AAPI Heritage Month is finally here, and Los Angeles has geared up its programming in order to properly celebrate this month. Los Angeles County is the county with the largest AAPI population in all of the United States. About 1.5 million residents are AAPI, meaning that it is crucial that AAPI voices are heard and celebrated. Here are four fun events the city is hosting to make this AAPI Heritage Month special:
- LACMA Five Directions art exhibit
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“The Five Directions: Lacquer Through East Asia” will be taking place until May 14, 2023 and highlights art from Japan, Korea and China. Lacquer is a kind of paint derived from trees and the entire exhibit celebrates the use of it throughout various paintings. LACMA offers discounts for all LA county residents as well as a student discount. The iconic museum also offers a ton of other fun art installations, like the popular “Urban Lights” display that is great for photoshoots, making this a guaranteed good time.
- Cooking class with jet tila
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Jet Tila is a celebrity chef known for his Los Angeles restaurants The Charleston and Pakpao Thai, as well as for his television appearances on shows such as “Chopped” and “Cutthroat Kitchen.” On May 13th, Chef Tila will be hosting a free cooking class in honor of Mother’s Day where attendees will be learning about the history of dumplings while creating the delicacy. This is truly set to be a fun event, and who could pass on a cooking lesson from a celebrity chef?
- LA PUBLIC LIBRARY EVENTS
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This is a great option for anyone that wants to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, as Los Angeles libraries host a myriad of AAPI-themed events nearly every single day all across the city! Events like henna tattooing, lei making, speaker events, and, of course, book discourses make up the bulk of the calendar. Check out their calendar regularly to figure out which events to attend near you!
- PACIFIC ISLANDER FESTIVAL AT AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC
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Located in Long Beach, the Aquarium of the Pacific will be hosting the Annual Pacific Islander Festival for the twentieth year in a row. The event will be hosted right at the beginning of June; however, tickets are available now to save your spot! The occasion will include live acts and music throughout the space, all surrounded by underwater displays of aquatic ecosystems, and it is sure to be a really fun time.
Culturela.org is a great source for finding all of the fun things happening this month, and I really recommend checking out their website to find out more about all things comedy, cooking, or art going on this AAPI Heritage Month. While these events may take some time out of your day, it is a worthy investment to either learn something new about another culture or further connect to your own cultural roots. If you can’t make it it to anything, find ways to learn about AAPI Heritage Month by researching all the many cultures that are being celebrated this month!