Asian American Resource Center - City of Austin

⏰Summer Studio Class Registration is open at our fellow ACME site, Dougherty Arts Center! Adult studio programs include ceramics, darkroom photography, drawing and painting, and textile and fiber arts. Learn more and register 👉 https://www.austintexas.gov/dougherty/dougherty-arts-school

⏰ Mark your calendar!

Summer Studio Class Registration opens Wednesday, May 27 at 10 a.m.

Visit the Dougherty Arts School webpage for registration information: https://www.austintexas.gov/dougherty/dougherty-arts-school

📖 Join the Hyphenated Book Club on Thursday, June 18 from 6 to 7:30pm for a discussion on Severance by Ling Ma! Severance is a satirical, science fiction novel about coming-of-adulthood.

All meet ups are free, open to the public, and hosted in-person at the AARC. Must be 18+. No need to have finished the book to attend, though recommended. Learn more and RSVP 👉 bit.ly/AARCEventbrite

Alt text: Light pink graphic with an image of the cover of Severance by Ling Ma. Text reads Asian American Resource Center, Hyphenated: An Asian American Book Club, Thursday, June 18 2026 from 6 to 7:30pm.

Join the AARC and Saya Woolfalk Studios for The Woods Woman Method: A Summer Art Workshop Series. The Woods Woman Method is a five-part community art series at the AARC, developed by local teaching artist Kyla Gaganam for artist Saya Woolfalk as part of a City of Austin Art in Public Places commission for a permanent installation at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

May 23rd's session will be: Makings of Ganga - Tea Staining and Water Mapping. For this workshop, you are welcome to bring: Additional tea ingredients or spices that hold personal or cultural significance to you, extra photographs or images to incorporate into your composition, any drawing tools you prefer to work with.

Learn more and RSVP this session and future workshops: https://bit.ly/AARCEventbrite. RSVP is required. Free and open to all.

Alt Text: Collage of paper images of water and tea stains and water paintings of clouds and a pink flower.

📢 The AARC is proud to present our Heritage Month Exhibit, Migration and Integration, with a Reception and Artist Talk on Saturday, May 16!

This show, curated by Mai Deguchi, features work from five Asian Texan artists - Carme Pena, Ashley Adams, Emily Weerts, Evie Thompson, and Anna Pham - and highlights the experiences and memories of the Asian American community through quilting, crocheting, sewing, and more. Migration and Integration is on-view at the AARC through June 6, 2026.

Learn more about this exhibit from the curator and artists at the Reception and Artist Talk, happening at the AARC on Saturday, May 16 from 11am to 1pm! This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided. RSVP is required 👉 bit.ly/AARCEventbrite

Alt text: Collage of textile pieces from the exhibit Migration and Integration with information about the AARC Heritage Month Exhibit Reception and Artist Talk. City of Austin logo is in bottom right corner.

🎉 CelebrASIA Austin 2026 is THIS Saturday, May 2 from 11am to 3pm! Here's a quick roundup of what you need to know and a call for volunteers.

RSVP through the CelebrASIA Eventbrite page to view the full lineup of performances, food vendors, cultural experience rooms, and community organizations and to receive event communications and updates 👉 bit.ly/AARCEventbrite

🌦 CelebrASIA will happen rain or shine! In the event of rain, we will move outdoor operations and vendors indoors as space allows. In the case of severe weather events that pose safety concerns, we will cancel the event. We will communicate updates via our Eventbrite.

🚌 Limited free parking will be available onsite at the AARC. When full, attendees can park for free at the below lots. We encourage carpooling and ride share options.

APD Recruiting and Austin Public Health - 1520 Rutherford Lane. Use sidewalk along Cameron Road.

Austin Transportation Department - 8900 and 8700 Cameron Road. Use crosswalk at Ferguson Lane or Cross Park.

Please do NOT park at church parking lot or unauthorized lots!

By bus, there are nearby stops for bus lines 10 and 325. If you need to cross Cameron Road, the nearest crosswalks are at the light at Cross Park Drive and at Rutherford Lane.

🍙 Food will only be available for purchase from participating vendors. Some vendors may have items that contain allergens, including nuts. Attendees are responsible for communicating with food vendors about dietary restrictions.

💧 We will have free water refill stations, in addition to water fountains. Please bring your own reusable water bottle. Indoor restrooms and portable restrooms will be available, as well as hand washing stations. The indoor women’s restroom has a changing table.

🐾 The AARC welcomes service animals inside the building and on the Great Lawn. Other animals and pets are only allowed on the AARC’s Great Lawn and must be leashed and attended to by their owner at all times.

🫶 We are looking for volunteers for opening and closing shifts! Lunch provided; event-exclusive SWAG guaranteed! Learn more and sign up through our Givepulse by Friday, May 1 at 6pm 👉 bit.ly/VolunteerAARC

👋 Meet Akiko Kodama, our second guest speaker for April's Being and Belonging session on Tuesday, April 28 from 6 to 8pm, where we will be exploring Asian Americans in Texas!

Akiko is a Community Archivist with the Austin History Center, Austin Public Library. The Austin History Center is the City's Archive, which is responsible for preserving the City of Austin's historical records and donations from communities. The Austin History Center was one of the first archives to establish a Community Archives Program in 2000, and the staff of the AHC work to ensure that all communities are represented in the City Archive.

We asked Akiko why it is important to teach Asian American history.

🗨 "To me, history is not a line, not two dimensional, but a giant object of intertwined individual's stories. Asian Americans' stories are an important part of that whole. None of which can be missing to reveal the true shape and color of the object."

Being and Belonging is free and open to anyone (ages 18+). Light refreshments will be provided! This session is full, but the waitlist is open! Learn more, join the waitlist, and RSVP for future Being and Belonging sessions 👉 bit.ly/AARCEventbrite

Alt text: Graphic with a light blue background. Text at top reads Being and Belonging, Asian American History Pop Up Asian Americans in Texas April 28 2026 from 6 to 8pm. Akiko's quote is underneath with a dark blue background.

👋 Meet Marlon Hedrick, one of our guest speakers for April's Being and Belonging session on Tuesday, April 28 from 6 to 8pm! This month's theme is Asian Americans in Texas.

Marlon is a multidisciplinary artist whose creative practice incorporates personal archives across a variety of mediums including film, photography, music, zine, and performance art. He doubles as the family historian and wears many hats in the community, including being the Culture and Arts Activity Leader at the AARC; Creative and Social Media Coordinator at AAAFF; and Co-Label Manager at mHart.

We asked Marlon why it is important to teach Asian American history. He said,

🗨 "Because it is our history. We all, whether we know it or not, whether we like it or not, are creating the future of Asian America through the decisions we make and actions we take every single day."

Being and Belonging is free and open to anyone (ages 18+). Light refreshments will be provided! Learn more and RSVP 👉 bit.ly/AARCEventbrite

Alt text: 1) Light blue graphic with a picture of Marlon smiling, sitting in a chair in front of a black curtain. Text reads Being and Belonging, Asian American History Pop Up: Asian Americans in Texas. April 28 2026 from 6 to 8pm. Guest Speaker Marlon Hedrick. City of Austin logo is in top right corner. 2) Light blue graphic with quote from Marlon. 3) Collage of two pictures of Marlon laughing with friends.

Celebrate World Tai Chi and Qigong Day at the AARC this Saturday, April 25 from 8am to 12pm! This is an annual worldwide event to send a wave of peaceful, healing Qi around the world, beginning in New Zealand at 10am in each time zone, ending in Hawaii.

✨ We'll be joined by almost 20 participating schools:

The T’ai Chi Ohana
North Austin T'ai Chi
Austin Tai Chi
Rx TaiChi
Liao Tai Chi
Four Seasons Tai Chi
Soul Good Tai Chi
Heart of Texas Taichi
Movement Improvement
Heloise Gold T'ai Chi/Qi Gong
Austin D**g Taijiquan Academy
Chen Tai Chi Association of Austin
Taichi and Chikung Meditation Center
Austin Systema and Taiji
AARC/ACC Taichi Team
Tukong Austin
Ip Sun Tai Chi - Bull Creek Park
Ip Sun Tai Chi - Master Vince Cobalis

This event is Free and open to the public. No registration required. Open to all levels, ages, individual practitioners, and schools of any style. Learn more 👉 bit.ly/WorldTaiChi2026

Alt text: 1) Light blue graphic with a picture of World Tai Chi and Qigong Day at the AARC. Text reads Asian American Resource Center, World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, Saturday, April 25, 2026 from 8am to 12pm. 2) Light blue graphic with list of participating schools.

👋 Meet our featured guest emcees for CelebrASIA Austin 2026 (happening at the AARC on Saturday, May 2) - friends, collaborators, and all-around dynamic duo, Jenn Xia and JJ Mayang!

🎤 Jenn (she/her) is a Chinese-American artist who believes in art and interpersonal relationships as a pathway to explore how we can make life more loving and feel just a little easier to be a part of. She believes in beauty as a practice, not merely in creating something nice to look at, but in making life worth living. In her free time, Jenn makes prints and stickers of culturally specific food and loves to cafe-crawl her way through Austin.

🗨 Jenn says, "Celebrating [my heritage] looks like giving myself the grace to explore at my own pace and to honor the agency I have to create my own relationship to my Chinese heritage."

🎤 JJ (he/him) is a Filipino-American creative visionary, wellness advocate and program designer from Austin, Texas. Drawing inspiration from his experiences in nonprofit leadership, event design and creative wellness, he creates space for people to be supported in their own personal growth journeys centering on making introspection more accessible and approachable.

🗨 JJ says, "My relationship with culture is rooted in curiosity and tenderness; acknowledging the way we connect is both an individual and collective journey."

CelebrASIA is free, family-friendly / all-ages, and open to the public. Learn more, view the full lineup, and RSVP 👉 bit.ly/AARCEventbrite

Alt text: 1) Graphic with pictures of Jenn and JJ and illustrations of a cowboy hat, stars, and a cowboy riding a bull. Text has details about CelebrASIA 2026. City of Austin logo is in top left corner. 2) Graphic with a picture of Jenn in front of a wall of framed pictures pointing at an illustration of bok choy. Underneath is her quote about celebrating her heritage. 3) Graphic with a picture of JJ standing with 4 friends. Underneath is his quote about celebrating his heritage. 4) Selfie of Jenn and JJ smiling and standing in front of the Festival Beach Food Forest.