The 4th Annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Festival was held at Parking Lot 7 at Pierce College on Saturday, May 10, where the different cultures were represented by their food, arts and traditional dances.
Los Angeles Councilmember John Lee, from District 12, said Los Angeles’ greatest strength is its diversity and shared a special moment from the festival.
“Diversity is our strength here in the city of Los Angeles,” Lee said. “I grew up in the San Fernando Valley, and there just was not an LA Asia representation. So to see all these cultures represented today and to be able to share in some of their dance performances is heartwarming, and it’s great to see them all come together.”
The event featured performances, such as drummers and dancers from the Hiza Yoo Korean Dance Institute. The event was organized by the West Valley Warner Center Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Councilmember Bob Blumenfeld from District 3.
Food was available from trucks such as Bistro 34 and Malibu Cove Seafood.
Amy Luo, the owner of the flower shop Floralty, who ran the flower booth at the event, spoke about what it means for her to share her work with the community.
“It is really wonderful to share flowers with the community and see the joy it brings for everyone,” Luo said. “As someone who has immigrant parents who came to the States, it’s nice to really do something that I can flourish in, and I love, and really represent that through flowers.”
Jennifer Law, an attendee of the event, said that the event brought back memories of her hometown.
“I grew up in a small village, and seeing that water buffalo and the little shop and growing up in the ‘70s, seeing this little hut or the stand reminded me of my hometown,” Law said. “Now, Vietnam has changed so much, but it is something that I’d like to preserve.”
Volunteer Theresa Ta discussed the idea behind having an art activity made out of organic leaves.
“We are using palm leaves to make traditional toys for kids, and a long time ago, that’s what kids had,” Ta said. “It’s just important to pass on a fun tradition. I haven’t seen anything like this in America. So I want to introduce crafts so other kids can enjoy making toys and animals out of organic leaves.”
CEO of the West Valley Warner Center Chamber of Commerce Diana Williams explained her history with organizing the AAPI celebration event.
“I started this dream in 2015, and it was very difficult for me to get all the different cultures to participate,” Williams said. “Over the years, I built some relationships with some key people who are now our ambassadors, and they helped me to put this all together. So I couldn’t have done it without them, and it’s just been a wonderful experience.”
Chamber of Commerce Membership Director Christopher Ahuja, spoke about the importance of having this event every year.
“It is really important to continue the Valley Asian Pacific Islander Festival because we’re bringing culture, diversity, and making our community more enriched,” Ahuja said.
Williams hopes that this event will bring more awareness of AAPI culture and their small businesses.
“I’m hoping that our community learns so much about all the different cultures that we have,” Williams said. “I also would like them to start going to these Asian-owned businesses to support their small businesses.”
