Asian American & Pasifika Heritage Month

Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is celebrated in May to commemorate the achievements and contributions of people of Asian and Pacific American descent in the United States. Following a Congressional Resolution in 1978, Asian American Heritage Week was celebrated during the first 10 days of May. This timing was chosen because two important anniversaries fall during this period: the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in the United States on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad by many Chinese laborers on May 10, 1869.

In 1990, President George H. W. Bush and Congress voted to expand the celebration, and since 1992, May has been designated as AAPI Heritage Month. In 2021, President Joe Biden expanded the official proclamation of the month to AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) Heritage Month.

At Stanford, the Asian American Activities Center (A³C), Native American Cultural Center (NACC), Asian American Studies Program, Okada House, Pacific Islander Student Union (PISA), and the Asian American Students' Association (AASA) intentionally adopt the term ‘Pasifika’ in renaming the month to "Asian American & Pasifika Heritage Month" to recognize and honor the unique histories, culture, and political movements of Indigenous Island communities that are often silenced through aggregate terms like ‘Asian American’ or ‘Asian & Pacific Islander.’ 

Each year, Asian American & Pasifika Heritage Month is celebrated with community festivals, government-sponsored activities, and educational activities for students. To learn more about the 2024 theme and how to submit your events, please check out the event submission page.

The 2024 Calendar of Events will be publicized on May 1, 2024. In the meantime, please check out our 2023 heritage month events below:

2023 CALENDAR

2023: In collaboration with Okada House, the Asian American Students' Association (AASA), and the Asian American Studies Program, the 2023 theme for Asian Pacific American (APA) Heritage Month is “Reclaiming our Narratives: History, Healing, and Home.” As we reflect on the events of the past year, it becomes immediately apparent that the experiences of many Asian and Asian American communities have been pushed to the forefront of mainstream discussion. From the Harvard affirmative action case to state-sanctioned violence and protests in Iran, to the Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay shootings, Asian and Asian American communities in the last year have been defined largely by stories of conflict and trauma. But what does it mean for us to reclaim these narratives of our communities? How can we reconcile these traumas and conflicts with our own personal, strength-based narratives of solidarity and communal healing? In posing these questions, we hope to not only deconstruct the struggles facing Asian Americans and Asian peoples transnationally, but recenter the narratives of resistance and love that we find in our communities every day.

Please see 2023 event information below on how to engage in and register for each event online.

Sunday, April 14 - 2:00 p.m – 4:00 p.m PDT at Terman Fountain. 
Hosted by Bangladeshi Students Association of Stanford.

POHELA BOISHAKH ~ BENGALI NEW YEAR FESTIVAL!
A celebration of the first day in the Bengali Calendar.

Friday, April 19 - 4:00 p.m – 7:00 p.m PDT at Terman Fountain.
Hosted by Lao and Laotian Student Union, Cambodian Student Association, Stanford Myanmar Student Association, Thai Student Association.

THERAVADA NEW YEAR WATER FESTIVAL
Come celebrate Theravada Buddhist New Year with us!

Sunday, April 21 - 7:00 p.m – 9:00 p.m PDT at Dinkelspiel Auditorium.
Hosted by Stanford Vietnamese Student Association.

VIETNAMESE CULTURE NIGHT
SVSA's spring showcase of Vietnamese heritage and culture through the performing arts.

Saturday, April 27 - 7:00 p.m – 9:00 p.m PDT at Dinkelspiel Auditorium.
Hosted by Stanford Chinese Dance.

SCD SHOWCASE - ODE TO SPRING
Chinese dance showcase, representing different styles of Chinese dance.

Tuesday, April 30 - 12:00 p.m – 1:00 p.m PDT at Stanford Zoom Webinar.
Hosted by Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Club (SAPAAC).

OUR STRENGTHS & OUR STRUGGLES: AANHPI MENTAL HEALTH AT STANFORD
Join SAPAAC and special guest, Dr. Helen Hsu, as they discuss mental health strengths and struggles in the AANHPI community.

Please see RSVP link for more information. Flyer link.

Tuesday, April 30 - 12:00 p.m – 1:00 p.m PDT at Native American Cultural Center Lounge.
Hosted by Asian American Activities Center (A3C), Native American Cultural Center (NACC).

FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE & CLIMATE RESILIENT COMMUNITIES IN THE BAY AREA
Lunch & Learn session on environmental sustainability and climate resiliency with AA & PI environmental justice changemakers: Jason Su (Guadalupe River Park Conservancy) and Violet Wulf-Saena (Climate Resilient Communities).

Wednesday, May 1 - 6:00 p.m – 8:00 p.m PDT at Clark Center Auditorium. 
Hosted by Stanford Medicine 1st Generation Mentorship Program.

SEARCHING FOR KAPWA DOCUMENTARY SCREENING
Screening and Q&A of the documentary Searching for Kapwa, which follows the Filipino filmmaker’s quest to heal from a sense of cultural alienation.

Thursday, May 2 - 9:00 a.m – 5:30 p.m PDT at Bechtel Conference Center, Encina Hall.
Hosted by Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center.

INNOVATE TAIWAN: SHAPING THE FUTURE OF A POSTINDUSTRIAL SOCIETY
A conference to inaugurate the Taiwan Program at Shorenstein APARC.

May 2, 3, 4 - 8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m (plus a 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. matinee on May 4) PDT at Nitery Theater. Hosted by Asian American Theater Project.

MAN OF GOD PERFORMANCE
Theater performance of an Asian feminist rage play by Anna Moench.

May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 - 12:30 p.m – 2:00 p.m PDT at A3C Couchroom.
Hosted by Stanford Asian American Action Committee, Asian American Activities Center.

ONE STRUGGLE, MANY FRONTS: ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORIES AND FUTURES
A Lunch n' Learn series surveying Asian American political struggle.

Saturday, May 4 - 10:00 a.m – 2:30 p.m PDT at Bishop Couchroom.
Hosted by Asian American Students' Association (AASA).

LISTEN TO THE SILENCE CONFERENCE
Join in on AASA's annual Asian American Issues Conference: LTS!

Saturday, May 4 - 11:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m PDT at Stanford O'Donohue Educational Farm.
Hosted by Materials & Culture Research-Creation Workshop.

ANCIENT FUTURES
Join us in co-making playful speculative technology with traditional materials and ancestral craft techniques (land-based & transpacific).

Sunday, May 5 - 5:00 p.m – 7:00 p.m PDT at 1018 Campus Drive.
Hosted by Stanford alpha Kappa Delta Phi.

BÁNH MI AND CHÈ CULINARY CLASS
Learn how to make Bánh Mi and Chè with aKDPhi.

Thursday, May 9 - 6:00 p.m – 9:00 p.m PDT at Paul Brest Hall.
Hosted by Asian American Activities Center (A3C).

25TH ANNUAL STANFORD ASIAN AMERICAN AWARDS
Community celebration to recognize the contributions of students, faculty, alumni, and staff.

Friday, May 10 - 12:00 p.m – 1:15 p.m PDT at TBD.
Hosted by Asian American Studies.

ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES CONFERENCE INFO SESSION
Learn about the AAAS Conference from students who recently attended.

Friday, May 10 - 3:00 p.m – 5:00 p.m PDT at Haas Center, DK Room.
Hosted by Stanford alpha Kappa Delta Phi.

HEART OF DINNER BAG PAINTING
aKDPhi x Haas Center painting bag event for Asian elderly communities.

Sunday, May 12 - 7:00 p.m – 8:00 p.m PDT at Roble Theater.
Hosted by Stanford Noopur.

MUDITA: AN EVENING OF INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCE
Stanford Noopur’s annual spring show. Come enjoy an evening of Indian classical dance and South Asian snacks!

Tuesday, May 14 - 6:00 p.m – 7:30 p.m PDT at A3C Ballroom.
Hosted by Centers for Equity, Community, and Leadership (ECL).

ASIAN & BLACK SOLIDARITY WORKSHOP (PART 2)
Interactive student workshop (second in a 2-part series) discussing opportunities for solidarity between Asian and Black communities; facilitated by Dr. Nikkia Young. Dinner provided!

Wednesday, May 15 - 3:00 p.m PDT at Stanford Women’s Community Center.
Hosted by Women's Community Center, Asian American Activities Center, and the Filipino American Community at Stanford.

BOX OF DREAMS: A READING & BOOK TALK WITH AUTHOR FAITH KAZMI
Faith Kazmi will be sharing her creative journey, the story behind BOX OF DREAMS, and information about children’s publishing.

Wednesday, May 15 - 4:00 p.m – 5:30 p.m PDT at Hartley Conference Room, Mitchell Earth Sciences Building.
Hosted by the DEI Office in the Doerr School of Sustainability.

AAPI AWARENESS MONTH AFTERNOON SOIRÉE
AAPI Awareness Month Afternoon Soirée.

Wednesday, May 15 - 6:30 p.m – 7:30 p.m PDT at Okada.
Hosted by Pacific Islander Student Association (PISA).

YAN KADA HINAGONG GI GEFES-HU. WITH EVERY BREATH FROM MY LUNGS: THE MISNARRATIONS OF PASIFIKA & ASIAN AMERICAN RHETORICS
Yan kada hinagong gi gefes-hu. Presentation about detangling the conflation of AA and PI identities.

Saturday, May 18 - 5:00 p.m – 7:00 p.m PDT at White Plaza. 
Hosted by Taiwanese Cultural Society.

TCS NIGHT MARKET 2024
Come enjoy delicious food, fun activities, and live performances.

Saturday, May 18 - 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m PDT at Wilbur Field.
Hosted by Pacific Islander Student Association (PISA).

PASIFIKA FEST
Pasifika festival with vendors, music, food, and community. Contact Leila ltamale@stanford.edu or Camille cslagle@stanford.edu.

Tuesday, May 21 - 12:30 p.m – 2:00 p.m PDT at A3C Couchroom.
Hosted by Asian American Studies, the Asian American Activities Center, and Asian American Research Center at Stanford (AARCS).

CHINESE AMERICANS IN CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD: FROM CHINATOWN MOVIE EXTRAS TO ANNA MAY WONG
Presentation on Chinese Americans in early Hollywood with William Gow and Katie Gee Salisbury, followed by conversation and audience questions. Moderated by Professor David Palumbo-Liu.

Wednesday, May 22 - 6:00 p.m – 7:00 p.m PDT at Stanford Health Library and via Zoom.
Hosted by Stanford Center for Asian Health Research and Education (CARE).

HYBRID PANEL DISCUSSION: BREAKING THE SILENCE ON UNTREATED AUTISM AMONG ASIAN AMERICAN CHILDREN & THEIR FAMILIES
Candid conversation with experts and individuals with lived experiences on the underlying factors contributing to the lack of access to autism treatment among Asian American children.

Saturday, May 25 - 4:00 p.m – 7:00 p.m PDT at Wilbur Courtyard, in front of Okada.Hosted by Okada Frosh Service Liaisons.

STANFORD BLOOMING ARTS EXTRAVAGANZA (FOOD INCLUDED!)
Fundraise Asian Health Services’ FREE clinic through FOOD and ART!

Saturday, May 25 - 4:30 p.m – 6:30 p.m PDT at TBD.
Hosted by Stanford alpha Kappa Delta Phi.

SOUTH ASIAN CULINARY CLASS
Come learn how to make South Asian cuisine with aKDPhi!

Saturday, May 25 - 6:00 p.m – 8:00 p.m PDT at Markaz Center.
Hosted by Bangladeshi Students Association of Stanford.

END OF YEAR BANGALI BANQUET
One last dinner with the Bangali community and allies!

Sunday, May 26 - 3:00 p.m – 5:30 p.m PDT at Dinkelspiel Auditorium.Hosted by Stanford Kayumanggi.

PHILIPPINE CULTURE NIGHT
A performance and celebration of Philippine cultural dance, music, and theatre.

Thursday, May 30 - 12:00 p.m – 1:15 p.m PDT at A3C Couchroom.
Hosted by Asian American Studies.

STANFORD ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENT ACTIVISM
Panel featuring Stanford Asian American student activists.