Celebrating Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Sonoma County!
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. First designated by Congress in 1977, AAPI Heritage Month is an annual celebration of the ways the AAPI community has enriched America's history and continues to be vital to its success.
Join Sonoma County Library in celebrating AAPI voices during the month of May and beyond. Below, check out AAPI events, book lists, movies, music, and more—all available for free through your Sonoma County Library. Connect with local AAPI organizations and community resources listed below to keep learning.
Library Events
Join author Oliver Chin for the story of Dominic, an adventurous dragon whose journey celebrates the new year. For grades Pre-K-3.
Learn the art of paper folding with origami expert Henry Kaku. All materials provided. For grades 7-12.
Dance and celebrate the ancestors with the Japanese American Citizens League and Enmanji Temple.
Explore a variety of traditional Vietnamese dance forms, presented by the Sonoma Vietnamese Association.
Learn the ancient Asian exercise form to promote balance, relaxation, motion, health, harmony, stability, and inner power.
Join librarians online to discuss She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan.
Author Talk: Asian American Representation in Literature
On Tuesday, May 21, 4:00 pm, join Rebecca F. Kuang, the award-winning, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy, Babel: An Arcane History, and Yellowface.
Join librarians online to discuss Honor by Thrity Umrigar.
*Advance registration required for select events.
Books, Collections, and Resources
History And Genealogy Resources
Genealogy
- In search of your Asian roots: genealogical research on Chinese surnames
- Chinese American names: tradition and transition
- Asian American genealogical sourcebook
- A genealogist's guide to discovering your immigrant & ethnic ancestors: how to find and record your unique heritage
- Hawaiian genealogies: extracted from Hawaiian language newspapers
- Tracing Your Philippine Ancestors
Sonoma County History
- The Chinese in Sonoma County, California, 1900-1930: the aftermath of exclusion
- Giri: the Sonoma County Japanese American Citizens League oral history project
- The loss of property of the Japanese during World War II: with special emphasis on Sonoma County, California
- Samurai of the wine country: a biography of Kanaye Nagasawa
- Japanese immigrants in the North Bay region: their movements, achievements and settlements 1870-1930
Archival and Digital Collections
- Verified written reports in compliance with Section 5 of the Alien Land Law of 1920. 65 depositions regarding Japanese-owned properties in Sonoma County, filed between 1921 and 1949.
- Newspaper Clippings from the Petaluma Argus-Courier of local women and Japanese Americans enlisted in the armed services during World War II. More information here: Japanese Americans in Sonoma County - Documenting a conflicted past" by Joanna Kolosov
- DVD – Remembering Our Manongs: Sonoma County’s Filipino history
- DVD - The Chinese-American experience in Petaluma: an interview with Lance Lew
Local community information and organizations
- AAPI Coalition of the North Bay
- APIAFSA (Asian Pacific Islander American Faculty and Staff Association of Sonoma State University)
- FAASSU (Filipino American Association of Sonoma State University)
- FANHS (Filipino American National Historical Society Sonoma County Chapter)
- RECA (Redwood Empire Chinese Association)
- Sonoma County Japanese American Citizens League
- Sonoma County Matsuri Festival
- Sonoma County Taiko
- Sonoma County JACL (Japanese American Citizens League)
- SOVA (Sonoma County Vietnamese Association)
- A report on the history of discrimination against Chinese Americans in Sonoma County
- An article that discusses the origins of the term “Asian American” and how it came about from the struggles of the Black Power Movement, anti-war movement, and American Indian Movements
- Information from the Asian Mental Health Collective and NAMI
- California community resources collected by the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus
The library stands against bigotry and intolerance, and supports equity diversity and inclusion. See our statement on racism and social equity here.
