On May 18, the 17th annual Dragon Boat Race organized by the San Diego Asian Pacific Alliance was held at Mission Bay in San Diego. Twenty-two teams participated in the competition, and various Asian Pacific cultural performances were showcased during the event, spreading and demonstrating the diverse Asian Pacific cultures in San Diego.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and Chinese-American Councilman Kent Lee added flair to the dragon boat races. Gloria, who had attended the event several times as a City Councilmember and California Assemblymember, made his first appearance as Mayor that day. “Our city’s reputation as one of the best in America is inseparable from the contributions of the Asian Pacific community,” he said. “Events like this remind us of the importance of the Asian Pacific community, which has made significant contributions to the prosperity of San Diego.”
Kent Lee, representing the City Council, presented awards and declared the day as “San Diego Dragon Boat Day.”
While historians continue to explore its origins, in Chinese folklore, dragon boat racing is often associated with the Dragon Boat Festival. Charles Tu, a director of the San Diego Asian Pacific Alliance, explained that modern dragon boat racing has evolved into an international sport, with numerous global competitions, including a team from San Diego. He noted that the alliance organizes such events annually to introduce Asian culture to a wider audience in San Diego.
In addition to the dragon boat races, local Asian Pacific music and art groups performed, enhancing the event’s diversity and richness. Participating groups showcased traditional Laotian dances by Champa Noy, Chinese folk dances by the Xingjian Dance Troupe, and Indian dances by Pushpunjali from the University of California, San Diego.
Tu mentioned that this year saw 22 teams participating in the race. In addition to perennial participants like the Chinese Historical Society, there is a steady increase in local high-tech company teams joining, such as Pfizer, Intuit, some of which have been participating for several consecutive years.