Celebrating Asian Arts, Cuisine, Culture, and Community at the 32nd Annual Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Festival!

Event: Press Conference
Date: April 30th 3:30pm
Location: Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA)

New York, NY April 30 2010– The 32nd Annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Festival will be held on Sunday, May 8, 2011 at Union Square Park (East 17th between Broadway and Park Avenue) from 12:00pm to 6:00pm. Organized by the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans since 1979, this annual festival is the longest running and largest event celebrating Pan Asian heritage on the east coast. This year’s festival is themed around the journey that Asian Pacific American ancestors have taken to bring us to this moment that celebrates not only the value of families but also our heritage that make us proud to be Asian Pacific Americans. The festival is free and open to the public thanks to generous contributions from sponsors Verizon and Macy’s as well as from supporting companies: McDonald’s, Con Edison, Toyota, Different Roads to Learning, and many Asian communities and organizations.

(Emcee Mr. Corky Lee)

More than 20,000 visitors are expected for an impressive line-up of performances, fun activities for children and adults alike, and savory samples of Asian cuisine. Numerous Asian American organizations will be present to inform visitors about useful services, volunteer opportunities, and resources to get involved in the community. Attendees can expect riveting performances from:

– Special appearance by Mr. John Liu, Comptroller, City of New York, and Council Member Margaret Chin.
– Opening ceremony by Color Guard and Lion Dance by the Chinese Freemason Athletic Club.
– Emcees by Ti-Hua Chang, Richard Lui, CeFaan Kim, Michelle Yu, Kelly Tsai, and Jen Kwok.
– Music performances by the Hsu-nami, PaperDoll, Reni Mimura, Nina Sophia Mojares, ‘Nuf Said band and Dana Leong ft. Le Zhang.
– Dance presentations by Polynesian Dance, Bollywood Axion Dance, New York Chinese Cultural Center, and Yosakoi Dance.
– Martial arts demonstrations by Kyakkokan Dojo, Blue Dragon TKD Demo Team, World Martial Arts Center, Asian United Sports Club, Moy Ving Tsung, City Wing Tsun Kung Fu and Gao’s Kung Fu Academy.
– Japanese tradition by Soh Daiko, critically acclaimed taiko group, specializing in Japanese drumming technique and other unique instruments. Also performing will be the Kaoru Watanabe Taiko Center and Taikoza.
-Magic shows by Ronald McDonald and Rich Kameda.

(Museum of Chinese in America representative)

The community festival will be packed with lively entertainment, tasty eats, and valuable resources in celebration of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month — and the rich culture, history and accomplishments of Asian Pacific Americans. For more details on the event, go to: http://capaonline.org

About Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans:
The Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans (CAPA) is a 501c(3) non-profit organization staffed solely by volunteers working together to build a sense of community among the tri-state area’s Asian Pacific Americans.

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