Welcome to Seattle Center
Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration is May 3: 11am-5pm at the Armory Food & Event Hall. The festival is part of the Seattle Center Festál series. It is free and open to the public.
Seattle Center Festál is a year-round series of 25 free cultural festivals, produced in partnership with community organizations. In 2022, Festál celebrated 25 years of stories and traditions, ushering in a new era of hybrid programming. Learn more about Festál and subscribe to the newsletter for updates.
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Time |
Event |
|
11:00am |
Mak Fai Lion Dance |
|
11:15am |
Opening Remarks: · Hosts: Shari Leid, John Chen, Dr. Jerry Nguyen · Jim LaRoche & Taylor Ahana – Native Land Acknowledgement
Welcoming Remarks: · Michael Itti, Co-Chairperson, Asian Pacific Directors Coalition |
|
11:30am |
Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team |
|
11:45am |
Seattle Kokon Taiko |
|
12:00pm |
Seattle Lataki Group |
|
12:15pm |
Huayin Performing Arts Group |
|
12:30pm |
Kahoot Trivia |
|
12:45pm |
Kinnaly |
|
1:00pm |
Apex Diabolo |
|
1:15pm |
Hula O Lehualani |
|
1:30pm |
Beatbox Panda |
|
1:45pm |
Book Reading by Kelly Goto – Seattle Samurai: A Cartoonist's Perspective of the Japanese American Experience |
|
2:00pm |
Alan Sugiyama Hum Bow Eating Contest |
|
2:30pm |
JunHong’s Kung Fu Club |
|
2:45pm |
The Kompany |
|
3:00 pm |
Sabyu |
|
3:15pm |
Lincoln High School Vietnamese Student Group |
|
3:30 pm |
Khmer Amarak Performing Arts |
|
3:45 pm |
Aakriti Dance Academy |
|
4:00pm |
Kahoot Trivia |
|
4:15pm |
Nance of Guma' Gela' |
|
4:30pm |
Sayaw (FASA sa UW) |
|
4:45pm |
Te Fare O Tamatoa |
|
5:00pm |
Closing Remarks |
|
Time |
Event |
|
12:00pm |
She Marches in Chinatown (released in 2023) is directed by Della Chen. In 1952, Asian American girls had no extra-curricular activities until Ruby Chow created the Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team, the only one of its kind in the world. Despite gentrification, Title IX, and a global pandemic, seventy years later the drill team continues to define, represent and celebrate the evolving Asian American experience of its dedicated multigenerational participants. This 31 minute film is now available with lesson plans for education institutions, to teach young students about the value of tradition, culture and break the stereotypes of Asian American females. |
OVERVIEW
Seattle Center Festál presents Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration in partnership with the Asian Pacific Directors Coalition (APDC). The festival marks the beginning of the officially proclaimed and recognized Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) of May in the Greater Seattle area. It aims to preserve and promote the culture, heritage, and contributions of Asian Pacific Islanders (API) and Asian Pacific Americans (APA).
HISTORY
Asian Pacific Islander celebrations began in the 1970s, when student groups and coalitions at local high school and colleges organized events to showcase the rich heritage and diversity of their communities.
In 1982, the Asian Pacific Directors Coalition (APDC) was formed to support many events in the Greater Seattle area. APDC is comprised of over 40 executive directors, board presidents, and leaders from local non-profits, civil rights organizations, educational institutions, and government. APDC advocates for the needs of the API community, offers a platform for collaboration, and supports professional/organizational development.
In 2002, APDC formed a sub-committee to organize the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration and joined Seattle Center Festál under the leadership of Alan ‘Al’ Sugiyama, a long-time community activist, first chairperson of APDC, and the first Asian American elected to the Board of Directors for Seattle Public Schools.
DID YOU KNOW?
The API community represents over 26 different ethnic communities with over 67 unique languages and dialects.
