Throughout May, Newton has been celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with several events. Over twenty percent of Newton residents are Asian Americans, and AAPI communities are the fastest growing populations in the city of Newton.
As reported by Fig City News earlier, the month kicked off with two events on May 4:
- The third annual AAPI Marathon Relay was organized by the New England Chinese American Alliance, in collaboration with local organizations including the Chinese American Association of Newton (CAAN) and the Newton Running Club – Niu ManMan. Over 1,000 runners participated along the Marathon route from Hopkinton to Boston, with a ceremony on the steps of Newton City Hall along the way.
- Later that day, the 15th annual Newton Taiwan Day festival took place in Newton Highlands, supported by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston. Hundreds attended the parade and festival with music and booths for crafts and foods.
Then on the evening of May 10, Newton’s first evening of AAPI Heritage Celebration was held in the War Memorial Auditorium of City Hall with speakers, dances, and vocal performances. Various community leaders organized the event with the hope it will become an annual Newton event.
The evening’s emcees were Newton South High School Juniors, Sarina Chand and Helen Liu. Mayor Ruthanne Fuller welcomed the audience with thanks to the organizers and appreciation for the range of beautiful cultures in Newton.
- Dr. Anping Shen, Newton School Committee Member, spoke about the hardships he and his family endured when they first arrived in Newton, but his message was not of endurance but of overcoming and thriving. He read a quote from his daughter-in-law’s recently published book, We Who Produce Pearls, and spoke about overcoming and helping others to succeed and find their voices in Newton.
- Superintendent Anna Nolin expressed how meaningful and important it was for her to be a part of Newton’s first AAPI Heritage Celebration.
- Dancers aged 4-12 years old performed Mini Marvels, an Indian Bollywood Dance choreographed by Shikha Malhotra and Menka Sharma.
- The Newton Chinese Language School offered a beautiful vocal performance of Holding Hands.
- Amy Mah Sangiolo, an Asian American of Chinese and Japanese descent, spoke of the difficulties she encountered and overcame when she first ran for Newton City Council, and of the sacrifices and contributions Asian Americans made to build our nation.
- Bryant Cai and Matthew Dai followed with a beautiful flute duet on traditional Chinese flutes.
- Wei Ning and Hongxia Hu then sang Love for the West Gate, an ode to Western China.
- Dr. Lisong Liu, a professor of Asian American history at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and a research associate at the Harvard Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, then spoke about the history of AAPI Peoples and Communities in America, pointing out commonalities of exclusion and shared historical narratives.
- Vidhatri Pujar from Anadini Sekhar’s Vidyanjali School of Dance, performed a classical dance from India, the Muddurgare Yashoda.
- The Teacher’s Club at Newton Chinese Language School performed a vibrant Chinese classical dance, Mani Love Song.
- Tuoya Naren amazed the audience with her performance of Tang Dynasty, a classical Chinese Dance with acrobatic elements.
- Dr. Hyeouk Chris Hahm, Professor of Social Work at Boston University, spoke about the importance of mental health and well being especially in AAPI communities.
- Katherine Peng of the Newton Education Support Network delighted the audience with a Chinese Classical Dance.
The grand finale of the evening was a choral performance by the Boston Eastern Heritage Chorus. The spectacular choral performance brought the audience to their feet with applause.
Two young poets then took the microphone to recite a poem for Mothers Day.
The organizers thanked all who made the event possible including those mentioned above and the Mayor’s Office, the Office of Cultural Development, Xiaoyi Shelly Zheng, Marianne McChesney, Timothy Te, Tammy Tsikar, Ye William Wei, Michele Leong, Michelle Luo, Zeyang Wang, Jiang “Jay” Luo, Shirley Yang, Guili Yao, Marie Han.
In 1990, Congress declared May “National Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month,” calling on people and “especially the educational community, to observe such month with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities.”
Ed. Note: Rakashi Chand is one of the organizers of Newton’s AAPI Heritage Month celebration.
