For Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Month, the staff at The Fortune Society collaborated to create a community guide for celebrating and honoring Black history. The guide is filled with events, policy actions, resources, book recommendations and an AAPI Month Spotify playlist.
Recognizing that Asian American and Pacific Islander history is American history—and American history is year-round—we will continuously update this list throughout the year.
Start off the month with some background: read the history of AAPI Month and learn how to best honor heritage and family throughout the month of May.
Read the Presidential Proclamation on Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month from 2021.
Listen to The Fortune Society’s AAPI Month Spotify playlist, with songs selected by staff members. Artists include Mitski, Hayley Kiyoko, Jhene Aiko, Eric Nam and BTS.
Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
The Incendiaries by R. O. Kwon
Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls by T Kira Madden
The Girl in the Moon Circle by Sia Figiel
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
My Year Abroad by Chang-Rae Lee
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Days of Distraction by Alexandra Chang
A Burning by Megha Majumdar
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
Obasan by Joy Kogawa
If You See Me, Don’t Say Hi by Neel Patel
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Cerues Blooms at Night by Shani Mootoo
The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M. Masood
Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien
Black Ice Matter by Gina Cole
Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee
Mad Honey Symposium by Sally Wen Mao
Translating Mo’um by Cathy Park Hong
Floating Brilliant Gone by Franny Choi
Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
The Same Different by Hannah Sanghee Park
When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
The Farm by Joanne Ramos
All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka
Kingdom of Characters by Jing Tsu
Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong
Sisters of Mokoma by Jyoti Thottam
Stay True by Hua Hsu
Sari, Not Sari by Sonya Singh
Scent of a Garden by Namrata Patel
Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho
A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam
Joan is Okay by Weike Wang
Hear from several speakers, shop from AAPI artists and small businesses at the marketplace and watch an AAPI directed film screening by Mixed Asian Media and East Side Stories. RSVP for free tickets to the festival, taking place on May 20 and 21.
The second annual AAPI Cultural Heritage Parade is open to all, and takes place on May 21 at 12 PM.
Yun Hai Shop is hosting a hilarious storytelling event detailing the experience of “growing up Asian,” featuring NYC comedians such as Ann Chun and Dylan Adler. Tickets are available now for May 30.
The New York Public Library is hosting a DIY crafting event, teaching families how to make Chinese Paper Lanterns. This free event takes place on May 22 at 2 PM.
Discuss recipes from Uyen Luu’s book, Vietnamese: Simple Vietnamese Food to Cook at Home, at this virtual event hosted by the NYPL on May 18.
Support AAPI-led food businesses and local artists at this free outdoor event, taking place on May 20 at 1 PM. Enjoy desserts, complimentary food tastings and arts and crafts.
This free exhibition, displaying works from Arlan Huang’s personal archive, is open throughout the month of May. It features work from artists including Tomie Arai, Ken Chu and Corky Lee.
Opened in 2017 by 18-year-old Julia Wijesinghe, the museum highlights Sri Lankan history and heritage as the first cultural museum outside of Sri Lanka. The collection includes sculptures, instruments, textiles and other rich pieces of Sri Lankan culture to explore this month and all year long.
Shoplifters directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda
The Farewell directed by Lulu Wang
Minari directed by Lee Isaac Chung
The Half of It directed by Alice Wu
Parasite directed by Bong Joon-ho
My Neighbor Totoro directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Kim’s Convenience written by Ins Choi
Okja by Bong Joon-ho
Train to Busan directed by Yeon Sang-ho
Tigertail written and directed by Alan Yang
Burning directed by Lee Chang-dong
Bitter Melon directed and written by H.P. Mendoza
Hard Knock Wife performed by Ali Wong
Jojo Rabbit directed by Taika Waititi
The Namesake directed by Mira Nair
Everything Everywhere All at Once written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
Turning Red directed by Domee Shi
Umma directed by Iris K. Shim
Beef created by Lee Sung Jin
Pachinko written by Soo Hugh
Nomadland directed by Chloe Zhao
Crazy Rich Asians directed by John M. Chu
Always Be My Maybe directed by Nahnatchka Khan
Fresh off the Boat created by Nahnatchka Khan
Never Have I Ever created by Mindy Kaling
Battle Royale directed by Kinji Fukasaku