Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month in NJ with lantern festival, Holi celebration and more

May is a pivotal month in the Asian American community. In May 1843, the first Japanese immigrant arrived in the United States. In May 1869, the golden spike was driven into the first transcontinental railroad, a project accomplished in large part by Asian laborers.

In 2009, then-President Barack Obama signed Proclamation 8369, which established May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, now known as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

In New Jersey, 10% of the population is Asian American. Throughout this month, there will be events (most free) in the state celebrating the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and culture in the Garden State.

Bergen

The event "The Art of Listening: An Indian Classical Music Appreciation Workshop" will take place on May 4 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the Rutherford Public Library, 150 Park Ave. in Rutherford. The workshop is organized by North Jersey-based South Asian performing arts school Kulture Kool. Registration is at the BCCLS website.

American Dream in East Rutherford will host a free concert by the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York on May 11. The group will play traditional Asian heritage music. The mall is at 1 American Dream Way.

In Mahwah, the 2024 Holi Celebration of Colors will be held in Riverside Park on Reich Avenue and Brakeshoe Place on May 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (rain date May 18 at the same time). The celebration will include music, dance, traditional Indian snacks and refreshments for purchase, plants for sale for Mother's Day, and activities for all ages. Attendees can register at the event webpage. For more information, call (201) 749-1990 and text #2024FestivalofColorsEvent.

Bergen County celebrates Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month with an event at Overpeck Park Amphitheater, Challenger Road in Ridgefield Park on May 23 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Bergen County Commissioner Jim Tedesco, the Bergen County Board of Commissioners, and the Bergen County Asian American Advisory Board invite the public to "celebrate the trailblazers who have shaped Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history and continue to influence our future."

Essex

NJPAC in Newark will host on May 6 at 6 p.m. the screening of the award-winning documentary "Far East Deep South," about a Chinese American family’s search for their roots and the discovery of an immigrant community in the South in the wake of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This event is a co-production of NJPAC, 1 Center St. in Newark, and the New Jersey Chapter of Ascend, the largest global network advancing Pan-Asian professionals in the workplace and corporate boardrooms. Registration for the event is on NJPAC's website.

AAPI Jazz Fest 2024 will take place on May 18 at Express Newark (Hahne & Co. Building), 54 Halsey St. in Newark. from noon to 10 p.m. The event, produced by Yardbird Productions and The Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers-Newark, will feature AAPI musical artists, art, vendors and more. Registration for the event is at Eventbrite.

AAPI Montclair/AAPI New Jersey will present several events (in-person and virtual) throughout May to celebrate the month. The events include Lunch & Learn: How to Respond & Practice Resilience When Experiencing Hate, Bias and Microaggressions (virtual) on May 13 at noon, and Lantern Festival for Justice and Remembrance on May 19 (rain date June 9) in Edgemont Park on Valley Road in Montclair. Registration for the events can be done is at the AAPI Montclair website.

Morris

Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South St., Morristown, will host a concert featuring the California-based ensemble TAIKOPROJECT on May 2 at 7 p.m. The group is made up of young, emerging taiko drummers. The taiko is the traditional Japanese drum. Tickets are $29 to $59 and are available at the MPAC website.

Ricardo Kaulessar covers race, immigration, and culture for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: kaulessar@northjersey.com

Twitter: @ricardokaul

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month in NJ with lantern festival, Holi