On May 3rd, 4th, and 5th, the “New Century” company in New York State held the “Orange County Asian Festival” event at Woodbury, one of the largest shopping centers in the East Coast of the United States. Visitors and shoppers from various places were delighted to see Asian product booths and performances showcasing multicultural traditions.
Since the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the United States on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad built by 20,000 Chinese laborers on May 10, 1869, significant events related to Asians in America have occurred in May. In 1978, President Carter declared a week starting from May 4th of the following year as “Asian Pacific American Heritage Week,” and in 1990, Congress extended the annual Asian commemoration activities to a month. Therefore, May is known as “Asian Pacific American Heritage Month,” also referred to as Asian Heritage Month or Asian Culture Month.
Since last year, the “New Century” company in Middletown, New York, started hosting celebrations for “Orange County Asian Heritage Month” in Woodbury.
Ms. Pang Jin, the representative of the organizers, mentioned that Woodbury is one of the most important shopping centers in the East Coast, which is why they chose to celebrate Asian Heritage Month there.
“More and more Asians, especially Chinese, have come to Orange County, establishing new businesses and institutions here, making us an important part of this area,” she said. “May is the season of blooming flowers, and we invite everyone to enjoy a cultural feast in this crowded place, showcasing the beautiful traditional culture. Whether culturally or economically, we Asians have brought positive influences to the local community.”
In addition to cultural performances from Chinese, Korean, Thai, Indian, and other ethnic groups, the event also featured high-quality specialty products from Asia for tasting and appreciation.
This year’s featured foods included Taiwan’s “Heart Tea” tea products, “Yixiang” sesame soy sauce products, “Eastern Drink” bubble tea series, award-winning brand “Tseng Choco,” and a wild ginseng product from Korea.
The event also saw the rising presence of 20 booths showcasing brands like “Gan Jing World,” “SY Aesthetics” medical center, “Fa Yuan Bookstore,” “Shenyun Dancer” clothing, and jewelry.
Anousone Souvanaot, a Laotian American from Nebraska, was visiting relatives in New York State and stopped by Woodbury to shop, unexpectedly encountering the Asian Heritage Month event, much to his delight.
“The Asian Heritage Month event is incredibly beautiful and unique, showcasing the diverse Asian cultures to people is fantastic!” he said. “I didn’t expect to come across this event while shopping today, it’s a pleasant surprise for me.”
Another couple, Joe and Jenny, from Saipan and the Philippines, enthusiastically enjoyed Asian cuisine and cultural performances.
“This is an Asian festival, our festival, it’s fantastic!” the wife said, mentioning that they live in a nearby community and came specifically to participate in the celebration after seeing the advertisements.
“We are very proud, very happy, this method of recognition is great,” said Joe. “We are here to support this event that showcases our culture and highlights the contributions of Asians to America.”
Students from Feitian University Middletown branch, North School, and several New Jersey dance schools performed traditional ethnic dances, erhu and pipa music, and other unique cultural performances, earning rounds of applause from the audience.