AAPI Heritage Month @ LBPL
Long Beach Public Library (LBPL) will host its annual celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM), May 1-31, 2025, through a variety of engaging and educational programs that honor the rich cultural traditions, histories, and contributions of Asian and Pacific Islander communities in Long Beach.
AAPIHM Kick-Off Celebration
Join us for the special opening event at Billie Jean King Main Library on Saturday, May 3 from 12:00–4:00 PM.
The celebration will feature a performance by Modern Aspara, a local traditional Cambodian dance group, and an exclusive free screening of the acclaimed documentary New Wave.
New Wave, directed by Elizabeth Ai, is a love letter to the first generation of Vietnamese punks and rebels who came of age in the 1980s, and explores how music, fashion, and rebellion can be a force for healing. A post-screening Q&A session will be moderated by Ky-Phong Paul Tran, an educator at Renaissance High School for the Arts.
Grand Opening: Filipino American Cultural Heritage Collection
Join us at Harte Neighborhood Library on May 31 at 10:30 AM for the grand opening of LBPL's Filipino American Cultural Heritage Collection!
The celebration will feature guest speakers, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and a Filipino family storytime celebrating community storytelling and cultural pride.
Program Highlights
Throughout May, all 12 Long Beach Public Library locations will host free programs for patrons of all ages. View the full calendar of AAPIHM events.
Chinese Paper Lanterns with Emmy Lam
Harte Library | May 15, 5:00–6:00 PM
The Manga Connection to Old Japan with Sunny Seki
Los Altos Library | May 28, 3:30–4:30 PM
Music Center of Los Angeles Series
Korean Classical Music
- BJK Main Library | May 6, 5:00–6:00 PM
Dancing Storytellers: Indian Mythology and Me
- Bach Library | May 7, 4:00–5:00 PM
- Bay Shore Library | May 14, 4:00–5:00 PM
We Tell Stories
- Harte Library | May 8, 4:00–5:00 PM
- Michelle Obama Library | May 15, 4:00–5:00 PM
- Burnett Library | May 29, 4:00–5:00 PM
Booklists, Crafts, and Resources
Visit our Reflections of Long Beach page for more ways to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month!
All AAPI programs are generously funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Friends of the Long Beach Public Library.
