Join us in celebrating Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month!
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, designated to recognize "the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States." We will be celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage with delightful and educational programs listed below.
Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander voices through recommended books and activities by participating in our Beanstack Reading Challenge. Log your reading and activities here to earn badges all month long.
Enjoy selections from our Movies and Music Topic Team.
Join us for an event at an SCCLD library near you!
Tai Chi at Milpitas Library - Fridays, May 6, 13, 20, 10:00-11:00am
Respected Tai Chi Master Roy Wong teaches the elegant, healthful and spiritual exercise, Tai Chi, in Milpitas Library's beautiful Auditorium. Tai Chi runs in two six-month sessions, starting in January and June. New students must register. No drop-ins, please. If you have previously attended, please re-register.
- Saturday, May, 7, 11:00am-12:00pm
Soul of Hakone: Its History and LegacyAnn Waltonsmith and Connie Young Yu will discuss the fascinating history and untold stories of Hakone Gardens and their discoveries in writing this book. They will show rare photographs of the early garden and the remarkable people who saved it for future generations. This in-person program will be held in the Saratoga Library Community Room. Should circumstances require the program to be virtual, we will send a Zoom link to all registrants. This program is sponsored by the Santa Clara County Library District and Hakone Gardens. Seating is limited. Registration is required.
Virtual Film Discussion: Battle For Hong Kong - Monday, May 9, 6:00-7:00pm
Good films, great discussion, all from the comforts of home! Join a lively group for a weekly discussion on a film watched through Kanopy the library's premier choice for streaming films and documentaries with over 30,000 titles to select from. Our film schedule alternates between movies and documentaries. Battle for Hong Kong, follows protesters transformed and radicalized over eight months. The film examines the dramatic struggle in the last corner of China where human rights and freedoms exist but are under threat. Please register with your email address and you will be sent a reminder email 24 hours prior to the class with the Zoom login information.
Chinese Book Discussion - Thursday, May 12, 10:00am-12:00pm - Cupertino Library
The Group will discuss 白色畫像 (Bai se hua xiang) by a contemporary Taiwanese female writer, 賴香吟（Xiang-yin Lai). Discussion will be in Mandarin. Copies of the book are available at the Cupertino Library adult reference desk. All Chinese Book Discussion Meetings are kindly sponsored by The Friends of the Cupertino Library.
Indian Classical Concert - Saturday, May 14, 12:00-1:00pm - Saratoga Library
In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander month, Saratoga Library invites you to a concert by renowned Bay Area musicians from the Indian community. Sandhaya Srinath, a renowned violinist, and Srinath Bala, a versatile percussionist, will be playing ancient and sophisticated classical music of South India. No registration required.
Maryln Mori Art Display - Exhibit runs through May 31 - Saratoga Library
Enjoy viewing Maryln Mori's vibrant acrylics on canvas. In the artist's words, "With acrylic paints on canvas, I paint vegetables and fruits and see them not as still-lifes, but as life, stilled. Nature fuels the subject of my abstracted monotype prints."
"My work is influenced by Buddhism with its teachings of self-awareness. Self- awareness requires introspection and much time. Through many years of exclusively painting fruits and vegetables, I have learned about myself, realizing the fragility and effect of passing time. I have also discovered that humanity as well as my survival is in realizing that all things in the cosmos connect and overlap."
AAPI Heritage Month Challenge - Contest runs through May 31 - Saratoga Library
Identify the authors pictured in the Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month display at Saratoga Library. Answer sheets and submission box are located at the AAPIHM display opposite the Holds area. Complete and submit an answer sheet by May 31, 2022 for a chance to win a gift card. One entry per person. A random drawing will be held among correct entries. This contest is for ages 13 and up.
Library Ukulele Society of Morgan Hill - Tuesday, May 17, 5:00-7:00pm - Morgan Hill Library
LukeS: The Library Ukulele Society of Morgan Hill meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month to play music on the ukulele. The ukulele is a uniquely Hawaiian instrument, so let's celebrate it during Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Bring your uke and music stand or come to listen and sing along. All are welcome! Learn some songs and play together. No registration required.
Cupertino Adult Book Discussion: Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line - Thursday, May 19, 7:00-8:15pm - Cupertino Library
Enamored of police reality shows, nine-year-old Jai decides to become a detective himself when a classmate goes missing from his impoverished urban Indian settlement. He he enlists the aid of his two best friends, Faiz and Pari, but more and more children keep disappearing. Faiz, a Muslim, is convinced that an evil djinn is responsible, while Pari pooh-poohs that notion and Jai equivocates. Finally, when Jai’s older sister also disappears, Jai bitterly decides he’s not a detective after all, and even the solution of the mystery fails to bring him closure.
This month the Book Discussion Group will meet in person in program room 201A. The Book Discussion Group meets on the third Thursday of each month at 7 pm. Adults of all ages are welcome. All meetings are sponsored by The Friends of the Cupertino Library.
Guo Pei: Couture Fantasy - Saturday, May 21, 11:00am-12:00pm
In 2015, pop star Rihanna made headlines when she attended the Met Gala wearing a spectacular creation by Guo Pei, which thrust the designer into the international spotlight. Guo Pei: Couture Fantasy is the first comprehensive exhibition of the work of the woman hailed as China’s first couturier. Registration is required for this virtual event.
This film tells the inspirational and poignant stories of four women of Asian descent who lived in America from the 1850s to the present day. The women came from different backgrounds and lived dramatically different lives. Each woman’s journey represents a distinct theme of struggle and triumph, and ushers in a succeeding story, leading up to present day. Through their stories, the film reveals the legacy of the immigrant perseverance in pursuing the American dream. The screening will take place in room 201A on the 2nd floor.
AAUW Speaker Series: Diversity - Tuesday, May 24, 6:30-8:45pm - Morgan Hill Library
American Association of University Women Morgan Hill Chapter bring speakers to the Morgan Hill Library on a variety of topics. This month the topic is Diversity.
Learn Card Games: Hanafuda - Thursday, May 26, 4:00-5:00pm - Saratoga Library
Learn how to play Hanafuda, the Japanese card trick-taking game. Materials and instructions provided. All ages welcome. Registration is required. We will meet in the Community Room. Masks are required.
Shibori Dye Workshop - Saturday, May 28, 11:00am-12:00pm - Gilroy Library & 1:30-12:30pm - Morgan Hill Library
Transform a piece of plain white cotton into a unique shibori-style resist-dyed art work and wall hanging, while weaving together history, science, math, and folk art of Japan. All supplies provided. Register to attend this in-person workshop at the Gilroy Library presented by Linda Janklow of Peopleologie. Ages 13+
Learn more about Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage:
Enjoy the latest fiction stories of Asian-American cultures for children.
Explore the experiences of people from various Asian-American backgrounds and experiences, making a difference in America.
Teen Books featuring Asian American teen experiences, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. You can help fight anti-Asian violence and racism by staying informed and supporting local efforts. The County of Santa Clara Hate Crimes Team has resources available. Also consider reporting hate crimes and incidents at www.stopaapihate.org. Links provided at the bottom of this list.
Maxine Hong Kingson, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, Amy Tan, Lisa See, Laurence Yep and Gus Lee may be familiar Asian American authors, but in the last ten, even five years, a swelling wave of new Asian American Pacific Islander voices has emerged. This guide is a just a small sample of classics and new works that have burst onto the literary scene. What other authors would you like to see on this list?
From family, work and savory bites of food to building the Transcontinental Railroad and navigating international relations, these books reflect on life in America from the perspective of outsiders looking in. They delve into questions of identity, opportunity and belonging.
In honor of Asian and Pacific Island Heritage Month in May, here is a list of fiction by Asian authors about both the difficult and the hopeful aspects of making a new home in a new land.
