This May, the Smithsonian invites audiences to explore and celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders to American culture. AANHPI Heritage Month features a vibrant selection of family-friendly workshops, after-hours events and film screenings. All programs are free, though some may require advance registration. A full schedule is available on the website.
Events
Stephanie Chou Performs to Silent Films The Tong Man and The Curse of Quon Gwon
National Museum of Asian Art, Meyer Auditorium
Sunday, May 3
4–6 p.m.
Stephanie Chou, composer, saxophonist and singer, will perform with her band to two early Asian American-focused silent films. The crime drama The Tong Man was released in 1919 and stars Sessue Hayakawa, the first Asian American actor to achieve fame in Hollywood. The Curse of Quon Gwon (1917) is one of the earliest known Asian American films and one of the few silent films made by a woman. The two films will be screened back-to-back with live music from Chou. Registration is recommended.
Hands On: Kapa Workshop With Page Chang
National Museum of the American Indian
Friday–Saturday, May 15–16
Various times
As part of the Ho‘olaule‘a weekend celebration, visitors can learn the art of Hawaiian kapa making with Kumu (teacher) Page Chang. The ancient practice of kapa has been used by Native Hawaiians to create cloth from the bark of a mulberry tree for clothing, artwork, adornments and more. Participants of all ages can make and take home their own piece of kapa. First come, first served; supplies and capacity are limited.
Ho‘olaule‘a: Welcoming Kānepō Ka Lua
National Museum of the American Indian
Saturday, May 16
11 a.m.–5 p.m.
This family day welcomes Kānepō Ka Lua (meaning Kānepō the Second) to Washington, D.C., with curator tours, music by The Aloha Boys, hula performances by Halau Ho’omau I ka Wai Ola O Hawai’i and hands-on activities. Kānepō Ka Lua, a volcanic stone from the district of Kaʻū on the island of Hawaiʻi, was loaned to the museum for a 20-year period by Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park in consultation with their Kūpuna (Elders) Consultation Group. The group of elders recognized the importance of sending a new stone to serve as the museum’s Western cardinal marker and as an ambassador for Kānaka Maoli in Washington. A full schedule for Ho‘olaule‘a is available online.
IlluminAsia BookCon
Part of the Smithsonian’s IlluminAsia Arts and Culture Festival
National Museum of Asian Art, Freer Courtyard
Friday–Saturday, May 22–23
5 p.m.–9:30 p.m.
As part of the National Museum of Asian Art’s annual IlluminAsia Arts and Culture festival, the museum presents IlluminAsia BookCon, two days of after-hours programming celebrating Asian American storytelling through literature, film and performance during AANHPI Heritage.
- Friday, May 22, 5 p.m.–8 p.m.
Bruce Lee Night
An after-hours evening featuring a special Bruce Lee film screening accompanied by a live DJ set, along with author talks and book signings highlighting Asian American writers and storytellers. - Saturday, May 23, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
IlluminAsia BookCon and Family Day
A daylong book fair and literary festival with a literary marketplace, panels and conversations with AANHPI authors, and a dedicated children’s literature area offering hands-on arts and crafts, workshops and story time. The festival concludes with an outdoor disco dance party in the Freer Courtyard.
Registration is recommended.
Film Screenings
Third Act
National Museum of Asian Art, Meyer Auditorium
Saturday, May 2, 2–4 p.m.
Viewers can explore the legacy of Robert A. Nakamura, a Japanese American activist and “godfather of Asian American media,” through his son Tadashi Nakamura’s documentary film. As his dad’s memory is clouded by Parkinson’s disease, Tad unravels Robert’s story as the child survivor of World War II internment camps to becoming a successful photographer, filmmaker and father. Tad Nakamura, director, will join the screening in person. This event is co-presented with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center; registration is recommended.
Visions & Voices: Stories on the Screen
Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center at the National Museum of American History
Thursday–Saturday, May 7–9
Various times
The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center will host a three-day film festival celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month and America’s 250th anniversary. “Visions & Voices: Stories on the Screen” showcases AANHPI stories that reflect and shape American history, from the story of a Native Hawaiian record-breaking Olympic swimmer and surfing pioneer to a romantic comedy about an Indian American man finding love and belonging. All screenings except the family program will be followed by conversations with filmmakers, producers and cast members, offering audiences an opportunity to engage directly with the creative voices behind the work. Each film will be screened in the Warner Bros. Theater on the ground floor of the National Museum of American History; registration is requested. A full description of each film can found online:
- Waterman – Duke: Ambassador of Aloha, Thursday, May 7; 7 p.m.
- A Tale of Three Chinatowns, Friday, May 8; 7 p.m.
- Family Film Program: Bao, The Queen’s Flowers, Lilo & Stitch, Saturday, May 9; 11 a.m.
- Nurse Unseen, Saturday, May 9; 2 p.m.
- A Nice Indian Boy, Saturday, May 9; 7 p.m.
Exhibitions
“How Can You Forget Me: Filipino American Stories”
National Museum of American History, 2 West
Open now; continues through Saturday, Nov. 28
“How Can You Forget Me” explores the overlooked history of a trailblazing Filipino community in Stockton, California, from the 1910s to the 1970s through 26 steamer trunks, three of which are on display in the gallery. The exhibition is presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.