May is National AAPI Heritage Month – a time to honor Asian American and Pacific Islanders – their histories, their cultures, and their many contributions to America and the world. It’s also a time to have fun learning together, to have meaningful dialogues, and to examine internal practices and mindsets to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Here are some regional events marking National Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month:
Month of May: Tacoma Public Library presents activities at various branches during AAPI Heritage Month.
Through June 4: Gallery B612 in Seattle presents Moonrise: Illuminating Artistic Connections Across Asia, the Pacific and Beyond. The exhibit invites visitors to explore the interconnected world of art, where cultures meet, ideas travel, and creative expressions transcend geographical boundaries. In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, this exhibition showcases how the artistic practices of Asia, the Pacific Islands, and beyond intersect, drawing upon shared histories and the ongoing flow of influence across borders. Featuring works from a wide range of artists, including those from Asian, Pacific Islander, and diasporic communities, as well as artists from other parts of the world who engage with these regions' artistic legacies, the exhibition celebrates the richness of global cultural exchange.
Through Sept. 14, 2026: Wing Luke Museum presents Lost & Found: Searching for Home which explores the complex relationship between place and belonging through the lens of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) identity. In this exhibit, artists unpack attempts to reconnect with their cultural homelands, through both physical and emotional journeys, to answer the timeless question: where and what defines “Home”? Expressed in a variety of media including painting, video and installations, this uniquely AANHPI perspective inspires conversation to both empower and challenge our perceptions of home and highlight the challenges to finding belonging in diaspora. The exhibition features captivating work from a diverse range of artists including including Eric Chan / 陳志宇 / 진지유, Lauren Iida, Ravleen Kaur, and Kyler Pahang.
For the first time in its 90-year history, SAM is presenting the work of one artist at all three of its locations at the same time. In addition to the major retrospective at the downtown location–Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei through September 7, 2025–the Seattle Asian Art Museum presents Ai Weiwei: Water Lilies (Through March 15, 2026), a reinterpretation in LEGOs of one of Claude Monet’s famed water lilies paintings. The Olympic Sculpture Park presents Ai Weiwei: Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads (Bronze) (May 17, 2025–May 17, 2027), a circle of 12 monumental bronze sculptures. This offers a unique opportunity to engage deeply with Ai Weiwei’s work in different contexts across the city.
Also, ongoing--Boundless: Stories of Asian Art at Seattle Asian Art Museum features works from different cultures and from ancient to contemporary times brought together to tell stories about Asia in a non-linear narrative. The galleries are organized around 12 themes central to Asia’s arts and societies such as worship and celebration, visual arts and literature, and clothing and identity. The south galleries feature art inspired by spiritual life and the north galleries show art inspired by material life. Some objects relate to both the spiritual and material realms and are a testament to art’s layered meanings. Each artwork tells its own story of when, where, how, and why it was made. But when seemingly disparate artworks are displayed together, meaningful connections and questions emerge. Explore our renowned collection and discover ideas across time and across Asia.
May 3, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.: Seattle Center Festál presents their Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration, a free one-day festival that celebrates the beginning of AANHPI Heritage Month and promotes the unique and ethnically diverse cultures of AANHPI communities in the Greater Seattle Area. You won’t want to miss the entertaining cultural activities on stage including the annual Alan Sugiyama Humbow Eating Contest and dance performances from student-run UW organizations and local performing arts groups. Browse through the community tables and displays that tell the important histories of why this month is celebrated, and show your support by buying from local vendors and small businesses. Enjoy a variety of delicious menu options located outside the Armory building from food trucks and food vendors galore who will keep you coming back for more!
May 10-11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Come all bonsai-fans and bonsai-curious to be wowed and inspired at Pacific Bonsai Museum’s fourth BonsaiFEST! See hundreds of beautiful bonsai in an enchanting, woodsy setting. BonsaiFEST! weekend, at the height of spring blooms, is a spectacular and refreshing time of year to visit the Museum and delight in community. Watch live bonsai-making demonstrations, explore unique exhibitions including "Small Talk: All the dirt on growing mini-but-mighty trees," "Building Wonder: Bonsai Treehouses by Dave Creek," "Little Champions: Bonsai from the Evergreen State," the Puget Sound Bonsai Association's Spring Show, Edd Kuehn's enchanting tiny "mame" bonsai collection, plus azaleas, wisterias, and other flowering bonsai likely at peak bloom.
May 10, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Seattle Japanese Garden is a 3.5 acre urban sanctuary. Winding paths and benches invite you to view the garden slowly and mindfully, in all of its detail - stones, water, lanterns, bridges, buildings, plants and animals. Seasonal changes are constant, and every visit refreshingly unique. Visit in each season to appreciate the full beauty of the garden. The slow transformation of spring to summer to autumn connects us with nature and reminds us of the beauty and impermanence of life. May 10 is Family Saturday–Koi Day at Seattle Japanese Garden. After a cold winter, koi are looking forward to our friendly visitors (and a feast)! Koi at the Seattle Japanese Garden are awake from their winter hibernation and ready to eat. For our May Family Saturday on May 10th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., we’ll have free koi food, a koi presentation and Q & A by the Washington Koi & Water Garden Society, and a Taiko Drum Performance by Dekoboko Taiko at 12:30pm.
May 15, 5:30-8 p.m.: Washington State History Museum in Tacoma, in partnership with Downtown on the Go, presents the 8th Annual South Sound Day of Remembrance. Join us for an evening of commemoration as we recognize the 83rd anniversary of the wartime forced eviction of people of Japanese ancestry from South Puget Sound on May 17-18, 1942. Take a walking tour through downtown Tacoma, the site of the city’s lost Japantown. The tour will make stops exploring significant sites in Japanese American history before reconvening at the Washington State History Museum for a taiko drum performance. The performance will be followed by a brief procession to Union Station to remember the site where the Japanese American community was forced to report before being sent to prison camps throughout the West.
May 18, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.: It’s Asian American Pacific Islander Community Day at Seattle Aquarium. Explore the Aquarium’s habitats and enjoy a variety of activities—including storytelling, performances and talks interpreted into multiple Asian and Pacific Islander languages.
May 24, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.: The Asian Pacific Islander Coalition of South Puget Sound, in partnership with the City of Olympia and the Evergreen State College and local community organizations, invite all to join us in celebration of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander American heritage and cultures. We will have food vendors, performances, and activities for the entire family. The mission of this event is to highlight Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander American communities, cultures, traditions, and experiences. Join us this May as we share the stories, cultures, and contributions of our Asian, Native Hawai'ian, and Pacific Islander American (AANHPI) community. The event is free and open to all, and takes place at House of Welcomes'gʷi gʷi ʔ altxʷ: (The Evergreen State College Longhouse in Olympia).
And looking ahead to June:
June 7, 8 p.m.: Join the Seattle Choral Company for their 43rd season finale — Asian Voices — celebrating the exceptional talents of today’s Asian choral composers from both America and the Asian Pacific region. Artistic director Freddie Coleman has curated a selection of exquisite and widely performed pieces from China, Taiwan, Korea, the Philippines, Japan, and the US. The concert will include choral works by Chen Yi (China), Wei-Pin Chen (Taiwan), Hye-Young Cho (Korea), Eric Tuan (USA), Saunder Choi (the Philippines), and Kentaro Sato (Japan). Experience the universal language of music that unites us all, as the SCC showcases the vibrant voices of Asia. The event takes place at Seattle First Baptist Church.
Resources and other things to explore
Remembrance: The Legacy of Executive Order 9066 in Washington State is a permanent exhibit at Washington State History Museum in Tacoma. Explore the intergenerational impacts and legacy of the incarceration of people of Japanese descent during World War II. In this gallery, visitors will experience history through photographs, art, objects, letters, and film. A significant part of this exhibition was sourced by working with individuals and families who were directly impacted by Executive Order 9066, including survivors and their descendants. The Japanese community first set down roots in Washington State during the 1890s. Early immigrants took low-paying jobs in railroads, sawmills, salmon canneries, farms, and as domestic laborers. Within a few decades, however, these Washingtonians had become a vital part of our state with contributions to both culture and commerce.
Densho is a Seattle-based non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, educating, and sharing the story of World War II-era incarceration of Japanese Americans before their memories are extinguished. They offer these irreplaceable firsthand accounts, coupled with historical images and teacher resources, to explore principles of democracy and promote equal justice for all. Densho is a Japanese term meaning “to pass on to the next generation,” or to leave a legacy.
Seattle’s Chinatown-International District (C-ID) is home to history, culture, and tradition. The C-ID offers a wide variety of authentic food spanning across Asia, eclectic retail, and family friendly activities. Located just one mile south of Downtown, Chinatown-International District is easily accessible and conveniently located.
Chinatown-ID has been the heart of the most extensive Asian community in Washington State and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Its rich cultural history has helped Chinatown-ID thrive as both a residential and commercial space where community members and tourists alike are able to gather and celebrate experiences together. Known as one of Seattle’s best restaurant districts, Chinatown-International District offers over 50 dining options, spanning Asia and beyond. Discover foods from China, Japan, Philippines, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, and more. From authentic to fusion, Chinatown-International District has a delicious option for every meal of the day, including several late-night options for post-game snacks.
The Panama Hotel is located in the Chinatown-International District, in what was once Nihonmachi (Japantown). The hotel had a history of providing lodging to immigrants from Japan. Its basement was used by the Japanese community as a storeroom for their possessions when they were sent to camps in WWII. The hotel was designed by Sabro Ozasa, the first Asian-American architect to practice in the Puget Sound region. Today, you can tour its bathhouse that served generations of Japanese Americans before World War II.
Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) in Tacoma is a center for cultural exchange providing programs and services that promote the greater awareness, understanding, equity, and inclusion of the Asian and Pacific Islander people. This community includes immigrants, refugees, children and youth, seniors and elders, low-income, and all groups who are a part of the Asia Pacific community. Our founders recognized the need for cross-cultural understanding in their community, and in 1996 they founded APCC to address this need.
ArtsWA celebrates Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by featuring all artists of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage who are part of Washington's State Art Collection. This web exhibition celebrates the rich and varied creative expression of these artists via drawings, paintings, cut paper, prints, collage, photographs, ceramics, sculptures, and site-specific installations.
The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's history and are instrumental in its future success. Find out more about exhibits and collections, audio and video resources, and more here. During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and throughout the year, the National Park Service and its partners share those histories and the continuing culture thriving in parks and communities today.
Kanopy, the free streaming service available to university students and public library cardholders, has organized an Asian Pacific American Heritage Month film collection. Dozens of titles are highlighted and available for streaming via the Kanopy app which can stream content to your digital device or smart TV.
The Government of Canada has designated May as Asian Heritage Month, marking the legacy of Asian Canadians including those of East Asian descent (e.g., China, Japan, Korea), South Asian descent (e.g., India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka), Southeast Asian descent (e.g., Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia), Central Asian descent (e.g., Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan) and West Asia descent (e.g. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey). Here are some some of their resources.