Celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month at the Library

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) Month, and we are commemorating the occasion with a month full of programs and displays at the library. In our programs, you'll hear from Asian Americans in the Henrico community as they share their personal immigration experiences, learn about Japanese plants, gardening, and flower arranging, and discuss books and films with stories from Cambodia, India, and China. Read on to learn more about our upcoming programs and browse our list of recommended titles by AAPI authors and about AAPI Heritage!

We look forward to learning about Asian American and Pacific Islander culture and history, and hope you’ll join us for our upcoming programs:

ADULT PROGRAMS

Portraits of Immigrant Voices
- Mon., May 22, 7-8PM at Tuckahoe Library
- Hear from new Americans hailing from a variety of countries who were profiled in the book Portraits of Immigrant Voices, published by the Asian American Society of Central Virginia (AASoCV). In this hour-long panel discussion, panelists will share their experiences settling in the Henrico area, and answer questions from a moderator and the audience. Copies of the book Portraits of Immigrant Voices will be available for sale, benefiting the AASoCV. This program expands on our discussion of Chinese American heritage started at All Henrico Reads with Jamie Ford to celebrate the diversity of our community. It is sponsored by the AASoCV, HCPL, and the Friends of Henrico County Public Library.

Great Plants from Japan… and Some to Avoid
- Sat., May 6, 11AM-12PM at Tuckahoe Library
- Did you know that Blue Mophead Hydrangeas, along with many other common landscape plants, originate from Japan? Join presenter Peggy Singlemann to learn about plants from Japan, how they came to America, and why some have become invasive. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Exploring Japanese Gardens
- Sat., May 6, 2-3PM at Varina Library
- Enjoy a photo essay presentation by Peggy Singlemann of public and private gardens in central Japan including Tokyo and Kyoto, and other, smaller communities. Discover the beauty of a variety of different gardens and their unique design elements. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Image courtesy Peggy Singlemann.

Remembering the Past: The Killing Fields of Cambodia
- Wed., May 10, 7-8PM at Fairfield Library
- Amanda Prak was six years old when the Khmer Rouge forces of Marxist dictator Pol Pot marched her and her family into the Cambodian countryside for reeducation and back-breaking labor. While she survived, some two million human beings would not, losing their lives at the hands of a genocidal regime. Join us as Ms. Prak discusses Cambodia’s Holocaust and the message of hope she draws from so much suffering.

Introduction to Sangetsu Ikebana
- Sat., May 20, 2-3PM at Tuckahoe Library
- Ikebana means "flowers that have life" or "life-filled flowers." Helena Arouca, Master at the Sangetsu School of Ikebana, will introduce the concepts of this centuries-old Japanese art form in a lecture-style presentation embedded with live demonstrations of her flower arranging work. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library.