From July 20 through August 2, “In Rehearsal”, a display of photographs drawn from the Lia Chang Theater Portfolio in the Library of Congress’ Asian American Pacific Islander Collection, is on view in the Library of Congress’ Asian Division Reading Room, located in Room 150 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C. The hours of the Library of Congress’ Asian Division Reading Room are 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Tonight, I am meeting up with groundbreaking Asian-North American playwright, teacher, and taiko troupe leader, Rick Shiomi, who is making a rare NYC appearance to discuss and present readings from the new anthology “Asian American Plays for a New Generation” (Temple University Press, June 2011), which he co-edited with Josephine Lee and Don Eitel. Hosted by Julie Azuma and Tamio Spiegel, the event begins at 6:30pm at 12 West 18th Street, #3E in New York.

Celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna’s documentary Holy Kitchens – Karma to Nirvana, the second installment in the series which focuses specifically on Hinduism, Lord Krishna’s spiritual practices, and the principles of KARMA and NIRVANA as set forth in the Bhagavad-Gita, will premiere at the New York Indian Film Festival on Saturday, May 7, 2011, at 12:30 p.m. in Tribeca Cinemas’ Theater TWO (54 Varick Street). Click here to purchase tickets.

“God comes to the hungry in the form of food,” said the ‘Father of India’ Mahatma Gandhi. It is this philosophy which has compelled Chef Vikas Khanna to explore the symbiotic intersection of food and religion in his documentary series Holy Kitchens. “At any given time somewhere on Earth, people are gathering to share food in the name of God. This is spiritual sustenance, meant to bring us closer together and closer to the Creator,” says Khanna. “This is the story of Holy Kitchens.”

MyFoxNY.com reporter Ti-Hua Chang, MSNBC anchor Richard Lui, NY1‘s CeFaan Kim and Michelle Yu, spoken word poet Kelly Tsai and actress Jen Kwok will emcee the 32nd Annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Festival on Sunday, May 8, 2011 at Union Square Park (East 17th between Broadway and Park Avenue) in New York from 12:00pm to 6:00pm. Organized by the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans since 1971, this annual festival is the longest running and largest event celebrating Pan Asian heritage on the East Coast.

This year’s festival is themed around the journey that Asian Pacific American ancestors have taken to bring us to this moment that celebrates not only the value of families but also our heritage in the combining of the traditional and very colourful culture across the continent of Asia that make us proud to be Asian Pacific Americans. The festival will feature fun activities for children and adults, savory samples of Asian cuisine, booths representing local Asian American organizations, and an impressive lineup of musical artists, dance presentations, martial artists, taiko drumming groups and magicians. For more details on the event, click here.

List of Performing Artists:
Music: Hsu-nami, PaperDoll, Reni Mimura, Dana Leong ft. Le Zhang, Nina Sophia Mojares, and Nuf Said ft. Ioana Vintu
Dance: Polynesian Dance, New York Chinese Cultural Center, and Yosakoi Dance

Former New York Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu was found dead Wednesday at his home in Rancho Palos Verdes, California a suburb in Los Angeles county.

The Los Angeles County Coroner's office is investigating the case as a suicide.

AsianConnections' Suzanne Kai spoke with Irabu at a CAPE holiday event in 2009.

Click here for the Irabu's comments, and here for updates on this story.