Community, Celebration, and Culture

This article was written by Eileen Wu.

It was a beautiful day on the eve of the transition between spring and summer. The temperature was perfect, and there was a light breeze. Few clouds were in the sky and the sun shone brightly. The day was Saturday, May 30, the day of the Howard County AAPI Festival.

May is nationally acknowledged as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) heritage month. To celebrate its AAPI community, the Howard County AAPI Commission, along with the Inner Arbor Trust, hosted its fifth annual AAPI festival.

Like previous years, the AAPI Festival was held at Merriweather Park in downtown Columbia. The event featured a wide range of booths and food trucks. From desserts like ice cream to boba tea and food items like fried shrimp to pad thai, the festival provided a wealth of options for eventgoers to try.

Moreover, as one walked along the main path, they would encounter countless different booths. From Asian-owned small businesses peddling their wares, like embroidered objects or furniture, to organizations like the League of Women Voters, which hosted an organization to inspire constituents to vote in the upcoming elections, the diversity of the booths was noteworthy.

Other booths included those hosted by community organizations, like the Howard County Office of Human Rights and Equity, which is the parent of the county’s AAPI Commision. Candidates running for office, like Councilwoman Deb Jung, who is running for the position of County Executive, and Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth, who is running for re-election, also hosted booths.

In Howard County, where AAPI residents make up a whopping 20% of the population, AAPI constituents are undoubtedly an important voter base. In particular, many AAPI candidates are also running for office, including Dr. Lanlan Xu, who is running for the Board of Education, Dr. Linfeng Chen, who is running for County Council, and Dr. Chao Wu, who is running for re-election to the House of Delegates. For more information about these candidates, see the linked articles.

Of course, there was also no shortage of booths from AAPI organizations, including Grace AAPI Connect, the League of Korean Americans, Chinese-American Parents Association, and more. Many also showed up to the festival dressed in colorful and culturally significant attire.

Aside from the booths and food trucks, which could be perused at will, one of the main events of the festival was the Parade of Cultures — a vibrant showcase featuring a lion dance, among others — and the subsequent performances.

The Parade of Cultures was followed by speeches from community leaders. The first to speak was Nina Basu, the president and CEO of the Inner Arbor Trust. Next, Chair Kui Zhao of the Howard County AAPI Commission delivered welcome remarks. “This year’s theme for AANHPI Heritage Month is power in unity, strengthening communities together,” said Zhao. “It calls all of us to help create a community in which everybody feels heard, respected, valued, and seen.”

Next to speak was County Executive Calvin Ball. He shared his vision of a “brighter and better Howard County, not just overall, but for all.” Ball stated, “[Howard County] should be a place where no matter where you came from, you should feel welcome.”

Other speakers included State Senator Clarence Lam, the chair of the Howard County Delegation, and Vice Chair of the County Council, Christiana Rigby.

Lam stated, “We are so pleased to be here to be able to support and uplift our Asian American community … because of all the tremendous contributions and work that you continue to do.” He spoke solemnly, “Even just a few weeks ago, one of our Asian American and Pacific Island legislative caucus members was attacked … With racist allegations and discrimination continuing to take place, we are here to support all of you, because we understand the challenges that all of you face.” He finished strongly: “We stand with all of you united, to fight back against racism, to push back against discrimination, and to help uplift this amazing AAPI community.”

After the remarks from community leaders was the most anticipated segment: the performances. Many sat on picnic blankets or lawn chairs or stood in front of the Chrysalis, the signature green stage at Merriweather Park.

The performances came from a diverse array of groups and consisted mostly of dance or music displays. The performances also represented many cultures, including Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, and the Philippines.

For instance, the Ellicott Taichi Health Club demonstrated the traditional Chinese fitness exercise, tai chi, whereas Nrityasadhana brought dances from Odissa, an eastern Indian state, to the stage. The Hanpan Korean American Cultural Center of Maryland roused the audience with their samulnori, or “playing of four instruments” and the Mudra Collective presented a dance inspired by Thingyan, Myanmar’s water festival.

The AAPI Festival was, overall, incredibly successful. Bringing in community members from many backgrounds, the event may very well become a tradition for many years to come.