The Scarsdale Public Library is honored to host its Inaugural AAPI Heritage Festival over Zoom from May 24-27, 2021.
The mission of the AAPI Heritage Festival is to give the residents of Scarsdale opportunities to celebrate, engage with, and learn about the cultural heritages of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. The Scarsdale Public Library aims to lift their voices, stands in solidarity with them against oppression and violence, and acknowledges their achievements, beliefs, hardships, and rights.
From Kathak dance to Aikido to informative lectures/panels, we are excited to bring engaging programming each day. Please see below to register!
Monday, May 24
5:30PM - 6:30PM
Join us for an online craft class in which each participant (age 10 or older) will make a lovely lotus flower lantern using colored paper and wire frames and watch a short documentary film.
When you register, please type your email address carefully and correctly so you will have no problems receiving your important event correspondence by email.
Every registrant will have a material kit (including frames, petals, leaves, and glue) and book reserved for them to pick up from 54 Olmsted Road prior to the event.
7:00PM - 8:00PM
This timely, educational presentation about the history, present, and future outlook of Asian Americans in the United States is being brought to you by the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA). This cultural competency lecture was developed for high school students but is suitable for a general audience. Dr. Renqiu Yu, Professor of History at SUNY Purchase and a leading scholar on Chinese Americans, will introduce the program and answer questions.
When you register, please type your email address carefully and correctly so you will have no problems receiving your Zoom credentials.
The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) aims to engage audiences in an ongoing and historical dialogue, in which people of all backgrounds are able to see American history through a critical perspective, to reflect on their own experiences, and to make meaningful connections between: the past and the present, the global and the local, themselves and others.
Tuesday, May 25
7:00PM - 8:00PM
Join us for a tutorial/demonstration of how to build a delicious, nutritious, and adorable bento box meal. If you wish to follow along with the program, please have the following ingredients and tools on hand:
- Cooked rice
- Sushi seasoning sauce
- Seaweed
- Room-temperature water
- Plastic food wrap
- Toothpicks
- Scissors
- A spoon
When you register, please take care to type your email address correctly as all correspondence regarding this event will come through your email.
8:00PM - 8:30PM
When you register, please take care to type your email address correctly as all correspondence regarding this event will come through your email.
Please note that the content of this program is pre-recorded to ensure music and dance synchronicity and will be shown to you over Zoom.
About the Dancers and Form
Dr. Nalini Rau is a dancer, choreographer, educator, and teacher of Bharata Natyam, based in New York. She likes the challenge of turning abstract ideas into visual movement and is truly happy when her audience and she connect via dance. She uses the traditional style and techniques to explore current issues. Her doctorate trained her to question and search for answers, while her nature looks to connect with people: her choreography makes these two strands come together in her dance. She has explored the effects of the virus of hate in the pandemic, the quest for peace, self transformation, facets of womanhood, our relation to society, human emotions, reinterpreting of mythology, Puranas, along with the more traditional repertoire. She has trained over 200 students of every age at Natya Anubhava and been invited as an educator in numerous schools and colleges. Arts Westchester awarded her in April 2015, the "50 for 50" award as a recognition for her “outstanding contributions as a choreographer”. She was the honoree artist for IACAW in 2018 for her contributions to the community. Dr. Rau teaches beginners to master classes at the India Center and at her studio at Yorktown.
Maya Rau-Murthy is a mridangist, nattuvanar, and Bharatanatyam performer, choreographer, and teacher based in New York and San Francisco. She is a disciple of her mother, Dr. Nalini Rau (disciple of Guru Dakshinamoorti Pillai) and is the associate director of the Natya Anubhava Dance Academy. She has given hundreds of performances, including in the Seva Sadan Malleswaram, United Nations, New York City Hall, Jewish Museum, Hammond Museum, Javits Center, AKKA conference. She has directed and choreographed multiple dance ballets ranging from traditional topics in the Puranas to contemporary themes exploring gender and social justice. She has choreographed multiple margams, has taught over 40 students and co-trained over 10 for their arangetram. Additionally, she regularly performs nattuvangam and mridangam. She has been training in mridangam from age 8 under Sri Balaskandan, a disciple of Sri Karaikudi Mani. She is trained in carnatic music under Smt. Ranjani Veni Madhavan, and is trained in the western flute under Rebecca Kuehl. She is currently learning the karanas under Smt. Ashwini Srivatsan, disciple of Smt. Sundari Santhanam and Chhau under Sri Rakesh Sai Babu.
Please register on the day you would like to pick up the craft materials, no need to specify a time!
This passive program consists of an at-home art project, which was lovingly designed and created by local artist, Priya Nag. The project was inspired by the truck and transportation art prevalent in South and Southeast Asia. Each participant will make and decorate their own truck with the materials provided by the Library in the kit.
Suitable for all ages. Step-by-step instructions and a video will be available.
Every registrant will have a Take & Make kit reserved for them to pick up from 54 Olmsted Road.
When you register, please type your email address carefully and correctly so you will have no problems receiving your important project correspondence by email.
Wednesday, May 26
5:30PM - 6:30PM
Join us for a lively hour in conversation with these six amazing authors of middle grade and young adult literature!
When you register, please take care to type your email address correctly as all correspondence regarding this event will come through your email.
This event will be recorded.
Sheela Chari is the author of the THE UNEXPLAINABLE DISAPPEARANCE OF MARS PATEL series, based on the Peabody Award-winning mystery podcast. Her other work include the forthcoming novel, KARTHIK DELIVERS (2022), FINDING MIGHTY, a Junior Library Guild Selection and Children's Choice Award Finalist; and VANISHED, an APALA Children’s Literature Honor Book, Edgar finalist for best juvenile mystery, and Al’s Book Club Pick on the Today Show. Sheela has degrees from Stanford University, Boston University, and New York University, where she received an MFA in Fiction. She is a faculty member at Vermont College of the Arts and teaches fiction at Mercy College. She lives with her family in New York.
Sayantani DasGupta is the New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed, Bengali folktale and string theory-inspired Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond books, the first of which—The Serpent’s Secret—was a Bank Street Best Book of the Year, a Booklist Best Middle Grade Novel of the 21st Century, and an EB White Read Aloud Honor Book. Sayantani is a pediatrician by training, but now teaches at Columbia University. When she’s not writing or reading, Sayantani spends time watching cooking shows with her trilingual children and protecting her black Labrador retriever Khushi from the many things that scare him, including plastic bags. She is a team member of We Need Diverse Books, and can be found online at sayantanidasgupta.com and on Twitter at @sayantani16.
Henry Lien is an author from Taiwan, now living in Hollywood, CA. He is a graduate of St. Paul’s School, Brown University, UCLA School of Law, and Clarion West Writers Workshop. He is the author of the award-winning and critically-acclaimed Peasprout Chen middle grade fantasy series. Henry also teaches writing in the UCLA Extension Writers Program. He previously worked as an attorney and fine art dealer. He is a four-time Nebula/Norton Award finalist and won the UCLA Extension Department of the Arts Instructor of the Year award. Hobbies include writing theme songs for his novels and losing Nebula/Norton Awards.
Diana Ma: “I’m a Chinese American author who writes YA and MG books that feature kickass Asian American heroes. Growing up as a Chinese American girl, these were the kind of characters I hungered to find in books. I believe that it’s important for all kids to recognize themselves as the heroes of the books they read and that diverse books help us create a better world. I have two wonderful kids of my own and want them to grow up with books that represent them. I was a 2019 We Need Diverse Books mentee with Swati Avashti, and I have an BA in Creative Writing from the University of Washington and an MA in English with a Creative Writing focus from the University of Illinois, Chicago. I’m represented by Christa Heschke and Daniele Hunter of McIntosh and Otis. I live in a suburb of Seattle and teach composition, creative writing, literature, and humanities at North Seattle College.”
LEHUA PARKER writes speculative fiction for kids and adults that often explores the intersections of Hawaii’s past, present, and future. Her published works include the Niuhi Shark Saga trilogy, Lauele Universe Stories, Lauele Chicken Skin Stories, and Lauele Fractured Folktales, as well as plays, poetry, short stories, and essays. One Boy, No Water, Niuhi Shark Saga #1, was a 2017 Hawaii Children’s Choice Nene Award Nominee. As an author, editor, and educator trained in literary criticism and advocate of indigenous cultural narratives, Lehua is a frequent presenter at conferences, symposiums, and schools. Her hands-on workshops and presentations for kids and adults are offered through the Lehua Writing Academy. She is currently the Personal Voices Editor for Dialogue Magazine and the Lit Coordinator for PEAU (Pasifika Enriching Arts of Utah). Originally from Hawaii and a Kamehameha Schools graduate, Lehua now lives in exile in the Rocky Mountains. During the snowy winters, she dreams of the beach.
Cindy Pon is the author of Silver Phoenix (Greenwillow), which was named one of the Top Ten Fantasy and Science Fiction Books for Youth by the American Library Association’s Booklist and one of 2009′s best Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror by VOYA; Serpentine and Sacrifice (Month9Books), which were both Junior Library Guild selections and received starred reviews from School Library Journal and Kirkus, respectively; and WANT (Simon Pulse), also a Junior Library Guild selection, is a near-future thriller set in Taipei. RUSE, the sequel, released in March 2019. She is the cofounder of Diversity in YA with Malinda Lo. Cindy is also a Chinese brush-painting student of nearly two decades. Learn more about her books and art at http://cindypon.com.
7:00PM - 8:00PM
Joya Syed represents Swapna Dance Academy in Westchester, New York. She will showcase a Classical North Indian dance form called Kathak. This cultural presentation will cover various topics such as the history of the dance, contemporary significance, costumes, and more! You will get to see five pieces choreographed by dance teachers Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj and Anindita Ganguly. Enjoy!
When you register, please take care to type your email address correctly as all correspondence regarding this event will come through your email.
Please note that the content of this program is pre-recorded to ensure music and dance synchronicity and will be shown to you over Zoom.
Please register on the day you would like to pick up the craft materials, no need to specify a time!
This passive program consists of an at-home art project, which was lovingly designed and created by local artist, Priya Nag. The project was inspired by the truck and transportation art prevalent in South and Southeast Asia. Each participant will make and decorate their own truck with the materials provided by the Library in the kit.
Suitable for all ages. Step-by-step instructions and a video will be available.
Every registrant will have a Take & Make kit reserved for them to pick up from 54 Olmsted Road.
When you register, please type your email address carefully and correctly so you will have no problems receiving your important project correspondence by email.
Thursday, May 27
This Take & Make project is part of the Inaugural AAPI Heritage Festival at Scarsdale Public Library!
This passive program consists of an at-home art project, which was lovingly designed and created by local artist, Priya Nag. The project was inspired by the truck and transportation art prevalent in South and Southeast Asia. Each participant will make and decorate their own truck with the materials provided by the Library in the kit.
Suitable for all ages. Step-by-step instructions and a video will be available.
Every registrant will have a Take & Make kit reserved for them to pick up from 54 Olmsted Road.
When you register, please type your email address carefully and correctly so you will have no problems receiving your important project correspondence by email.