[updated May 3] May is Asian Heritage Month. There are events across Canada and the United States, virtually and in person. Here’s a selection.
Virtual Events
I checked archives, museums, and historical societies to bring you events ranging from the Chinese Canadian Historical Society (CCHS) in Vancouver, the China Institute in New York, My China Roots in Guangzhou, and the York Centre for Asian Research in Toronto.
NOTE: If you are joining My China Roots on Discord for the first time, give yourself plenty of time before the event to sign up and pass the many protocols. The platform is more like Slack than Zoom.
- May 1 – Community Meet & Greet – Ancestral Detectives Assemble! My China Roots (MCR).
- May 6 – Full Circle – Returning to Ancestral Villages in China. MCR.
- May 6 – [Mandarin] Lunch and Learn 午间中文. China Institute, New York.
- May 7 – Asian Heritage Month Opening Ceremony 2022: Celebrating the Twentieth Anniversary of the signing of Asian Heritage Month Declaration. York Centre for Asian Research (YCAR), Toronto.
- May 11 – Virtual Chinatown walkabout with John Atkin, Bob Sung and Hayne Wai. Chinese Canadian Historical Society (CCHS).
- May 13 – Treasure Hunt – How to Dig for Family Stories at Home. MCR.
- May 20 – Lost in Translation – How to Trace Chinese Ancestors Like a Pro. MCR.
- May 27 – Tender Roots – Exploring Intergenerational Healing. MCR.
Coast to Coast Events
If you happen to be fortunate enough to live in Boston, Halifax, Montreal, San Francisco or Vancouver, you also have the following options:
- May 1 – Halifax, Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, 2 pm local. “Asian Heritage Month Opening Ceremony.”
- May 3 – Boston, Fenway Park, Major League Baseball. “AAPI Heritage Celebration.”
- May 4, San Francisco. Hosted by Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage. “APA Heritage Awards & Reception.”
- May 4, Vancouver. Launch of the Centre for Asian Canadian Research and Engagement (ACRE). “Re-Imagining Asian Canadian Futures.”
- May 7-14 – Vancouver, LiterAsian 2022 – the tenth anniversary. “Finding Our Voices: Telling Our Stories.”
- May 8, Vancouver, Chinatown Storytelling Centre, 11-3 local. “Fresh off the Press!” Book Signing Event with authors Wayne Ng, Jamie Chai Yue Lieu, and Check Kwan. No registration required.
- May 28, Halifax, Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, “Canada’s Storytellers: Albert Lee’s Wok & Talk,” a walk of Halifax’s South End neighbourhood with local historian Albert Lee.
- May 28, Montreal, Hosted by Winnipeg’s Asian Heritage Society of Manitoba and Festival Accès Asie. “On the Move: National Asian Heritage Celebration.”
Postscript
It fills me with joy to even be able to put a list like this together. If I’m missing an event, feel free to comment below. I would love to write more but I’m attending the first event by My China Roots in a few hours! Maybe I’ll see you there.