari's journey from the city of Srinagar (Kashmir) to Chairman and CEO of Ethan Allen Interiors is a testimony to his perseverance. Join us for a conversation with Farooq Kathwari about his life journey and successful career, his leadership in community-building, and the legacy he hopes to leave. Learn more "
At-Home Adventures through Asia: Korea
Our ongoing series of at-home lessons and activities is designed to help young learners explore the diverse cultures of Asia. In this At-Home Adventure, learn about Korean food, games, crafts, and more. Start exploring "

Thursday, May 27
Throwback Thursday to AsiaFest 2021
This March, we transformed our annual celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month into a week-long festival over Spring Break! Guests enjoyed performances, shopping, and activities unique to each day highlighting a different region of Asia. Through our video, enjoy a look at our "lite" festival! Read the recap "

Friday, May 28
Friday Food: Blogs and YouTube Channels to Follow
Stay hungry! We've compiled a selection of chefs and cooks we love to follow online, whether we're seeking recipes, quick tips, or inspiration in the kitchen. Get ready for mouth-watering photos, step-by-step videos, and appearances by YouTube-famous cats! Add to your follow list "

Saturday, May 29

[IN-PERSON] Art Tour | 11 a.m. Central at Asia Society Texas Center

See our current exhibition Shahidul Alam: Truth to Power with a docent-led tour to experience the art on a personal level. Tours are free for members and $5 for nonmembers. Learn more "
Purchase Tickets
Sunday, May 30
Deep Dive: Bollywood
Spanning genres, the wide world of Bollywood offers a film or show for everyone. Whether you want to dip your toe in or are already a fan of the enormous Indian cinema industry, find inspiration in Business and Policy Director Saleena Jafry's recommendations for movies featuring the legendary Shah Rukh Khan, plus recently released films and series. Start watching "

Monday, May 31
Monday Art Break: Jura Fossils at Asia Society
Explore just a few fossils that are a feature of the stunning Jurassic-era limestone walls and floors of Asia Society Texas Center! Learn more about our building's architecture "
Business and Policy programs are endowed by Huffington Foundation. We give special thanks to Bank of America, Muffet Blake, Anne and Albert Chao, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Nancy Pollok Guinee, and United Airlines, Presenting Sponsors of Business and Policy programs; Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, and Leslie and Brad Bucher, Presenting Sponsors of Exhibitions; Dr. Ellen R. Gritz and Milton D. Rosenau, Presenting Sponsors of Performing Arts and Culture; Wells Fargo, Presenting Sponsor of Education & Outreach; and Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), Presenting Sponsor of the Japan Series. General support of programs and exhibitions is provided by The Brown Foundation, Inc., The Hearst Foundation, Inc., Houston Endowment, Inc., the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, McKinsey & Company, Inc., National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts, Vinson & Elkins LLP, and Mary Lawrence Porter, as well as Friends of Asia Society.
About Asia Society at Home

We are dedicated to continuing our mission of building cross-cultural understanding and uplifting human connectivity. Using digital tools, we bring you content for all ages and conversations that matter, in order to spark curiosity about Asia and to foster empathy.

About Asia Society Texas Center

With 13 locations throughout the world, Asia Society is the leading educational organization promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among the peoples, leaders, and institutions of Asia and West. Asia Society Texas Center executes the global mission with a local focus, enriching and engaging the vast diversity of Houston through innovative, relevant programs in arts and culture, business and policy, education, and community outreach.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2021

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, join Asia Society for 31 ways to celebrate the vibrant and diverse traditions and contributions of Asians and Asian Americans. Highlighting live programs - virtual and in-person alike - our calendar also features a curated selection of on-demand family activities, art breaks, staff recommendations, and more.

# data[].attributes.body
This organization has multiple headquarters with geographic events, but the main page mas many great resources for many aspects of AAPI life

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Asia Society is the leading educational organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders and institutions of Asia and the United States in a global context.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as the 22nd President of the Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA), alongside Vice President Dr. Nellie Tran and past-president Dr. Helen Hsu. I am honored to serve under a legacy of great AAPA presidents and alongside several amazing leaders who comprise our current AAPA Executive Committee!
Founded in 1972 by a group of Asian American psychologists and other mental health professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area, the mission of the Asian American Psychological Association is to advance the mental health and well-being of Asian American communities through research, professional practice, education, and policy.
AAPA is an intersectional community composed of multi-disciplinary professionals, educators, researchers, clinicians, advocates, students, and allies. We are not only psychologists and psychology professors, but also social workers, marital and family therapists, public health professionals and other disciplines who are committed to Asian American mental health and well-being. We are a community of US born, immigrants, refugees, mixed heritage, or from dozens of varied Asian, Native and Pacific Islander heritages, of every sexual orientation and gender expression and varied socioeconomic and disability status.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Home - Asian American Psychological Association

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as the 22nd President of the Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA), alongside Vice President Dr. Nellie Tran and past-president Dr. Helen Hsu. I am honored to serve under a legacy of great AAPA presidents and alongside several amazing leaders who comprise our current AAPA Executive Committee!

# data[].attributes.headline
Ginkgo Biloba trees survived nuclear bombs in Japan!

# data[].attributes.subject
Ginkgo Biloba trees survived nuclear bombs in Japan!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Forage & Cook GINKGO NUTS that smells like a combination of POO & VOMIT | Fruity Fruits

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Want to be an ally? Start by better understanding the language we use to describe the community.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Welcome to Asian-Nation, an authoritative, one-stop information resource and sociological exploration of the historical, demographic, political, and cultural issues that make up today's diverse Asian American community. You can think of Asian-Nation as an online version of "Asian Americans 101."
While Asian Americans "only" make up about 6.7% of the U.S.'s total population (as of 2018), we are one of the fastest growing racial/ethnic groups (in terms of percentage increase) in the U.S. The Asian American community has received a lot of scrutiny over the years but in many ways, still remains misunderstood. Therefore, this site serves as a concise but comprehensive introduction to the Asian American community. Its purposes are to:

Educate those who would like to learn more about the Asian American population

Provide general and specific information about different topics and issues that affect the Asian American community

Identify other sources of information related to Asian Americans

First, I define "Asian Americans" as the population living in the U.S. who self-identify as having Asian ancestry, in whole or in part, regardless of whether they're U.S.- or foreign-born, a U.S. citizen or not, length of residence, or in the U.S. legally or as undocumented. While the term "Asian American" generally refers to ethnic groups with ancestral origins in East, Southeast, or South Asia, it can also overlap with the historical, political, economic, and cultural experiences of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs).

The U.S. Census Bureau classifies NHPIs as a separate racial group from Asian Americans and in fact, the NHPI population has many unique characteristics and differences from Asian Americans, such as being colonized by U.S. military forces, whereas many Asian Americans immigrated to the U.S. and voluntarily came into contact with U.S. society. As such, I respect these histories and characteristics that are unique to the NHPI population and will not automatically subsume them under the "Asian American" category and agree with those who argue that NHPIs deserve their own unique identity separate from Asian Americans.

At the same time, I also agree with others that in terms of how they are treated by U.S. social institutions, NHPIs and Asian Americans share many more similarities than differences. As such, this site will sometimes use the terms "Asian American" and "Asian Pacific American" (APA) in similar ways to reflect these shared experiences.

Second, while there is certainly a lot of unique characteristics and differences within the diverse Asian American community, unfortunately I cannot detail the specific issues and experiences of every single Asian ethnic group. By necessity, much of the data and discussion within Asian-Nation focuses on the dozen or so largest Asian ethnic groups that represent the vast majority of the Asian American population.

At the same time, where it's appropriate, I describe issues that affect specific Asian groups, such as the Japanese "internment" or recent suspicions about Chinese espionage. But the main focus of Asian-Nation is on issues and experiences that affect all Asian Americans, especially in the context of how we are typically treated as though we are all the same.

Finally, despite what some academics believe, I do not feel that it is possible to discuss these issues in a completely "non-biased" or "objective" way. I feel that you as the reader deserve to know my personal perspective and what kinds of biases I may have. Therefore, I will say that much of what I present in Asian-Nation is based on my subjective knowledge and experiences as an immigrant, an Vietnamese American, an Asian American, and a person of color.

However, this does not mean that everything in Asian-Nation is merely my personal opinion. As much as possible, I discuss the issues as straightforwardly as possible, drawing on sound academic and sociological research, and incorporating in-depth research and statistics. Nonetheless, there may be instances where I demonstrate my 'liberal' perspective.

As many social scientists have noted, there are two primary stereotypes that continue to affect Asian Americans. One is that all Asian Americans are the same. That is, many people are either unable or unwilling to distinguish between different Asian ethnicities -- Korean American from a Japanese American, Filipino American from an Indonesian American, etc. This becomes a problem when people generalize certain beliefs or stereotypes about one or a few Asian Americans to the entire Asian American population. The result is that important differences between Asian ethnic groups are minimized or ignored altogether, sometimes leading to disastrous results.

The second stereotype is that all Asian Americans are foreigners. Although more than half of all Asians in the U.S. were born outside the U.S., many non-Asians simply assume that every Asian they see, meet, or hear about is a foreigner. Many can't recognize that many Asian American families have been U.S. citizens for several generations. As a result, because all Asian Americans are perceived as foreigners, it becomes easier to think of us as not fully American and then to deny us the same rights that other Americans take for granted. Yes, that means prejudice and discrimination in its many forms.

Be sure to keep up on the important issues making the news that affect Asian Americans, and my particular take on them at Behind the Headlines: APA News Blog, my blog about Asian American news and current events. Also, the articles on Affirmative Action and Anti-Asian Racism have both been updated with up-to-date information.

In the aftermath of the murder of African American George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, Asian-Nation stands in firm solidarity with our Black brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors, and family as we continue to mobilize collectively to fight the insidious virus of racism that continues to infect U.S. society and destroy innocent lives. Please read my recent blog post "Asian Americans Need to Support Black Lives Matter Now."

Also, in the midst of the Covid-19/Coronavirus situation, please read Asian-Nation's statement related to incidents of suspicion, hostility, hate, and violence that has been directed against anyone perceived to be Chinese or more generally, Asian or Asian Pacific American.

Lunar New Year is on February 12, 2021. Learn about the characteristics of those born in the Year of the Ox -- those who turn 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, etc. this year -- by reading about the Vietnamese version of the Lunar New Year -- Tet, a Celebration of Rebirth, in which the Ox is replaced with the Buffalo in Vietnamese culture.

Finally, make sure to visit the Site Map to see which pages are either New! or Updated! As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions and wish you an interesting exploration.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Asian-Nation : Asian American History, Demographics, & Issues

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to Asian-Nation, an authoritative, one-stop information resource and sociological exploration of the historical, demographic, political, and cultural issues that make up today's diverse Asian American community. You can think of Asian-Nation as an online version of "Asian Americans 101."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The blooming of the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC has come to symbolize the natural beauty of our nation's capital city. The famous trees, a gift of Japan in 1912, signal Washington's beginning of spring with an explosion of life and color that surrounds the Tidal Basin in a sea of pale pink and white blossoms.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cherry Blossom Festival (U.S. National Park Service)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The blooming of the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC has come to symbolize the natural beauty of our nation's capital city.

# data[].attributes.body
This site covers all (or at least pretty close to all) ethnicities found in the United States, giving cultural and historical background along with sources, but links may be outdated/broken.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Multicultural America: A-Br, Bu-Dr, Du-Ha, Ha-La, Le-Pa, Pa-Sp, and Sr-Z

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Home - Korean American Historical Society

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I did not know my grandfather very well. His English was not good and my Korean was nonexistent. It is only now, many years after his death, that I am learning about the fascinating life he lead. I fear this is the case of many second and third generation Korean Americans.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SAADA digitally documents, preserves, and shares stories of South Asian Americans.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Best Indian American Magazine | San Jose CA | India Currents

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Poetry As Sanctuary - A column where we explore poetry as a means of expression for voices of the South Asian Diaspora. "Geetam Vaadyam Tatha Nrityam, Tray

Our Climate is Changing. Why Aren't We? Bay Area Climate Reality Leader Erin Zimmerman, Ph.D (she has a doctorate in Political Science), talks to DesiCollecti

Our Climate is Changing. Why Aren't We? Seema Vaid grew aware of veganism when she joined a campaign by Beatle Paul McCartney to save an Indian temple elephant.

This article will be released as a three-part series on the effects of GMOs and the meat industry on our environment. "My dream in 1987 was that I will not

IC Interviews Bay Area Dancer, Amit Patel

Bollywood dance has existed within heteronormative structures for years. How are dancers bringing a wave of change to the industry? Amit Patel, a Fremont choreographer and founder of Bollywood Heels, is interviewed by Managing Editor, Srishti Prabha, and Youth Editor, Kanchan Naik.

IC Interviews: Veena Player, Teed Rockwell

Priya Das, Program Director for Sangam Arts and Mosaic Silicon Valley interviews longtime India Currents contributor and Veena player, Teed Rockwell.

Desi Talk: American Born _____ Desi

Yashu Rao and Srishti Prabha talk about culture, identity, and how it plays a role in family structures.

My mother lives in Jamshedpur, India. I live in San Jose, California. For the past many years, my siblings and I have made multiple trips to Jamshedpur every ye

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Welcome to India Currents | Indian American Magazine | San Jose CA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Poetry As Sanctuary - A column where we explore poetry as a means of expression for voices of the South Asian Diaspora. "Geetam Vaadyam Tatha Nrityam, Tray Our Climate is Changing. Why Aren't We? Bay Area Climate Reality Leader Erin Zimmerman, Ph.D (she has a doctorate in Political Science), talks to DesiCollecti Our Climate is Changing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Polynesian Cultural Center announces the schedule of events for this years 28th World Fireknife Championship, held at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, HI. You will find us along the beautiful North Shore coastline of Oahu. Read more about the competition, and the safety measure instituted to keep our performers, staff, volunteers and guests safe.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Polynesian Cultural Center announces the schedule of events for this years 28th World Fireknife Championship, held at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, HI. You will find us along the beautiful North Shore coastline of Oahu. Read more about the competition, and the safety measure instituted to keep our performers, staff, volunteers and guests safe.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
TRY OUR ROTI QUESADILLA, the advertisement beckons. In all caps, it promotes the two cuisines the restaurant serves:

As advertised, the roti quesadilla fits right into 2019's globalized food scene, where chefs of all backgrounds fuse ingredients and culinary techniques, searching for the next great dish.

But this quesadilla, created by the Rasul family at their restaurant, El Ranchero, was not designed to go viral, and the ad did not reach audiences via carefully programmed algorithms. Instead, it ran in Yuba City, California's local paper, the Appeal-Democrat, in 1977 - squarely in the middle of the restaurant's 40-year run. And the family that created it was not trying to do something different, or strange - it just made something true to their identity.

The restaurant's menu and its roti quesadilla were unique to the Rasuls and El Ranchero, but they represented something much larger: Punjabi Mexicans in California, whose localized community, by the 1970s, had already started to disappear.

Between the late 1800s and 1917, men from Punjab, in northwest India, came to the United States to work. They landed on the West Coast, and most found jobs farming in California or logging in the Pacific Northwest; some sold tamales. In California, they generally settled in the Imperial Valley, east of San Diego, just above the Mexican border; from there, some followed farming routes north and eventually made homes in places like Yuba City and Fresno.

These men earned far more money than they had been able to in India, but life in California was not all opportunity: After the Immigration Act of 1917 restricted Indians and other Asians from entering the country, many of the men found themselves stuck; some had wives and children back in India, and they feared that if they left America, they would not be allowed to return. Moreover, California's Alien Land Law of 1913 prohibited ownership or long-term leases of land to "aliens ineligible for citizenship," which included Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, and Indians - effectively preventing them from owning property, because they could not become citizens.

According to Karen Leonard, a professor of anthropology at the University of California at Irvine and author of Making Ethnic Choices: California's Punjabi Mexican Americans, almost 2,000 Punjabi men lived in California in the early 1900s, and approximately one-third of them married (or re-married) after settling in the state.

Only a few Indian women reached the United States before the border closed, none of whom settled in the Imperial Valley. Because there were so few Indian women, and because of California's miscegenation laws, which dictated that people could not marry outside of their race, many Punjabi men married Hispanic women, creating a new, hybrid community. (The miscegenation laws were vague, and some interpretations permitted Punjabi and Hispanic couples - both "brown" - to marry.) The men were often a decade or more older than the women, and in many cases, sets of Mexican sisters, cousins, or good friends married Punjabi men who knew each other, so families within the emerging community were especially close-knit.

By the 1940s, roughly 400 such marriages existed in California, according to Leonard. The community that formed out of these marriages was often called "Mexican Hindu" or "Punjabi Mexican," broadstroke terms that weren't entirely accurate. Some of the women were biracial, and "Hindu" at the time referred to Hindustan, an old name for India, not to the religion - in fact, it's estimated some 80 percent of the men were Sikh and about 10 percent were Muslim.

Within the community and outside of it, the children of these couples were called "half and halves," half Punjabi, half Mexican. Their fathers labored long hours in the fields, so raising the children was often left to the mothers, and the new generation grew up as predominantly Spanish speakers in the Catholic faith. But when the men returned home, they still expected their families to eat Punjabi food.

So the Mexican women learned to cook Punjabi meals for their husbands, but adapted the dishes to use more familiar or local ingredients. The language changed, too: My reporting indicates that Punjabi Mexicans referred to parathas as a type of roti - in India they are usually considered two distinct kinds of flatbreads - and used "curry" as a general, catchall phrase to describe dishes served in sauces or gravies, all which have distinct names and preparations in India.

Amelia Singh Netervala was born in 1935 to a Mexican-born mother and a Punjabi Sikh father. She remembers her mother, Rosa Singh, cooking foods from both cultures. "My mother would make dal, and also Mexican beans," Netervala says. "She would make cheese enchiladas or parathas on special occasions. She learned all [the Indian dishes] from my father." In the past, articles have referenced Netervala's family's chicken curry enchiladas as a symbol of this dual-culture community, but she says this is an error - they never blended culinary traditions in this way. Singh mostly cooked Indian food, as her husband preferred, like aloo gobi and other vegetables with Indian spices; she did sometimes make dishes like rice and pinto beans though, and would prepare menudo at Christmas.

"My mother's food was absolutely delicious. You can't find what she made anywhere else," Yuba City resident Kartar Smith remembers. Her mother, Anastasia Dhillon, was of Mexican, Spanish, and French descent, and her father, Kapur Dhillon, was Punjabi. In traditional Punjabi chicken recipes, Smith says, "you make the tadka [tempered spices] and all of that other stuff, but my mom didn't do that. My mom would use the canned curry spice that she would get at the store - the one spice - and she would add tomato sauce to it, which is Spanish or Mexican."

Smith's family has been friends with the Rasuls for four generations; her grandfather and Gulam Rasul came from the same part of India, and their families knew each other in the Imperial Valley. The Dhillons also owned a restaurant in Imperial Valley's El Centro, where Smith was born. After her family moved to Yuba City, they reconnected with the Rasuls, and she remembers eating at their restaurant El Ranchero often. "My uncles and my father, they were born at the early part of the 20th century, and they would go there for dinner whenever they could," she said. El Ranchero, she thinks, was perhaps the last restaurant of its kind.

El Ranchero, later renamed Rasul's El Ranchero, opened in Yuba City in 1954 and operated for four decades. Gulam Rasul, a migrant farmer, left agricultural work behind to start the restaurant after he and his wife, Inez Aguirre Rasul, realized that people loved their food -relatives remember now that they were never not feeding family and friends. Gulam and Inez Aguirre had 13 children, many of whom worked in the restaurant from time to time, and when Gulam died in 1967, his son Ali took over and ran the restaurant until it closed.

Tamara L. Rasul English, Ali's daughter, wanted to follow in her father's and grandfather's footsteps and run El Ranchero after her father decided to retire. But she says her dad believed he would never truly stop working if it stayed open. He was too enmeshed with the restaurant, referred to simply as "Ali's" (sometimes pronounced "Ollie's") by regulars, who would often bring their own pots to fill up with his chicken curry - or just drop in to buy him a beer.

While most of El Ranchero's menu was Mexican, the Rasuls served a few Indian dishes, like chicken and lamb curries, seasonal curried vegetables, and rotis. English notes that the restaurant was the first in the Yuba City area to serve any "East Indian," or what today we would call "South Asian," food.

A few of the Mexican plates were influenced by the Rasul family's traditions, like the restaurant's take on chile verde - "We would make ours out of beef, because our grandfather, being Muslim, wouldn't allow pork," says English - and curry dishes were served with Spanish rice instead of Indian-style rice, but the restaurant generally didn't attempt to fuse Indian and Mexican together. Customers sometimes took things into their own hands, though, ordering Mexican dishes like chili and beans to eat with parathas, combining the two cuisines themselves.

The exception, and the restaurant's sole crossover dish, was the roti quesadilla, which was on the menu from the beginning. It had melted cheese, onions, and shredded beef sandwiched inside a paratha, and it came served with a curry chicken dipping sauce, as well as salad or rice and beans. "Some would use the salsa that came with dinner as a dipping sauce for the quesadilla as well," English remembers, "so there was customization for specific customers' tastes."

The roti quesadilla was nicknamed the Hindu pizza, and later, as people started to consider "Hindu" an outdated phrase, the Indian pizza. "This was something specific," English says. When she worked at El Ranchero, people would tell her they went to other restaurants and ordered quesadillas, and that they were "nothing like [Rasul's]." She'd reply, "'Of course not, that's a Mexican restaurant - you're not going to get this there.'"

At El Ranchero, the Rasuls served the kinds of food that they made for themselves. English says that the family worked at the restaurant six days a week, so dinner was always eaten there. "We would eat items that were on the menu as well as our own ideas, such as a chile verde, bean, and cheese burrito made with a roti instead of a flour tortilla - so good, I can almost taste it!" English remembers leaving the restaurant with her father early one night to go see the Yuba City High School homecoming football game. "We ate those warm burritos in the cold air with everyone around us telling us how good they looked and smelled and [that they] wished they had one. It was something only my dad and I could have that night."

Punjabi Mexicans ran at least a couple of other restaurants in California around that time, including one in El Centro and one near Fresno in Selma. But none had the staying power of El Ranchero, and no records that I could find show those restaurants serving both Mexican and Indian dishes - much less anything that combined food traditions from both cultures on a single plate.

During its 40-year run, Rasul's became a space where the whole community gathered. Locals who moved out frequently came back to visit and eat at the restaurant with their parents and children in tow. And Punjabi-Mexican families from all over made a point to stop at the restaurant whenever they found themselves in Yuba City. "[When] people were in town, they had to make sure they stopped in," says English. "It was kind of like home base."

Today, a quarter-century after the restaurant's closing, people still ask English if she'd ever open it again; she says she might consider doing a pop-up dinner here or there. Online, in articles and Yuba City Facebook groups, people remember Rasul's El Ranchero and what it brought to the area, filling a need for the Punjabi-Mexican community while introducing others to Indian food.

"A lot of people would say, 'why do you have both of those foods, it sounds kind of like an odd thing,'" English tells me. "But it's not as odd as you think. It was good for the community, as far as flavors introduced."

By the time the first Punjabi-Mexican children reached their 30s, in the mid-1940s, laws were changing. California repealed its miscegenation policies, lifting racial restrictions on who could marry. In 1946, President Truman signed the Luce-Celler Act, which allowed Indians to become naturalized citizens, meaning they could own land in their own names instead of relying on their children, who were citizens by birth; their wives, who had technically lost their rights to citizenship by marrying men who couldn't obtain their own; or white or Mexican landowners to hold property for them.

On the other side of the world, India gained independence from the British in 1947 and split into two countries, India and Pakistan. Called Partition, this created some deep mistrust between predominantly Hindu Indians and predominantly Muslim Pakistanis in South Asia as well as parts of the diaspora. It also led to a reframing of some Muslim parts of the Punjabi-Mexican community, who subsequently became known as Spanish Pakistanis, and to strengthening patriotic ties to different countries in South Asia.

Netervala, who grew up in El Paso, Texas, and Phoenix, says that she cannot recall her Sikh father's Muslim friends ever coming inside her house. She realized later that this was in part because the Muslim men kept halal, and the chicken her mother cooked with wasn't. "Their wives, who were Mexican, they could come to the house and eat. But the men never ate - they stayed outside, talking to my father." But by and large, internal bonds within the Punjabi-Mexican community stayed strong even after Partition. Netervala does remember discrimination by Mexican women outside the Punjabi-Mexican community, however. "I think some of the Mexican women resented those women that were married to Indians that were doing well," she says. "We always had a car, as I recall, and my mother dressed well. In school, because of my last name being Singh, they used to make fun of me."

Luce-Celler opened up the border, permitting 100 Indians (and 100 Filipinos) to immigrate each year. It was followed in 1965 by the less restrictive Immigration and Nationality Act, which abolished the discriminatory quota system and encouraged more Indians to come to the United States. With more Punjabi women emigrating from India and marrying Punjabi men - by the 1970s, Leonard reports, Yuba City High School had more Punjabi students enrolled than Punjabi-Mexican - the dynamics for the Mexican women who helped build this small community began to change.

From the community's earliest days, Mexican women had cooked in the gurdwaras that their husbands helped found, which became important community hubs for all Punjabi Mexicans in addition to being Sikh places of worship. Though many of the Sikh men who came to California in the early 1900s cut their hair and stopped wearing turbans daily, thus abandoning one of the five outward expressions of the Sikh faith, they still brought their families to gurdwaras, especially on special occasions. The first opened in 1912 in Stockton, California (one, in El Centro, was purchased from the Japanese in 1948 - before internment, it had been a Buddhist temple), and Punjabis of all faiths, not just Sikhs, frequented these locations, which also proved to be useful places for organizing meetings, such as for the revolutionary anti-colonialist Ghadar Party.

Netervala remembers traveling from Phoenix to the gurdwara in El Centro every fall. For years, her mother helped local wives make chapatis and cook for langar, the community meal served in all gurdwaras. Then the Punjabi women arrived. "When some of the women from India started coming, they didn't want the Mexican women who used to cook there - they sort of put them to the side, kicked them out," Netervala says. "They didn't particularly want them in their kitchen. They wanted to cook their way, [even though] the Mexican women had learned from their husbands how to cook Indian food!"

The South Asians who came to the United States after 1965 distanced themselves from the earlier, less-educated immigrants, who mostly worked as farmers. The new-to-America South Asians wanted to retain strong cultural boundaries; in Making Ethnic Choices, Leonard writes that they "feel threatened by the Punjabi-Mexican descendants and are anxious that their own children 'remain true to the culture.'" They did things like reinstate the policy of sitting on the floor at the gurdwara, not in chairs, as had become common practice for Punjabi Mexicans. And in some instances, Mexican women were accused of poisoning the new Punjabi women.

The Punjabi-Mexican "old-timers" thought of themselves as more modern - more American - than the provincial new immigrants, who in turn did not approve of the established community. As a result, the Punjabi Mexicans kept separate from the newcomers, strengthening their identity and holding their own cultural events, such as the annual Mexican-Hindu Christmas dance - also called the Old-Timers Reunion Christmas Dance - which started in 1974.

But the dance, first created to celebrate the Punjabi-Mexican families and their descendants, evolved, and the invite list expanded to include a wider community of Yuba City residents. By 1988, only one-tenth of the attendees were from Punjabi-Mexican families. In 2008, it was reported that the dance "barely draws a handful of people anymore."

The hybrid community that had formed when there were no other alternatives for Punjabi men was no longer as necessary, and it began to change with the times. (Yuba City is now home to one of the largest Sikh populations outside of India; each year, over 100,000 people - almost double the population of the city - attend the annual Sikh festival and parade.) The second generation, the children of the first Punjabi-Mexican marriages, did not face pressure to marry within their small community; Leonard writes that marriages between Punjabi-Mexican brides and grooms were the "least preferred" and "outnumbered by marriages with Anglos and Hispanics" - her records show that, between 1930 and 1969, only 11 marriages were made between Punjabi-Mexican brides and grooms. The total number of Indians in California had remained below 2,000 through 1970; by 1980, the Indian population in California had jumped to more than 57,000. "When Indian women started coming to the States, Indian men preferred marrying Indian women as opposed to Mexican," Netervala remembers. "Once in a while, I see in the India Abroad paper that there's a couple - Mexican girl married to an Indian man - but that's quite rare nowadays."

"It was just a point of history," Smith says. "Because of the laws, it brought people together, that's what it is."

Today, Indian restaurants across the country have Mexican-influenced dishes on their menu, ranging from guacamole at New York City's GupShup to lamb tikka tacos in Los Angeles or street paneer ones in Houston. Yet even in California, where the Punjabi-Mexican community was strongest, today's Indian-Mexican restaurants don't look to that history. Ashok Saini, familiar with Yuba City's Punjabi-Mexican community of the 1940s thanks to friends who had settled in that area, says he was not influenced by this part of California's past to open a restaurant that sells "Punjabi burritos" - basmati rice, spiced chickpeas, and ingredients like jerk chicken or curried pumpkin all rolled together in a whole wheat tortilla.

At Avatar's Punjabi Burrito, with locations across the Bay Area, Saini serves what he calls a fusion of Mexican and Indian cuisine - the staff mixes their own flours for tortillas at the restaurants, drawing inspiration from traditional Indian and Mexican flatbreads - but on Saini's no gluten, no cream, no sugar menu, there's a clear emphasis on health food. There's certainly nothing like Rasul's roti quesadilla, which existed for and because of a very specific community, at a very specific time in history.

Akash Kapoor, who started the fast-casual Indian concept Curry Up Now in the Bay Area in 2009, says he was driven by the success of the Kogi Korean BBQ taco trucks. Roy Choi "was doing it with Korean food - burritos, tacos, and other stuff," Kapoor said, and it made him think about what he could do. "We were going for high volume. How does someone walk away from the truck and [the] food stays hot, and you can eat it while you're walking around? The burrito is an automatic." His restaurants serve burritos with fillings like Kashmiri lamb stew, saag paneer, and samosas, as well as a quesadilla that sandwiches mozzarella cheese and Indian-style meat or paneer inside a potato-stuffed paratha. It invites comparison to the Rasuls' signature dish, but evolved from a completely different cultural moment.

Today, chefs are thinking about marketing; they're trying to get customers in the door, and they're being deliberate about the flavors and culinary traditions they're combining. But for Rasul's El Ranchero, catering to Punjabi Mexicans born in the first half of the century, the roti quesadilla was more than just something new and different - it represented the organic community of Punjabis and Mexicans brought together by a confluence of immigration policies, labor laws, and cultural similarities. "We love food. So whatever the inspiration, it's all good," English says, when asked about restaurants selling the food she ate at home without acknowledging the history. "But there is something to be said for family comfort food recipes."

Netervala isn't quite sure what she thinks about today's food trends. "This is just something made up," she says. "Chefs are always trying different things, so they're just doing things on their own. That's not how we had Indian food - maybe I've been missing something!"

Sign up for the Sign up for Eater's newsletter

The freshest news from the food world every day

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
California's Lost (and Found) Punjabi-Mexican Cuisine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
TRY OUR ROTI QUESADILLA, the advertisement beckons. In all caps, it promotes the two cuisines the restaurant serves: As advertised, the roti quesadilla fits right into 2019's globalized food scene, where chefs of all backgrounds fuse ingredients and culinary techniques, searching for the next great dish.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
16 Movies To Watch During Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here's a list of 16 movies by Asian-American and Pacific Islander creators and actors to watch this AAPI Heritage Month.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. It is the most important holiday in China, and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and countries with a significant overseas Chinese population. While the official dates encompassing the holiday vary by culture, those celebrating consider it the time of the year to reunite with immediate and extended family.

Commonly known as the Spring Festival in China, Lunar New Year is a fifteen-day celebration marked by many traditions. At home, families decorate windows with red paper cuttings and adorn doors with couplets expressing auspicious wishes for the new year. Shopping for holiday sundries in open-air markets and cleaning the house are also beloved traditions. The Lunar New Year's Eve reunion dinner is the highlight that kicks off the holiday, a feast with a spread of symbolic dishes, such as a whole fish representing abundance, that bring good luck and fortune. The fifteenth and final day of the holiday is the Lantern Festival, during which people have tangyuan, or sweet glutinous rice balls, and children carry lanterns around the neighborhood at night to mark the end of the celebration.

In the Chinese zodiac, 2023 is the year of the rabbit. In the Vietnamese and Gurung (Central Nepal) zodiac, the cat replaces the rabbit. In the Malay zodiac, the mousedeer replaces the rabbit. We also acknowledge that many Asian American and Pacific Islanders do not follow the Chinese/Lunar zodiac.

Enjoy our Lunar New Year digital library, which represents the richness of traditions and celebrations across cultures. Connect to your loved ones near and far with an e-card featuring an artwork from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art.

Celebrate with us through programs

We invite you to attend our Lunar New Year programs below.

Meditation and Mindfulness
Friday, January 20, 2023 | 12 - 12:45 pm

Lunar New Year 2023 Celebration
Saturday, January 21, 2023 | 12 - 4 pm

Journey of Color: Lunar New Year Tour
Saturday, January 21, 2023 | 12 pm

Lunar New Year: Holiday-Inspired Cooking Demo
Saturday, January 21, 2023 | 1 - 2 pm | Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Lunar New Year: Shanghai Quartet Online Performance
Sunday, January 22, 2023 | 7:30 pm

View the full list of events...
Take a virtual tour

Bounce into the Year of the Rabbit with a virtual tour of Asian art! The tour will explore customs and traditions of the Lunar New Year through artworks in the museum's collections. Participants will discover popular themes associated with Spring Festival celebrations, read auspicious messages in decorative motifs, and learn the symbolism of New Year colors, plants, and animals.

Get creative with art-inspired activities for all ages

Create your own Monkey King mask and download pictures of artworks from our collections that you can color.

Learn more about Lunar New Year traditions

We're celebrating Lunar New Year by sharing personal insights about how different countries mark the holiday. Post your own traditions in the comment sections of these blogs.

Discover art and music online

Enjoy our library of Lunar New Year videos highlighting collections, performances, and past celebrations.

Music Podcasts

Chinese Music for the Lunar New Year
Also called the Spring Festival, the Lunar New Year in China marks the traditional start of the agricultural season. It's also a time to admire the hearty plum blossom, which flowers so early that snow is sometimes still on the ground. Enjoy these performances of music celebrating plum blossoms, lingering snow, and the arrival of springtime. This compilation draws from concerts at the museum featuring Bing Xia onzheng, Yi Zhou on pipa and qin, Miao Yi Min on xiao and dizi, and the Gang-a-Tsui Theater, all recorded live at the National Museum of Asian Art.

For Educators: Teaching China with the Smithsonian

Discover videos and objects related to Lunar New Year. These resources are perfect asynchronous learning assignments for students in grades 5 through 12.

Teachers can access the following Mandarin lesson plans:

Take an immersive tour of two Chinese artworks through story maps from Google Arts and Culture:

Need a fun interactive activity? Complete our Lunar New Year-inspired puzzle.

Virtual Pre-K-12 Field Trips

Lunar New Year
Available December 14, 2022-February 3, 2023
Available for Grades Pre-K-5

What is Lunar New Year, and how is the celebration similar to and different from celebrations marking January 1? Experience the entertainment, foods, symbols, and other customs of Lunar New Year. During this virtual field trip, students will explore works of art; other possible activities include participating in an interactive storytelling session, completing a simple art project, or watching video clips of Lunar New Year festivities. Ring in the Year of the Rabbit!

Do you teach a language immersion class? We offer virtual field trips in Hindi, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin. Learn more about these virtual field trips and reserve your program.

Show your festive spirit on Zoom

Join your next Zoom call with a newly designed Zoom background using artworks from from the collections of the National Museum of Asian Art.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Lunar New Year Celebration - Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. It is the most important holiday in China, and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and countries with a significant overseas Chinese population.