Art, Culture, and Community

As we observe Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May, our community celebrates the diverse artistic traditions and cultural contributions by Asian Americans and Pacific Islander. May was chosen to commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrant to the United States on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad, built by Chinese immigrants, on May 10, 1869.

The Bay Area has long welcomed significant AAPI artistic voices. Chiura Obata, who settled in Berkeley and taught at UC Berkeley for nearly twenty years, created vivid paintings of the American wilderness. Despite being forced into an internment camp during World War II because of his Japanese heritage, he emerged as a leading figure in the Northern California art scene at the time. His works are now held at the Smithsonian, the Whitney Museum, and the de Young Museum in San Francisco.

Ruth Asawa, who studied art while interned at camps in California and Arkansas, moved to San Francisco after the war and became renowned for her abstract wire sculptures. Her advocacy for arts education has influenced generations, with the first posthumous retrospective of her work kicking off last fall at SFMOMA, traveling to MoMA New York, and then abroad to Spain and Switzerland.

Ruth Asawa: Retrospective at SFMOMA (photo by Henrik Kam, 2025)

The United States of Asian America Festival (USAAF), presented annually by the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center, features up to 20 programs reflecting the artistic accomplishments and cultural diversity of San Francisco’s AAPI communities, showcasing artists in theater, music, dance, film, literature, and the visual arts. The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco also  hosts free events throughout the month of May.

An exhibit at the 2017 edition of USAAF 

For civic organizations like the League of Women Voters, these cultural expressions address themes of identity, belonging, and civic participation, which are all essential to building an inclusive democracy. This May, we encourage all community members to attend festivals, visit exhibitions, and engage with the diverse voices that make up the AAPI artistic community in the Bay Area and beyond.

Happy AAPI Heritage Month!
–Adrienne Melodia