May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the contributions that AAPIs have made to the US. In 2023, the theme is Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity.
Hosting an event to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month can bring your community together, celebrate AAPI cultures, and show AAPI members of your community that they have your support. Read on for event ideas.
Table of contents
How to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with events
AAPI Heritage Month virtual event ideas
What is AAPI Heritage Month?
Congress established AAPI Heritage Month in 1977. Since then, May has been a time to celebrate the impact of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the US. This month offers an opportunity to learn more about AAPI cultures in the classroom or through community events.
Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month with events
As you begin to brainstorm event ideas for 2023, check out Eventbrite’s free templates for planning, organizing, and hosting your event. Then, once the details for your event are in place, you can follow our event marketing guide to design a marketing plan that’ll target and attract event-goers.
Chrislyn Choo, Community Lead at My China Roots — an organization that helps the Chinese diaspora trace and preserve their family histories through a variety of in-person and virtual events — has advice for creators as they plan AAPI Heritage Month events.
Create a welcoming atmosphere
Choo recommends you approach your event plans with curiosity. “Taking time to reflect on my brick walls and breakthroughs gives me clarity on how to frame and design events,” she says.
Choo creates a welcoming atmosphere by reaching out to her community to co-host events and lead conversations. So, as you plan your celebration, reach out to your network and key stakeholders to welcome input and feedback.
“Draw upon the collective wisdom in the room,” she says. “Your peers are all potential event partners with a perspective you can platform.”
Offer an authentic experience
Choo’s organization achieves authenticity by being “intentional in using language that evokes the human spirit of wonder and discovery,” she says.
She challenges creators to consider how authentic experience can reflect on AAPI history and traditions in honest ways. “As we innovate, how do we support events that preserve familiar stories (e.g., honoring the history of the Chinese railroad workers, exploring the legacy of Japanese internment)… while also welcoming events that explore liminal intersectionalities and experiment with new technologies (e.g., spotlighting NFT art by diaspora artists, fostering dialogue between Asian and Black communities)?”
Celebrate culture and traditions
Finally, your AAPI Heritage Month event can and should be a celebration of cultures and traditions. This begins by understanding historical moments and traditions and honoring them respectfully and appropriately at your event. No matter what you choose to celebrate at your event, Choo offers this advice: “Don’t cancel the ‘traditional’ stories of the past that ‘everyone knows.’ But don’t be afraid to reimagine what’s possible and translate stories from the margins of our AAPI communities.”
Above all, she recommends you “listen with an open mind and heart” as you plan an AAPI Heritage Month event for your community.
“What matters to the community? What is making us dance and cry? What needs to be seen, said, or heard? What can we learn from each other here? If it feels uncomfortable, lean in. Approach the event you’re planning as a conversation with the mosaic voices of your community — and remember to include yours too!”
In-Person Event Ideas
Use these ideas to inspire an AAPI Heritage Month event in your community.
Heritage festival
Heritage festivals celebrate the various cultures found in Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Set up booths where event-goers can learn about different cultural traditions or sample foods. Invite local AAPI chefs to cook their favorite dishes. Round out the event with craft stalls, music and dance performances, and activities for kids.
Cultural performance
There’s no better way to celebrate AAPI cultures than with a performance by people from this community. Host a cultural performance where AAPI community members can sing, dance, or play instruments and songs from their cultures.
Calligraphy workshop
Introduce Chinese and Japanese calligraphy to attendees at a calligraphy workshop hosted by a professional. Participants can learn to write calligraphy on rice paper using traditional brushes and ink.
Taiko drumming workshop
Taiko, a variety of Japanese percussion instruments, can be introduced to event-goers at your Heritage Month event. Offer Taiko drumming demonstrations by experienced drummers and then allow participants to give it a try themselves.
Food festival
Bring together AAPI restaurants in the area for an outdoor food festival. Each restaurant can set up a booth and serve traditional dishes to hungry attendees. Here are some tips on hosting an outdoor event.
Historical presentations
Encourage learning by hosting historical presentations about AAPI cultures. Invite featured speakers to discuss specific cultural traditions or share their experiences. Such an event can broaden the community’s understanding of AAPI history and cultures.
Boba tea class
Host a workshop where participants can learn how to make boba tea and sample different flavors. Learn how to increase attendance at a workshop with these tips.
Art exhibitions and installations
Celebrate creativity by hosting an art exhibition or installation featuring works from noted AAPI artists. Local artists in the community can also be invited to submit their work to the show. Exhibitions can showcase traditional art techniques or follow this year’s AAPI Heritage Month theme — Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity.
Visibility summit
A visibility summit gives the attendees insight into the AAPI community in your area. Welcome a range of speakers from the AAPI community and focus on topics like building a career, starting a business, or fostering community.
Children’s book readings
Incorporate children and families with a book reading featuring AAPI authors. Books can be sold, and the authors can sign copies for event-goers. Include discussions with the writers about the book and other important issues in the AAPI community.
Kamayan brunch
Kamayan is a traditional Filipino buffet featuring seafood, grilled meats, vegetables, and garlic rice served on banana leaves. Work with a local Filipino chef to prepare a Kamayan brunch that celebrates the culture. Check out these tips on hosting an unforgettable food and drink event.
Tea tasting workshop
Let guests learn how to prepare and enjoy tea from China or Japan. Teach them how to prepare tea using a gaiwan, a traditional Chinese brewing and drinking vessel. You can even host a traditional tea ceremony demonstration during the workshop.
AAPI Heritage Month virtual event ideas
Virtual events can be just as impactful as in-person gatherings, allowing you to celebrate AAPI culture, traditions, and values in creative ways. Consider these virtual event ideas.
AAPI book club/reading group
Host a book club or reading group focused on works by AAPI authors or books on topics important to this community. Event-goers can participate in a virtual discussion moderated by an author, teacher, or expert, sharing their thoughts on the selected work.
Ancestral tracing webinar
Invite participants to explore their roots at an ancestral tracing webinar. They can learn about how to trace their genealogy and how to find out more about their roots. Check out this guide for hosting a virtual event or webinar for planning tips.
Cooking demonstrations
Virtual cooking demonstrations showcase AAPI cuisines and teach event-goers how to prepare traditional dishes. Feature a professional chef and stream the demonstration so that attendees can follow along from their own kitchens.
AAPI trivia
Host a virtual trivia night that’s centered on history, culture, and traditions. Attendees can participate individually or as teams to answer questions about AAPI culture — and perhaps learn something new at the same time.
Bias talks
A virtual bias talk serves as an opportunity to reflect on the stereotypes and issues faced by the AAPI community. These talks also give an opportunity to reflect on ways to combat and overcome AAPI bias. Invite a leader in your community, a clergy member, or a civil liberties expert to moderate this important discussion.
Family history workshop
Host a virtual family history workshop where participants learn how to gain insight into traditions, culture, and more from their elders. By listening to and documenting their relatives’ stories, attendees can better understand their past.
Healing and self-care evening
A trained expert can offer guided meditation and breathing exercises focused on healing, self-care, and well-being. Or, they can introduce participants to traditional techniques, such as Chinese acupressure, that can alleviate stress.
Speaker panel
Host a virtual speaker panel featuring participants from the AAPI community. They can discuss a variety of topics centered around the 2023 theme of Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity.
Grow your community
Whether you celebrate Asian Heritage Month virtually or in person in 2023, learn how Eventbrite can power your event to help it grow.
