Asian American / Asian Research Institute

Enduring Otherwise: Muslim Queer and Trans Worldmaking in Indonesia
2026-03-18 17:00 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | 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
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
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.

March 2026 AANHPI Community DNA Forum
2026-03-19 16:00 - 17:00
NCAPA will discuss federal policy updates, including updates on Iran and domestic impacts, voting rights, appropriations, a housing bill, and student loan changes. AAPI Data will share the work of Dr. Jacob Wong-Campbell, who is working on new ways of understanding multiracial populations.

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

We Do Not Work Alone: Kawai Kanjirō and Ceramics in Modern Kyoto
2026-03-22 11:00 - 12:00 | Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, New York, NY, 10017, United States
In celebration of Asia Week New York 2026, the Japanese Art Society of America invites you to join JASA Members for the 2026 Annual Meeting and a special lecture presented by Meghen Jones, Professor of Art History, Alfred University.
This talk explores how Kawai Kanjirō (1890–1966) and fellow Kyoto ceramic artists navigated the legacy of Kyō-yaki (Kyoto ware) amid the upheavals of mid-twentieth-century Japan, variously adapting and challenging its refined, colorful, literary and painterly conventions through communal practices, engagement with nature, and poetic reflections on craft and spirit. Attendees may view Japan Society Gallery’s spring 2026 exhibition, Kawai Kanjirō: House to House, before or after the lecture.

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
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.

A4 March Town Hall: Culinary Arts
2026-03-24 18:30 - 20:30 | Museum of Food and Drink, 62 Bayard Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11222
Join us for a Town Hall focused on food, a cultural connector across AAPI communities, and one of our most popular Town Hall topics to date. Folks in the culinary arts are invited to share their projects, resources, and opportunities with the AAPI creative community, as well as make new connections.
Featured presenters include Lisa Cheng Smith, founder of Yun Hai, an importer and distributor of artisanal Taiwanese foods and products, who will speak about bringing food from the diaspora to NYC. We’ll also hear from Rala Ziadeh and Yumna Madi, the team behind Lammeh, a Syrian catering and cultural events company that organizes food experiences centered on Arab cultures and storytelling.
Additionally, the evening will feature a line-up of brief pitches from the community. After the presentations, we’ll host a potluck meal, so please bring something to share; homemade or store bought items are welcome.
The potluck will include small bites from our food sponsors Golden Diner and Happy Tuna and beer from Finback Brewery. Stay tuned for a special giveaway from Yun Hai Shop.

Korea in Transition: Late 19th-Century Art in the Peabody Essex Museum Collection
2026-03-24 18:30 - 20:30 | The Korea Society, 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY, 10017
Peabody Essex Museum’s Korean art collection, comprising nearly 2,000 works, offers a distinctive lens on late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Korea—a period marked by reform, global encounter, and artistic transition. Anchored by objects from the first Korean diplomatic delegation to the United States in 1883 and Korea’s participation in the 1893 Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition, the collection reveals how late Joseon art responded to shifting political realities, foreign contact, and emerging modern sensibilities. Initiated under Director Edward Sylvester Morse and enriched through donations by early travelers between Korea and the United States, including the new PEM Korean gallery’s namesake Yu Kil-Chun, the collection tells intertwined stories of continuity and transition.
Jiyeon Kim, Curator of Korean Art and Culture at PEM, will explore how the late 19th-century Joseon adapted courtly traditions and responded to new popular demands, while also considering the global interactions and human connections forged across the ocean at a pivotal moment in Korean history.

Mass Surveillance and the ICE Crackdown: What the AAPI Community Needs to Know
2026-03-24 19:00 - 20:00
Masked, heavily armed federal agents are roaming through American neighborhoods aggressively targeting anyone they feel does not belong, often using race and ethnicity as a factor to determine who is selected for arrest, detention, and deportation. News reports indicate that Immigration agents are using advanced technological tools and electronic surveillance authorities to create and exploit vast intelligence databases to further the Trump administration’s mass deportation policy. Adding urgency to these concerns, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act — one of the government’s most powerful surveillance tools — is set to expire on April 20, 2026, and the outcome of its reauthorization will have profound implications for the civil liberties of all Americans.

Trey Trahan: Bridging Cultures, Building Community
2026-03-24 19:00 - 21:00 | Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, New York, NY, 10017, United States
Featuring acclaimed architect Trey Trahan In-Person.
New Orleans-based architecture firm Trahan Architects is known for their rooted approach to architecture—expressing the unique cultural, historical and ecological characteristics of the places they build. During frequent visits to Japan, Founder & CEO Trey Trahan, FAIA, has developed a passion and deep reverence for Japanese art and culture. Throughout his visits, he’s also discovered the numerous parallels between the shared ecologies of his native state of Louisiana and Japan that have permeated his firm’s approach to architecture. He and his firm have been celebrated for their depth of research, dedication to craft, sensitivity to the landscape and innovative material applications—all heavily influenced by Japanese traditions.
When he was invited to interview for the design of the U.S.A. Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, it was a dream come true. Having amassed a large collection of Japanese artifacts and artwork and developed many personal friendships over the years, his enthusiasm and connections won his firm the commission. Throughout the Expo’s six-month tenure, the U.S.A. Pavilion was consistently one of the most popular—drawing average crowds of 10,000 people per day and welcoming the world to experience the wonders of the United States of America through the narrative aesthetic lens of its host country.
Tonight, Trey will guide us through how his relationship with Japanese sensibilities—embracing chance, focusing on materiality and exercising a quiet restraint—helped guide his firm’s design for the U.S.A. Pavilion and continues to resonate in their work.

2026 APAICS Health Summit
2026-03-25 12:00 - 16:00
On March 25th, the 2026 APAICS Health Summit will air virtually. The APAICS Health Summit brings together frontline workers, community and corporate leaders, subject matter experts, and elected officials for bipartisan policy discussions on issues that affect our communities and the nation at-large. The Summit will explore topics such as representation in healthcare and research, and healthcare accessibility for our community.

Attendees will:

Hear from state and federal elected officials to stay informed on legislative priorities and policy shifts
Gain insights from subject-matter experts and community advocates on top issues like access and affordability
Deepen their awareness of critical health issues impacting our country and communities

Voices of AAPI Communities: March Briefing on Immigration and Economy
2026-03-25 13:00 - 14:00
Join APIAVote, AAPI Data, AAJA, and NCAPA for the next installment of the Voices of AAPI Communities monthly briefing, where we’ll dive deep into the latest survey insights from AAPI Data and AP-NORC on timely policies. This month, we’ll examine AAPI opinions on immigration and the economy.
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain data-driven insights into the diverse views within the AAPI community, shaping the landscape for 2026 and beyond. Reserve your spot today and please share with your network!

The Perpetual Foreigner Stereotype: New Data on Asian American Experiences
2026-03-25 14:00 - 15:00
Six years after the global pandemic, xenophobia and discrimination remain a persistent reality for Asian Americans, driven in part by the enduring “perpetual foreigner” stereotype.

Civic Responsibility & Activism: Mobilizing Communities for Lasting Change
2026-03-25 18:00 - 19:00
Join us for our final session on civic action & advocacy! Learn how collective efforts, activism & policy change drive lasting community imp

Join us for the final program in our series, celebrating the power of civic action and community advocacy. This session will highlight how collective efforts can drive lasting change and inspire a future shaped by engaged communities.

CEC Speaker Series: Beyond the Clinic: Practicing Medicine in the Community
2026-03-25 18:30 - 19:30
Beyond the Clinic: Practicing Medicine in the Community will bring together perspectives from emerging and experienced leaders in health equity to discuss the differences between traditional clinical care and community-based practice. Speakers will share insights on how physicians, researchers, and community organizations work together to address health disparities, build trust, and provide care that reflects the lived realities of the communities they serve.
This conversation will highlight real-world experiences and practical strategies for bridging clinical medicine with community engagement, emphasizing the importance of culturally responsive care and partnerships that extend beyond the healthcare system.
This discussion will explore how to address social determinants of health and touch on subjects such as: • Moving beyond hospital and clinic walls into homes, schools, workplaces, and other community spaces • Practicing culturally responsive care • Listening to community voices and lived experience

A Fiction Reading by Min Jin Lee
2026-03-25 19:00 - 20:30 | Queens College – Kupferberg Center for the Arts, 153-49 Reeves Avenue, Flushing, NY, 11367
Join us for a special fiction reading by New York State writer Min Jin Lee, author of Free Food for Millionaires and Pachinko, and a finalist for the National Book Award. This event, in memory of Marjorie Hecht Watson for Women’s History Month, will also feature a conversation with Julie Goodale, offering insights into Lee’s work and creative process.

Connecting the Dots: Data‑Informed Community Stories
2026-03-26 10:00 - 12:00 | CPC One, 45 Suffolk Street, New York, NY, 10002
Connecting the Dots: Data‑Informed Community Stories is the official launch of CPC’s new Impact Map and Interactive Tour! This milestone represents more than two years of dedicated work and hundreds of staff hours to bring our community’s stories, data, and impact to life in a meaningful, accessible way. At the event, you’ll experience 1) a live demonstration of the Impact Map and Interactive Tour, 2) a sneak peek of our new app, and 3) insights into how CPC is leveraging data to elevate community voices and drive better outcomes. Please RSVP at Connecting the Dots registration link. For more information, please contact Edgar Pereira (epereira@cpc-nyc.org) or Christina Wong (cwong3@cpc-nyc.org).

The American Promise: Defending Birthright Citizenship
2026-03-26 13:00 - 15:00
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on birthright citizenship on April 1 in the class action lawsuit Trump v. Barbara. Your support is needed on this high-stakes case for one of our most basic and cherished constitutional rights. Together, the Asian Law Caucus, MoveOn, Popular Democracy, Voto Latino, AALDEF, Vet Voice, and Asian American Advocacy Fund will make the case for why civil rights defenders of all backgrounds must show up for this fundamental right—and for each other—leading up to the pivotal decision. We’ll share advocacy updates and collaborative opportunities to raise community voice on the day of oral argument, in anticipation of the ruling, and beyond. This event will be ASL accessible. We recommend deaf and hard-of-hearing participants log-on with computers (desktop/laptop) as opposed to phones.

Passing the Torch: Succession Planning for Community Media
2026-03-26 14:00 - 15:30
Instructor: Amy Kovac-Ashley, Executive Directory, Tiny News Collective
Succession planning is one of the most overlooked yet critical challenges facing community and ethnic media today. In an era of shrinking local news coverage and growing news deserts, the lack of a clear plan for leadership transition can threaten the survival of entire news outlets. When publishers or newsroom leaders retire or pass away without a succession plan, communities risk losing vital sources of information altogether.
