Self Defense for Women, Immigrants & LGBTQIA folks and their allies
2026-04-30 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | BMCC, Fiterman Hall 245 Greenwich St, New York, NY, 10007, United States
This self-defense workshop is for LGBTQIA+ folks, women, and immigrant/undocumented students, staff, faculty, and their allies. The Center for Belonging and Inclusion will host three installments of our new Self Defense series. In partnership with the NYC-based organization Fearless Queers, this training occurs during a time when our communities face heightened challenges and urgent calls to stand together. Self-defense is more than physical skill — it’s about reclaiming space, protecting one another, and affirming your right to exist safely and freely.
This is part of a 2-event series—while we’d love to see you at both, each one stands on its own, so feel free to join us whenever you can.
Please RSVP if you are interested in attending.
This event is Co-Curricular Transcript (CCT) credit approved.
See all list of all Women’s Herstory events at BMCC.
If you have any questions, contact the Women’s Center at (212) 220-8165 or wrc@bmcc.cuny.edu.
This event is sponsored by the BMCC Women’s Herstory Month 2026 and funded by: BMCC Counseling Center and the New York City Council Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual Caucus, and the Office of the Mayor, as part of an initiative supported by the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives.

Journalism Under Pressure: Practical Tools for Crisis Management and Resilience Building
2026-04-30 14:00 - 17:00
The Media Resilience Network (MDRnet) is an initiative led by Vita Activa, created to meet an urgent need: support the emotional, mental, and organizational health of journalists and media leaders navigating burnout, precarity, and systemic exclusion in a rapidly changing world.
This 90-minute webinar will focus on a better understanding of stress and burnout indicators in newsrooms and how to address them with care. This is a participatory modality with practical exercises and scenarios adapted to the journalistic context.
This webinar will cover the following:

Emotional management for media leaders
Identifying acute stress and burnout
Developing active listening and peer-support skills
Care awareness and emotional planning

Family Oral History: Sharing Stories, Sharing Culture
2026-04-30 15:00 - 16:00 | Epiphany Library, 228 East 23rd St, New York, NY, 10010
In celebration of the World Literature & Arts Festival and in partnership with the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), NYPL is proud to present Family Oral History: Sharing Stories, Sharing Culture. This hour-long virtual session will include information about conducting family history interviews, facilitated breakout sessions to practice thinking about family histories, and resources to try a talk story* on your own. Registration is required.

SLSV Coalition Meeting: Elevating the Next Generation
2026-04-30 16:00 - 17:00 | The Students Learn Students Vote Coalition, 1001 Avenue of Americas 12th Floor, New York, NY, 10018, United States
To maintain a secure environment and protect the privacy of our partners, we utilize the following registration protocols:
⭐ Verified Registration: To be approved, please ensure you provide your institutional or organizational affiliation.
⭐ Timeline: Registrations are reviewed by the SLSV team. Please look for a calendar invitation with the meeting link to arrive in the coming days (rather than an immediate automated response).
⭐ Deadlines: Registration for each meeting closes at 12:00 PM ET on the day of the event.
⭐ Materials: To prioritize the privacy of our attendees, recordings, slides, and resources are shared exclusively with registered participants.

China Institute Centennial Celebration: Guzheng Tianxia Concert
2026-04-30 18:30 - 19:30 | China Institute of America, 40 Rector Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY
As part of the China Institute’s Centennial Celebration, join us for a special evening honoring the beauty, history, and global resonance of Chinese music through the artistry of the guzheng. This unique concert brings together two distinguished masters in a rare shared performance.

Renowned Hong Kong artist Xu Lingzi presents innovative interpretations rooted in tradition.
Master Gao Baijian from Guangdong, China, brings to life the expressive regional Chaozhou style of the Lingnan tradition.
Yuan Sha is widely recognized as a representative figure of contemporary Chinese guzheng art and a cultural ambassador for Chinese traditional music.

The program will be announced from the stage by US-based scholar and educator Mei Han, whose work bridges cultures and promotes cross-cultural exchange.

Techidemic
2026-04-30 18:30 - 19:45 | Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway 3rd Floor, Rare Book Room, New York, NY, 10003
Once, the internet and social media platforms promised connection and community. Today, that promise has been replaced by toxicity, tribalism, racism, and misogyny.
In this riveting discussion, Tochi Onyebuchi, Cory Doctorow, and Alia Dastagir will examine how life online has devolved. In Racebook: A Personal History of the Internet, Onyebuchi reflects on three decades online, exploring the relationship between race and the internet. Dastagir’s To Those Who Have Confused You to Be a Person investigates the online abuse women face, the mental health toll that it takes, and how women resist. Doctorow’s Enshittification reveals how tech giants have intentionally degraded online public squares and raises solutions to save these diseased platforms.
Together with moderator and award-winning tech journalist Sarah Jeong, they’ll unpack what the internet has become and consider whether a better future online is still possible.
For ticketed events, use PENPAL26 to receive a 20% discount.

2026 Graduate Conference of Inter-Asian Perspectives Work Group: When is Asia Modern? Negotiating Borders of Modernisms
2026-05-01 09:30 - 18:30 | CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016
Asian modern art has long been framed through a Western art-historical chronology, locating its “beginning” in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century—precisely the moment of intensified encounters with the West and the imposition of Eurocentric models of modernity onto Asia. Recent scholarship across the humanities has begun to unsettle this timeline: some push the chronology backward to examine early articulations of Asian modernity in mercantile networks and imperial formations; others push it forward to engage shared global histories of the post, i.e., postcolonial, post-imperial, post-socialist. To propose an alternative approach to thinking about Asia Modern, we ask: how do Asian modernisms emerge through the negotiation of borders? Here, borders may be understood as Cartographic Borders—those drawn and redrawn in nation-building, imperial expansion, or decolonization; Cultural Borders—those that define, delimit, or delegitimize certain formations of groups, ideas, practices, etc.; and/or Aesthetic Borders—the negotiations of style, medium, and form that highlight, contest, or blur distinctions and affinities within and across artistic traditions. Rather than recasting the Euro-American centers as the primary axis through which these borders are negotiated, we invite papers that consider intra-Asian encounters as sites of emerging Asian modernisms. By examining how these different borders are made, crossed, and reconfigured, we collectively explore alternative imaginaries of the Asia Modern.

The Cultural Keepers: Tracing the Historical Footsteps of Vietnamese Dual Language Bilingual Education Programs in the U.S.
2026-05-01 18:00 - 19:30 | Asian American / Asian Research Institute, 25 West 43rd Street, Suite 1000, New York, 10036, United States
Khánh Lê and Alisha Nguyen will present on their research exploring the history, development, and impact of Vietnamese dual language bilingual education (DLBE) programs in five U.S. states with significant Vietnamese populations.

SPRING CONCERT 2026 JINHO HONG
2026-05-01 18:30 - 20:30 | Korean Cultural Center NY, 122 E 32nd St, New York, NY, 10016
Recognized for his classical excellence and as the winner of Superband, a popular Korean television music competition, Jinho Hong has captivated audiences with both technical mastery and emotional depth.
Blending classical tradition with contemporary sensibilities, his performance expands the expressive possibilities of the cello and connects deeply with today’s audiences.
Join us for an evening of compelling artistry at the Korean Cultural Center New York.

Oasis in the Great Desert: A Portrait of Wong Chin Foo
2026-05-01 19:00 - 20:30 | Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre Street, New York, NY, 10013
To kick off AANHPI Heritage Month, the Museum of Chinese in America is proud to present a special program honoring Wong Chin Foo and his enduring legacy. The evening will open with special remarks by Frank Wu, President of Queens College, followed by a theatrical portrait by Richard Chang, who will bring Wong to life through a speech delivered in Chinatown on May 1, 1892—just days before Congress passed the Geary Act.
A panel discussion, led by MOCA Co-Founder and historian Jack Tchen, will explore Wong’s impact as an activist and as the editor of the first Chinese-language newspaper in the United States, Chinese American (美華新報). The conversation will also examine the evolution of AANHPI journalism and its role in shaping our sociopolitical landscape, offering a contemporary lens on Wong’s lasting influence.

From Refugee Roots to the Lao Kitchen
2026-05-01 19:00 - 21:00 | Museum of Food and Drink, 62 Bayard Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11222
Join MOFAD for an evening celebrating Lao food, culture, and history as we host Saeng Douangdara, founder of Saeng’s Kitchen and author of The Lao Kitchen. Saeng will be in conversation with Jujubee, a Lao American drag queen, reality television personality, and recording artist. Together, they will explore the personal journey behind the book, the resilience rooted in Lao refugee stories, and how food can be a joyful expression of one’s truest self.

Beyond Empire: Radical Possibility & Genre Fiction
2026-05-01 20:30 - 21:45 | NYU Global Center – C95 Lecture Hall, 238 Thompson St, New York, NY, 10012, United States
Join us as we welcome writers of color working across the genres of science fiction, horror, and speculative fiction as they speak to the ways they use the narrative archetypes inherent in their genres to confront the lasting, real-world effects of racism, segregation, colonialism, and imperialism.
With Silvia Park, whose debut novel Luminous considers a near-future unified Korea; Samrat Upadhyay, whose epic dystopian novel Darkmotherland is set amidst political and natural upheaval in Nepal; Quan Barry, whose literary horror novel The Unveiling confronts America’s racial legacy; and Rivers Solomon, whose Model Home explodes the haunted house story to discuss the history of American segregation. Moderating this all-star panel is critic and author of House of Bone & Rain, Gabino Iglesias.

Dive into NYC’s Rich History in the Municipal Archives
2026-05-02 13:00 - 14:30 | Municipal Archives Storage and Research Location, Brooklyn, NY
The New York City Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) invites visitors to tour the Municipal Archives’ storage and research location in Industry City. Opened in October 2021, the $22 million state-of-the-art facility is the city’s most significant investment in its Archives since the establishment of DORIS in 1977.
Join archivists Cynthia Brenwall and Katie Ehrlich on Saturday, May 2nd, for a 90-minute behind-the-scenes tour of the space and a look at unique archival artifacts, from Mayoral scrapbooks and gifts to historical records on crime, education and city life!

Sunnyside Rhythm Block: AAPI World Sound (India)
2026-05-02 14:00 - 17:00 | Sunnyside, 46th St under the Sunnyside Arch, Queens, NY
Across four weekends, SRB will feature weekly cultural highlights pairing a traditional ensemble with DJ sets that bridge heritage and contemporary sound.
The project intentionally removes physical and symbolic barriers between performers and audiences.
Neighbors, families, and commuters encounter the performances directly in the open street and are encouraged to stay, listen, move, and participate.

The Transformative Power of Graphic Novels for Kids
2026-05-02 14:30 - 16:00 | The Center, 208 W 13th St, New York, NY, 10011, United States
Graphic novels for young audiences of all ages—from beginning readers to sophisticated teenagers—have become the fastest growing sector of publishing. Our panel of graphic novelists will explore what makes them so powerful, and so popular, and will reveal the challenges and joys of their creative process.
Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author of the National Book Award finalist YA memoir about the complexities of family addiction, Hey, Kiddo, as well as the Lunch Lady series for younger readers, will lead the conversation. He will be joined by Jennifer and Matthew Holm, author and illustrator, respectively, of the Babymouse series for very young readers about a spirited, imaginative mouse managing school, friendships, and daily life, and the popular middle-grade Sunny series; Huda Fahmy, author/illustrator of Yes, I’m Hot in This and Huda F Wants to Know?, novels that explore identity and coming-of-age as a Muslim-American teenager; and Robin Ha, author/illustrator of the Korean folklore-reimagining The Fox Maidens, as well as the memoir Almost American Girl, which looks at immigration and feminism via her Korean heritage.

Who Belongs? Stories Against a Narrowing World
2026-05-02 18:30 - 20:00 | Judson Memorial Church – Memorial Hall, 55 Washington Square S, New York, NY, 10012, United States
Globally, political and cultural forces are aligning to narrowly define national identities. Surging book bans, the outlawing of languages, the erasure of histories from official records, and the censorship of words increasingly limit who belongs and delineate who is other. Literature subverts that.
For the festival’s closing night event, PEN America President Dinaw Mengestu will convene prominent international writers to discuss how literature champions a diversity of cultures and reflects the multiple heritages, customs, and traditions we all carry. Joining Mengestu in this vital conversation are Tash Aw (The South), Susan Choi (Flashlight), Patricia Smith (The Intentions of Thunder), and Madeleine Thien (The Book of Records).
CART caption is provided at this event. Captioning is being provided, in part, by a grant from NYSCA/TDF TAP Plus.
For ticketed events, use PENPAL26 to receive a 20% discount.

Han Kim, Clarinet
2026-05-03 17:00 - 19:00 | Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, 881 7th Ave, New York, NY, 10019, United States
▲ Performers
Han Kim, Clarinet
Sahun Sam Hong, Piano

▲ Program
SAINT-SAËNS Clarinet Sonata
BRAHMS Clarinet Sonata in F Minor, Op. 120, No. 1
GEONYONG LEE Song in the Dusk
POULENC Clarinet Sonata
BERNSTEIN Clarinet Sonata
Principal Clarinet of the Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Paris and the Second Prize winner at the 2019 ARD International Music Competition in Munich, Korean clarinetist Han Kim makes his Zankel Hall debut with Sahun Sam Hong, a recipient of the 2021 American Pianists Awards. The program features clarinet sonatas by Brahms, Saint-Saëns, and Bernstein.
For more information, visit https://www.carnegiehall.org/calendar/2026/05/03/han-kim-clarinet-0500pm

Changing Cultures: Zhen Guo, A Retrospective
2026-05-04 - 2026-06-12 | Mishkin Gallery at Baruch College/CUNY, 135 East 22nd Street, New York, NY, 10010
The Mishkin Gallery at Baruch College is proud to present Changing Cultures: Zhen Guo, A Retrospective, the first major New York survey of artist Zhen Guo (b. 1955, Shandong Province, China).
The works on display span nearly sixty years, from Zhen Guo’s first embroidery (Chairman Mao, 1966) to her large-scale papier-mâché and sewn fabric breast sculptures and handmade tufted tapestries of 2012-2025. The show explores an artist’s journey from China to New York; themes include an immigrant’s identity, motherhood, and the violence embedded in patriarchal cultures. Guo’s large-scale “muted landscape” paintings protest environmental injustice. The exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated brochure with a new essay on Guo by curator Gail Levin.
Zhen Guo Video Works, 2011-2022
Thursday, May 7, 2026 | 5:30PM to 6:30PM

A special 50-minute program screening original video works consisting of:

Zhen Guo, Timeline of Movement, 2011 (5:44) – In her debut video art, Guo contrasts Western and Asian approaches to health through tranquil T’ai Chi and vigorous group exercise, illustrating their distinct yet engaging qualities.
Cleansing Moon, 2018 (7:24) – Gentle exploration of women’s renewal connects life, femininity, and the cosmos through the refreshing imagery of water. Accompanied by Guo’s poem, it contemplates the cleansing of emotional burdens.
Muted Landscapes, 2022 (7:36) – In this series, Guo reflects on the intimate connection between humanity and the Earth, emphasizing the overlooked significance of both women and nature.
Zhen Guo, My Heart is Red, 2022 (24:22) – Directed by Mia Chen for their final project at NYU Film School, this short documentary follows Zhen Guo’s art practice, working in her studio, art openings, and daily life through interviews with friends and family, highlighting Guo’s interest in art, the city, and martial arts.

Women Artists, Curators, and Activists: A Conversation
Thursday, May 21, 2026, 5:30PM to 6:30 PM

Moderator: Maika Pollack
Speakers: Gail Levin, Zhen Guo, Lori Horowitz, Susan Grabel & Christina Schlesinger

Closing Event
Thursday, June 11, 2026, 4PM to 6PM

Talk Story Zine Workshop
2026-05-04 12:00 - 14:00 | LaGuardia Community College, 31-10 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City, NY
Educator and artist Miriam Tuliao will lead this collaborative, hands-on workshop focused on Asian American family histories and storytelling. Co-hosted with the Asian and Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), participants will create zines that explore identity and intersectionality through books, oral traditions, and art.

The Business of Food: Asian American Founders Spill the Tea
2026-05-04 17:00 - 18:00
Join Megan Nakano as she moderates a discussion with three Asian American Founders: Jennifer Chan (founder of Banato), Susan Chen (founder and CEO of Madame Susan Sauces), and Teresa Ging (CEO and Founder of Sugar Bliss) about their journeys as entrepreneurs in their chosen industries.

disOrientalism Part 9: Lucky Numbers
2026-05-04 19:00 - 20:15 | Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette Street, New York, NY, 10003
A spectacular all-star variety show to celebrate the Year of the Horse and AAPI heritage month. Comedy, cabaret, and music from the city’s most accomplished award-winning AAPI performers-from Broadway to Lincoln Center to the Grammy Stage to the Tony Awards to the best of downtown clubs. The show is curated and hosted by New York’s triple-threat dragon ladies – comedienne/spoken word artist Kate Siahaan-Rigg and child star-turned-Broadway-actress Olivia Oguma. This program lasts about 75 minutes and is guaranteed to boost your immunity against boredom, inaction, xenophobia, orientalism, and ill-advised bowl cuts.

Nonprofits: The Journey from Collecting Data to Becoming Data-Driven
2026-05-05 13:00 - 14:00
Most nonprofits collect data but struggle to use it. Wayne Ho and Edgar Pereira of CPC share what it takes to turn data into real decisions. They’ll discuss what it took to move from good record-keeping to real strategic intelligence. What worked, what was harder than expected, and what they’d tell other leaders thinking about making this shift.

Asian Immigration: Angel Island History
2026-05-05 20:00 - 21:00
Genealogist and historian Grant Din explores the deeply personal and complex narratives of Asian immigrants who passed through the Angel Island Immigration Station. This session will illuminate the grueling interrogation processes and detention experiences of early immigrants, highlighting their resilience and the lasting impact of these historical gatekeeping practices on AAPI community history.

Human-Elephant Relationships in Southeast Asia Symposium
2026-05-06 08:00 - 17:00 | CUNY Graduate Center – Skylight Room, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016
This symposium will bring together researchers, conservationists, and students from across disciplines—including history, anthropology, conservation biology, and psychology—to explore new interdisciplinary approaches to promoting coexistence between humans and the endangered Asian elephant.
Experts on historical and cultural perspectives of human–elephant relationships, elephant biology and psychology, elephants in tourism and transportation, and human–elephant conflict will examine the future of human–elephant coexistence through a series of presentations and discussions at the CUNY Graduate Center.

The People’s Money Vote Launch
2026-05-06 11:00 - 13:00 | City Hall Park
Join us as we kick off this year’s People’s Money Vote phase — and celebrate the power of New Yorkers deciding how public dollars are spent!
We’re launching the vote with an outdoor event full of energy, community, and treats. Stop by to hear brief remarks from city officials, connect with our incredible community-based partners, and see our larger-than-life Sunny puppets in action.
And yes — there will be ice cream.
We’re teaming up with Sugar Hill Creamery to serve up a special limited edition People’s Money flavor: matcha mango mochi, alongside other favorites.
Most importantly, you’ll be able to vote in person and help decide which resident-proposed community projects get funded this year.
The People’s Money is all about putting decision-making directly in the hands of New Yorkers. The Vote phase is your chance to support the ideas that reflect the needs, creativity, and priorities of communities across the five boroughs.
Come celebrate the launch, bring a friend, and be part of it from day one.

Our Journeys, Special Exhibit Opening Reception
2026-05-06 17:30 - 19:30 | Montclair Public Library, 50 South Fullerton Avenue, Montclair, NJ, 07042
Join Montclair Public Library in the special opening of Our Journeys, a powerful multimedia exhibition created by the Vietnamese Boat People nonprofit organization (VBP), on view from May 6 to June 6 during library public hours.
Centering the voices of Vietnamese Americans, Our Journeys brings to life deeply personal stories of migration, memory, and resilience. Through oral histories, cherished artifacts, and interactive elements, the exhibition invites visitors to explore the emotional and historical threads that connect generations across the diaspora.

YPN Balancing Ambition and Passion
2026-05-06 18:00 - 19:00 | The Korea Society, 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY, 10017
The Korea Society’s Young Professionals’ Network presents Balancing Ambition and Passion, a conversation featuring experienced professionals from different fields who are also published authors.
Many young professionals pursue demanding careers while also nurturing interests beyond the workplace. How do individuals reserve space for these passions while building their professional lives?
To find out, join us in-person at The Korea Society on Wednesday, May 6 at 6:00 PM, followed by opportunities for audience discussion and networking with the speakers. Dinner will be provided.
We are joined by Samuel Cho (J.P. Morgan Asset Management), author of Forge Through 40. and Patricia Park (American University), author of Ambrosia Lee Drops the Mic, who will reflect on balancing personal passions on top of pressures from full-time professional careers, as well as the meaningful takeaways they’ve learned about personal growth and creating impact through the writing process. The conversation will be moderated by Stephanie Hwang, Development Officer at The Korea Society.
Tickets are available for purchase below, with discounted pricing available for members of The Korea Society.

Pohela Boishakh (Bangla New Year)
2026-05-06 18:00 - 22:00 | BMCC, Fiterman Hall 245 Greenwich St, New York, NY, 10007, United States
Celebrate Bangla New Year with us!
Enjoy Performances, music, and a fun cultural atmosphere with friends, family and community. Everyone’s welcome.
Don’t miss the Biggest Event of the semester.
See a complete list of Asian Heritage Month events.
Attend 2 or more Asian Heritage Month events for Co-Curricular Transcript (CCT) credit.
For more information, email Professor NaRhee Ahn at naahn@bmcc.cuny.edu.

The Great Global Transformation: The United States, China, and the Remaking of the World Economic Order
2026-05-06 18:30 - 20:00 | CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016
Experts discuss Branko Milanovic’s timely new book on the changing roles of the U.S. and China as global powers.

AA&NH/PI Representation in the Arts: Building Culturally Responsive Arts Education
2026-05-06 19:00 - 20:00
in partnership with Make Us Visible Washington, Wing Luke Museum, Washington Education Association, Puget Sound Educational Service District, Pacific Islander Community Association, and Soundview Uniserv Council
Geared toward WA educators, but open to the public
