Photo credit Bak Keung Ko
Article by Bak Keung Ko
In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans (CAPA) once again held its annual Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Festival in New York. This year, the festival exhibited on two days in two different locations, Flushing Mall on May 4th and Confucius Plaza on May 18th.
Photo credit Corky Lee
You are probably asking yourself, what is the point of an APA heritage month? Well, the purpose is to empower and strengthen the Asian community. Spanning from China to Japan to South Asia, this diverse collective shares many common social, cultural, political and economical characteristics. Some of these include prejudice, stereotypes, exclusion, and more. Despite all this, Asians have succeeded in many ways and through this connection, we are able to re-connect with our roots. On May 4th and May 18th, AAPI showcased various Asian talents to explore the meaning of what it means to be Asian.
Home Island Project. Photo credit Bak Ko
On May 18th, activities included a free concert by multiple artists, carnival games, prizes, taiko drums, lion dances, NY Crimson Kings Drum, Fife & Bugle Corps and more! Rising and current Asian American artists include Setsuko, Austin Luu, Megumi Watada, Taikoza, among others.
Photo credit Corky Lee
In addition to that, Remembering 1882 was a special exhibit only available on May 18th. As you can tell from the title, it relates to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, where Chinese immigrants were limited access to the United States, which forced them into illegal entry. These are some of the struggles of our past and today’s talents show how far we have come today.
Councilwoman Margaret Chin. Photo credit Corky Lee
Elected officials such as Councilwoman Margaret Chin also attended the event at Confucius Plaza and gave remarks on heritage month. Located in the heart of Chinatown, the event attracted many tourists and local people. The blend of Asian music and sense of community not only made event successful but also fun! Thank you CAPA for another great AAPI heritage festival! See you in 2014!!
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Photo by Corky Lee
Photo by Corky Lee
Photo by Corky Lee
Photo by Corky Lee
Photo by Corky Lee
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