Asian American / Asian Research Institute

The Theater of the Matters: The Island of Loves
2026-03-13 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, New York, NY, 10017, United States
The Theater of the Matters presents a dual program in honor of Paulo Rocha and Sumiko Haneda. Haneda’s 1982 documentary The Poem of Hayachine Valley (早池峰の賦) will screen on 16mm on March 14 at Light Industry.

AAWW & The Strand Present: Amin Ahmad + Kirthana Ramisetti
2026-03-13 19:00 - 20:00 | Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway 3rd Floor, Rare Book Room, New York, NY, 10003
Join us for an event with notable writer Amin Ahmad, discussing his new novel A KILLER IN THE FAMILY.

Moderating this discussion is culture writer and author, Kirthana Ramisetti. This event will be hosted at The Strand at Columbus (SCA) located at 450 Columbus Ave.
This event is co-presented with the Asian American Writers’ Workshop. For more information, please visit their website at aaww.org.

Writing Without Fear
2026-03-13 20:00 - 21:30 | The Asian American Writers’ Workshop, 18 West 21st Street, Suite 900, New York, 10010, United States
Are you working on a novel, memoir or non-fiction project? Did you start off with great enthusiasm, only to feel the project bog down? Are you overwhelmed by the complexity of the task? Has anxiety crept into your writing day?
To produce good work, writers must be willing to take risks and to produce writing that fails. This process of exploration often creates anxiety, and often results in the dreaded writer’s block. How do we allow spontaneity and improvisation into our work and still create coherence
How do we craft a writing process that allows risk, but also creates a safety net?
Borrowing from psychology, we will understand the types of anxiety inherent in the writing process, and how to manage them. We will examine working methods from other creative fields — architects, screenwriters, film editors, and radio story tellers — and steal from them.
The goal of this workshop is to create a writing process that works for you, and that allows you to be fearless and productive.

Prospect Park Lunar New Year Celebration
2026-03-14 11:30 - 14:00 | Boathouse + Audubon Center at Prospect Park, 101 East Drive, Brooklyn, NY, 11225
Celebrate Lunar New Year in Prospect Park! Enjoy a lion dance, cultural performances, festive activities & raffle prizes.

Join Prospect Park Alliance and the Chinese-American Planning Council for a joyful Lunar New Year celebration! Experience exciting lion dances, live cultural performances, and festive activities for all ages. The Lunar New Year marks a fresh start and new beginnings. Stop by to connect with neighbors, learn about local community resources and services, and celebrate together in Prospect Park. Enjoy raffle prizes and gift bags giveaways for the first 100 attendees to visit the welcome table, while supplies last.

The Filipino Nonprofit Leadership Playbook Part 2
2026-03-14 12:00 - 16:00 | Philippine Consulate, 556 5th Avenue, New York, NY, 10036
The Philippine Consulate General in New York and the NY Chapter of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA NY) invite all leaders and organizations to participate in this FREE educational seminar, The Filipino Nonprofit Leadership Playbook, at the Philippine Center. The seminar will begin promptly at 12:30 PM for online attendees to join.

Spring Into Nowruz: Family Day 2026
2026-03-14 13:00 - 16:00 | Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10021
Join us in welcoming the Persian New Year at our Nowruz Family Day on Saturday, March 14, 2026, 1 – 4 p.m. Celebrate the start of Spring and learn about Nowruz with interactive workshops, music, crafts, storytelling and more. Don’t forget to enjoy Persian sweets and savories at the Leo Cafe.

Music: Rising South Asian Artists
2026-03-14 18:00 - 22:00 | Sugar Mouse, 47 3rd Ave, New York, NY, 10003, United States
Come join us in person to celebrate the amazing talent of South Asian artists on the rise! This event is all about good vibes, creativity, and connecting with artists who are making waves. Don’t miss out on discovering fresh voices and unique styles that are shaping the future of music. It’s a fantastic chance to soak in some inspiration and support local talent. See you there!

Rhea Yadav
Teddybear Band
Anu Mysore
Priya Roy

Brain Awareness Week - Stress,Trauma and Mental Health
2026-03-16 - 2026-03-22 | NY
The Forever Spring Impact Campaign will host a Brain Awareness Workshop as part of the global Brain Awareness Week (March 16–22, 2026), bringing together scientists, educators, and community advocates to explore how stress affects teen brain development and what families can do to support youth mental health.
The workshop is designed to make neuroscience accessible to the public by combining scientific insight with storytelling and culturally responsive education. As part of its educational outreach, the Brain Awareness Workshop is partnering with Anaheim Union High School District’s Cambridge Virtual Academy to use the program as an educational module in classrooms, helping students learn about brain health and stress during adolescence.
The event will take place virtually and is open to educators, parents, students, health professionals, and community members interested in youth mental health and brain development.
The workshop is produced by Right Here in My Pocket as part of the Forever Spring Impact Campaign, a storytelling and public education initiative that uses film, community dialogue, and science-based information to address mental health disparities affecting Asian American communities.
About the Forever Spring Impact Campaign
The Forever Spring Impact Campaign is a public education and storytelling initiative that highlights mental health disparities in Asian American communities, particularly among Southeast Asian populations. Through film, community conversations, and partnerships with educators and scientists, the campaign seeks to reduce stigma and expand culturally responsive mental health awareness.
View videos online at https://www.youtube.com/@RightHereInMyPocket

Monday, March 16 — Echoes of the Past
Tuesday, March 17 — Infancy Memory Architecture
Wednesday, March 18 — The Teenage Brain
Thursday, March 19 — From Trauma to Healing

Partners:

The Center for Transition to Parenthood at Columbia University
Cognition, Affect, and Neurodevelopment in Youth Lab at UCLA
Anaheim Union High School District- Cambridge Virtual Academy
Tell My Story
Parents Are Human
Home for Refugees

Remembering 3/16 Prayer Walk
2026-03-16 12:00 - 13:00 | Greeley Square Park, 32nd St and Broadway, New York, NY
On the fifth anniversary of the Atlanta spa shootings, we gather to celebrate our community’s strength and demand change.

2026 Hess Week with Scholar in Residence Russell M. Jeung
2026-03-17 - 2026-03-19 | Brooklyn College (Library, Woody Tanger Auditorium), 2900 Bedford Ave, Library, Room 150, Woody Tanger Auditorium, Brooklyn, NY, 11210
Join Brooklyn College’s Ethyle R. Wolfe Institute for the Humanities for a week of public talks in honor of Professor Russell M. Jeung, the 2025-26 Robert L. Hess Scholar-in-Residence.
Tuesday, March 17
Welcome Ceremony
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
The Lives, Rights, and Civil Liberties of Asian Americans in an Age of Mass Deportation
2:15 PM to 3:30 PM
Wednesday, March 18
Belief and Belonging: Faith Communities and Justice
11:00 AM to 12:15 PM
Recuperating Collective Stories: Writing Chinese American Memoirs
2:15 PM to 3:30 PM
Struggling, Surviving, Thriving: Asian American Mental Health
3:40 PM to 4:55 PM
Thursday, March 19
Asian American Movements for Racial Justice: Resistance and Solidarity
11:00 AM to 12:15 PM
Hess Week 2026 is co-sponsored by The Asian American and Diasporic Studies Minor Program and The Brooklyn College Asian American, Native American, Pacific Islander Serving Institute (BCAP).

Equity Pulse: Is Your Citizenship at Stake?
2026-03-17 15:00 - 16:00 | NY
On April 1, the Supreme Court will hear arguments that could redefine what it means to be a U.S. citizen. It is a battle Chinese Americans have fought before. In 1898, Wong Kim Ark sued for his right to reenter the United States after being denied because of his Chinese ancestry. His Supreme Court victory established birthright citizenship as we know it. Now, that precedent is under attack in Trump v. Barbara. Join attorneys Wendy Feng, Arjun Shenoy, Tony Wang, and Jennifer Wu on Tuesday, March 17 at 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT, as they break down the legal arguments and discuss what this case could mean for AAPIs and civil rights. They were directly involved in the drafting of the two amicus briefs filed by the AAPI community in this case. Even if you’re a U.S. citizen today, this case could affect generations to come. Hear from top legal experts, ask questions, and engage on a constitutional right that now hangs in the balance

CUNY Women Lead Loudly: Voice, Vision, and Valor
2026-03-18 09:00 - 15:50 | NY
Faculty and staff are invited to “CUNY Women Lead Loudly —Voice, Vision, and Valor,” a unique virtual experience featuring panels, interactive breakout sessions and a fireside chat with CUNY presidents.

TEENS, STRESS and NEURODEVELOPMENT
2026-03-18 16:00 - 17:00 | NY
Get ready to dive into a live chat about Teens, Stress and Mental Wellness during Brain Awareness Week!

A dynamic conversation bridging neuroscience research and community advocacy through storytelling that translates science into accessible, culturally grounded public learning through storytelling and culturally responsive education.
Our featured guests include:

Dr. Tiffany Ho, PhD – A neuroscientist at UCLA and researcher at The Candy Lab, Dr. Ho studies how stress impacts adolescent neurodevelopment and mental health outcomes.
Dana Christian Lee – Executive Director of Tell My Story, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping parents prioritize and advocate for their children’s mental health.
Duc Nguyen – Producer of the Forever Spring Impact Campaign, an initiative fostering community-centered conversations, breaking stigma, and deepening understanding around mental health challenges.

This webinar is part of the Forever Spring Impact Campaign, which seeks to illuminate persistent disparities in mental health services within Asian American communities—particularly among Southeast Asian populations—while advancing dialogue, equity, and healing.

AAPI New York: Stories From The Bronx
2026-03-18 16:00 - 20:00 | Hostos Community College/CUNY, 500 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY, 10451
New York City teachers, community members, and youth are invited for an interactive day of storytelling, community building, and curriculum development on the localized history of Queens’ Asian American community.

Enduring Otherwise: Muslim Queer and Trans Worldmaking in Indonesia
2026-03-18 17:00 - 18:30 | NYU Wagner – Lafayette Conference Room, Floor 2, 105 East 17th Street, New York, NY, 10003
Join NYSEAN for the book launch of Enduring Otherwise: Muslim Queer and Trans Worldmaking in Indonesia by Ferdiansyah Thajib, Senior Lecturer in the Standards of Decision-Making Across Cultures MA Program at Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. Rianne Subijanto, Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Baruch College-CUNY, will moderate the discussion.

Opening Reception | Kawai Kanjirō: House to House
2026-03-18 17:00 - 19:00 | Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, New York, NY, 10017, United States
Japan Society invites you to the opening reception of our spring exhibition, Kawai Kanjirō: House to House. Be among the first visitors to experience this landmark exhibition celebrating the life and work of folk potter, artist, and poet Kawai Kanjirō (1890–1966). This is Kawai’s first solo exhibition in the United States and the only time the collection has left Japan.

2026 Korea on Screen: KOCCA Spotlight
2026-03-19 - 2026-03-20 | Korean Cultural Center NY, 122 E 32nd St, New York, NY, 10016
Korea on Screen is a year-long screening series celebrating the depth and diversity of Korean cinema. In March, we kick off the program with two extraordinary documentaries that explore the spiritual and cultural roots of Korea—from the “living goddesses” of the Jeju sea to the meditative philosophy of temple food.

International Dialogue Exploring Comparative Education in the US and Southeast Asia
2026-03-19 09:25 - 10:40 | NY
This session aims to explore ways in understanding cultures and education systems in the United States and Southeast Asia, i.e. Cambodia through open and cross-country dialogue and communication.
Speakers
Faculty of Education, Royal University of Phnom Penh Faculty
Students with Human Geography
Buffalo State University Students & Faculty

AAUC Town Hall: In Challenging Times, Our Voices Matter
2026-03-19 13:00 - 14:00 | NY
Many Asian Americans are feeling the weight of today’s global conflicts, especially with the war in Iran. The news is painful and the uncertainty is real, leaving us searching for clarity and a sense of grounding.
At moments like this, it becomes even more important to remember who we are as a community and the role we have played and continue to play in shaping America’s values, resilience, and moral leadership.
That is why we invite you to join us and reflect on Asian American contributions to the United States as we approach the nation’s 250th anniversary.
This is not a distraction from current events. It is a reminder that our communities have:
– Strengthened America’s culture, democracy, and civic life
– We have helped guide the nation through past crises
– Served honorably in our nation’s defense
During the town hall, Jack Hanna and Ted Fong will talk about people who are currently involved in shaping the country’s response to today’s challenges. We’ll show how Asian Americans have always been part of America’s renewal, especially in moments of turmoil. We invite you to join the conversation. Your voice matters.

Book Talk and Signing: Spent Bullets with Author Terao Tetsuya
2026-03-19 19:00 - 20:00 | Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, New York, NY, 10017, United States
We push through one trial after another in pursuit of so-called success in a foreign land. But is all that effort worth it? How are expectations of masculinity tested in the lives of contemporary Taiwanese immigrants? How does queer identity complicate the choice to build a life abroad or to return home? Join author Terao Tetsuya and translator Kevin Wang as they draw on their experiences to discuss the themes of Spent Bullets, unpacking the promise and heartache of Taiwanese tech workers abroad. Further, Spent Bullets is a celebrated, award-winning book with “Japan” itself being an important theme, and the main character better understands themself because of their exploration of Japanese culture. Join us for a talk on meaningful topics raised by the book including immigration, queer identity, Taiwan, and Japan. Moderated by editor Alexa Frank.

Passing, Performance, and the Price of Fame
2026-03-19 19:00 - 20:00 | The Asian American Writers’ Workshop, 18 West 21st Street, Suite 900, New York, 10010, United States
What does it take to be seen and what must be hidden to survive? In Chapal Rani, Sandip Roy resurrects the life of Chapal Bhaduri, the last great female impersonator of Bengali jatra theatre, whose art blurred gender and performance even as the world around him narrowed. In Love, Queenie, Mayukh Sen reclaims the story of Merle Oberon, the first South Asian actor nominated for an Academy Award, and who passed as white to ascend in Golden Age Hollywood. In conversation with WNYC Senior Reporter Arun Venugopal, Roy and Sen explore the costs of visibility, the politics of racial and gender performance, and the fragile line between reinvention and erasure.

Music: Sunny Jain’s Wild Wild East
2026-03-19 21:30 - 23:00 | The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St, New York, NY, 10003
Called “One of the leading figures in North America’s burgeoning Asian music scene. A global musical alchemist and cultural agent provocateur” by Songlines (UK), Sunny Jain is a composer, drummer, dhol player and thought leader.
Sunny Jain’s Wild Wild East, encompasses a myriad facets of Jain’s identity and sonically paints the journey of his own family’s immigration story. He sources musical inspiration from the scores of Bollywood classics, Punjabi folk traditions, jazz improvisation, and rollicking psychedelic styles. His 5 piece band (drums, vocals, sax, guitar, bass) delivered a fiery NPR Tiny Desk Concert in 2024 and followed it up with an electric live KEXP session in 2025. They toured North America appearing at the iconic Monterey Jazz Festival, Calgary Jazz Festival, Victoria Jazz Festival, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, National Museum of Asian Art, and the historic Bryant Park in NYC. In 2022, the band made a milestone tour to Pakistan headlining Music Mela in Islamabad, the Lahore Jazz Festival and performing with master Sufi dhol drummers Nasir Sain Wajdani and Sain Tanveer. Just months prior to that, Sunny Jain’s Wild Wild East performed on the National Mall in Washington D.C. for the renowned Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
While growing up with a deep cultural connection to his South Asian heritage, Sunny Jain also fell in love with jazz music and prog rock. His eclectic musical upbringing has brought him to perform with percussion legends Mickey Hart & Zakir Hussain and Planet Drum, to pop icons Ed Sheeran, David Byrne, Jon Batiste and Italian Pop Star Jovanotti, to many jazz luminaries. He has been at the zeitgeist of America’s South Asian sounds for the past 2 decades. He founded and plays dhol in the pioneering Brooklyn band, Red Baraat, and has drummed with some of the top South Asian artists out there (Ali Sethi, Ganavya, Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, DJ Rekha, Heems, Karsh Kale and Junoon). He was the music producer for Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding Musical, and premiered his first theatrical show, Love Force, in 2026 as part of the Under The Radar Festival.
Sunny Jain – drumset, dhol
Ben Parag – vocals
Alison Shearer – alto saxophone, flute
Shubh Saran – guitar
Almog Sharvit – bass

Hiroaki Umeda: assimilating and Moving State 1
2026-03-20 - 2026-03-21 | Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, New York, NY, 10017, United States
Hiroaki Umeda’s choreography and eye for digital design have been celebrated throughout Europe, Asia, South America and the U.S. Critically acclaimed for his almost impossibly fluid movement style bordering on street dance – subtle, radical, and provocative – his dance pieces frequently synthesize ultramodern video, dramatic lighting and crackling soundscapes as interlocking components interacting with moving bodies on stage. Now, this slick avant-garde mastermind returns to Japan Society with a double bill of his latest cutting-edge projects from Tokyo. Moving State 1, performed by four protege female dancers from Umeda’s Somatic Field Project who have fully absorbed his sleek, oiled movements and assimilating, Umeda’s signature solo performance, operate within a dance aesthetic where refined physicality merges with cyberart.

Artist Talk: Ran Hwang
2026-03-20 18:00 - 20:00 | The Korea Society, 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY, 10017
In her solo exhibition, Ran Hwang presents large-scale installations that are both intricate and poetic, delicate yet dramatic, as they explore the cyclical patterns of life and the fleeting nature of beauty.

Beyond Headlines: The Human Story of Americans in China An Official Book Launch and Conversation with Author William Brown
2026-03-21 14:00 - 16:00 | China Institute of America, 40 Rector Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY
Behind the headlines and geopolitics lies a rarely heard story, the lives of ordinary Americans who became part of China’s history.
For decades, Professor William Brown traveled more than 200,000 kilometers across China and the United States to uncover letters, photographs, and memories of Americans who lived in China across generations — teachers, doctors, diplomats, pilots, and families whose ties endured long after they returned home. Their experiences reveal friendships and shared struggles that shaped mutual understanding far more deeply than official policy ever could.
These Americans helped establish early hospitals and schools, advanced education for women and students with disabilities, opposed the opium trade, and supported China’s sovereignty during an era of imperial competition. During World War II, the American volunteer pilots known as the Flying Tigers fought alongside Chinese forces against Japan, a legacy still commemorated in China today.
Through vivid journeys across deserts, villages, and modern cities, the book shows history as lived experience: people meeting, learning, and sometimes staying for a lifetime.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of China Institute, founded to promote U.S.–China exchange through education and human connection. We invite you to join this conversation with the author, hear these remarkable stories firsthand, and explore how personal encounters continue to shape understanding between the two nations today.

MOCA TALKS with Dr. Richard A. Pegg – Unpacking the Chinese Blue Maps: Heaven and Earth in the Early 19th Century
2026-03-21 15:00 - 16:00 | Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre Street, New York, NY, 10013
Presented during Asia Week New York, MOCA invites you to an insightful presentation by Dr. Richard A. Pegg, Director and Curator of Asian Art at the MacLean Collection and curator of MOCA’s special exhibition Heaven & Earth: The Blue Maps of China (on view through March 29, 2026). The presentation will be followed by a guided Q&A in the gallery.
In the early decades of the nineteenth century, China stood at a moment of profound transition, negotiating its geopolitical position as both an ancient civilization and an emerging modern nation-state. It was during this period that two remarkable series of large-format maps—one terrestrial and one celestial—were printed in the city of Suzhou. These maps articulate Chinese conceptions of the relationship between earthly and cosmic space and offer rare insight into how scholars and artists understood and represented the world around them.
Serving as the closing program of Heaven & Earth, this talk explores the artistic, historical, and cultural significance of the blue maps, situating them within the broader global history of mapmaking. Don’t miss this final opportunity to experience this special exhibition before it closes on Sunday, March 29!

Siyan Wang: Mother Warriors (Artist Talk)
2026-03-21 15:00 - 17:00 | Equity Gallery, 245 Broome Street, New York, NY
Siyan Wong’s paintings depict immigrant Chinese women working in garment factories, restaurants, homecare, and street vendors. Inspired by the immigrant dreams of a better life and the reality of survival in a dehumanizing economy, Wong notes that her paintings, “make the lives of Chinese women, and the working poor, visible while directing the viewers’ gaze to their body and soul as they toil.” A self-taught artist, Wong’s outsider painting style, replete with decorative patterning, shallow pictorial space and panning compositions, offer a closely observed, non-filtered, cinematic view of the unrelenting struggles, yet earnest fortitude of her subjects.
In collaboration with New York Artists Equity (NYAE), Siyan also presents two simultaneous exhibits exploring the immigrant experience:
“Familiar Stranger” featuring artworks by Luisa Henao, Ying Hung, Sharon Cheuk Wun Lee, Elim Mak, and Mary Ting.
“Immigration in America” featuring artworks by NYC high school students
Exhibition Dates: 3/12/26 – 4/11/26
Opening Reception: Thursday, March 12th, 6 – 8pm
Artist Talk: Saturday March 21st, 3 – 5pm

Pedagogies of Writing Workshop
2026-03-23 12:15 - 13:30 | Queens College – Library (President’s Conference Room), 65-30 Kissena Blvd - QNS01 - RO525, Flushing, NY, 11367
Facilitated by Amy Wan (Special Assistant to the Provost on Writing and Professor of English)
How can we use our writing assignments to help students prepare for their future classes and careers?
Join us to learn about developing career-oriented and disciplinary writing assignments. Hear from colleagues across campus about assignments they’ve developed with these kinds of future writing expectations in mind. We’ll talk about a range of types of writing we ask students to do, as well as have time to develop or revise writing assignments.

DATA2GO.NYC: A Data Tool to Understand Well-Being and Need in NYC
2026-03-24 12:00 - 13:00 | NY
How can we use publicly available data to understand well-being, need, and resource gaps in NYC? In this interactive session, Alex Powers, Kate Harvey, and Tara Shawa from Measure of America will demonstrate DATA2GO.NYC, a free, easy-to-use online mapping and data tool. This platform aggregates over 400 indicators from federal, state, and NYC sources, allowing users to explore neighborhood-level insights on everything from health and housing to digital equity. Participants will see firsthand how to use change-over-time views and demographic breakdowns to drive informed decision-making and advocacy in their communities.
This event is designed for anyone interested in leveraging data for social impact. The session will begin with an introduction and overview of the tool’s capabilities, followed by an engaging “Data Bingo” competition. This interactive activity provides hands-on experience, allowing participants to explore the tool in small groups and practice extracting relevant insights in real-time. Whether you are a data novice or a seasoned data deckhand, you will leave with an enhanced ability to set sail on the vast sea of NYC data and better understand the well-being of New Yorkers.

Sala Film Screening and Talkback
2026-03-24 18:30 - 20:00 | New York Public Library – Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, 42nd Street & 5th Avenue, New York, NY, 10018, United States
As a young teenager, Sala Garncarz survived the Holocaust in seven Nazi labor camps. A new documentary about the life she made for herself from that trauma and loss tells a remarkable story of the power of love to sustain life.
