Free Virtual Author Talk In Montclair For AAPI Heritage Month

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Montclair Public Library. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.

On Tuesday, May 24, the Montclair Public Library will be celebrating Asian American/ Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a free hybrid author program intended for both teens and adults. The in-person event will take place at the Vanguard Theater in Montclair and will be livestreamed on Zoom. Bestselling writer and CNN commentator Jeff Yang and Phil Yu, best known for his “Angry Asian Man” blog, will be talking about their new book, a lively multimedia creation, with Michelle Germinario of AAPI Montclair. A Q&A session with the authors will follow the discussion. The program is co-sponsored by AAPI Montclair. Registration is required.

• Tuesday, May 24, 2022
• 6:30-7:30
• Registration (in-person and Zoom options available)
• Vanguard Theater, 180 Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair (MASKS REQUIRED)

Please note that the space is on the second floor, and walking up stairs is required. On street parking is available as well as in the nearby TD Bank and Lackawanna Plaza parking lots.

Jeff Yang launched one of the first Asian- American national magazines, A. Magazine, in the late '90s and early 2000s, and now writes frequently for CNN. He has written/edited three books: Jackie Chan’s New York Times bestselling memoir, “I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action;” “Once Upon a Time in China,” a history of the cinemas of Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Mainland; and “Eastern Standard Time: A Guide to Asian Influence on American Culture.”

Phil Yu is the founder and editor of the popular Asian American news and culture blog, Angry Asian Man, which has had a devoted following since 2001. His comments have been featured and quoted in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and elsewhere.

Philip Wang is the co-founder of the influential production company Wong Fu Productions. Since the mid 2000s, his creative work has garnered over 3 million subscribers and half a billion views online, as well as recognition from NPR and CNN for its impact on Asian American representation. (Wang will not be present at the author event.)

“Rise” is a love letter to and for Asian Americans--a vivid scrapbook of voices, emotions, and memories from an era in which Asian American culture was forged and transformed, and a way to preserve both the headlines and the intimate conversations that have shaped the community into what it is today.

“Rise” is available to borrow from the Montclair Public Library and for purchase from our program partner, watchung booksellers. "Hip, entertaining...imaginative." —Kirkus, starred review * "Essential." —Min Jin Lee * "A Herculean effort."—Lisa Ling * "A must-read."—Ijeoma Oluo * "A book we've needed for ages." —Celeste Ng * "Accessible, informative, and fun." —Cathy Park Hong *

Michelle Germinario founded and leads AAPI Montclair’s book clubs for the organization’s 600+ members. She is a high school English teacher who has also taught at the college level. Germinario is a first-generation Vietnamese American and the proud daughter of a refugee. A resident of Montclair, she was recently featured in the Bergen Record about her activism and biracial identity.

Asian American/ Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month is an annual celebration that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions of people of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States. May was chosen as AA/NH/PI Heritage Month in part because America’s first Japanese immigrants came to the United States on May 7, 1843, and also because the transcontinental railroad, largely built by Chinese immigrants, was completed on May 10, 1869.The effort to officially recognize AA/NH/PI cultural heritage in the U.S. with a holiday began in the late 1970s, and took over 10 years to become a permanent month-long celebration.

AAPI Montclair is a nonprofit group representing Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and their families in Montclair, New Jersey, and the surrounding area. The organization strives to provide a brave space to share experiences and help unify their voices to create action and representation for their communities. Their mission is to create a more inclusive Montclair by highlighting the varied experiences of the township’s AAPI communities and by promoting awareness and knowledge of AAPI culture and history.

Founded in 1893, the Montclair Public Library serves the residents of Montclair, New Jersey. It has two facilities: the Main Library at 50 S. Fullerton Avenue and the Bellevue Avenue Branch Library at 185 Bellevue Avenue. The Library has been changing lives every day for over 125 years through words, ideas, and community building by providing unlimited opportunities for lifelong learning, discovery, and community engagement.

Don’t forget to visit the Patch Montclair Facebook page. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Sign up for Patch email newsletters.