Latest news with #AsianAmericanPacificIslanderHeritageMonth
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Vivian Kong Doctora uses food to spark conversations
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Vivian Kong Doctora stopped by the WMBD/WYZZ news station to share more about her experience as food industry entrepreneur. Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Vivian Kong Doctora is uniting people with food 'I always feel like food is the way to connect others,' she said. I'm hoping using food to open conversations allowing people to ask questions and to make the conversations more comfortable instead of forcing diversity. I feel like food is a great way because we all eat.' Kong Doctora is the owner of Bao Destination and a partner in Beyond Social, a cooking class and Kobe Revolving Sushi Bar. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
An AAPI dance company celebrating the ‘melting pot that the United States is'
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) — When you think of dancers celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, you may think of the traditional Chinese lion dance with an all Asian lineup of Dancers. But the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company hopes to change that with dancers who are diverse, representing the immigrant experience in America at Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, and it's all about diversity. More Local News In celebration of Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage month, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company performed at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and featured a world premiere called Unanillusion. There were dancers representing four countries: China, Italy, Canada, and Panama. And that's what the cofounder of this company says it's all about. 'We're creating something that blends and allows the conversation between cultures to happen. This is why me and Nai-Ni started the company, and this is the reason why we feel it's important to keep Nai-Ni Dance Company going,' Andrew Chiang, the co-founder of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, told PIX11 News. Andy Chiang was the husband of the late choreographer Nai-ni Chen. Together, the Taiwanese-American couple founded the dance company in 1988 in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Nai-Ni passed away at age 62, less than four years ago, but her dances integrating Eastern and Western aesthetics live on. 'Nai-Ni's vision was to encompass that melting pot that the United States is, so being able to share some space and art,' Esteban Santa Maria, a Nai-Ni Chen dancer, told PIX11 News. 'Sometimes you can get lost, but when you have people with you, you can share and experience the same thing,' he added. Another Nai-Ni Chen dancer, KiKi Tseng, says the choreography takes her home. 'I'm from Taiwan originally, and Nai-Ni was also so dancing the work she choreographed brings me back to the intention of where I come from, why I dance,' Tseng told PIX11 News. Audience members embraced the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company's vision. 'I really appreciate that there is such a wide diversity of music and dancers. I loved the live music, dancers don't usually get a chance to dance to live music,' Nailah Roberts, an audiencemember, told PIX11 News. Another audience member, Gracie Jordan, audience member, agreed. 'I think it's really important to support different cultures and not stay in your bubble. And especially in New York. It's so culturally rich what you're ingesting in art, music, food, It's really important,' Jordan told PIX11 News. The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company is beginning a tour. They'll be at the Montclair Dance Festival at the end of this month, then off to Seattle, then back to New York City in July to continue their mission of modern dance and diversity. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Taichi Fukumura shares love for music
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — Taichi Fukumura's career is an example of musical dreams coming true. 'Music has been part of my life since as long as I could remember,' he said. Fukumura started playing the violin when he was three, eventually working his way to his current position as the music director for the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. 'Apparently I insisted and wanted to play since I was two and a half,' said the music director. 'I grew up in youth orchestra, playing symphonies as well as operas. I fell in love with the repertoire, the music that we play, the sounds of the instruments and how they all come together.' Fukumura was born in Tokyo, Japan and came to the United States when he was one. As he grew up playing in a youth orchestra, he found the connection between a conductor and musicians intriguing. 'As a musician, formerly playing in the orchestra, I was fascinated by how we interacted with conductors,' Fukumura said. 'Because simple body language, facial expression, gestures or even just a few quick words in rehearsal could dramatically change how I play approaching this music. So, I thought that process and how it worked, that communication was really fascinating.' Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Vivian Kong Doctora is uniting people with food The music director said he has many reasons to love his job. 'The more I do it, the more I realize I love every part of it. Because it' is working with my colleagues on stage, making music together. It is programming. It is working with staff,' said Fukumura. 'It's getting to know our supporters and sharing what we do. Every part of it is very exciting and part of the passion of not just making music but bringing people on board and sharing what we do. Fukumura is 32, having been conducting for half his life. And while he has achieved so much throughout his career he said there is still more to be done. 'I'm still going but it's a dream come true, really. It's very very exciting, to do what we do here at Illinois Symphony Orchestra. Programming here is a very collaborative process and we try to come up with something unique to our community here in Bloomington-Normal and Springfield,' he said. 'This is exactly what I always wanted to do, which is to share the love of music and to make an impact.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Buzz Feed
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
Kamala Harris's Most Powerful Quotes For Tough Times
It's Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and what better way to celebrate than by looking back at some of Kamala Harris's most inspiring moments! Kamala Harris is the first Black and South Asian female Vice President, and one of the most recognized US officials in history. She has Indian and Afro-Jamaican heritage. Her mother, Shyamala, immigrated from India, and her father, Donald, immigrated from Jamaica. Harris has proven to be a beacon of hope, courage, and never letting up on the good fight for democracy, freedom, and equality. So, let's take a look at some of her most inspiring quotes, if you're searching for a little extra hope in your life right about now! "My mother had a saying: 'Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you're not the last.' And that's why breaking those barriers is worth it. As much as anything else, it is also to create that path for those who will come after us." "It's important to have people in your life who will applaud your ambition." "While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last. Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities. And to the children of our country, regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message: dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourselves in a way that others may not simply because they've never seen it before." 'Optimism is the fuel driving every fight I've been in." 'There will be a resistance to your ambition. There will be people who say to you, 'You are out of your lane.' They are burdened by only having the capacity to see what has always been instead of what can be. But don't you let that burden you." "The American dream belongs to all of us." "Anyone who claims to be a leader must speak like a leader. That means speaking with integrity and truth." "The time for outrage is now. The time for solidarity is now. The time for action is now. The time for change is now." "Your vote is your voice, and your voice is your power. Don't let anyone take away your power. Now is the time to stand up. Now is the time to speak out." "What I want young women and girls to know is: You are powerful and your voice matters. You're going to walk into many rooms in your life and career where you may be the only one who looks like you or who has had the experiences you've had. But you remember that when you are in those rooms, you are not alone. We are all in that room with you applauding you on. Cheering your voice. And just so proud of you. So you use that voice and be strong." 'You never have to ask anyone permission to lead." "No longer can some wait on the sidelines, hoping for incremental change. In times like this, silence is complicity." "Make no mistake, the road ahead will not be not easy. We will stumble. We may fall short. But I pledge to you that we will act boldly and deal with our challenges honestly. We will speak truths. And we will act with the same faith in you that we ask you to place in us." 'Mr. Vice President, I'm speaking.' "It's about freedom, it's about equality, it's about dignity. When you achieve equality, and freedom, and fairness, it's not because I grant it to you. It's because you fought for it because it is your right. This is not about benevolence or charity; it is about every human being's God-given right. What do we collectively do to fight for that? That's what justice represents to me — it's about empowerment of the people." "My daily challenge to myself is to be part of the solution, to be a joyful warrior in the battle to come." 'When you lift up women, you lift up families, you lift up communities, you lift up economies — and you lift up America.' "The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for, but hear me when I say: The light of America's promise will always burn bright, as long as we never give up, and as long as we keep fighting." "When you [are introduced] for the first time, the greeting is not 'Pleased to meet you.' The greeting is 'I see you.' I see you as a complete human being. At this moment in time, it is so critically important in our country for all people to be seen in their full selves, in a way that gives them the dignity they deserve." "We know the power of the people and we know we are all in this together." "Our country's wounds can be healed. We just have to have the political courage to act." "Even in dark times, we not only dream, we do. We not only see what has been, we see what can be. We shoot for the moon, and then we plant our flag on it. We are bold, fearless, and ambitious. We are undaunted in our belief that we shall overcome, that we will rise up." "My parents would bring me to protests strapped tightly in my stroller, and my mother, Shyamala, raised my sister, Maya, and me to believe that it was up to us and every generation of Americans to keep on marching." "Women who fought and sacrificed so much for equality and liberty and justice for all, including the Black women who are too often overlooked, but so often prove they are the backbone of our democracy." "While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fuels this campaign, the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people—a fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up." "The measure of you is so much bigger than you; it's the impact you have, it's what you do in service to others. And that's how I was raised. I was raised that it is not about charity and benevolence, it's about your duty. No one's going to congratulate you for it—it's what you're supposed to do." "We cannot lose hope. And in order to have hope, one must first speak truth." "There's an adage a historian once called 'a law of history,' true of every society across the ages. The adage is: 'Only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.' I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time. … America, if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion stars—the light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service, may that work guide us, even in the face of setbacks toward the extraordinary promise of the United States of America." "We cannot let up in the fight for equality, fairness, and justice. Even when, if not especially when, it is hard or uncomfortable to talk about." And finally, "We did it! We did it, Joe." Be sure to share your favorite Kamala Harris quote down below! Check out more AAPI-centered content by exploring how BuzzFeed celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! Of course, the content doesn't end after May. Follow BuzzFeed's A*Pop on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to keep up with our latest AAPI content year-round.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
AAPI Heritage Month: Wichita music teacher champions cultural diversity in arts
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a time to reflect on the contributions Asian Americans are making to Kansas and Kansans. Here in Wichita, KSN spoke with an Asian American music teacher who is teaching his students more than just notes and melodies. 'To be that voice for those students and to be that representation, for them to be able to see that Asian Americans can become [such as] teachers, is something I find very powerful,' Panya Amphone, a music teacher at Mayberry Cultural and Fine Arts Magnet Middle School, said. For Amphone, music is more than a subject. It is a blend of his culture, identity, and tradition. 'My culture, to me, provides the lens in which I view the world,' he said. That view has given Amphone a strong foundation and pride in his Asian American culture and arts. He says music was all around him growing up, from karaoke to his dad's Laos band. 'The opportunity that I had to not just make music something that I enjoyed better, make it into a career is something that became a little bit more palatable,' he said. It also made it acceptable for him and his family. He says being a music teacher is not the traditional norm for an Asian, but Amphone is trying to break those barriers. 'It's OK to not follow those social norms. Also, I think that these are very viable career paths, and not to mention, people need to see representation in all fields,' he said. Student who was called racial slur on North Carolina school bus speaks out Amphone is passing on to his students the importance of representation and respect for all. 'I hope that my students will find things that they're passionate about and they'll take their lens of being in a music class and use it to hopefully inform their future,' he said. And for his future, Amphone wants to continue to give back to Wichita. 'I love teaching in USD259, as a product of USD 259. It's the place that built me,' he said. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
