Long Beach Public Library Highlights AAPI Cultures Through ‘Festivals, Feasts, and Fun!’

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PRESS RELEASE

Above: Modern Apsara Company, a classical Cambodian dance group, performs at Billie Jean King Main Library in May 2025.

Long Beach, CA- The Department of Library, Arts and Culture invites the community to its annual celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month this May, featuring a vibrant lineup of free programs that highlight the rich cultures, traditions and stories of AAPI communities throughout Long Beach all month and through July.

"Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are an essential part of Long Beach's identity, shaping our city through culture, innovation and resilience," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "This celebration is an opportunity for residents of all ages to come together, learn from one another and experience the traditions that make our community so vibrant."

Throughout the month, all LBPL locations will host special story times and cultural programs designed to celebrate AAPI heritage and create welcoming spaces for learning and exploration. Library staff will also have curated book collections for children, teens and adults featuring topics such as food and recipes, festivals and cultural traditions from across the Asian and Pacific Islander diaspora.

"Our libraries are spaces where culture and community meet," said Cathy DeLeon, Director of Library, Arts, and Culture. "Through this year's theme, 'Festivals, Feasts, and Fun!', we are excited to offer programs that invite residents to explore stories, traditions and creative expressions from across the Asian American and Pacific Islander diaspora in meaningful and engaging ways."

Level Up Your Space: Vintage Décor from the Philippines, a featured program at the Bret Harte Neighborhood Library (1595 W. Willow St.) will take place on Saturday, May 9 at noon and offer a unique opportunity to explore the history and significance of Filipino decorative arts. It will be led by interior stylist and curator Karena Apollonya Ebora Higgins. Drawing from her personal Karilagan Library Collection, she will share books, busts and carved statues. Participants will also learn how to discover Philippine artifacts and begin their own collections.

LBPL also invites the community to participate in One Book, One Coast, the West Coast, the largest book club on the West Coast, connecting more than 140 library systems across California, Oregon and Washington. This year, participants will read They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei, at the Bach Neighborhood Library (4055 N. Bellflower Blvd.), Dana Neighborhood Library (3680 Atlantic Ave.) and El Dorado Neighborhood Library (2900 Studebaker Rd.). Discover upcoming book club meeting dates and times on the library's events calendar and join the conversation. Unlimited digital copies of the eBook will also be available through June 6 via the Libby app for readers to check out.

Even after AAPI Heritage Month concludes, the celebration will continue and culminate with the fourth annual Festival of AAPI Books (FAB) on July 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library (5870 Atlantic Ave.). This signature event brings together authors, artists and community members to celebrate storytelling, culture and history from across Asian American, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian communities. FAB will feature children's, young adult and adult authors, as well as vendors, arts and crafts, and family-friendly activities.

The Festival of AAPI Books is co-hosted with Bel Canto Books and all AAPI Heritage Month programs are generously funded by the Friends of the Long Beach Public Library and the Long Beach Public Library Foundation. Residents are encouraged to participate in this celebration of culture, creativity and community. To view the full calendar of AAPI events, visit the Long Beach Public Library's events calendar.

About the City of Long Beach

Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, the award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. For more information about the Long Beach Public Library visit www.lbpl.org and follow @lbcitylibrary on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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