MOTHER TONGUE JOURNAL LAUNCH PARTY
家宴
MOTHER TONGUE JOURNAL LAUNCH PARTY 家宴
In celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, over 109 guests joined us at the iconic Dumbo artistry venue POWERHOUSE Arena on May 29, 2025.
Mother Tongue Journal has since the launch of its first issue: Ground Zero 「初」
The night unfolded with readings from contributors, unexpected tears, slow laughter, spontaneous hugs, and a quiet thread of kinship that ran through the room like shared breath.
Event Credits
Editor-in-chief: Ariel Xinyu Peng
Event Producer / MC: Lily Huang-Voronina
Event Programming / Reader Intro: Ang Xu
Visual Media Management / Photography: Hua Hannah Zhong
Event Photography: Daniel Voronin, Sirui Qian
Contributors / Readers: Ariel Joy So, Batool Rizvi, Sienna Liu, Yiran Wang, Lily Huang-Voronina, Hua Hannah Zhong
Two women smiling and posing together in front of a store window, one squatting and the other leaning over her, with a pink oval border around the black-and-white photo.
A group of five people sitting on a leather couch inside a café with large windows. They are engaged in an event, with drinks and snacks on the tables. The cafe has an industrial style with exposed pipes and colorful decorations on the wall.
Group of women celebrating, holding a birthday cake and flowers, with artwork on the wall behind them. The notebook page reads 'Mother's Tongue Journal, Happy Thumbs!'
A group of people gathered indoors for a meeting or event, with a young man smiling and holding a camera, standing near a wall decorated with various posters and flyers.
A woman at a bookstore signing a book, with bookshelves in the background.
A woman with short dark hair, wearing a polka dot top and jewelry, standing among seated people at an indoor event. The background has colorful decorations and blurred people.
Four women giving presentations or speaking at a table, with a laptop displaying a cartoon graphic of four people, bookshelves in the background, and a red curtain, two in color and two in black and white.
Two photos of women at an event. The top photo shows three women standing near a table with books and a microphone, engaging with a phone and papers, in a room with shelves of books. The bottom photo is a black-and-white image of two women sitting next to each other on a couch, looking in the same direction, with a purple background around the photo.
A woman in a polka dot dress read aloud as people listen at an event with a chandelier and books on display in the background.
A woman with long dark hair and dark lipstick standing in front of a microphone, in a room with bookshelves and a potted plant, black-and-white photo.
A woman with long wavy hair and glasses holding a ticket in a bookstore or library, with bookshelves and other people in the background. In the second image, a group of people in a colorful, lively indoor space are engaged in a discussion or performance, with one woman raising her hand and smiling.
A woman speaking into a microphone while holding a tablet in a black-and-white photo, with others seated nearby. Below, women sitting at a table in a colorful setting, holding drinks and listening. Both images depict social gatherings or events.
Two women, one in color holding an orchid and the other in black and white also holding an orchid, with the first woman winking and wearing bright red lipstick. Pink oval frame around the black and white photo.
People seated at tables during a conference or event, with drinks and snacks on the table, and a dark red curtain in the background.
Two women in a discussion, with one holding a microphone and the other sitting at a table with a laptop. A bookshelf with books and posters is in the background, along with red curtains.
A group of diverse people gathered in a modern, artfully decorated indoor space, with some holding drinks, while a woman with headphones and a leafy shirt appears to be speaking or performing. The background includes colorful mural art, hanging lights, and a window showing an urban cityscape.
A pink background featuring a black and white textured oval with a rectangular overlay containing Japanese characters and the words 'Mother Tongue' in pink and black typography. Below, text reads 'Diaspora is Power.' and a small cloud icon is present.
Three women are talking and smiling inside a store surrounded by books, artwork, and greeting cards.