Festival 9

The 9th Asian American Day Festival gathered on September 15, 2019 at The Henderson House in Weston. The day’s theme was look back, give thanks, build fellowship, and look ahead.

More than 300 guests from Greater Boston — Chinese American families, local residents, and representatives of Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, and other communities — were invited. Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn and Consul Liu Aiming of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in New York spoke on site. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito sent congratulatory letters.

The festival was organized by the Asian American Association of Boston (AAAB) and co-hosted with Weston College, Boston International Media Consult, Wanjia Web, the Boston Chapter of the World Qipao Association, the Asian Art Institute of America, and the North American Chinese Collectors Association, with support from Boston-area Asian businesses and many volunteers.

Opening and stage

At 11:00 a.m., Robert Wu, director of the 9th organizing committee, opened the day by singing the Italian folk song “O Sole Mio” in place of a speech.

Over the one-day program, Chinese American artists and members of Indian, Korean, Filipino, and other Asian communities presented more than 30 cultural performances. The house also held calligraphy and painting displays, antique and art exhibitions, and a silent auction. More than ten singers, dancers, painters, and calligraphers active in China and the United States took part.

In the Chinese painting and calligraphy room, local guests lingered over the works. Councilor Flynn spent time with the calligrapher of a long scroll of the Preface to the Outline of the Campaign (Qian Chu Shi Biao). He said that, as a Boston city councilor, learning about Chinese and Asian culture on a day like this was especially meaningful, and that he was eager to support and join such festivals.

Looking back, looking ahead

The 9th AADay also showed a photo exhibition of earlier festivals. Executive Director Phillip Pan said the board hoped to welcome more Asian Americans and to grow both AAAB and AADay. As of September 2019, the Association had formed alliances with organizations in New York, mainland China, Macau, and Italy.

President’s Volunteer Service Award

As the day closed, Councilor Ed Flynn, on behalf of the City of Boston, presented the President’s Volunteer Service Award to 15 volunteers, including Klysler Yen, Edward Huang, Phillip Pan, and Robert Wu.

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

Yearbook press report

A contemporaneous report by Youping Wen (China-US Innovation Times, September 17, 2019) is published in News. The recap above already follows that article; the news post keeps the yearbook wording as a historical quote.

Yearbook press report

A contemporaneous report by Youping Wen (China-US Innovation Times, September 17, 2019) is published in News. The recap above already follows that article; the news post keeps the yearbook wording as a historical quote.