Joy Luck Club 🪷

Hi, how was your week?

We are now officially in AAPI Heritage Month! This month, let’s celebrate, embrace, and honor our heritage, culture, and community together. Let’s dedicate this month to the wonderful elements that make up our community.

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WEEKLY FAVORITES ❤

In this series, AHN will share our top picks from last week—whether it’s music, a movie, or a random item. We hope they bring you fun and maybe even some new experiences!

📕 The Joy Luck Club (1989)

Author: Amy Tan 
Genre: Fiction 

The Joy Luck Club is a tear-filled journey, but also filled with laughter between mothers, daughters, and unspoken words. The novel brings up the differences between the two generations: mothers trying to keep traditions alive, and daughters wandering between two cultures. The relationships are complicated, full of love yet full of hurt — it is family. This novel will make you shake your head at family secrets while also making you run and hug your mom so tight.

🎬 Marry My Dead Body (2022)

Language: Mandarin Chinese / Taiwanese Hokkien
Genre: Comedy, Drama

Yes, the title may sound scary, but we promise this movie is going to bring you laughs and tears, and you’ll be unsure whether it’s because it’s hilarious or because of... a ghost! The story of a police officer hitting the "jackpot" and getting married to a deceased man to resolve some unfinished business sounds like something out of this world. Well, it is! So make sure you’re ready for a wild ride full of laughter, awkward situations, and emotional rollercoasters.

WORD OF THE WEEK 🗞️

MINIGAME 🎉

Welcome to this small minigame! The rules are simple. We share three Asian cultural facts—two true and one false. You will choose the lie. 

Continue reading to check the answer. 😁

Preparing for a Future Without the Dalai Lama: What’s Next for Tibet? 🪷

Around the age of 90, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, as a religious leader, still holds significant weight in the Tibetan community. He is encouraging Tibetans to brace for a future without him–and even further, a future without this age-old institution. Thupten Jinpa, his longtime translator, says there will be a successor, emphasizing his role’s importance for Tibetans and Buddhists in the Himalayan regions. 

To identify the next chosen one, the Dalai Lama has already started building clear instructions and insists any future Dalai Lama must be “born in the free world.” While China is expected to appoint its own Dalai Lama, Jinpa believes that Tibetans will remain loyal to the traditional successor.

Tiny But Mighty: Japan’s Teeny Park Wins a World Record 🎋

A tiny patch of grass with a single stool in Nagaizumi town has officially been recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s smallest park. Originally built in 1988 from leftover land after road construction, the space was reclassified from a road to a park and officially measured for the record. 

Inspired by Oregon’s Mill Ends Park, the town raised 2.5 million yen through public and private support to secure the title. Since earning recognition, the park has drawn tourists beyond Shizuoka, helping promote the town's charm.

List Your Event for Free With Asian Heritage Week 2025! 🇦🇺🔊

To mark Asian Heritage Week’s second year, we are excited to announce our return to Australia across two cities: Melbourne and Sydney.

Asian Heritage Week (AHW) is an annual celebration that amplifies your events through our network, embracing and honoring the cultural heritage of Asian communities.

To unfold the beauty and creativity of the Asian community, we would love for event hosts to join us on this journey through two beautiful cities:

• Melbourne | May 19 – May 25

• Sydney | May 26 – Jun 1

WEEKLY SNAPSHOTS 🧠

WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ❔

Is inner peace something you find or something you build?

MYSTERY SOLVED 🔍

✅ True – "Longevity noodles" (长寿面 chángshòu miàn) are a big birthday tradition.

❌ Lie – People actually clean before New Year’s Day to sweep away bad luck—but on New Year's Day itself, they avoid cleaning so they don’t "sweep away" good fortune.

✅ True – This practice is called "panda diplomacy," and it’s very real.

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