Tag: asian american and pacific islander heritage month

‘It’s good to share our culture’: Festival celebrates diverse Asian community in DC area – WTOP News

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May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and in Old Town Fairfax, crowds came out to celebrate and to eat.

The Asian Festival on Main in Old Town Fairfax showcased over 12 Asian countries including the Philippines, Japan, Korea, India and Vietnam.
(WTOP/Shayna Estulin)
WTOP/Shayna Estulin

The Asian Festival on Main in Old Town Fairfax showcased over 12 Asian countries including the Philippines, Japan, Korea, India and Vietnam.
(WTOP/Shayna Estulin)
WTOP/Shayna Estulin

The Asian Festival on Main in Old Town Fairfax showcased over 12 Asian countries including the Philippines, Japan, Korea, India and Vietnam.
(WTOP/Shayna Estulin)
WTOP/Shayna Estulin

The Asian Festival on Main in Old Town Fairfax showcased over 12 Asian countries including the Philippines, Japan, Korea, India and Vietnam.
(WTOP/Shayna Estulin)
WTOP/Shayna Estulin

The Asian Festival on Main in Old Town Fairfax showcased over 12 Asian countries including the Philippines, Japan, Korea, India and Vietnam.
(WTOP/Shayna Estulin)
WTOP/Shayna Estulin

All throughout May, WTOP is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with stories about the people and places shaping the D.C. region.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and in Old Town Fairfax, crowds came out to celebrate and to eat.

Visitors walking through the blocked off roads along Main Street got to sample a variety of Asian cuisines from dozens of vendors, including dishes like mango sticky rice, beef dumplings and chicken yakitori.

Nini Nguyen, who is of Vietnamese heritage, was trying an unfamiliar Indonesian dish.

“It looks like shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, noodles, chicken wontons and chicken,” she described.

She said she appreciated that the festival drew a mix of people from different Asian countries as well as non-Asians.

“It’s good to share our culture with other cultures too,” Nguyen said.

Tess Rollins, this year’s chair of the Asian Festival on Main said that over 12 Asian countries were represented including the Philippines, Japan, Korea, India and Vietnam.

“We love to show people how proud we are of where we grew up,” she told WTOP.

Rollins, who is also the Executive Director Old Town Fairfax Business Association, estimated that more than 20% of businesses in Old Town are Asian-owned. The festival, now in its 4th year, was the brainchild of one Main Street business owner.

“She had an idea during COVID of having the neighborhood and the community learn more about Asian cultures,” she said.

Festivalgoers also had the opportunity to make to make origami art, have their name handwritten in Chinese calligraphy, or buy handmade crafts.

The festival also featured a performance by the Choy Wun Lion Dance Troupe. The group performed for the President at last year’s Lunar New Year celebration at the White House.

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© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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Shayna Estulin

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May 19, 2024
8 Asian festivals to enjoy in the DC area during AAPI Heritage Month – WTOP News

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WTOP has rounded up eight D.C.-area festivals to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month throughout the month of May.

All throughout May, WTOP is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with stories about the people and places shaping the D.C. region.

Throughout the month of May, several communities across the D.C. area plan to host a series of captivating festivals, each showcasing the diverse traditions and customs of different Asian cultures.

WTOP has rounded up eight festivals to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, with each event offering a wide variety of vendors, live musical and dance performances as well as art displays and artisan shops.

Prince George’s County’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration

When: Saturday, May 4

Where: Harmony Hall Arts Center in Fort Washington, Maryland

Price: Free

The deets: Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with an afternoon filled with live performances, workshops, food and an “artisan shop” with unique finds.

NVA Thai Street Food & Culture Festival

When: Sunday, May 5 and Sunday, May 26

Where: Manassas Museum at 9101 Prince William Street in Manassas, Virginia

Price: Free

The deets: More than 30 vendors will come together to offer food, desserts, drinks, souvenirs and more at this festival. Visitors can also expect traditional Thai dances, Muay Thai, traditional instrumental performances and Thai massages.

IlluminAsia

When: Friday, May 10, to Sunday, May 12

Where: National Museum of Asian Art in D.C.

Price: Free (RSVP recommended)

The deets: For its second year, the IlluminAsia festival will shed light on mental health and well-being in the Asian, Asian American and diasporic community. This three-day festival will include a guided sound bath, paper flower-making, a “Care Fair” and vendor market with food options, plus “empowerment workshops.” Other highlights include a silent disco and a performance by Mongolian American singer-songwriter TMUUN and award-winning artist and activist Madame Gandhi.

Nicole Dowd, head of public programs of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, told WTOP, “The goal is just really to create this gathering space for conversation, learning, mindfulness and then, of course, sharing food and celebrating and having fun around arts and culture activities at the museum.”

Howard County’s AAPI Festival

When: Saturday, May 11

Where: Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods in Columbia, Maryland

Price: Free

The deets: The third annual AAPI Festival in Howard County will celebrate the contributions of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community with a variety of food trucks and up to 100 vendors and exhibitors.

Heritage India Festival

When: Saturday, May 11, and Sunday, May 12

Where: Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia

Price: $5 per person per day; free for children who are 5 years old and below

The deets: Across two days, enjoy the best of South Asia with live entertainment, cuisine and commerce, including apparel, jewelry and home decor. There will be over 275 booths this year with several vendors from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. There will also be child-focused sections with face painting, henna tattoos and educational toys and games booths.

Fiesta Asia

When: Saturday, May 18

Where: Pennsylvania Avenue, NW between 3rd and 6th streets in D.C.

Price: $20 for the dance showcase and free for the street fair

The deets: This annual D.C. festival has been celebrating the diversity of Asian heritage and culture since 2006. This year, the event will kickoff with a dance showcase on May 2 and a street fair on May 18.

Asian Festival on Main

When: Sunday, May 19

Where: Main Street in Historic Old Town Fairfax, Virginia

Price: Free (but those who register ahead of time will be entered for a raffle)

The deets: This outdoor, family-friendly event in Fairfax, Virginia, will highlight Asian heritage through approximately 30 food vendors, arts and crafts and other educational activities, plus live dance and musical performances.

Asia On the Creek

When: Saturday, June 1

Where: Carroll Creek Park in Frederick, Maryland

Price: Free

The deets: In downtown Frederick, expect a variety of traditional performances, plus a vendor market, cultural art displays and, of course, food.

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© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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Michelle Goldchain

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May 17, 2024
How Rockville became a hub for Asian Americans in the DC area – WTOP News

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Sitting down to a plate of pork dumplings at MaMa Wok, a popular Chinese restaurant in the town, John Lin shared the story of how Rockville became a hub for the Asian American community.

All throughout May, WTOP is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with stories about the people and places shaping the D.C. region.

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How Rockville became a hub for Asian Americans in the DC area

Rockville, Maryland, a town of around 67,000 residents, has over the past four decades become an enclave for Asian Americans living in the D.C. area.

From businesses that cater directly to the community to the many Asian grocers the town has seen, the Asian American community became its largest racial minority group.

John Lin is president of CapStar Commercial Realty and is also a member of the city’s Asian Pacific American Task Force. He said that he has watched the town grow since moving to the region from Taiwan in the 1970s.

“It’s a place where all the Asians want to move in because they have all they want,” Lin said.

Sitting down to a plate of pork dumplings at MaMa Wok, a popular Chinese restaurant in the town, Lin shared the story of how the town became a hub for the community.

It began, according to Lin, on Maryland Route 355 with the opening of Meixin Supermarket in the 1980s. Other Asian grocers would soon follow, and so would other Asian American-owned businesses.

“Over time, you see a lot of others. Businesses like restaurants and salons and doctors and (lawyers) moving near that, and all the new immigrants would come in,” Lin said.

He said grocery stores were key to the growth of the Asian American community in the town.

“[Residents] can go to other grocers and get exactly the things they have back home,” he said.

Another factor he believes is the gentrification of D.C.’s Chinatown neighborhood which lead to an exodus of Asian businesses from the nation’s capital.

“D.C.’s Chinatown is pretty much phased out. It’s like a tourist spot because it only has a few businesses left,” Lin said.

More AAPI stories

Lin added that you’ll even see businesses which may not be owned by Asian Americans, going out of their way to welcome in residents who are. One example, according to Lin, is the Citibank on Research Parkway, which has its sign also in Chinese.

“So when immigrants come in, they feel comfortable. They can walk into the bank and talk to the cashier and do what they need. That makes a difference,” Lin said.

The other big draw for families is the quality of education in the county.

“The Rockville area has the best schools in the nation, and that’s what’s attracting all the people to come,” he said.

Lin said while the city should be a case study for other towns, there is more that he hopes to see come down the road when it comes to restaurants and shops.

“I will say, compared with Virginia, I feel that they are moving so fast. We need to catch up a little bit,” he said.

But Lin said when it comes to those in the Asian community, Rockville continues to rank as the best place to call home.

Rockville, Maryland, has become an enclave for the Asian American community in the D.C. area.
(WTOP/Mike Murillo)
WTOP/Mike Murillo

Restaurant staff prepare foods at a Rockville eatery.
(WTOP/Mike Murillo)
WTOP/Mike Murillo

MaMa Wok is a popular Chinese restaurant in Rockville, Maryland.
(WTOP/Mike Murillo)
WTOP/Mike Murillo

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© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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Mike Murillo

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May 7, 2024