Asian American / Asian Research Institute

King of the Yees: Lauren Yee, Francis Jue and David Henry Hwang
2026-11-02 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10021
Join us in an intimate conversation with three important theatermakers on the New York premiere of Lauren Yee’s play, King of the Yees, at Signature Theatre (running from October 6 – November 15). Playwright and screenwriter Lauren Yee, actor Francis Jue and playwright David Henry Hwang talk about sharing the notion of family in their work, their poignant, moving stories of their fathers, and the art of portraying them on the stage. An “epic joyride across cultural, national and familial borders”, King of the Yees tells the story of Lauren’s father Larry Yee (played by Francis Jue), a driving force in San Francisco Chinatown. Francis Jue has also played David Henry Hwang’s father in his Tony-winning play, Yellowface. Lauren, Francis, and David discuss Asian American families, lineages and storytelling in the theater as part of this special conversation at Asia Society.

An American Meo: A Tale of Remembering and Forgetting
2026-10-30 18:00 - 19:30 | Asian American / Asian Research Institute, 25 West 43rd Street, Suite 1000, New York, 10036, United States
Author Anisa Rahim will discuss her book, An American Meo, a hybrid work of nonfiction, fiction, and myth that explores identity, heritage, and the weight of generational memory.

Conference on AI and Higher Education
2026-10-28 - 2026-10-30 | Hilton Atlanta, 255 Courtland St NE, Atlanta, GA, 30303
Through evidence-informed dialogue and cross-functional collaboration, the conference explores strategies for responsible AI adoption, institutional governance, and effective implementation across higher education.

Livonia Chow Mein: A Novel
2026-10-23 18:00 - 19:30 | Asian American / Asian Research Institute, 25 West 43rd Street, Suite 1000, New York, 10036, United States
Author Abigail Savitch-Lew will discuss her debut novel Livonia Chow Mein — a gripping, four-generation saga set in Brownsville, Brooklyn, centered on a Chinese family-owned restaurant and its deep roots in a neighborhood shaped by waves of immigrant and working-class communities.

Yiyun Li with Jennifer Egan: Music Against the Night
2026-10-21 19:00 - 20:00 | New York Public Library – Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, 42nd Street & 5th Avenue, New York, NY, 10018, United States
Yiyun Li’s latest book is Music Against the Night. In Dublin, as the 18th century nears its end, a young virtuoso named John Field comes of age as his family nurtures visions of him becoming the next Mozart. His talent takes him to England, France, and Russia, where he becomes a famous pianist and composes dreamy, languorous melodies that enchant the night air. John calls them nocturnes, but the prodigy who immortalizes them is Chopin. Oceans away in French India, Adelaide Percheron has a startling rise of her own. Orphaned and raised by her grandmother, Adelaide is driven by her secret love of music and a desire to see the world. She engineers her exodus, escaping to Paris and later to Moscow, as Napoleon’s army sets out to conquer the continent. As John and Adelaide each try to chart a path between talent and genius, success and legacy, profit and passion, they must decide what, and even who, is worth sacrificing along the way.
Li talks with Jennifer Egan about depicting two aspiring musicians in pursuit of success and bringing to life the sweep and dimension of the Romantic era.

Teaching AAPI Histories - Kānaka ʻŌiwi: Indigenous Hawaiian Identity, Culture, and Rebirth of the Sacred
2026-10-19 16:00 - 17:30
The UCLA Asian American Studies Center, with support from The Asian American Foundation, presents this webinar series on teaching Asian American and Pacific Islander Histories for K-12 and University Educators. Learn from leading scholars and classroom educators how to integrate AAPI narratives into your curriculum.

Ghost Notes: Ancestral Writes for Asian American Absences
2026-10-16 18:00 - 19:30 | Asian American / Asian Research Institute, 25 West 43rd Street, Suite 1000, New York, 10036, United States
Professor Alex Ho explores how hauntology serves as a powerful framework for Asian American and global Asian studies, bridging past customs and present urgencies.

Min Jin Lee with Aidan Flax-Clark: American Hagwon
2026-10-14 19:00 - 20:00 | New York Public Library – Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, 42nd Street & 5th Avenue, New York, NY, 10018, United States
Min Jin Lee’s first novel since the bestselling Pachinko follows one family across decades and continents as they search in schools, jobs, churches, and beyond for meaning and success. Once comfortably middle class in Korea, John and Helen Koh and their three children—Bo, DH, and Mido—find their fortunes twisted and their lives upended, first by a shocking betrayal by John’s oldest friend, then by the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Desperately striving to regain their footing, they leave Seoul for Sydney and eventually settle in Southern California—where new vistas of opportunity open up for the children as their parents, strangers in a strange land, must adjust to a new life in which their experience and education mean little, and they set their sights on whatever it takes to provide for their children’s futures.
Lee speaks with Aidan Flax-Clark, the Director of LIVE from NYPL, about crafting the Kohs as well as their friends, relatives, and their foes as they move in and out of each other’s lives, always nursing the almost all-consuming faith that education will lead the next generation to success and security.

Monuments to War
2026-10-10 14:00 - 15:00 | High Line Spur at 30th St, 10th Av, 30th Street & 10th Avenue, New York, NY, 10001, United States
Closing the series, Nico Rodriguez, deputy director of Monuments Lab, considers Nguyen’s work alongside contemporary artistic approaches to memorialization. The discussion explores how artists reimagine monuments to war by transforming sites of violence into spaces for remembrance, reflection, and collective healing.
The lecture will be followed by a guided meditation by Steve Clorfeine, a meditation teacher from the Shambhala tradition with over 40 years of experience.
Rain date: October 11, 2 – 3pm

Inter-grant Festival
2026-10-08 - 2026-10-10 | Arts on Site, 12 St. Marks Place, 3R, New York, NY, 10003
The Inter-grant Festival is a three-night celebration highlighting the vibrant work of Inter-grant artists through visual art, live performance, film, and dialogue. Every evening offers a fully dynamic experience; starting with a pre-show art sale, continuing into live performances and docuseries film screenings, and closing with an artist-led post-show discussion.
Festival Program
Pre-Show Art Sale (All Nights):

Bead works by Ibrahima Sidibe

Docuseries Screenings (All Nights):

Eiko Otake — Directed by Ankita Sharma
Ximena Garnica — Directed by Akane Little and Benja Thompson

Daily Performance & Discussion Schedule
Night 1 — Thursday, October 8

Live Performances: Marie Lloyd Paspe | Preeti Vasudevan
Post-Show Discussion: Facilitated by Leah Tubbs

Night 2 — Friday, October 9

Live Performances: Maho Ogawa | Petra Zanki
Post-Show Discussion: Facilitated by Annie Ming-Hao Wang

Night 3 — Saturday, October 10

Live Performances: Solenn Etienne | Huiwang Zhang
Post-Show Discussion: Facilitated by Shannon Yu

Koreatown, NYC: The Consumption of a Transnational Brand
2026-10-02 18:00 - 19:30 | Asian American / Asian Research Institute, 25 West 43rd Street, Suite 1000, New York, 10036, United States
This book explores how Manhattan’s Koreatown transformed into a “transclave”—a commercialized ethnic hub driven by South Korea’s global nation-branding strategy and the diverse cultural mosaic of New York City.

2026 Nonprofit Resource Fair
2026-09-30 16:00 - 19:00 | The Center, 208 W 13th St, New York, NY, 10011, United States
Join us at the 2026 Nonprofit Resource Fair to connect with organizations and access valuable resources.

In these unprecedented times, nonprofits must be resilient, well-resourced, and deeply connected within the larger movement ecosystem. Join us for a Nonprofit Resource Fair, hosted by Nonprofit New York and Amalgamated Bank, where you’ll have the opportunity to connect with financial, legal, governmental, and other sector experts who can support your mission as partners, vendors, or advisors.

Buddhist Self-Knowledge Practices: The Sheila and Wilbur Liebson Ethics Colloquium
2026-09-29 11:00 - 12:15 | Brooklyn College (Library, Woody Tanger Auditorium), 2900 Bedford Ave, Library, Room 150, Woody Tanger Auditorium, Brooklyn, NY, 11210
In this presentation, viewing Buddhism from a self-knowledge standpoint, Professor of Philosophy Christopher W. Gowans (Fordham University) will examine a variety of Buddhist practices—ethical, philosophical, and meditative—as these practices have been understood in the traditional “path” approaches (Buddhist practice as a path from suffering to an enlightened life of tranquility and compassion) and the rather different “exploration” approach that emerges in Chan and Zen Buddhism (Buddhist practice as expressing and exploring what it means not to be a self). Among Gowan’s publications is Self-Cultivation Philosophies in Ancient India, Greece, and China (Oxford University Press, 2021).

Rising Up to Serve: Leveraging Bar Associations for Community-Centered Lawyering
2026-09-29 09:00 - 17:45
This panel examines how attorneys and advocates—particularly through bar associations like AABANY—can serve as a critical bridge between legal professionals and the unique legal needs faced by AANHPI and immigrant communities in New York City. Drawing on experiences across immigration, housing, employment, and community advocacy, the program will explore how attorneys can leverage AABANY and allied bar associations to engage in community-centered lawyering, respond to emerging issues through coordinated advocacy, and build partnerships with grassroots organizations. The panel will highlight practical strategies for using bar association participation, not only for professional development but also as a vehicle for collective action, leadership development, and meaningful community impact.
The program will include practical frameworks, real-world scenarios, and actionable strategies that attorneys can apply in their own practices.

“Third Act” Film Screening
2026-09-26 13:30 - 16:00 | The Japanese American Association of New York, 49 West 45th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY, 10036
oin us for a screening of Third Act, the award-winning documentary film, and a panel discussion with filmmaker Tad Nakamura, moderator Sean Miura, and local leaders Stephanie Kato and George Hirose.

AABANY 2026 Fall Conference - Rising Up to Meet the Future: Cultivating Tomorrow’s Leaders Today
2026-09-26 08:00 - 19:30 | Fordham University School of Law, 150 West 62nd St, New York, NY, 10023
This full-day event offers multi-track sessions in the morning and afternoon, and a plenary lunch session, with many CLE (continuing legal education) credits available, as well as the following special programs:

Link-up Reception
Trail Advocacy Program
Diversity Career Fair

Race and Space: How Laws Create and Impact Asian Spaces
2026-09-26 08:00 - 17:00
Since its origins, America has existed as a racially segregated country. For most of its history, the law has been used to create and enforce this segregation. With the Reconstruction era’s 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, or as historian Eric Foner calls it, the “second founding,” the U.S. abolished slavery, granted citizenship, and enshrined equality before the law, at least in principle. And yet, in fundamental ways, we still live in a racially segregated country and city. Today, many Asian New Yorkers shop, eat, worship, reside, or learn in spaces where they are surrounded by others who look like them.
This panel explores several distinct spaces where Asian New Yorkers gather and examines how laws and policies have defined, developed, policed, and shaped these Asian spaces. Featured locations include massage parlors or spas, New York City’s multiple Chinatowns, takeout restaurants, and specialized public high schools. Panelists will discuss how different areas of law such as education law, criminal law, immigration law, and zoning laws impact these places.

Voices Rising: Korean Diaspora Voices in Performance
2026-09-24 19:30 - 21:00 | Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10065
This convening of company members from The Cherry Orchard and others reflects on Korean and Korean American diasporas that have shaped the evolution of Asian American theater and performance. The conversation considers how Korean artists are influencing U.S. culture from the global reach of K-pop and K-drama to the vitality of the contemporary stage while carrying forward deep artistic traditions. This New York Emmy-nominated series uplifts stories across the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and celebrates the growing impact of Asian diasporic artists on American culture.

MOCA x NYAFF Film Club: Yellow Rose
2026-09-24 18:30 - 21:00 | Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre Street, New York, NY, 10013
Yellow Rose is a coming-of-age musical drama that follows Rose Garcia, a Filipina teenager growing up undocumented in a small Texas town. When her mother is detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Rose is forced to navigate an uncertain future while pursuing her dream of becoming a country music singer. Starring Eva Noblezada in her feature film debut alongside Lea Salonga, the film explores identity, belonging, resilience, and the pursuit of the American dream through the unexpected lens of country music.

Sitting the Month: Postpartum Recipes for Rest & Recovery
2026-09-23 18:30 - 20:00 | Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre Street, New York, NY, 10013
The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) welcomes award-winning food writer Clarissa Wei for an engaging conversation celebrating her new cookbook, Sitting the Month: Postpartum Recipes for Rest & Recovery. In discussion with second-generation Taiwanese herbalist and recipe collaborator Stella Wang and moderated by food editor Genevieve Yam, the program explores the rich culinary traditions surrounding postpartum recovery in Chinese culture and the enduring wisdom behind the practice of 坐月子 zuò yuè zi, or “sitting the month.”

2026 Nonprofit Resource Fair
2026-09-23 16:00 - 19:00

Daniel Tam-Claiborne – Transplants
2026-09-22 18:30 - 20:00 | Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre Street, New York, NY, 10013
The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) invites you to an engaging conversation with writer Daniel Tam-Claiborne on his debut novel Transplants, a lyrical and piercing exploration of migration, belonging, race, love, and the parts of ourselves that can get lost in translation.

Ideas for Cutting Bureaucratic Hurdles and Getting Things Done in NYC
2026-09-22 08:00 - 10:45 | The Mezzanine, 55 Broadway, New York, NY
Mayor Mamdani’s Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE) has put forward five promising ballot proposals to make city government work better, faster, and more efficiently. But there are numerous other opportunities to eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles that slow government down, increase costs, and make it harder to get things done in New York—many of which do not require charter changes. Identifying and reducing these frustrating, costly, and time-consuming bureaucratic rules and processes will be increasingly important at a time when the city faces massive policy challenges but also growing fiscal constraints.
This forum will explore specific opportunities to reduce outdated, unnecessary, and redundant bureaucratic hurdles across city government—from approvals at the Department of Buildings and FDNY to contracting, procurement, hiring, and other core government processes. It will be a solutions-focused conversation that delves into rules and practices ripe for improvement and advances practical ideas for how city leaders can make these changes happen. It will discuss the ballot proposals put forward by COGE.

Across Continents: Writing Goans, Making Worlds
2026-09-18 18:00 - 19:30 | Asian American / Asian Research Institute, 25 West 43rd Street, Suite 1000, New York, 10036, United States
Across Continents employs Goan literary subjectivity as epistemology to critique a specific limitation of postcolonial thought, one that does not account for the situations or afterlife of Portuguese colonialism.

MOCA PERFORMS – Three Lives
2026-09-17 - 2026-09-18 | Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre Street, New York, NY, 10013
THREE LIVES is an autobiographical solo show that follows Alex Xander Luu and his family’s escape from war-torn Saigon in 1975 to America. Journeying across continents and generations, “Three Lives” presents the Vietnam War story through the eyes and experiences of its oft-forgotten casualty – – its refugees – – his father, grandfather, and Luu himself as their lives are violently uprooted and resettled in the “promised land.”

Teaching AAPI Histories - We Are Here Because You Were There: Race, Colonialism, and Migration
2026-09-14 16:00 - 17:30

Play - The Cherry Orchard
2026-09-14 - 2026-09-26 | Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10065
Considered one of the great plays of the modern era, Anton Chekhov’s final play about a family on the edge of ruin is radically reimagined by acclaimed director and dramatist Simon Stone, who returns to the Armory following his blistering Obie-Award winning take on Federico García Lorca’s Yerma (2018). His refreshing adaptation resets the action from Russia to a rapidly transforming modern-day Seoul, South Korea, where the original noble siblings are now corporate heirs struggling to adapt to a world that has moved on without them, suffocated by a rising middle class and wealthy self-made entrepreneurs. Caught between the past and the present, hope and despair, tradition and innovation, the chaebol family is forced to grapple with the inevitable forces of change.

Aesthetic Intelligence: Building a New Generation of Global Brands
2026-09-09 18:30 - 20:00 | Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, New York, NY, 10017, United States
In an era of rapid technological change and economic uncertainty, a company’s identity has become one of its most valuable strategic assets. To succeed, companies must do far more than command attention. They must inspire trust, convey meaning, create memorable experiences and forge lasting connections with customers. This program brings together two leaders in luxury and branding to explore the concept of Aesthetic Intelligence and discuss how Japan’s distinctive traditions of design, craftsmanship, and cultural heritage can serve as the foundation for a new generation of world-class brands. Through conversation and case studies, participants will gain practical insights into how aesthetics can strengthen brand identity, secure a competitive advantage, and drive long-term business growth.

Tragedy, Trauma, and Transformation: The 9/11, 2001 Catastrophe 25 Years Later
2026-09-09 12:15 - 13:30 | Queens College – Rosenthal Library (Rm 230), 65-60 Kissena Blvd, Queens, NY, 11367
Hybrid Faculty Panel with Distinguished Lecturer James Vacca (Moderator), Hagedorn Professor & Urban Studies Dept. Chair Melissa Checker, Professor & Political Science Dept. Chair Peter Liberman, and Professor & Barry Commoner Center Director Steven Markowitz

Christine Choy Retrospective
2026-09-09 - 2026-09-16
A fall retrospective of nine preserved films by Christine Choy, the pioneering documentarian who spent five decades filming the movements and communities left out of the record.
Films Screening at Anthology Film Archives (Sept 9 to 13, 2026)
“Teach our Children”, “Inside Women Inside”, “From Spikes to Spindles”, “Fei Tien… Goddess in Flight”, “To Love, Honor and Obey”, “Namibia: Independence Now!”, Re-Orienting Africa”, “Who Killed Vincent Chin?” and “Ha Ha Shanghai”
Films Screening at DCTV (Sept 13 to 16, 2026)
“Mississippi Triangle”, “Homes Apart: Korea” and “Bittersweet Survival”
