Asian American / Asian Research Institute

The Immigration and Nationality Act 60 Years Later: The Making of Modern New York City
2025-10-14 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College, 47-49 East 65th Street, New York, NY, 10065
Please join us as Roosevelt House and the Tenement Museum host a discussion to mark the 60th anniversary of the Immigration and Nationality Act, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on October 3, 1965. Lifting the restrictive 41-year-old national origins quotas, the law—also known as The Hart-Celler Act—ushered in a new era of immigration, and laid the groundwork for the formation of modern New York City.

Wells Fargo & AABDC: Economic Insights and Entrepreneurial Stories
2025-10-14 16:30 - 20:00 | Wells Fargo, 30 Hudson Yards, Connections - 63rd Floor, New York, NY, 10001
Join us on Tuesday, October 14, 2025 for an evening of meaningful conversation and connections. The event will feature a fireside chat with local business leaders, offering insights into current challenges and opportunities across industries. As part of the agenda, we’ll also explore the latest economic forecast. The evening concludes with a networking reception, giving attendees the change to build relationships and exchange ideas.

Play - Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?)
2025-10-14 - 2025-11-16 | The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St, New York, NY, 10003
DID YOU EAT? (밥 먹었니?) is Zoë Kim’s autobiographical journey through love’s many forms–how it’s learned, given, and reflected inward. In a nimble and tender solo performance, Zoë shapeshifts into the souls of her family through a landscape of memories where tears and laughter collide. It’s not just a story, but a reckoning—weaving through the textured threads of Korean/American identity, belonging, and healing. DID YOU EAT? (밥 먹었니?) is a poetic love letter to the inner child, and hopefully yours too. Directed by Chris Yejin.

MOCA TALKS with Karen Hao – Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI
2025-10-11 15:00 - 16:00 | Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre Street, New York, NY, 10013
The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) cordially invites you to a timely conversation with award-winning journalist and author Karen Hao on the promises and perils of today’s AI revolution. Drawing on years of reporting and her bestselling book Empire of AI, Hao traces OpenAI’s rapid rise from its origins as a safety-minded nonprofit to a market-driving powerhouse backed by Microsoft and examines how the global race to build ever-larger AI systems is reshaping economies, labor, and the environment.

SAADA Bucket-A-Thon
2025-10-11 13:30 - 16:00 | Midtown Loft & Terrace, 267 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016
Join us in NYC on Saturday, October 11, 2025, for the world premiere of Memory Bucket—SAADA’s new cooperative storytelling game to play with the people you’re curious about.
We’ve poured our hearts into this game for over a year, working hand in hand with our community, and we’re so excited to finally share it with you!
Memory Bucket helps you uncover the stories you’ve always wished you knew. Based on the methodology of SAADA’s First Days Project, our new game allows you and your loved ones to travel back in time together to hear about the experiences that made them who they are today.
Invite your friends and family to hear their stories, and make new friends at the event.
Ticketed attendees will play a prototype of Memory Bucket at our Bucket-A-Thon and receive a Memory Bucket game for free (retail price $50) when we launch to the public later this year!

New Burma Strategic Dialogue: Diaspora and International Engagement in Myanmar’s Future
2025-10-11 13:00 - 17:00 | NYU Wagner – Main Event Space, Room 101, 105 East 17th Street, New York, NY, 10003
Myanmar stands at a critical crossroads. Nearly four years after the coup, the country faces humanitarian catastrophe, economic collapse, and ongoing violence. During this Forum on Burmese Democracy, leading voices will share their perspectives on the crisis. The panel will examine Myanmar’s current trajectory, the challenges to democratic recovery, and the role of international engagement and diaspora communities. Kim Aris will join the presenters via video to provide an update on humanitarian relief efforts.

2025 FANHS-MNY Community Awards
2025-10-11 12:00 - 15:00 | Queens Museum, New York City Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, NY, 11368
FANHS-MNY’s annual Community Awards celebrates the accomplishments of Filipino American community and its leaders in the Metro NY area!

Blood and Water - Filipino Brooklyn Walking Tour
2025-10-11 11:00 - 13:00 | Fulton Ferry Landing, 1 Water Street, New York, NY, 11201
Between the 1910s and the 1960s, Filipino sailors and merchant marines built vibrant communities in Brooklyn. They joined forces with Filipino students, artists, and activists to fight against American imperialism and racial discrimination.
BLOOD AND WATER combines historical research and imagination to retell this forgotten story of Asian American New York.
Tours will be led by Dr. Michael Menor Salgarolo, an award-winning historian, licensed tour guide, and retired stand-up comedian. He received his PhD in History from NYU in 2022.

South Asian Journalists Association 2025 Fall Conference
2025-10-11 09:00 - 17:00 | Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, 219 West 40th Street, New York, NY, 10018
The South Asian Journalists Association is pleased to host our annual conference and gala on October 10-11 in New York City.
Our theme, frontlines and through lines, underscores how at a time when the Fourth Estate is under its greatest test, we gather not only as reporters on the frontlines — but as storytellers connecting the threads across generations, communities, and crises. We celebrate the journalists who hold the line and trace the through lines — with clarity, courage, and conviction.
Connect with journalists, network with peers, learn, inform, and educate during a full weekend of events and activity.
On Saturday, October 11th, we’ll have a full day of panels, workshops, and collaborative activity at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY in Midtown Manhattan.

Country Gongbang
2025-10-10 20:00 - 20:30 | Queens College – LeFrak Concert Hall, 153-49 Reeves Ave, Flushing, NY, 11367
Fusing the soul of bluegrass with the spirit of K-pop, Country Gongbang brings a fresh, global twist to the stage. Founded in 2014 as South Korea’s first bluegrass band—and the first Korean group to perform at the legendary Grand Ole Opry in Nashville—Country Gongbang is redefining tradition with bold, bilingual vocals and a vibrant, genre-blending sound.

The Last Girl Awards
2025-10-10 18:30 - 21:00 | Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10021
A rare and inspiring opportunity to be in the room with global changemakers redefining what freedom means. Hear from Nobel Peace Laureate Nadia Murad, Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau, filmmaker and Olympian Mary Mazzio, human rights advocate Taina Bien-Aimé, and feminist icon Sayeda Hameed. Hosted by actor Reshma Shetty, the evening features bold reflections, lively wine reception, and a book signing with The Freedom Seeker author Ruchira Gupta. Presented in partnership with Apne Aap.

How to talk about Parkinson's in your Community
2025-10-10 12:30 - 16:30 | LaGuardia Community College, 31-10 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City, NY
The Parkinson’s Foundation, in collaboration with the CUNY School of Medicine, and Commonpoint invites you to join an interactive training: Parkinson’s Disease 101: How to Talk About Parkinson’s in Your Community.
This training is designed to:

Provide basic knowledge about Parkinson’s disease (PD)
Identify resources available for the community
Establish key talking points to speak about PD with confidence

Promoting Mental Health in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Communities
2025-10-10 10:00 - 13:00 | Morningside Heights Library, 2900 Broadway, New York, NY, 10025
Nationally, hate crimes against members of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community increased by 73% during the COVID-19 pandemic and nearly doubled in New York City (NYC) in 2021 when compared to 2020. Additionally, AANHPI communities in NYC have a relatively high rate of poverty when compared to other communities. Systemic racism and anti-Asian hate, coupled with constrained economic circumstances, increase the risk for post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, anger, lower self-esteem, concerns over safety and poor behavioral health outcomes among AANHPI individuals and communities. PMH-AANHPI will focus on promoting mental health and prioritizing resilience for all.

Rising Above Stigma: A Virtual Book Talk with Author Michelle Yang
2025-10-09 19:30 - 20:30 | NY
Join us Thursday, October 9th at 7:30 PM ET for a virtual conversation with author Michelle Yang to discuss her memoir “Phoenix Girl: How a Fat Asian with Bipolar Found Love,” and themes of emigration, mental health, self-love, and healing.

On The Road: Sikh American Truck Drivers
2025-10-09 19:00 - 20:00 | NY
Join The Asian American Education Project for a live, virtual workshop in partnership with the Sikh Coalition to learn about the history and experiences of Sikh American truck drivers.
Sikh Americans account for an estimated 20% of the country’s truck drivers. In this workshop, participants will explore the role of Sikh truck drivers in the United States. They will learn about the significant contributions to the industry, challenges faced, and key beliefs of Sikhism that can impact experiences of Sikh American truckers. Participants will gain access to lesson plans and resources for teaching this content in the classroom.
This workshop is free for educators and will take place virtually. It will feature Savleen Singh, Senior Education Manager of the Sikh Coalition as a guest speaker. The workshop will be facilitated by Ashley Chu, AAEdu Curriculum Development Manager.

On Healing Land, Birds Perch: Healing From the Trauma of the Vietnam War
2025-10-09 18:30 - 20:00 | Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10021
Join us for an intimate screening of On Healing Land, Birds Perch, a powerful short documentary by Vietnamese-born filmmaker Naja Pham Lockwood. Through the lens of Eddie Adams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph Saigon Execution, the film explores the lingering trauma of the Vietnam War and the complex journey toward reconciliation — 50 years after the fall of Saigon. Lockwood, herself a refugee who fled Vietnam in 1975, brings together voices from both sides of the conflict: the children of the executed, the daughter of the executioner, and those whose families were caught in the crossfire. Their stories, raw and deeply personal, reveal the emotional scars that transcend generations and borders.
This screening is more than a cinematic experience. Following the film, Naja Lockwood will join us for a live Q&A to discuss the making of the documentary and the importance of confronting inherited trauma through storytelling.

The Alien Enemies Act of 1798: Understanding 1941 and 2025
2025-10-09 18:00 - 19:30 | NY
Immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt invoked the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) of 1798, leading to the arrest of thousands of West Coast Issei men and their wartime detention in Army and INS facilities in an internment process that was distinct from the incarceration of nearly 127,000 persons of Japanese ancestry under Executive Order 9066. In the spring of 2025, President Donald J. Trump invoked this act against alleged Tren de Aragua members on the basis that this Venezuelan gang has “invaded” the United States, spawning a blizzard of litigation over this Trump administration’s assertion of authority in immigration policy and practices.
This panel will address how this act was applied to and impacted the Japanese American wartime community, ramifications of the current administration’s approaches, the status of the court cases challenging the administration’s use of AEA, and the amicus brief that was filed on behalf of descendants of Issei men who were imprisoned when the AEA was invoked in World War II. The speakers also will discuss how to accurately and effectively speak about the lessons from history when communities, especially those of color, live under the specter and reality of arrest, detention, and deportation.
Moderator: Susan H. Kamei, adjunct professor (teaching) of history, and affiliate faculty, USC Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture

U.S. – China Relations in a New Era: Youth Perspective & Expert Insights
2025-10-09 18:00 - 19:30 | China Institute, 40 Rector Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY, 10006
At a moment of profound changes in the U.S. – China relationship, how do young Americans view the landscape change, and how does their perspective align with the insights of one of America’s most respected authorities on China?
This program brings together the rising voices of American youth and the seasoned insight of David J. Firestein. As inaugural President and CEO of the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.–China Relations, Firestein will deliver a keynote, “America’s Changing Strategic Assumptions about China: Implications for the Bilateral Relationship,” exploring the opportunities and challenges shaping this pivotal relationship.

NYC Mayoral Race Policy Panel
2025-10-09 14:30 - 16:00 | Hunter College – LGBTQ+ Community Space, 695 Park Ave, Thomas Hunter Rm 311, New York, NY, 10065
Join us on Thursday October 9th at 2:30PM in the Maralyn G. Cohn LGBTQ+ Community Space (Thomas Hunter 311) and learn about the policy platform and voting implications for each of the NYC Mayoral race candidates.
The panel will feature distinguished faculty and researchers who will share their unique perspectives on how the mayoral race policies affect various communities:

Carlos Vargas-Ramos, Ph.D.: Director for Public Policy, External and Media Relations, and Development @ CENTRO (Center for Puerto Rican Studies)
Erin Mayo-Adam, Ph.D.: Director and Professor at the LGBTQ Policy Center
Christopher M. Kwok, Esq.: Professor of Asian American Studies

This event is presented by Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College and Hunter College Affinity Spaces

Learn to Use AI for Data Reporting: How to find and access relevant data
2025-10-09 14:00 - 15:30 | NY
Quickly evolving artificial intelligence technology is emerging as a potentially powerful journalism tool, including for harnessing data in stories. But AI needs to be wielded carefully and correctly to get accurate, trustable results in storytelling.
Join Sandeep Junnarkar, Data Journalism Director at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, for a three-part training series on using AI to find and analyze data to help you produce strong, high-quality stories for your audience. Junnarkar will be joined by Jere Hester, director of the J-School’s Local Accountability Reporting program, at these trainings.
10/9, Learn how to locate relevant data sets. We’ll explore – employing real-life examples – how to mine NYC Open Data and other largely untapped sources of information.

From Japanese Empire to American Hegemony: A Book Talk by Matthew Augustine
2025-10-09 12:00 - 13:30 | Columbia University – International Affairs Building (SIPA), 420 West 11th Street, New York, NY, 10027
Historian Matthew R. Augustine will discuss his recently published book, From Japanese Empire to American Hegemony: Koreans and Okinawans in the Resettlement of Northeast Asia (title in the WEAI “Studies” series), a comprehensive study of the dynamic and often contentious relationship between migration and border controls in U.S.-occupied Japan, Korea, and the Ryukyu Islands in the wake of WWII. Augustine’s book examines the American interlude as a closely integrated, transregional history.

Our History Brings Us Here: A Reading and Conversation
2025-10-08 20:00 - 21:00 | NY
Join AAWW for readings and a conversation between Luisa Igloria, Michelle Peñaloza, and Rhoni Blankenhorn, moderated by R. A. Villanueva! We’ll be toasting their books – Luisa’s Caulbearer, Michelle’s All The Words I Can Remember Are Poems, and Rhoni’s Rooms for the Dead and the Not Yet – each released within the past year!

Artists for Liberation: A Panel Discussion on Asian American Cultural Organizing for Change
2025-10-08 18:30 - 20:30 | Accent Sisters, 89 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10002
Join Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) and a panel of multi-disciplinary Asian American writers and artists for a vital discussion about organizing towards our collective liberation through the arts.

Slumlord Millionaire (Film and Talk)
2025-10-08 18:00 - 21:00 | The City College of New York – Shepard Hall, 259 Convent Avenue, New York, NY, 10031
Please join Thirdworld Newsreel and the Documentary Forum at CCNY for a screening and discussion of the documentary film Slumlord Millionaire, co-directed by Ellen Martinez and Steph Ching. The co-directors will joined by housing activists.

Asian America Rising: National Book Launch and Panel
2025-10-08 18:00 - 19:30 | NY
We’re excited to invite you to the national launch of Asian America Rising, a new book exploring history-making moments and insurgent visions in Asian American activism!

How are Asian Americans rising to resist fascism and attacks on our communities? How can Asian Americans create safety and solidarity beyond the state? Hear personal lessons and insights from Asian America Rising’s editors and movement scholars and frontline organizers featured in the book. From grassroots campaigns against refugee deportations to abolitionist perspectives on anti-Asian violence, to reckoning with caste supremacy and U.S. imperialism, this discussion will dive into key issues facing our communities.

Pluralistic Education PD Hybrid Conference: Black, Asian American, Latine and LGBTQIA+ history and solidarity
2025-10-08 09:00 - 15:00 | Carl A. Fields Center, 58 Prospect Ave, Princeton, NJ, 08540
We, at The E Pluribus Unum Project, are thrilled to invite educators nationwide to our annual hybrid Pluralistic Education conference. The in person conference is reserved for educators only, but the virtual conference is open to all. This event is an opportunity to learn Black history, Asian American history, Latine history, LGBTQIA+ history and the history of solidarity between these groups in the movement for civil rights. We are very grateful to our partner NJEA and to Princeton University Carl A. Fields Center and Asian Americans Advancing Justice for co-sponsoring the conference.

Comics & Calm: Draw Your Way to Self-Care
2025-10-08 08:00 - 17:00 | Queens College (James Muyskens Conference Room), 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY, 11367
Comics & Calm: Draw Your Way to Self-Care is part of a series of workshops that focuses on art-making and mental health, sponsored by QCAP (the Queens College AANAPISI Project).
Feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or just need a creative break? This hands-on workshop uses comics to help you explore your emotions, build self-awareness, and have some fun along the way. You’ll learn how to turn everyday experiences into comic stories that highlight your inner superhero.
No art skills or prior experience needed—just your unique perspective! All Queens College students are welcome!
Snacks will be provided!

Korea's Compressed Modernity and Its Risks
2025-10-08 08:00 - 09:30 | The Korea Society, 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY, 10017
Join us for our second conversation with Seoul National University sociology Professor Chang Kyung-Sup who will discuss various challenges posed by South Korea’s “compressed modernity.” He writes that the same strategies and conditions that enabled explosive development and modernization in South Korea and other Asian societies also produced “existentially hazardous consequences in virtually all areas of public and private life, and seemingly insurmountable obstacles to sustained advances in the future.” And he argues that South Korea’s dynamism flows from the methods that it utilizes to overcome such challenges. This program is a collaboration with the Society’s Policy Department and the Education Department.

Habibi Festival 2025
2025-10-08 - 2025-10-12 | Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette Street, New York, NY, 10003
Created with the goal of giving a snapshot of contemporary and traditional musics of the South West Asia North Africa (SWANA) region, Habibi Festival aims to take listeners on a journey of the sounds wafting through the airwaves and living rooms of cities spanning Marrakech to Baghdad. This performing arts festival, now in its fourth year, is a collaboration between the Director of Joe’s Pub Alex Knowlton, artist/composer/curator Yacine Boulares, and curator/producer Meera Dugal who are bonded by the goal of creating more joyful spaces for performance, conversation, and storytelling from this part of the world.

AI and the Future of Work
2025-10-07 18:30 - 19:45 | CUNY Graduate Center (Proshansky Auditorium), 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Artificial Intelligence is developing at breakneck speed, causing much anxiety about how our society and daily lives may change in the not-too-distant future. Top of mind for many: jobs. A panel of experts brings the speculation down to earth, addressing questions such as: What jobs will AI replace? What new jobs will be created? How will AI affect workplace conditions, wages, unions, and the overall economy? Featuring Daron Acemoglu, Nobel laureate and professor of economics at MIT; Paul Krugman, Nobel laureate, former New York Times columnist, and distinguished professor of economics at the CUNY Graduate Center; Danielle Li, David Sarnoff Professor of Management of Technology at MIT; Zeynep Tufekci, professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton University and a New York Times columnist; and others. Moderated by Steven Greenhouse, former New York Times labor reporter and author of Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor.
