BOSTON, MA – April 30, 2026 – To honor Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, the Boston Public Library (BPL) is releasing its Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month booklist, a booklist of recent titles commemorating the diversity of the Asian American and Pacific Islander experience and highlighting these cultures’ representation in print. Celebrated annually in May, AAPI Heritage Month honors and explores the influence and legacy of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. The BPL will also observe AAPI Heritage Month by hosting special events for all ages across branches.
The Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month booklist, featuring selected books written either by Asian American and Pacific Islander authors or about Asian American and Pacific Islander history and culture, is compiled by staff librarians from the Chinatown Branch and Central Library. The 75 titles comprising the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month booklist highlight selections for adults, teens, and children by authors such as Jessica Kim, Jennifer Chen, Prabal Gurung, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and Tara Tai. Genres from this collection include fiction, nonfiction, memoirs, food writing, and poetry.
Each book on the list contains a synopsis and is accompanied by an image of the book cover as well as classification information. In addition to print books, select titles are available as eBooks or audiobooks.
Along with the booklist, the BPL will celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with performing arts events, film screenings, book group discussions, and more. The full list of programs can be found at bpl.org/asian-american-pacific-islander-heritage-month. Highlights include:
- Gund Kwok Lion Dance Performance | May 2, May 9, and May 23, Faneuil, South Boston, and Hyde Park | A special dragon dance performance by Gund Kwok will feature an interactive story exploring the dance’s origins and cultural significance. Founded in 1998, Gund Kwok is the first Asian women’s lion and dragon dance troupe in the United States, created to empower performers through this dynamic art form.
- Documentary Club: AKA Mr. Chow, opens a new window | May 5, Mattapan | A screening of AKA Mr. Chow explores the life of Michael Chow, tracing his journey from 1930s Shanghai to international fame as an actor, artist, and restaurateur. The film highlights how he transformed personal adversity into creative reinvention, ultimately reconnecting with his roots through art.
- Unreal Reads: Natural Beauty | May 7, Brighton | Sly, surprising, and razor-sharp, Natural Beauty follows a young musician into an elite, beauty-obsessed world where perfection comes at a staggering cost. Join our fiction book club to discuss Ling Ling Huang's contemporary horror novel.
- Duo Filipino in Performance | May 13, Central | An evening performance of Filipino art songs and Sarswela excerpts exploring themes of love, patriotism, and resilience with Duo Filipino.
- Tomes on Tap at Widowmaker: Exhalation | May 14, Widowmaker Taproom & Kitchen | A discussion of Exhalation by Ted Chang. The science fiction short story collection asks big questions about technology, free will, and the universe.
- Cooking Around the World: Cookbook Book Group | May 14, Hyde Park | Join the Hyde Park “Cooking Around the World” cookbook group, where each month participants explore a different region by trying recipes and sharing dishes or experiences. The May meeting will focus on Korean-inspired cooking, with related cookbooks available to borrow from the Hyde Park Branch.
- Introduction to Japanese Paper Arts | Fridays, May 15 – June 5, West End | An introductory workshop series on the Japanese paper art of Chigiri-e (“chee-gee-ree-eh”). The name literally translates to "torn picture." Artists carefully hand-tear the paper to make the edges soft and fuzzy. These pieces are then layered and overlapped — like building a puzzle — to add beautiful dimensions and texture to final outcomes.
- Friday Films: The Boy and the Heron (2023) | May 15, Parker Hill | A screening of The Boy and the Heron follows young Mahito, who, after losing his mother, enters a mysterious world of the living and the dead guided by a gray heron. His journey through this fantastical realm becomes a search for truth, meaning, and self-discovery.
- Nonfiction Night: Eat a Peach | May 21, Brighton | From the chef behind Momofuku and star of Netflix's Ugly Delicious –– an intimate account of the making of a chef, the story of the modern restaurant world that he helped shape, and how he discovered that success can be much harder to understand than failure.
- The Food Group: Đặc Biệt | May 23, Brighton | An exploration of Đặc Biệt, a cookbook featuring over 100 recipes celebrating Vietnamese flavors, and participants are invited to bring a dish to share or simply attend and enjoy the discussion. This monthly Brighton Branch potluck-style cookbook club welcomes all, with copies available to borrow in advance.
Physical copies of the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month booklist will be available at all BPL locations starting May 1, 2026; it can also be accessed digitally. In addition, the booklist and information about AAPI Heritage Month programs will appear on the BPL website at bpl.org and on the BPL social media accounts (Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram).
Patrons can view many years’ worth of prior affinity booklists, such as those from Black History Month, Disability Pride Month, LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and Native American Heritage Month in an online archive.
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Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library is a pioneer of public library service in America. It was the first large, free municipal library in the United States; the first public library to lend books; the first to have a branch library; and the first to have a children’s room.
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