"Asian American Identity and Place" (ANTH 1737) offered at Pitt this summer, from May 14.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of Anthropology is offering a four-week "Asian American Identity and Place" course during Summer 2025.

To be Asian American means different things to different individuals and groups and certainly from one part of the country to another. Being someone who is of Asian American background does not necessarily result in expertise. According to the Pew Research Center, only one of every four Asian Americans are well informed about Asian American issues in the U.S. with half of those who feel extremely in the know having learned about the topics through college.

In this first-time experiential class students will interactively explore Asian American identity and its relationship to place. Help us shape what directions and focus the course will take in future iterations as we dive into the topic together. It’s opportunity to self-explore one’s relationship to the topic while doing so with others within the class. Take advantage of this opportunity while you still can learn more about Asian American identity.

The course description for ANTH 1737, a Special Topics in Cultural Anthropology course led by Dr. Jessica Sun and Lynn Kawaratani this term, reads:

What does it mean to be Asian American? Does it differ socially or individually? Does it depend on place? We invite students to explore Asian American identity nationally and locally.

We will connect with organizations, speakers, and businesses in Pittsburgh and bring in a national perspective through virtual visits and lectures. Discussions will include topics related to religion, immigration, nationality, poiltics and others. This is an opportunity for students to construct their own understanding of what it means to be Asian American.

The 3-credit course will meet on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from May 14 through June 10. Those with questions can contact Jessica Sun at jhs39 at pitt.edu

2025 Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 (哪吒之魔童闹海), now the top-grossing animated film of all time, remains in Pittsburgh through (at least) March 5.

The 2025 Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 (哪吒之魔童闹海), which opened in Pittsburgh on February 13, will remain here through at least March 5.

After the catastrophe, although the souls of Nezha and Aobing were saved, their bodies would soon be shattered. Taiyi Zhenren planned to use the seven-colored lotus to rebuild their bodies.

Ne Zha 2 recently became the highest-grossing animated film of all time. It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, the AMC Westmoreland in Greensburg, and the Cinemark theater in Monroeville, and tickets are available online.

2025 Chinese movie Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants (射雕英雄传：侠之大者) remains in Pittsburgh through (at least) March 5.

The 2025 Chinese movie Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants (射雕英雄传：侠之大者), which opened in Pittsburgh on February 20, will remain here through at least March 5.

The film is adapted from Mr. Jin Yong's classic martial arts work "The Legend of the Condor Heroes". It tells the story of the world of grievances and hatred in the war-torn era of power struggle. Guo Jing (played by Xiao Zhan) left his hometown and acquired huge power of martial arts to change destiny. Although he was valued by Kung Fu Masters and who passed down the world's peerless martial arts "Nine Yin Manual" and "Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms", jealousy towards him was formed from all parties where he became the target of public criticism. Guo Jing and Huang Rong (played by Zhuang Dafei) turned the tide and protected the Southern Song Dynasty border amidst the rain of arrows with the spirit of gallants.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online.

ASIA POP Deterritorialisation of Korean TV dramas in “Netflix Originals”: “We are living in the Squid Game world”, February 26 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Dr. Hyejung Ju and her talk "ASIA POP Deterritorialisation of Korean TV dramas in 'Netflix Originals': 'We are living in the Squid Game world'" on February 26 as part of this term's ASIA POP lecture series.

Squid Game’s phenomenal success calls attention to the local specificity of Netflix’s global expansion as it commissions original K-dramas. This practice has rich implications, both positive and negative, for Netflix’s production and distribution of Korean content. K-dramas classified as Netflix Originals have been riding its international market power to a wide range of transnational audiences, enabling national television creators to reimagine cultural spheres for both production and distribution that transgress the uneven circuit of transnational media. At the same time, the deterritorialisation of Netflix’s K-dramas raises concerns about its deep interpenetration of the Korean TV industry.

As a teacher-scholar, Dr. Ju believes that mass media lies in the multifaceted cutting-edge research field with inherent dimensional complexity as functioning as a social, economical, and cultural institution. Through teaching and mentoring students in mass communication, Dr. Ju strives to convey the body of knowledge about media and culture for individuals, society, communities, and the global society. Therefore she hopes that students can engage better in dynamic forms of media and communication practices to their day-to-day life.

It runs from 6:00 to 7:15 in 149 Cathedral of Learning.

"We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes resume at Carnegie Library in Oakland, Saturdays from March 15.

via the Republic of Korea's Flickr page.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch in Oakland will resume its free "We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes Saturdays from March 15 through May 17, after finishing its most recent session on February 22.

Screening of After Spring, the Tamaki Family (海的彼端), March 1 at Carnegie Mellon University.

Café Philo-Pittsburgh will present a screening of the film After Spring, the Tamaki Family (海的彼端) on March 1.

Join a movie screening of <After Spring, The Tamaki Family…> on Saturday, March 1 at 2pm at CMU.

This documentary delves into the history and identity struggles of the Tamaki family, the largest Taiwanese clan on Japan's Ishigaki Island. Forced into repatriation, the family endured the 228 Incident and 30 years as stateless refugees under U.S. rule in Okinawa. As the first generation ages, the Tamaki children plan a final journey to Taiwan to reconnect with their roots.

This is an event to commemorate the February 28 massacre of 1947 in Taiwan.  

Admission is FREE. Please reserve your tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/after-spring-the-tamaki-family-movie-screening-tickets-1227065819899 

Check-in for the event starts at 1:30 pm, a brief intro will start at 2:00, the film will start at 2:10, and the movie will be followed by a post-screening talk. The events will be held in McConomy Auditorium in the Jared L. Cohon University Center at Carnegie Mellon University (map). The screening is sponsored by Taiwan International Democratic Film Festival (TIDFF), KITA Foundation, Taiwan Aloha, and the Taiwanese Scholar Society in Pittsburgh (TSS).

1995 Wong Kar-wai film Fallen Angels (墮落天使) in Pittsburgh, from February 28.

The 1995 Wong Kar-wai film Fallen Angels (墮落天使) will play at the Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville from February 28 as part of its Big 3-0 film series of movies turning 30 years old.

Originally conceived as a segment of Chungking Express, Fallen Angels spun off into its own hallucinatory, neon-colored story of lost souls looking for human connection.

It runs through March 6 and tickets are available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

New Japanese animated movie Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning (機動戦士 Gundam GQuuuuuuX - Beginning - ) in Pittsburgh, from February 26.

The new Japanese animated movie Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters from February 27. A synopsis, from the distributor:

Amate Yuzuriha is a high-school student living peacefully in a space colony floating in outer space. When she meets a war refugee named Nyaan, Amate is drawn into the illegal mobile suit dueling sport known as Clan Battle.

Under the entry name “Machu,” she throws herself into fierce battle day after day, piloting the GQuuuuuuX. Then an unidentified Gundam mobile suit pursued by both the space force and the police appears before her, along with its pilot, a boy named Shuji.

Now their world is about to enter a new era.

The first-ever major collaboration between studio khara, the studio behind the EVANGELION Series, and SUNRISE, the historic home to the Mobile Suit Gundam animated works, brings together an all-star creative team for a groundbreaking new entry to the Gundam universe. Directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki (FLCL), with a screenplay co-written by legendary screenwriter Yoji Enokido (Revolutionary Girl Utena) and acclaimed filmmaker Hideaki Anno (EVANGELION Series), Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- is a stunning visual feast that will captivate fans, both old and new.

It is scheduled to play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson, and tickets are available online.

Witch Watch: Watch Party in Pittsburgh, March 16, 17, 18.

Witch Watch: Watch Party, featuring the first three episodes of the upcoming anime series, will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters on March 16, 17, and 18. A synopsis from the distributor, GKIDS:

Morihito Otogi, a high school student who comes from a lineage of ogres, enjoys a peaceful, ordinary life until his childhood friend, Nico, moves in with him. Nico is a witch-in-training, and chooses Morihito to be her familiar. While Nico is thrilled to reunite with her old friend and crush, Morihito is tasked with the perilous duty to protect her from a foretold calamity. Between the unpredictable chaos caused by Nico’s magic, and the awkwardness of sharing a home, their lives become a whirlwind of supernatural hijinks and threats.

Puppy love meets magical mischief and danger in WITCH WATCH, the endlessly charming and riotously funny new anime series.

Based on the Weekly Shonen Jump manga by Kenta Shinohara (SKET Dance), get the first sneak peek of the upcoming anime with WITCH WATCH: WATCH PARTY, a special theatrical premiere event featuring the first three episodes and exclusive interviews.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the Cinemark theater in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings to soft open its Pittsburgh location on February 24.

Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings, a popular New York-based chain specializing in dumplings and southern Chinese cuisine, teased its Pittsburgh opening on social media recently, and has announced a friends-and-family opening on February 23 and a soft opening on February 24. The restaurant's first Pittsburgh location will be located in the Southside Works at the former Sake spot.

📣 Hello, Pittsburgh Family! We’re excited to announce that Nan Xiang is coming soon to @southsideworks at
📍 2773 Sidney St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203

✨ We’ll be joining amazing neighbors like The Cheesecake Factory, Urban Outfitters, and Hyatt House—bringing you the best soup dumplings in town!

Stay tuned and follow us for the latest updates on our Grand Opening—we can’t wait to serve you! ❤️

Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings was first announced for the spot in September 2023, with an opening planned for Spring 2024. 

The restaurant's official site describes its offerings:

Soup dumplings, or xiao long bao (which literally means "little steamer-basket buns" in Mandarin Chinese), originated hundreds of years ago in Nan Xiang, a canal town near Shanghai. Today, soup dumplings are a global icon of Southern Chinese comfort food.

For New Yorkers, the introduction to the best soup dumplings in the state began in 2006 with a family recipe and a small shop in Flushing. Nearly twenty years later, Nan Xiang is synonymous with authentic Southern Chinese cuisine.

. . .

Recognized as having “the best soup dumplings in town” and with a perennial feature in the Michelin Guide, we pride ourselves on being a haven for those who value the warmth of home-cooked meals, family dinners, and community. What does the taste of home mean to you? We hope you’ll find the answer here at Nan Xiang.