5 Ways to celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. You can celebrate and learn more about the rich heritage of the multiple cultures that make up Asia and the Pacific Islands with several events, cultural sites and local businesses here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
On-campus: Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration
Tuesday, May 2 at noon
Martin Center Ampitheatre
Join us for a celebration of Asian American & Pacific Islander heritage with hula dancers, AAPI culturally inspired snacks and décor.
Visit the Samuri Collection in Dallas
Wednesdays – Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with free admission
2501 N. Harwood St., Dallas
The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum: The Samurai Collection features an array of samurai art and armor that once protected and adorned Japan’s fierce warriors. Established in the Harwood District in 2012, The Samurai Collection is the only museum of its kind in the United States and is one of the largest in the world.
Asian Heritage Festival at Asia Times Square
Friday, May 12 - Sunday, May 14
2625 West Pioneer Parkway, Grand Prairie
Explore a wide variety of authentic Asian cuisine, check out dance and music performances, see colorfully and lively art and learn more about the history and contributions of national and local Asian Americans.
Learn More
Visit the Fort Worth Japanese Garden
Daily from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Tickets are $12 per adult
3220 Botanic Garden Blvd, Fort Worth
One of Fort Worth’s best treasures is the Japanese Garden inside the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. The garden is 7.5 acres and filled with cherry trees, Japanese maples, magnolias, bamboo, bridges and ponds of koi fish. Spring brings out many flowers, but most other seasons have few blooms due to the Japanese practice of “Mono no Aware,” which means “bittersweet beauty.” It’s an awareness that things are not permanent — so if the gardens were always in bloom, it wouldn’t be as special.
Support Local Restaurants
Shaneboy’s Craft Hawaiian Grindz
5731 Rendon Bloodworth Rd., Fort Worth
Open Tuesday – Saturday, 12-8 p.m.
Named Best Food Truck by Fort Worth Magazine in 2021, Shaneboy’s sits on a curvy bend of Highway 1187 near Rendon. It’s run by Shane Sutton, a native of Hawaii and professional chef who, at the age of 20, owned his own French restaurant in Hawaii. The menu spotlights Hawaiian plate lunches, made with chef-inspired proteins such as firecracker fried chicken, smoked brisket, and garlic butter beef.
Banh Mi Viet
7630 N Beach St., Suite 110, Fort Worth
Open Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Banh Mi Viet was created by two brothers and their wives with the idea of mainstreaming Vietnamese sandwiches but keeping their roots. Banh Mi takes its origin from the streets of Vietnam and has always been viewed by the Vietnamese community as affordable delicious food. Banh mi is a Vietnamese baguette that places thoughtfully combined, savory ingredients in a crisp French wrapping: the baguette. The popular Banh Mi style comes from Saigon, a city in Vietnam, the same location that the family is from.
Royal Tea
4654 S Cooper St., Suite 340, Arlington
Open all week, hours vary
Royal Tea started with the idea of creating a colorful teahouse to come relax and have fun. The restaurant offers unique tea drinks, desserts, coffee, smoothies and small bites, like Japanese furikake fries. Owner Fey Cheng moved to Mansfield from China at the age of 15 and noticed not many women were in restaurant kitchens. She decided to become a chef, pursued a management degree and then opened several restaurants in Arlington, including Royal Tea and Ninja Sushi & Grill.
