From the ornate pagodas in the International District to Japanese style-gardens, the influence of Asian and Islander cultures is visible across Seattle. Since its earliest days, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian immigrants have been an inseparable part of Seattle’s fabric, influencing its cuisine, architecture, local businesses, and art scene.

Just a decade after the city’s founding in 1851, Chinese pioneers began arriving in Seattle. In the 1860s, they set up Chinese quarter near the waterfront and by the 1880s, Japanese began arriving and soon established Nihonmachi north of Chinatown.

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. Here’s a roundup of activities across the Emerald City.

Festivals 

On May 3, head to Seattle Center for the AANHPI Heritage Month celebration, which is part of the Seattle Center Festál series. Traditional performances from Hula to lion dance to taiko (Japanese drumming) will be interspersed among events such as book readings and beat boxing, all of which showcase the traditions and talents of cultural groups across the city. Chow down on some of your favorite flavors from food vendors, including yakisoba from Yakimono and Filipino bites from Loumpia, while browsing the creations of local AANHPI retail businesses.

K-pop dance performance at AANHPI Heritage Month celebration.

Photo courtesy of Seattle Center

A short ferry ride away, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA) is hosting its second annual Asian Arts and Heritage Festival. Throughout the month of May, BIMA will honor its AANHPI community through various events and exhibits, from a series of vignette performances by poets, comedians, and authors to a Korean heritage night.

History 

On every Saturday in May, the Wing Luke Museum is running walking tours on heritage trails through the International District and Central District. Along the mile or so guided walk, listen to stories about housing exclusion, redlining, the Civil Rights Movement, and the coming together of Seattle communities. While you’re in the area, learn about art, culture, and history of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities at the Wing Luke Museum and explore the distinct neighborhoods within the International District and their histories: Filipinotown, Japantown, Little Saigon, and Nihonmachi Alley.

The Vietnam War 

Exactly 50 years to the day, the Vietnam War came to an end. On April 30, 1975, Saigon fell, marking the end to the war. Washington welcomed several hundred Vietnamese refugees during this time, and thousands more followed in the coming years. Friends of Little Sai Gon (FLS) — a nonprofit formed in 2011 to address the rising concern over the redevelopment of the Little Saigon neighborhood — is hosting Sàigòn to Seattle, a series of events and art exhibits to reflect on the occasion and tell stories from the Vietnamese diaspora community in King County.

“They (small business owners) feared losing the legacy, livelihood, and cultural connections they had built in this community,” says Valerie Tran, deputy director of FLS. “These small business owners started FLS with the mission to preserve and enhance Little Saigon’s cultural, economic, and historic vitality.”

The Sàigòn to Seattle series was created to tell narratives around the Vietnam War from the Vietnamese perspective. “Through our series, people will see artwork, artifacts, and stories from local community members who span different generations, waves of migration, and experiences with/connections to the war,” Tran adds. “We hope that our series will showcase the resiliency of the Vietnamese spirit.”

On May 3, catch Saigon to Seattle: 50 Years after the War, a short film premiering at Hoa Mai Park as part of Sàigòn to Seattle. Several film screenings alongside cultural and musical performances will also take place.

Culture 

Visit art exhibits across the city that tell stories from past, present, and future of the AANHPI community. Curated by Thanh Tan — the daughter of Vietnamese refugees — We Were Soldiers, Too preserves often unspoken about parts of the Vietnamese American diaspora, including oral histories from veterans of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. The exhibit is showing at the Friends of Little Saigon Creative through June 14.

Also on show is Sàigòn to Seattle: Our Past, Our Present, and Our Future, a collection by Vietnamese artists which will be exhibiting at the Yuan Ru Art Center in Bellevue until May 17. If you haven’t seen it yet, May is the perfect time to visit Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei at the Seattle Art Museum (through September 7). Renowned artist and activist Ai Weiwei’s first U..S retrospective in more than a decade combines works from his 40-year career.

Another of Weiwei’s works, Water Lillies (an interpretation of Monet’s art with Legos) is on display at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. While you’re there, explore the museum’s extensive collection of Asian art and check out Indo-Caribbean artist Suchitra Mattai’s exhibition reimagining her grandparents’ journey from India to Guyana.

Ai Weiwei recreates Claude Monet’s ‘Water Lilies’ Paintings with 650K Lego bricks.

Photo courtesy of

Support AANHPI Businesses

During May and throughout the year, support the hundreds of AANHPI businesses across greater Seattle. So much of the city’s fabric thrives on these family-owned entities, from buying Asian food staples at Uwajimaya, to visiting your favorite neighborhood pho shop, to checking out newer establishments like Sophon, which pays homage to Chef Karuna Long’s Cambodian/Khmer heritage.

Uwajimaya is one of the largest Asian grocery retailers in the Pacific Northwest.

Photo courtesy of Uwajimaya

Beyond AANHPI heritage month, look for pop-up events, book readings, and art workshops from FLS, Asia Pacific Cultural Center, and the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington to learn about, support, and connect with Seattle’s dynamic AANHPI communities.