May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is Asian American & Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month! AANHPIs encompass a vast and diverse diaspora of people who have been living in the U.S. since the mid-1800s. Perceptions of Asian Americans, the impact of model minority stereotypes, and how Asian Americans are defined are all important issues of we should all be aware. You can read more about this in our blog about the month here.

In the meantime, here are some events or places you can visit in the Seattle area to celebrate this month. Be sure to also check the Event Calendar below to find more ways to participate.

Learn AA&NHPI History

As many of you know, we have been supporters of the organization Make Us Visible (MUV) whose mission is pass legislation to require K-12 schools to integrate AANHPI history into existing curriculum. They have been trying to get this passed in Washington for the past 2 years but haven't had the legislative support needed. In the meantime, if you are an educator, you can do this already through the professional development workshops MUV hosts in partnership with other organizations.

There is an upcoming one on Wednesday, May 21st, Threads of Resistance: AA&NH/PI Histories of Activism and Solidarity, which is free and earns you 2 Clock Hours. Visit the workshop page here for details and to register.

She Marches in Chinatown Screenings

Continuing the theme of education, She Marches in Chinatown is a documentary featuring the Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team, whom you've likely seen if you've ever been to a parade in the Pudget Sound region. This 30-minute documentary tells the team's origin story, while exploring the history of Asian Americans in Seattle. The filmmaker, Della Chen, was tragically killed in February by a drunk driver. There is a small group, including our Project Manager Judy Lee, who are organizing screenings in honor of Della and AANHPI Heritage Month. Below are the screening dates and trailer for the documentary.

• May 3rd at 12:00pm and 1:30pm: AANHPI Heritage Month Celebration at The Armory Loft, drill team performance preceding the screening at 11:30

• May 10th at 11:00am at MOHAI, followed by a performance by the drill team

• May 15th at 6pm at Wing Luke Museum, followed by a Q&A.

If you are a Seattle Public Schools educator, you already have free access to this documentary through SPS. Della wanted her film to be used as an educational tool available to all Seattle school students so consider showing this in your classroom as part of AANHPI Heritage month!

AANHPI Heritage Month Celebration at Seattle Center

Saturday, May 3rd at 11:00-5:00pm

There will be a full day of performances by various AANHPI cultural groups at The Armory on May 3rd, including a Lion Dance and the Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team featured in the documentary above. There will also be tabling by several organizations, including Make Us Visible where you'll also find Judy Lee until 2pm. Be sure to stop by and say hello! Visit the celebration website to learn more.

Mam's Bookstore

Did you know there are two AANHPI bookstores in the U.S.? One is Yu and Me Books located in New York City's Chinatown. The other is Mam's Books located in Seattle's Chinatown International District and serves as a third space for the community. They host Chinatown Bookclub, Orange Couch Concerts, Open-Mics, and, of course, author talks, as well as important conversations affecting the community. Support the bookstore with a visit on the weekends and buying a book. Be sure to say hi to Mam, the bookstore's namesake and father to owner Sokha, and his wife who frequently hang out there.