Festival 11

The 11th Asian American Day Festival was a charity auction and music gala on Saturday, November 20, 2021, at China Pearl (Dragon Phoenix / 龍鳳大酒樓) in Quincy.

The evening ran nearly six hours and closed around 11:00 p.m. The Asian American Association of Boston (AAAB) invited elected officials from Massachusetts, Boston, and Quincy; representatives of Asian American community groups; partners; and hundreds of Chinese American residents who registered for the gathering.

Preview and gifts

The auction preview opened at 5:00 p.m. Nearly 100 lots were offered that night — antique artworks, calligraphy and painting, ceramics, jewelry, and clothing. Most gifts came from AAAB board members, partners, and members, with further donations from the wider community.

During the drive, board members Klysler Yen, Phillip Pan, Pinci Cao, Robert Wu, Tianqi Wang, Meixia Chen, and Kewei Gan were among the first to give from their own collections. Chinese international students at Boston College gathered calligraphy by artists in China. Ge Qian, co-chair of the New England Chinese American Alliance, donated luxury clothing. Partner Jin Hua donated jewelry.

Officials and congratulations

As the evening opened, State Senator Marc Pacheco, State Senator John Keenan, Representative Jon Santiago, Representative Paul Donato, and Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn spoke and praised the program. Governor Charles Baker and Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch sent letters in advance. Rayla Campbell, then a 2022 Republican candidate for Secretary of the Commonwealth, and Kim Duffy, then a 2022 Republican candidate for Governor, also attended.

Auction and first-prize gift

Under auctioneer and AAAB Executive President Phillip Pan, all 32 art lots found bidders. In the closing first-prize drawing, Yen Ruosu, chairperson of the Yen Clan Association — drawn by Klysler Yen — immediately donated the $1,000 cash prize to AAAB.

This page is a recap of a festival that has already taken place. It is not an upcoming-event notice.

Yearbook press

Two yearbook articles about this dinner are in News: the November 13, 2021 Life Salon preview, and the “lighting yourself up to illuminate others” recap. Extra named performers in the yearbook digest include Yazhi Guo and violinist Jie Yang; Director Ji Cheng Gu spoke on earthquake forecasting.

Yearbook press

Two yearbook articles about this dinner are in News: the November 13, 2021 Life Salon preview, and the “lighting yourself up to illuminate others” recap. Extra named performers in the yearbook digest include Yazhi Guo and violinist Jie Yang; Director Ji Cheng Gu spoke on earthquake forecasting.