UK community invited to 'GET HAAPI' this AAPI Heritage Month
LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 10, 2024) — May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and the University of Kentucky community is invited to “GET HAAPI” with Lexington’s cultural events taking place each weekend.
Lexington's Heritage of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (HAAPI) celebrations are sponsored by UK, with contributions from the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the UK Alumni Association.
Events include:
- Friday May 10: Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning will host a night of poetry, music, and an international tea tasting. Doors open at 6 p.m. Event is free.
- Friday May 17: During Gallery HOP, Lexington Public Library Central Branch 3rd Floor will be hosting a juried show of AAPI artists along with performances ranging from dance to music to a fashion show. Teppan Food Truck will be serving Japanese snacks out front. HOP begins at 5 p.m. Event is free.
- HAAPI movie weekend at the Kentucky Theater:
⚬ 7:30 p.m. Thursday May 23: “Yellow Rose.” Broadway superstar Eva Noblezada stars as a Filipina teen in Texas grappling with her undocumented status while striving to become a country singer. The movie will be preceded by a musical performance from Yoko Nogami.
⚬ 10 p.m. Friday May 24. “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle.” The stoner classic features Kal Penn and John Cho on a night full of misadventures. The movie will be preceded by a hip-hop dance performance from The Fam Foundation. Audience members will also be treated to sliders and fries from Tuk Tuk Snack Shop.
⚬ 3:30 p.m. Sunday May 26. “Turning Red.” From Disney Pixar, this coming-of-age story of giant proportions follows a Chinese-Canadian teen as they grapple with culture, puberty and boy bands. Film preceded by story time with Yvonne Hwang.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.