On May 12, 2025, the 1882 Foundation in collaboration with several other Asian American young professional groups (OCA DC, JACL DC, FYP, and TAP DC) hosted a trivia night in celebration of AANHPI Heritage Month. The event garnered over 100 registrants with about 80 attendees and was held at Lost Generation Brewery in Washington DC, with the generosity of co-owner Anne Choe, allowing 1882 and our collaborators to host our event there.
Trivia consisted of five rounds with questions designed to engage people in conversation, while also introducing them to new information about history and Asian American culture. The first round included questions about Asian Americans in the DMV, such as “Which county has the largest Asian population in the DMV?” and “Which popular park in DC was built to resemble a park in Manila, the Philippines?” The second round’s theme was Asian American celebrities, and then the third round was a historical timeline. To receive points, participants had to match the correct year to its matching event. In honor of the Year of the Snake, the fourth round consisted of several snake related questions…some pertaining to Asian American culture, and some being totally random (for example, “In 2001, this pop star gave an iconic performance at the VMAs with a real yellow python. What is this pop star’s name?”). The final round was a music round where songs were played for ten seconds and players had to submit a song name and the corresponding artist.
As a host, it was so fun to see the reactions to the questions and answers. People would get so excited if that piece of trivia was something they knew the answer to; and the feeling of simply watching a team erupt in joy when they got an answer right is something that can’t be replicated in my mind. Unlike other trivia nights I had attended, everyone in the room felt like we knew one another, even if some of us had just met that evening. It was more than answering questions to win prizes, this event was about sharing stories between people. The game of trivia was just the conduit.
However, as a host, it is also hard to have an unbiased opinion regarding the whole evening. One of my friends who attended the event (he came without a formed team) was placed on another team full of complete strangers. However, he mentioned to me that the team system worked really well and so many good conversations were had despite not knowing one another. Two of our organizers were especially good at working a crowd and making sure everyone had a team. It makes me proud to think that we created a space that was successful in being genuinely inviting and friendly; and I hope everyone left feeling the same way. This Young Professionals group is about more than just networking – it is about community, support, and friendship.
