May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which recognizes the contributions and influence of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture and achievements of the United States. According to APIAVote research, the largest Asian American ethnic groups in New Jersey are Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Pakistani and Japanese, demonstrating just how vastly diverse the Garden State is.
Various groups and organizations across the state will be hosting events to highlight AAPI talent, food and culture. Here are seven you should check out.
Shoes Off, Please: An Asian American Pacific Art & Comedy Celebration, Jersey City
Arthouse Productions will host Shoes Off, Please! an Asian American Pacific Islander Art & Comedy Celebration, supported by the Jersey City Arts & Culture Trust Fund, to spotlight local AAPI artists and comedians. Joshua Lay, Jesumar Banhao, Art Cai, Andrea Wang, Jason Choi,Humzah Choudry and Brittany Carney are among the lineup of artists and comedians that will be performing.
“It is important to allow underrepresented voices opportunities to express themselves,” Lay, a Jersey City comedian and organizer of the event, told NJ Advance Media. “I want audience members to learn more about AAPI culture in a fun, entertaining way. Art and humor can be powerful and unite people together despite different backgrounds and upbringings.”
Proceeds from the show will be donated to AAPI Montclair, a nonprofit representing AAPI individuals and families in Montclair and New Jersey.
When: May 10 at 7 p.m.
Where: Art House Productions, Jersey City
Cost: $20
AAPI Heritage Month Celebration, Summit
Summit’s Department of Community Programs will host its third annual AAPI Heritage Month Celebration which will feature an array of performances. There will also be a Holi celebration and a ceremony honoring the accomplishments of the local AAPI community in the Union County town. There will also be restaurant vendors with food available for purchase.
“During Asian American, Native Hawai’ian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we take the opportunity to honor and recognize the substantial contributions and rich heritage of the AANHPI members of our community,” Summit mayor Elizabeth Fagan, MD said. “This year’s theme of Advancing Leaders Through Innovation underscores the pivotal role that development and adaptation plays in leadership. In Summit, we look forward to celebrating the residents who exemplify the best of our collective American spirit.”
When: May 18 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Where: Village Green
Cost: Free; food is available for purchase
AAPI Food & Music Festival, Union
Union will be hosting its second annual Annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Food & Music Festival and celebrate Union’s local AAPI community. The day will be full of entertainment including an acrobatic performance by Guinness World Record Holder Lina Liu, a Chinese face changer, a Samurai performance, a Polynesian performance, and performances as well as a Lion Dance Performance from the Murray Hill Chinese School and a community line dance performance by Studio Ligaya.
When: Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.
Where: Stuyvesant Avenue, Union
Cost: Free; food is available for purchase
AAPI Jazz Fest, Newark
The Institute of Jazz Studies and Yardbird Productions will host its third annual AAPI Jazz Fest which will feature six AAPI jazz bands across the globe. The lineup includes headliner Linda May Han Oh featuring Fabian Almazan and Akiko Tsuruga Quartet featuring Jerry Weldon. Other artists include the Red Pavilion Jazz Band, Kengchakaj – Yon Yæng, JK Kim and friends, and Catbus Collective + Jam Session.
“The jazz fest started as an idea to have a platform for other AAPI artists, especially within the jazz realm, where it’s really hard to find a representation and to be able to give them a platform to be able to express themselves in a safe space in a community that really fosters their artistry,” Peter Lin, a producer of the AAPI Jazz Fest, said. “What’s really special about this year’s festival is that we have a wide variety of jazz genres represented within the jazz idiom which is something that’s often hard to find in jazz festivals. We have everything with over 100 years of jazz represented all the way from more traditional jazz, from like 1920s 30s, all the way to more experimental, synth-based jazz, to the present time. So, you know, we’re just really happy to be able to provide that every single year, you know, for rest, especially residents in New Jersey, and especially residents in Newark, New Jersey, where it is often one of the birthplaces for what we call jazz today.”
When: May 18
Where: Express Newark, Newark
Cost: Free
AAPI 5K Run & Walk, Princeton
Princeton Active Circle is partnering with the Institute of Financial Intelligence (IFI), Where Music Carries Us (WMCU), and the Museum of Chinese In America (MOCA) to host the 5K Run ‘n’ Walk in Princeton.
When: May 11 at 8:30 a.m.
Where: 502 Carnegie Center Drive, Princeton
Cost: $45
AAPI Heritage Month Spring Night Market, Princeton
YingHua International School will host its AAPI Heritage Month Spring Night Market fundraiser which will include a night full of food and performances.
“At YingHua International School, our mission is to prepare students for compassionate, effective, and ethical global citizenship by facilitating English- and Chinese-language acquisition and instilling a passion for lifelong learning. Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month aligns perfectly with our mission, as it offers an opportunity to honor the extensive histories, diverse cultures, and significant contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders,” David Friedric, head of the school, said. “Our planned events, which we hope will mark the beginning of an annual tradition, aim to engage the community through partnerships with local organizations that promote Asian cultures via cuisine, games, and performances. These activities are integral to celebrating diversity and deepening our students’ and community’s appreciation for this rich heritage.”
When: May 11 from 5 to 9 p.m.
Where: Princeton Shopping Center Courtyard, Princeton
Cost: Free
Lantern Festival for Justice and Remembrance, Montclair
AAPI Montclair will host a lantern festival that will allow attendees to light lanterns in remembrance of those harmed by violence and injustice, including anti-Asian hate. The evening will also include a short program featuring local and state leaders, performances, live music, food trucks, community partner tables, activities for children, and the opportunity to dedicate luminaries with special messages.
“In the aftermath of the Atlanta Spa Shooting, so many of us were grieving in our own corners of Montclair —not realizing how many of us were experiencing the same sense of loneliness, anger, and fear,” Danielle Iwata, co-chair of Lantern Festival and a board member of AAPI New Jersey said. “Against a background of Asian hate and isolation, we produced the first Lantern Festival for Justice and Remembrance in 2021, unsure of what it would mean. We could not have expected thousands of community members to show up then, and to continue to support us year after year. At the end of each Festival, we leave the lantern-lit paths of Edgemont Park knowing resolutely that we belong here, that Montclair is our home, and that we are stronger as a community. To quote Grace Lee Boggs, “the only way to survive is by taking care of one another.” The Lantern Festival is a testament to her words and has proven time and again that when we come together and stand in solidarity, we can find a brighter path forward.”
When: May 19 from 6 to 9 p.m.
Where: Edgemont Memorial Park, Montclair
Cost: Free
Saleah Blancaflor may be reached at sblancaflor@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @saleyley and Instagram.
