Saturday, September 17, 2022
7:30 – 11:00 PM
Private Terrace in Montclair, NJ
Address provided upon ticket purchase
Joyful Attire
Proceeds from the evening will support AAPI Montclair, a 501(c)3 nonprofit working to further rights, visibility and representation for the AAPI community throughout New Jersey, and the launch of our exciting new initiative, Teach Asian American Stories.
In response to the surge of anti-Asian hate spurred during the pandemic, a grassroots coalition of parents, students, and educators successfully advocated for a historic bill mandating that all New Jersey K-12 public schools integrate Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) history and contributions into their curricula–becoming the second state in the country to do so. Teach Asian American Stories will connect educators with the professional development opportunities they need to begin bringing AAPI history and contributions to life in their classrooms.
Event Guests
Guest of Honor
Michelle Li, Founder of Very Asian
Michelle Li was criticized for telling her TV audience that she eats dumplings to celebrate the New Year. Callers said they found it offensive and “Very Asian.” Soon after Michelle shared a video, #veryasian went viral. Michelle started the Very Asian Foundation, whose May Book Project supports the inclusion of books by Asian American authors in libraries and schools. Guests will mingle with Michelle in an intimate setting during our pre-event Luminary cocktail hour 6:30 - 7:30 PM) and hear from her during our main event (7:30 - 11:00 PM).
Guest Chefs
Michael & Meichih Kim of Michelin Star Maum
Michelin Star Chefs Michael and Meichih Kim of Bǎo Bèi and formerly of Maum in Palo Alto, will prepare a gourmet dumpling tasting for a pre-event Luminary cocktail hour (6:30 - 7:30 PM), inspired by the origins of the Very Asian story. The husband and wife duo’s cuisine draws on their fine dining background in classical French cuisine (Per Se, Craft, Benu, SPQR, Namu Gaji) combined with their Taiwanese and Korean heritage and Southern California roots.
OUR CO-HOSTS
