AA&PI HERITAGE MONTH 2026
Anthems: Our Pride and Power
Anthems are songs that carry profound and unapologetic meaning. Beyond music, we extend the definition of anthems to encompass the creative expressions that have emerged from the AA&PI community’s struggles, resilience, and joy. Through our art, we bring these legacies to life, commemorating the past, and setting the course for a brighter future.
This year’s theme, “Anthems: Our Pride and Power,” seeks to highlight the diverse mediums of artistic storytelling as vital expressions to achieve community justice and liberation.
Creative works have been historic tools to preserve and mobilize AA&PI communities. The protest music of the Asian American Movement, the birth of theater troupes like the East West Players, and dances like Hula that preserved Hawaiian identity during colonization, all helped ensure our community’s continued survival.
Today, whether it be through global breakthroughs by AA&PI filmmakers, visual artists, writers, and other creatives, or the dedication students pour into university culture shows, these legacies are carried on. Our art is unapologetic and inherently profound, platforming AA&PI stories for all to see. Whether implicit or explicit, creative expression sends an important message: Our communities are still here.
This year, we encourage the university community to engage with our anthems in a manner that emphasizes and honors this ongoing legacy.
Artistic storytelling extends far beyond what can be spoken or written—it reaches into the past, and echoes into the future. They carry within them grander narratives of migration, war, resettlement, labor, striving, survival, and success. These anthems echo throughout every waking moment of life, serving as an unapologetic testament to the continued resilience of AA&PIs.
To amplify this legacy is an honor we all share.
AA&PI Heritage Month at U-M is led by Trotter/MESA's AA&PI Heritage Month planning committee, in close partnership with the United Asian American Student Organizations (UAAO) and the Oceania Student Association (OSA).
ⓘ What is Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month? Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AA&PI Heritage Month) is a celebration of the Asian American & Pacific Islander communities. Federally recognized in May, U-M celebrates the month from mid-March to late April, with a diverse range of events that honor AA&PI histories, heritages, communities, and identities. During PI Heritage Week, we focus in on the Pacific Islander (or Oceanian) community.
Listing of events
Organizers/sponsors vary by event—see event links below for details, and contact event organizers with inquiries about specific events.
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HERITAGE MONTHS
"Saffron Kingdom" film screening and Q&A
March 12, 2026 | 6:00-9:00 pm
Rackham Auditorium
Sponsored by United Asian American Organizations
[$ ticket required] "Saffron Kingdom" is a story on the occupation of Kashmir made by an independent Kashmiri filmmaker. This will be the first independent screening of the film in Ann Arbor. It will also include a Q&A with the director.
★ AA&PI HERITAGE MONTH SIGNATURE EVENT
AA&PI Heritage Month Opening Ceremony & Art Fair
March 12, 2026 | 7:00-9:30 pm (doors open at 6:45 pm)
Michigan Union, Rogel Ballroom
Sponsored by Trotter/MESA's AA&PI Heritage Month planning committee
[Registration required] This year's keynote is rapper and content creator Jason Chu, a prominent voice in the national Asian American scene. His music has been heard in movies, TV shows, and video games including Valorant, Warrior, American Born Chinese, Joy Ride, and more. Registration is required for this portion of the event. The second part will be an Art Fair highlighting Student Art/Artists that center their work around AA&PI communities.
Eid Al Fitr
March 18, 2026 | 4:00-6:00 pm
Trotter Multicultural Center, Multipurpose Room 1
Sponsored by United Asian American Organizations and the Society of Asian Studies Students
Join UAAO and SASS to celebrate Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors! Engage in Hindu traditions and bond over a traditional Holi meal! All are welcome!
Tea Ceremony
March 18, 2026 | 6:00-8:00 pm
Contact sponsor for location
Sponsored by United Asian American Organizations
Enjoy different teas and refreshments as well as learn about different tea customs across Asia.
Tumakas Time 2
March 19, 2026 | 4:30-7:00 pm
Contact sponsor for location
Sponsored by Filipino American Student Association
[Registration required] Join FASA for “Tumakas Time” (meaning “to escape time”), a time-travel themed escape room centered on contemporary political issues in the Philippines! Trapped in the Philippines’ past, you’ll need to complete puzzles and work with your teammates to get back to the present.
U-M Lū'au: Ke ao nani
March 21, 2026 | 6:45-9:00 pm
Michigan Union, Rogel Ballroom
Sponsored by Hawai'i Club
[$ ticket required] This years theme is "Ke Ao Nani: A Beautiful World," where guests will be taken through the four realms of the Hawaiian world: luna, lalo, uka, and kai, through narration and performance.
Xin Chào Việt Nam 2026 - A Ticket to Childhood
March 22, 2026 | 5:00-7:00 pm
Michigan Union, Pendleton Room
Sponsored by Vietnamese International Student Association
Xin Chào Việt Nam 2026 – Ticket to Childhood is inspired by the beloved Vietnamese book Cho tôi một vé đi tuổi thơ and invites audiences to rediscover the joy, imagination, and cultural values rooted in childhood. The event centers on the universal idea that we were all once children, using nostalgia as a bridge to foster empathy, belonging, and cross-cultural understanding.
AA&PI Heritage Month: Collective Creativity
March 31, 2026 | 5:00-8:00 pm
Trotter Multicultural Center, Multipurpose Room #1
Sponsored by TeAda Productions
[Registration required] Come play in a safe and fun environment and discover the untapped capability of your voice, body and imagination. These basic tools are the foundation for humans to express, communicate and connect with each other and the world around us. Through theater and storytelling techniques; our TeAda Methodology instills mindfulness, builds teamwork, and explores cultural connections. Although this is an event focused on AA&PI communities, we approach the process by honoring each person individually as a community collectively. This workshop will fine tune your listening, observational and performance skills. Participants will be encouraged to engage, move and share.
"Tomorrow" Student Poetry Exhibition Kick-Off Event
April 3, 2026 | 4:00-5:00 pm
Michigan Union, Wolverine Room
Sponsored by Trotter/MESA and the U-M Arts Initiative
The Arts Initiative and Trotter/MESA are hosting a Student Poetry Exhibition at the Michigan Union! The theme is "tomorrow" and selected poems are displayed in the Michigan Union from April 3-17 with a kick-off event on April 3. There will be light appetizers and activities for attendees and we invite you all to view the selected poems! Registration is encouraged.
rXn: Bend the Stage
April 3, 2026 | 7:00-9:00 pm
Contact sponsor for location
Sponsored by rXn
[$ ticket required] rXn: Bend the Stage is a show inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender that showcases self-choreographed pieces that blend traditional and modern Chinese dance to explore and celebrate our cultural identities using traditional Chinese props like staffs, swords, silk fans, flags, ribbons, and umbrellas. We hope you'll join us and our guest performers for an exciting evening of dance retelling the story of a nostalgic Asian-American childhood show.
GenAPA Show: "Lucid"
April 4, 2026 | 7:00-9:30 pm
Contact sponsor for location
Sponsored by GenAPA
[$ ticket required] GenAPA is U-M’s largest student-run cultural performance celebrating the diversity, history, and creativity of APIA communities, bringing together hundreds of student performers and audience members each year to experience a powerful blend of tradition and innovation. The performance features a wide range of acts, including traditional music and dance, contemporary choreography, martial arts, and collaborative pieces from student organizations representing cultures from across Asia and the Pacific.
PEARS
April 6, 2026 | 5:00-8:00 pm
UMMA, Forum + Auditorium
Sponsored by Critical Ethnic Studies and A/PIA Studies
[Registration required] PEARS is a joint undergraduate and graduate student research symposium. Students can elect to do a poster presentation or do a 10 minute talk on a topic related to Asian American Studies, Pacific Islands Studies, Critical Ethnic Studies, etc. This is a great opportunity for undergraduate students to present their ideas, interact with graduate students, and potentially win prizes! The first hour will be poster presentations in the forum, and the next two hours will consist of talks in the auditorium. Food and swag provided!
Asian American Activism and Organizing at U-M Across Generations
April 11, 2026 | 12:00-3:00 pm
Contact sponsor for location
Sponsored by United Asian American Organizations and the Inclusive History Project
Asian American Activism and Organizing at U-M Across Generations will be an exploration of the landscape of Asian American activism at the university across time. We will examine how this history continues to shape Asian American organizing today. This event will feature a panel discussion of U-M Asian American activists and organizers from the 1970s to the 2020s. This event will also double as the physical release of UAAO's "Zine Edition 8: Solidarity Stories", and copies of the zine will be distributed to attendees.
TASI:TOLU Conference
April 11, 2026 | 12:00-9:00 pm
Angell Hall, Auditorium C
Sponsored by Oceania Student Association, Trotter/MESA, and UMMA
[Registration required] Join OSA for a free one-day conference! This year's conference, with our theme of "Talanoa: Ongoing Lessons Uplifted," centering on storytelling, conversation, and the sharing of ideas. Enjoy an array of dialogue and understandings that embody the teachings of Talanoa with a contemporary lens.
Spring Concert
April 25, 2026 | 7:00-9:00 pm
Contact sponsor for location
Sponsored by Maize Mirchi
[$ ticket required] Our annual spring concert, is open to everyone! We see our concert as an opportunity to bring members of the Ann Arbor community together to understand the importance and history of South Asian music. With the lack of South Asian music performances on-campus, many audience members find comfort in our semesterly show as a way to connect to their roots. For our members, the event is a chance to display their growing connection to and love for their heritage and culture through months of hard work and rehearsals.