13 Events Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month in LA

You didn’t need another excuse to get ramen, noodles, or a new cookbook, but here are 13 good ones anyway.

Here in LA , where we have beloved neighborhoods likeKoreatown , Thai Town , Little Tokyo , andHistoric Filipinotown , we lionize AAPI Heritage all twelvemonth long , with frequent reminders of the unnumberable contributions that these communities have made not just to our metropolis , but also our country and across the globe . That said , we ’ll take any chance tosupport our local AAPI communities , and AAPI Heritage Month offer mountain , with a slate of events materialise throughout May , ranging from food - focused pop music - ups to art expo and more . Rather than be deluge by the options around town , we ’ve round off up some of our preferent events in this convenient template :

Chinese American Museum AAPI Programming

All MonthChinese American Museum , DowntownDowntown ’s Chinese American Museum , located in a beautiful brick building that ’s part of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument , will be hosting display and event all month . First on the agenda is a walking tour of Chinatown ’s mural to pair with their exhibition of Asian - American artists called “ Collective Resilience . ” afterward in the month they will host the first live and in - soul piece in their ongoing series “ An Untold past times , ” a panel discussion about the many Chinatowns throughout LA history .

Ramen Discoveries at Japan House

Weekends starting May 6 through July 31Japan House , HollywoodJapan House is always hosting cultural event and expo about Japanese history and cuisine , but May kicks off “ Ramen Discoveries , ” a series spotlighting seven regional ramen dash over 14 week , which couple utterly with the hub ’s recently plunge “ artistry of the Ramen Bowl ” expo . The month of May is burst between Tokyo - mode Miso Ramen fromTsujita Miso no Sho , followed by a rich and pork - drive trend byKeika , which comes from Kumamoto on Japan ’s southerly island of Kyushu .

Block the Hate Rally + Block Party

Saturday , May 7Vincent Lugo Park , San GabrielCompassion in SGVis an all - voluntary organization dedicated to seduce sure SGV residents get around safely without threats or molestation , chaperoning locals as they walk to or from transportation system or close up their businesses after dark . On Saturday the 7th , they ’re also holding a rallying and hinder party to foster biotic community and engagement in the SGV . There will be social lion dancer , music , and speaker system . Of course there will be food too , including Indonesian from theSatay Lisa Truck , Dina ’s Dumpling , ube crinkle cookies fromButter - laboratory , and more .

A-Sha x AAPI-LA Food Truck

Saturday , May 7 ; Sunday , May 22 ; and Saturday , May 28Woodland Hills , Downtown , and ChinatownTaiwanese company A - Sha makes some of the good and most dependable package dry noodles you ’ll find on market shelves , but for AAPI Heritage Month they ’ve partnered with the metropolis of LA ’s AAPI - LA initiative to bring their attic to the streets in a food motortruck , which will make several stop around LA throughout the calendar month . The focus is on their air - dry noodles , but they ’ll be serving them with all sorts of toppings , admit their Hello Kitty collab Chicken Noodle Soup , and some with marinated pork barrel , greenish onions , and chiles . Catch the hand truck Saturday , May 7 at theValley Asian Cultural Festival ; Sunday , May 22 at Smorgasburg ( more on that below ) ; and Saturday , May 28 atSteep LAfor a charity pop - up .

Asian American & Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Day

Saturday , May 21King Gillette Ranch , Santa Monica MountainsThe National Park Service is taking reward of the Santa Monica Mountains to host an AAPI Heritage festival at the stunning King Gillette Ranch . The free event will let in activities and presentation like Taiko drumming , classic Filipino dancing , Chinese calligraphy , Hawaiian featherwork , and more .

Sake Brewer Block Party

Tuesday , May 10Ototo , Echo ParkEcho Park sake barOTOTOis hosting six sake brewers from Japan for its first - ever Brewer Block Party on Tuesday , May 10 from 5:30–7:30 post-mortem examination . Each brewer will be teem their good sake , which will be attend alongside a option of snacks including Mini Chicken Katsu Sandos , Gobo Chips , and Curried Crab Salad . One $ 60 ticket includes pours of up to 12 unlike bottlings as well as snacks during the two - hour party . Sake bottleful will be useable for purchase and after the pulley-block party , OTOTO will remain open until 10 pm with their regular menu useable . The sake brewery boast include Mioya Shuzo , Yamada Shoten , Rihaku , Kawatsuru , Tentaka , and Chiyonosono .

Asian Pacific Food Fest

Saturday , May 14South Coast Plaza , Costa MesaOrange County ’s lavishness mall South Coast Plaza is host an Asian Pacific food festival , featuring six different stations of food for thought from AAPI - owned restaurant in the mall . serve intellectual nourishment will beAnQi Bistro , Hamamori Sushi , Royal Khyber , Tableau Kitchen , Terrace by Mix Mix , andWahoo ’s Fish Taco . A $ 30 ticket obtain you five tasting to go along with some alive performances by local AAPI artist , and all yield benefit theAsian Pacific Community Fund .

Mahjong NightatRiceBoxfeaturingVervetandGo Cakes

Saturday , May 14RiceBox , business district LARiceBox is give to serving and celebrating classic Cantonese barbeque , and for AAPI Heritage Month they ’re celebrating the classic Formosan game Mahjong . They ’re also bringing in fellow Asiatic - American - possess businessesVervetandGo Cakes , so there will be artisanal cocktail and ornate afters like Praline Bon Bons too . The Mahjong Seth have been custom made for RiceBox , chefs Leo and Lydia Lee will debut some new RiceBox specials , and a portion of the payoff will go to theStop AAPI Hatecoalition .

Belonging: A Filipino Arts & Culture ExperienceatThe LA Art Box

Opening Friday , May 20 , through Sunday , June 26LAAB / West HollywoodThe Filipino art and acculturation biotic community is inviolable and diverse , covering every subject area and represent so many unique experiences both in the US and in the Philippines . The West Hollywood ethnic space The LA Art Box — The LAAB for short — has partnered with San Francisco - based Parangal Dance Company , an organization focused on the saving of Philippine civilization through dance and education , to put on a Modern show called “ belong . ” The show will sport pic of Parangal members do traditional dances from the six indigenous peoples of the Philippines , and it will also highlight eight contemporary Filipino - American artists from many subject . There will be exhibit of music , celluloid production , fashion , food , and more , to build a whole multisensory experience , a celebration of Philippine acculturation past , present , and future .

Pan-Asian Pacific Arts & Cultural Festival

Sunday , May 22The Museum of the San Fernando Valley , NorthridgeDeep in the Valley , the SFV Museum is reintroducing their springy result with an AAPI Cultural Festival . There will be food hand truck , vender , art workshops for kids , and onstage entertainment in summation to the power to tour the museum itself . In the eve , there will also be a free viewing of “ A Shot Through The Wall , ” a moving picture by Aimee Long , with a residential area discussion to postdate . The effect is free , but tickets are required for the plastic film .

Browse Now Serving’s AAPI collection & forthcoming events

All monthThe good cookbook store in LA stock a fantastical choice from Asian , Asian American , and Pacific Islander source , and for the calendar month of May they ’ve collected their favorites inone commodious accumulation . They have book from LA - based chefs like Alvin Cailan , Margarita Manzke , Kris Yenbamroong , and Sonoko Sakai , among others . Now Serving ’s owner Ken Concepcion and Michelle Mungcal , Philippine American themselves , put on some of the best event around , and they will be adding them to the calendar all month .

Pacific Islander Festival at Aquarium of the Pacific

Saturday , June 4 – Sunday , June 5Aquarium of the Pacific / Long BeachThis upshot miss the end of the calendar month by a few days , but it ’s just more validation that Angelenos do n’t need a hard deadline to observe AAPI heritage , culture , and cuisine . The Pacific Islander Festival is returning to Aquarium of the Pacific for its 19th year , after going practical for the last duo of iterations . Details are still being finalized , but previous years have included euphony and dance , educational talks , demonstration , and solid food from Pacific Island finish including Hawaiian , Tahitian , Samoan , Tongan , Chamorro , Marshallese , and Maori culinary art .

AAPI LA MarketatSmorgasburg

Sunday , May 22Smorgasburg / Downtown LAThere is no shortage of AAPIvendorsonaregularSundayat Downtown ’s Smorgasburg pop - up market , but on May 22 , there will be a whole lot more of them . AAPI - LA is fetch a ton of vendors do things like sushi , dumplings , and mochi donuts , as well as box snack , sauces , and drinks . There will also be another appearance by the A - Sha Noodle truck , and collaborations with vendors likeSaucy Chick , along with other merriment stuff and nonsense .

Belonging: A Filipino Arts & Culture Experience at Parangal Dance Company