East Brunswick Public Library Celebrates AAPI Month

May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and East Brunswick Public Library (2 Jean Walling Civic Center Drive) has a full slate of programs to celebrate their contributions.

Sandra Lanman presents "Heaven of Hell? Jews in the Philippines During World War II" on Wednesday, May 1 at 7:00 pm. While researching her family history, Lanman learned how the Philippines was a little-known Jewish sanctuary during this time. Through film, photos and her family's story, she tells the story of the rescue of 1,300 mostly German Jews and the terrors they faced under the Japanese during World War II. This program is sponsored by the East Brunswick Friends of Library, AAPI of East Brunswick and East Brunswick Hadassah. To learn more or join this online program, go to www.tinyurl.com/ebhoh24.

Author Geeta Gwalani discusses her new cookbook Aromas of Sindh: 100 Recipes from the Heart at the library on Wednesday, May 8 at 7:00 pm. The program explores the many spices and flavors in Indian cuisine. The program is sponsored by the East Brunswick Friends of the Library.

The library teams up with Green Ox Cinema for a special performance celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander cultures on Saturday, May 11 at 2:00 pm. This event celebrates several cultures, ranging from Chinese to Indian and several others, through live music, dance performances and even martial arts demonstrations from twenty-five different performers.

New York Times-bestselling author Rebecca F. Kuang will discuss her new novel Yellowface during a special online author event on Tuesday, May 21 at 7:99 pm. The book grapples with questions of diversity, racism and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media. To learn more about or sign up for this online program, visit www.tinyurl.com/eb52124.

The final event is a screening of the 2009 documentary Vincent Who? followed by a discussion with the director, Curtis Chin, on Wednesday, May 29 at 7:00 pm. The film documents the murder of Chinese-American Vincent Chin. As a result, Asian Americans united for the first time across ethnic and socioeconomic lines to form a pan-Asian identity seeking justice.

The program is held both at the library and online. For more information, go online to www.tinyurl.com/eb52924. The Vincent Who? screening and discussion is co-sponsored by AAPI of East Brunswick and the East Brunswick Friends of the Library.