In recognition of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the City of Bellevue is hosting two free exhibits in May, one showcasing diverse artworks from a variety of AANHPI artists and another highlighting the role of Chinese immigrants in the history of the first transcontinental railroad. The city also hosted a virtual presentation of "The story of Japanese American incarceration."
To kick off AANHPI Heritage Month and the exhibits, the city held a reception on May 2 at City Hall. The City Council issued a proclamation for AAHNPI Heritage Month on May 1.
AAHNPI Art Exhibit
The AANHPI art exhibit features more than a dozen multimedia pieces. The collection is open to the public at no cost in the first- and second-floor concourses at City Hall May 1-26 (event flyer).
Applaud to the Chinese Transcontinental Railroad Workers
The city honored the contributions of Chinese railroad workers through a partnership with the Chinese American Civic Association. The exhibit, “Applaud to the Chinese Transcontinental Railroad Workers,” featured 60 bilingual educational panels depicting how an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 Chinese immigrants built the most challenging part of America’s first transcontinental railroad in the 1860s.
The panels were on display in the first-floor concourse at City Hall May 15 to June 2 (event flyer).
Never Again: The story of Japanese American incarceration
In partnership with Dukesbay Productions, the city on May 23 presented a play, “Never Again: The story of Japanese American incarceration,” with actors reading first-person accounts of being forced into internment camps in the 1940s. After, they answered questions in the Zoom meeting.