5 Movies And Games To Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month With At The BPL
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| Celebrate AAPI creators with us. Graphic design by Cheyenne Trujillo. |
May is a variety of celebrations, one of them being Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, or AAPIH Month.
Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with some movies and games that you can find at the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) that feature various Asian and Pacific Islander cultures and highlight unique stories by AAPI creators!
One of the heritage celebrations of May honors Americans with heritage from all across the continent of Asia and the Pacific islands. This heritage celebration started with Jeanie Jew and Ruby Moy, who recommended it to Representative Frank Horton and later introduced the legislature that formed it.
In October 1978, Jimmy Carter signed Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week into law. Congress passed another public law in 1992 that annually designated May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
May is designated as AAPIH Month because May 7, 1843, marks the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in the United States (U.S.), and May 10, 1896, (also known as Golden Spike Day) marks the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S. 10,000—15,000 Chinese immigrants were estimated to have worked on this railroad (read more about this crucial history here).
Each year a theme is chosen by the Federal Asian Pacific American Council, and this year's theme is "Advancing Leaders Through Collaboration," building off on last year's theme of leadership advancement.
One of the ways the BPL celebrates AAPI Heritage Month is by highlighting AAPI voices and creators.
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| North Avondale Library loves to feature their young artist. Photo from Josh Dixon. |
North Avondale Branch Library and Central Library have book displays focused on AAPI stories, and Southside Branch Library intends to recommend AAPI books on their Facebook page, too. AAPI voices are also spotlighted on our other databases, like Libby, Comics Plus, Hoopla, and Kanopy.
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Looking for another way to engage with AAPI heritage, here are five movie and game recommendations to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month that you can find at any member of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative (JCLC), including all BPL locations.
Watch one of these movies for a movie night this weekend!
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Hoping to live out their own American Dream, a Korean-American family moves from California to rural Arkansas to become farmers. With the arrival of their maternal grandmother Soon-ja, the family must weather various trials while trying to plant their roots.
A part of the America Reframed series, this documentary takes you from Los Angeles to the Bronx to learn more about the Vietnamese nail salon industry. Learn how the Vietnamese-American community impacted nail salons and the dangers of common chemicals in the beauty industry.
Similarly, another documentary called Painted Nails follows the story of one nail salon owner as her business grows as well as her activism to improve safety regulations for workers in the beauty and cosmetic industry.
This Academy Award-winning documentary follows the story of a plastic surgeon returning to his home country to perform reconstructive surgery on survivors of acid violence. While this documentary does have some controversy surrounding the director, this film still provides insight into acid attacks against women and the progress made to protect women in Pakistan.
Amidst the sensation of Michael Jackson's "Thriller," a young boy (who also goes by "Boy") must come to terms with his father when he returns home after being away for seven years. This sentimental coming-of-age movie will have you laughing and crying. Plus, there is a Māori inspired "Thriller" dance scene in the movie!
Danny Pudi as Sami Malik immigrates from India to Chicago in 1979 to make a legacy for himself outside of being the son of a great tiger hunter. But his career as an engineer doesn't take off in the direction he expected. Follow his journey in this acclaimed film!
I tried to select games from our catalog that were created by Asian developers but also tied directly to cultural heritage. Check out one of these games from your local library!
(Nintendo Switch)
Vietnamese for flower, Hoa is a puzzle-based platform game with hand-painted art and enchanting music that makes for relaxing gameplay. Game Director Son Cao Tunga makes subtle nods to his Vietnamese heritage in the spirit of the game.
(Xbox One and PS4)
Enjoy the remastered version of Okami where you play the role of Amaterasu, the sun goddess, in the form of a white wolf on a quest to defeat the eight-headed demon, Orochi. Another game with breathtaking art.
You are the newly elected Mayor of Machi Koro in this speedy board game! To win, you have to build all the major landmarks before the other players. Help your city flourish in this beloved Japanese board game.
The harvest is in and it is time to decorate the palace in this tile-based board game set in Imperial China. Win the game by dedicating sets of lanterns to receive the most honor. You may recognize the creator of this game from the cast of Slow Horses (which is based on a book by the way).
(Nintendo Switch and PS4)
In this remake of the 2002 PS2 game, you still play as a young prince sent to Earth to collect items to rebuild the cosmos after your father accidentally destroyed it. This game features a light J-pop soundtrack to accompany the bright and playful art of the game as you roll around various Japanese homes collecting everything you can.
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| Practice your origami skills with the Avondale Library. Photo from Avondale Library. |
Another way to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month is with a Grab-n-Go crafting kit from the Avondale Regional Branch Library. Learn the history of origami cranes then try to make your own with their carefully created crafting kit. Get one while supplies last!
For more AAPI Heritage Month updates and other content like this, follow the BPL on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn!
By Cheyenne Trujillo | Library Assistant Ⅲ, Public Relations
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