Explorations through history, public performances mark May’s AANHPI Heritage Month at UCLA

Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month will feature public performances that celebrate art forms spanning centuries and peoples, while a slate of events dives deep into major as well as lesser-known histories that shape these cultures today.

This calendar is just a sample of the programming the Bruin community has to offer throughout the year. Be sure to check out campus units such as the Asian American Studies Center, UCLA Center for India and South Asia, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Data Policy Lab as well as their affiliated faculty, for even more research, events and opportunities.

May 3, 10:00 a.m.

Student excursion: Asian Pacific cultural landmarks in Los Angeles

The Asian Pacific Health Corps at UCLA is hosting a group tour for students to explore Los Angeles. Participants will visit Little Tokyo, The Broad art museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art and The Last Bookstore. Students have the option to conclude the night with a dinner in Thai Town.

This group will meet at the Bruin Bear and transportation will be provided. RSVP is required, and attendance is not guaranteed.

May 3, 4:00 p.m.

Panel discussion with Monisha Das Gupta, author of "All of Us or None"

Co-sponsored by the Asian American Studies Center, Professor Monisha Das Gupta of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa will discuss her new book on the movement building around migration justice. She will be joined by the Los Angeles-based activists featured in her work as they discuss how they are encountering the current moment. The discussion will take place at the South Asian Network office.

RSVP is required.

May 3, 6:00 p.m.

Samarth Nagarkar Khyal Ensemble presents "A Tapestry of Traditions"

Join a musical journey into khyal, the preeminent genre of Hindustani classical vocal music. Presented by acclaimed virtuoso singer Samarth Nagarkar and ensemble, this concert explores khyal as a culmination of India's diverse vocal traditions, such as dhrupad, qawwali, thumri and various folk and devotional styles.

This event will take place at Schoenberg Hall at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Registration is recommended.

May 3, 7:30 p.m.

Filipino cinema: Screening and filmmaker Q&A

The UCLA Film & Television Archive will screen two films: "Maybe I'm Unlucky Because I Cut My Nails at Night," an experimental short film that reflects on the erasure of Philippine history under the rule of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and his son, and Shireen Seno's "Nervous Translation," a feature-length film that follows an 8-year-old Filipina who spends much of her alone time with her imagination. The screenings will be followed by a Q&A with Seno, moderated by UCLA associate professor of cinema and media studies Jasmine Nadua Trice.

This screening will take place at the Billy Wilder Theater. Admission is free and not ticked.

May 4, 4:00 p.m.

K-pop talent show

UCLA's K-pop interest group, Pop International Student Association, or KINSA, is hosting its annual "K-factor" talent show competition, with talent from across Southern California singing, dancing and bringing other performances.

This event will be hosted at the UCLA Ackerman Grand Ballroom.

May 5, 1:00 p.m.

"Sharing Conversations: The Magic of Haiku"

UCLA professor Yoshito Matsumoto will discuss findings from her project "Connecting Generations Through Haiku," in which haikus were used as the medium of intergenerational communication between older adults with mild cognitive impairment and college-age students. The research reveals the essence of human communication in the current hyper-technological society and what it means to be inclusive.

Matsumoto is the Yamato Ichihashi Professor in Japanese History and Civilization and a professor of East Asian languages and cultures. She studies the structure and uses of language as part of human experience.

This talk will take place at the Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies at Bunche Hall, room 11367.

May 14, 4:00 p.m.

Lecture: "Imperial Foundations of the Silk Road"

The UCLA Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures will host scholar Wu Xin in a lecture re-examining the origins and mechanisms of the Silk Road network during the latter half of the first millennium BCE. While the Silk Road is often celebrated as a pivotal example of early globalization, scholarship has primarily focused on the consequences of its connectivity, neglecting the crucial question of its formation and operational logistics.

Wu Xin is an assistant professor in the department of classical and Near Eastern archeology at Bryn Mawr College.

This lecture will take place in room 306 in Royce Hall. Registration is recommended.

May 14, 4:30 p.m.

Poetry reading and discussion with author Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

Global bestselling author Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai returns to Los Angeles for a unique event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. She will read from her latest poetry collection, "The Color of Peace," and discuss her journey as a writer and her decision to document the impact of the war. The discussion will be moderated by George Dutton, professor in the UCLA department of Asian languages and cultures.

This reading will take place at Bunche Hall, room 10383. RSVP is recommended.

May 17, 7:00 p.m.

Spring Festival of World Music: India Ensemble and Music of China Ensemble

The Music of India Ensemble and the Music of China Ensemble will showcase traditional music from these regions on the same stage. Continuing a tradition born in 1960, the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology draws on its collection of world musical instruments to present its annual spring festival, and an opportunity for student ensembles to perform and share traditional music from around the world.

This event is free and will be held at Schoenberg Hall. Registration is recommended, and the event will also be livestreamed.

May 19, 1:00 p.m.

Seminar: "Greek Japan or, how do we possess a culture?"

Michael Lucken, professor of Japanese contemporary history at the French National Institute of Languages and Cultures, will trace the subtle emergence of classical Greek culture into contemporary Japan between the late 19th century and 1945. Buddhist sculpture was reinterpreted through the lens of the Greek body, Noh theater was likened to tragedy and bank architecture reimagined the classical temple. The way Japan has integrated this heritage offers a remarkable study case for understanding the broader issue of cultural appropriation.

This talk will take place at the Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies at Bunche Hall, room 11367.

May 22, 2:00 p.m.

Religious change in China after Mao

The Center for Chinese Studies presents a talk by Yanfei Sun, associate professor of sociology at Zhejiang University, who will present insights from a forthcoming book that synthesizes two decades of ethnographic, archival and historical comparative research to examine religious transformation in post-Mao China. Focusing on five major religions, the study tackles key questions regarding their growth dynamics in a specific political context.

This talk will take place at the Chinese studies center located in Bunche Hall, room 10383. RSVP is recommended.

May 23, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Symposium: "Women and goddesses in Jainism"

Throughout the history of Jainism, one of the world's oldest living religions, Jain women have played a crucial role. In this symposium, speakers will provide a range of perspectives on human and divine womanhood in Jain life and thought. Talks will cover the definition of gender in Jain philosophical texts, Jain goddess-worship and changing gender roles in the contemporary Jain diaspora.

The symposium will take place at the Hershey Hall Salon. RSVP is required for in-person participation. The event will also be offered on Zoom to those who preregister for a link.

May 25, 6:00 p.m.

Bruin Bhangra

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Bruin Bhangra will be hosting a night of dance, fun and competition. The annual Bruin Bhangra competition celebrates bhangra, a traditional folk dance that began in Punjab, India.

This event will take place at the Terrace Theater at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center. Tickets are required and have varying price points. Pre-party and after-party tickets are also available.

May 29, 6:00 p.m.

An Asian American Writer's Notebook: Past, Present, and Future Tense

The Asian American Studies Center hosts activist, journalist and author Helen Zia for its David Nishida and Tina Yamano Nishida Distinguished Lecture. Zia will be in conversation with Bruin alum, journalist and documentary filmmaker Julie Ha and current student Amber Phung of Pacific Ties newsmagazine as they explore how Asian Pacific American voices are navigating a rapidly shifting political and social landscape to preserve democratic values, amplify underrepresented voices and confront systemic challenges. The event is presented as part of the release of "Intersections: A Journalistic History of Asian Pacific America," the center's latest publication with the Asian American Journalists Association.

The event will take place at The Harry and Yvonne Lenart Auditorium at the Fowler Museum. Registration is required.