To extend Kundiman's vision of community building for AAPI writers everywhere, Kundiman has developed a national network of regional groups to host their own salons, readings, and workshops. Regional groups include: the Northeast, Midwest, South, Mountain West, Southwest, Northern and Southern California, Pacific Northwest, Hawai‘i, and an International group.

Each regional group is run by regional chairs. Information on the regional chairs, including their photos and bios, can be found here!

Anyone who self-identifies as AAPI is welcome to join a regional group and their listserv.

Sign-up here for a regional group! You can use the map below as a guide for which region to join, but feel free to join whichever region you think is best. We have also just added an international regional group as well. We update the lists every spring, summer, and fall.

Past Regional events

Our regional groups host all types of events across the country—from readings to workshops, to walking tours, and open mics. Here's a sample of past regional events!

Kundiman Midwest: “Blue Hour Reading and Workshop Series” featuring Danni Quintos and Kien Lam at Chicago's Haymarket House, hosted by Lisa Low and co-sponsored by the Chicago Poetry Center.

Kundiman South: An evening reading, “AWP 2023 Offsite Event: Growing From Our Roots: An Asian Debut Author Showcase” at Elliott Bay Book Company featuring writers Susan Nguyen, Joshua Nguyen, E.M Tran, Sarah Audsley, Jenny Tinghui Zhang, Noreen Ocampo, Gina Chung, Tamara Al-Qaisi-Coleman, Jami Nakamura Lin, and Asa Drake.

Kundiman Northeast: A virtual tour of the Frick Museum and ekphrastic generative prompt writing session with writer Vincent Tolintino, focusing on "Living Histories" where contemporary queer artists respond to the works of old masters.

Kundiman International: An online craft workshop, “Beyond Ekphrasis: On Photography & Poetry” taught by Sylee Gore on the myriad possibilities for exchange between poetry and photographs.

Kundiman Hawai‘i: An evening reading focused on poetry and community building, co-hosted with Mixing Innovative Arts Honolulu, featuring writers No'u Revilla, Anjoli Roy, Joanna Gordon, and Angeline Han.

Kundiman Southwest: A poetry reading at SITE Sante Fe, “Permission to Travel” in conversation with the sensory works of artist Helen Pashgian, featuring writers Dara Yen Elerath, Elizabeth Lee, Jane Lin, and Edie Tsong.

Kundiman Pacific Northwest: A Kundiman Salon at Portland’s Literary Arts Center with writing exercises, community discussion, and open-mic based on the theme, “Burden, Bliss, and Balance,” hosted by Jennifer Perrine and Frances Lu-Pai Ippolito.

Kundiman Northern California: A multi-genre reading, “Veins and Tributaries: Tracing the Burmese Diaspora” at Medicine for Nightmares Bookstore & Gallery in San Francisco, featuring writers Michelle Dunn Marsh, Thirii Myo Kyaw Myint, Kenneth Wong, and hosts Audrey T. Williams and Maw Shein Win.

Kundiman Southern California: A book launch party and reading for Angela Peñaredondo’s book “nature felt but never apprehended” at the Poetic Research Bureau.

Kundiman Mountain West: A literary reading at Weller Book Works in Salt Lake City with writers Teow Lim Goh, Addie Tsai, and Paula Mendoza.