Asian Fortune Your source for all things Asian American
By Tamara Treichel
Everything is bigger in Texas. When it comes to celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, this may be true: since May was officially made Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in 1992, Houston has been celebrating it in a big way.
Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States and has one of the nation’s largest Asian communities. And although you won’t see Houston’s Asian Americans strutting around in cowboy boots or chaps, you will experience a bonanza of Asian culture and meet local Asian American celebrities in different places across the sprawling city.
The Houston Public Library, for example, has hosted Chinese story-telling, paper-cutting, calligraphy and Kung Fu demonstrations. “The purpose of these events is to help to promote awareness of the diverse cultures and contributions Asian and Pacific Islanders make to our community,” Sandra Fernandez, Public Relations Manager at the Houston Public Library, said.
Some Chinese youth from the Houston Shaolin Kung Fu Academy demonstrated basic Kung Fu stances and a lion dance at one of Houston’s public libraries on May 9. Shi Xing Hao, who has starred in martial arts movies and trained at China’s Shaolin Temple, was involved in organizing this event.
“Lion dance and Kung Fu demonstrations are an excellent way to share the Chinese heritage with local communities while having fun,” said Shi Xing Hao, whose academy has become a cradle of martial arts champions.
On May 15, Patty Yeu, a demure Chinese American artist from Houston’s Chinese Community Center, delighted school children at another public library by writing their names in Chinese characters on colorful pieces of paper using delicate brushstrokes.
“Chinese calligraphy is a combination of the beauty of Chinese characters and the application of the writing art (brush, ink stick, paper and ink stone),” Yeu said, naming the brush as one of ancient China’s greatest inventions.
Moreover, the Asian Pacific American Heritage Association, a non-profit founded in 1992 whose aim is to “promote the Asian/Pacific Americans’ contributions, culture and heritage through creating awareness, educational outreach and celebrating the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month of May,” held a Kick-Off event in a ritzy Houston mall on April 27.
The kick-off included a fashion show with Asian models and designers as well as vibrant Chinese, Hawaiian and Indian dances – a whirlwind of hot pink and orange saris, heavy gold jewelry, jangling anklets.
There were also some high-profile performers. Miss Chinatown Houston 2012/13 and Second Princess at the last Miss Chinatown USA Pageant, Anna Zhang, did a ribbon dance. Moreover, the Vietnamese American John Newinn, a famous local Elvis tribute artist, brought down the house when he belted out “Heartbreak Hotel.”
The non-profit’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month festival on May 18 featured a medley of martial arts performers and Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Polynesian dancers. One participant even walked the grounds in a Pikachu costume, oblivious to the sweltering heat. Yet the festival may be most famous for its traditional Ramen Noodle Eating Contest – ironically, this year a non-Asian pocketed the prize money of $25 after wolfing down three cups.
On May 19, the hip-hop quartet Far East Movement, whose band members are all Asian American, performed some of their most popular hits in front of a cheering crowd at a Macy’s in Houston, or “H-Town,” as the band members called the city. The band proved so popular that even a sweaty towel thrown into the crowd was eagerly snatched up by a fan.
So want a southwestern twist to D.C.’s Fiesta Asia? Pack plenty of sunscreen y’all and head to Houston next May!
