Wednesday January 19th -- NYC

AALDEF Young Professionals Committee Happy Hour

The Young Professionals Committee of the Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund (AALDEF) is kicking off the new year with a happy hour to benefit its Economic Justice Project. Includes food and drink specials. More info here.

6 to 9 pm

The Lair

201 Lafayette St, New York

$10 suggested donation

Thursday January 20th -- Los Angeles

Letters from My Mother Staged Reading

East West Players, in collaoration with the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) and the Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST) present a staged reading of Letters from My Mother, by Udaya Kanthi Salgadu. The reading will tell the story of Sripa, a Sri Lankan high school graduate who endured 26 months of forced labor in an American household, and is based on the playwright's true life experience. Performed by James Kyson Lee, Tamlyn Tomita, Camille Mana, and more. More info here.

7:30 pm

Tateuchi Democracy Forum

111 N. Central Ave

FREE

Thursday January 20th -- Brooklyn

Jake Shimabukuro Show

Ukulele musician and Hyphen cover model Jake Shimabukuro, whose album Peace, Love, Ukulele debuted at #1 on the Billboard World Albums chart, will be giving a performance in Brooklyn.

9 pm

Brooklyn Bowl

61 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn

$5

Saturday January 22nd -- Palo Alto

Stanford's 15th Annual Listen to the Silence Conference

"Listen to the Silence" is an annual conference organized by Stanford University's Asian American Students' Association (AASA). This year's theme is "Answer the Call", and includes topics and workshops on North Korean refugees, human trafficking in Vietnam, social activism through Asian American theatre, and more. More info and registration here.

9 am to 9 pm

Cubberley Auditorium, Stanford University

FREE

Sunday January 23rd -- Queens, NY

Korean Cinema Now: Poetry (Shi)

Museum of the Moving Image and the Korea Society present the "Korean Cinema Now" monthly showcase, which will feature both contemporary and classic Korean films. This month's screening features the 2010 film Poetry (Shi), directed by Le Chang-Dong.  A mysterious death and the story of a woman in her '60s who enrolls in a poetry class just as she is plagued by the onset of Alzheimer's disease are at the core of this highly acclaimed new film, which won the Best Screenplay award in 2010 at Cannes. More info here.

4 pm

Museum of the Moving Image

35 Avenue at 37 St, Astoria, NY

$5-10 (museum admission)

Through Sunday February 6th -- NYC

Flipzoids Performance

A 70-year old recent immigrant from the Philippines crosses paths with a young social misfit on a deserted beach in SoCal. A cautious friendship develops as they attempt to reconcile their very different understandings of their old home and fit into their new one. Presented by Ma-Yi Theatre Company. More info and tickets here.

Peter Jay Sharpe Theater

416 W 42nd St, New York

Tues-Sat at 7:30 pm

Sat & Sun at 3 pm

$30-40; tickets here

                                                            Opportunities

ACLF Accepting Applications to Community Leaders Program (CLP)

Seattle-based Asian Pacific Islander Community Leadership Foundation (ACLF) is accepting applications for its 2011 Community Leaders Program, an intemsive curriculum that provides training and mentorship to those with potential to step into leadership roles in our communities. More info and application here. Deadline: March 11, 2011.