2023 Asia-Pacific Festival Celebration

The successful completion of the 2023 Asia-Pacific Festival was celebrated with the presence of key dignitaries such as Mayor Michelle Wu, City Council President Ed Flynn, State auditor Diana Dizoglio, and other state and city officials. This remarkable event also marked the inaugural establishment of the AAPI Heritage Month in Massachusetts.

May 20th was an ordinary day in 2023, a regular day of the AAPI Heritage Month, however in terms of weather it was the worst day in May.

Despite the rainy weather, May 20 was also an extraordinary day in 2023. It was the day Massachusetts held its first Asia-Pacific Festival, a day to commemorate the establishment of the AAPI Heritage Month in Massachusetts for the first time, and a day when the Asian Pacific community came together to celebrate.

On May 20, from the starting point of the Boston Marathon in Hopkinton, passing through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and all the way to Boston Common, there were six rest water stations, one main venue, over a hundred Asian marathon runners, more than a hundred volunteers, over twenty performance groups and individuals, more than seventy participating organizations, more than ten attending politicians, nearly a thousand spectators on-site, and heavy downpours. All these constituted the grand event of the 2023 Asia-Pacific Festival.

On May 20, the New England Chinese Alliance (NECAA), in conjunction with the Asian Community Fund of the Boston Foundation, Coalition for Anti-Racism and Equity (CARE), and organizations such as the Lexington Chinese Association, Belmont Chinese Association, Wellesley Chinese Association, Newton Chinese Association, Needham Chinese Association, Worcester Chinese Association, Cambridge Chinese Association, Braintree Chinese Association, held an Asia-Pacific Festival along the Boston Marathon route and at Boston Common. The celebration of AAPI Month and the campaign ‘Make Lunar New Year a Legal Holiday’ were conducted through a marathon relay and cultural performances!

This Boston Marathon relay race was composed of local renowned running groups, including the BCAA Running Club, Central Mass Chinese Runners Association, Hey Runners Club, Weston Running Club, CFN Running Club, Xiliang Running Club, Snails Running Club, Andover Running Club, and Niumanman Running Club. This impressive lineup demonstrated the strong prowess of its participants.

The artistic performances were overseen by Ren Jimin as the stage director, with Le Ying serving as the host. Tian Yuxin kicked off the event with a solo performance of the American national anthem. The program brought together skilled performing arts groups and artists from the New England region, offering a wide range of spectacular performances.

Performing groups and individuals included: Star Band from Boston Film Academy, Artisan Dance Academy (ADA), New Legacy Cultural Center, Angel Dance Company, Phoebe Tian, Boston NAICFM Yongsim Middleton & Senior Society Team, Children’s Model Team from Boston Cambridge Chinese School – Fashion Art Group, BCMA Youth Folk Ensemble, Brookline Chinese School, Emma Zhang, New England Championship Wushu Academy, Adult Vocal Arts from Newton Chinese Language School, Angel Dance Company, Yizhiyin Guzheng Ensemble, Artisan Dance Academy (ADA), Rongbing Shen, and Duoyin Music Ensemble, among others.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Massachusetts State Auditor Diana Dizoglio, Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn, Massachusetts State Representative Erika Uyterhoeven, Massachusetts State Representative Vanna Howard, Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang, Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Linda Champion, Medford City Councilor Justin Tseng, Director of Federal Relations for the City of Boston Sam Hyun, Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A) CEO Jack Fleming, Commonwealth Seminar CEO Leverett Wing, Asian American Fund of Boston Executive Director Danielle Kim and Founder and Board Chair Paul Lee, CARE Board Members Paul Lee, Stella Ko, Priya Radhakrishnan, Hua Wang; and speaking on behalf of CARE/Commonwealth Seminar Leadership Next Gen Fellow Paulak Roy (a Lexington High School student) were among the distinguished guests who attended the main venue and delivered speeches.

Massachusetts State Auditor Diana Dizoglio, on behalf of the Massachusetts government, read the official statement designating May of each year as the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in Massachusetts. She acknowledged the efforts of NECAA, UCA-MA, and APAPA-Boston in initiating this advocacy. Additionally, she highly praised the Asian community for their spirit of dedication and cultural traditions.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu started her speech in Mandarin. She emphasized that Boston Common is a place of historical significance for our democracy and is an apt location for hosting the Asia-Pacific Festival.  “I want to thank you all for inviting me to attend; it’s an incredible honor. I see our community, and I’m proud to be a part of it. We are reaching out, coming together, so I want to thank NECAA and everyone else. Thank you for your organization. We have been organizing such events for several years now, and it’s great just to see it. It has not only become a part of our city’s annual tradition, but it is also gratifying to see some new faces and representatives from each generation.”

Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn stated, “May is a significant month as we celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. We celebrate this day because of the enormous contributions made, the sacrifices and dedications of the Asian American community to our city. I also acknowledge that there is still much anti-Asian racism and hate crimes occurring nationwide, an issue we take very seriously. At the city level and at the level of Massachusetts, we will ensure that Asian Pacific American residents are respected and treated with dignity.”

Hua Wang, co-chair of NECAA, stated, ‘March 27, 2021, May 15, 2022, and May 20, 2023, marked three consecutive years of relay marathons and large-scale rallies organized by the New England Chinese American Alliance (NECAA). These events have brought together the Asian community in Massachusetts like never before. Together, we voice our rights and interests, and strive for a safe and peaceful environment in America for ourselves and future generations to live, learn, and work. May is also the Jewish American Heritage Month. As the Asian and Jewish communities celebrate their heritage together and develop side by side, we are sure to make this community even more harmonious and inclusive.

Co-chair of NECAA, Qian Ge, stressed, ‘An Asian community that cares not only for its own, but also for the fairness and justice of other communities and society as a whole, will not be ignored by the mainstream. Let’s get involved in community and societal activities. As we strive for happy lives and increase our influence in the United States, we are also helping America become a more inclusive, fairer, and more competitive country.’

NECAA’s President, Guoliang Yu, pointed out, ‘In March of this year, after a joint advocacy by NECAA, UCA-MA, and APAPA-Boston, finally on May 17th, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed a declaration at the State House, announcing the designation of May each year as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in Massachusetts, to commemorate the significant contributions made by Asian Pacific Americans to the state. This is the first time Massachusetts has designated May as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, making it particularly symbolic. This is also the reason why NECAA’s celebration of AAPI Month for the third consecutive year is formally named “Asia-Pacific Festival” this year. It is a logical progression, rightly justified, and has received affirmation and support from the Massachusetts and Boston governments.

Part of NECAA Board Member

Xiaodan Zhuang, a member of NECAA’s board of directors, was responsible for logistics and decoration of the Asia-Pacific Festival. He said that we came together along the Boston Marathon route and Boston Common to celebrate the heritage of the AAPI community. By appreciating the traditions and diversity that the AAPI community brings, we’ve taken an important step towards an inclusive society that treats everyone kindly, including Asian and other communities.

Lixin Qin, another member of NECAA’s board of directors, was responsible for the Boston Marathon Relay, the highlight of the Asia-Pacific Festival. He said, ‘As runners, we understand the challenge of qualifying and completing the Boston Marathon, and it continually motivates us to face challenges in life. Today, our Asian community faces increasing discrimination and hatred, and we must unite to face these challenges. Today, we not only celebrate the diversity and inclusivity of the AAPI community, but we also draw inspiration from the spirit of the Boston Marathon. Through unity and collective effort, we can overcome these challenges and build a better community.

A major highlight of the Asia-Pacific Festival was the platform it provided for young generation leaders to speak and voice their thoughts. Second-generation Chinese-Americans like XiXi Cui, Selina Tang, Dora Mou, Alex Qi, Michelle Chen, and others took turns speaking, showcasing the potential of youth leaders.

Special acknowledgement and thanks to the volunteers.

Xinyu Yang、Guang Yang、Zhiyong Tang、Bowen Ke、Nana Pan、TTY、Crystal Yanyang Wang、Le Pin、George、Yalan Peng、Guihua Lin、Rongli Liang、Yandie Lyu、Taorui Liu、 Yongzheng Sun、Yue Chen、Yan Mou、Yuxin Rao、Xiaoxu Wang、Min Cao、Phoebe Tian、Yi Tian、Siqin Yang、Sherry Hu、Zina Zhao、Dora M、Angel Dong、Vincent Lu、Joey Wu、Daniel Gao、Jonathan Wu、Jack Xiong、Wathan Zhoun、Kurie Dong、Ama Zeng、Yuyuan Huang、Nelson Wang、Zixiang Zhang、Charlie Li、Xixi Cui、Zhizhen Luo、Yiyun Huang、Yandie Lyu、Kyrie Ma、Hua Wang、Yifang Gong、Jimin Ren、Judy Qiao、Leeying Wu、Liying Kuang、Hairong Lu、Yi Tian、Cathy Yang、Xuemei、Alice Fang、Sophia Shao、Wenyao He、Angie Zhang、Wenqi Ding、Anya Zhou、Serena Zhu、Jasmine Wang、William Hou、Che Liu、Elizabeth Barcelona、Anna Gao、Max Qi、Alex Qi、Eric Tam、Maya Jaiswal、Ivan Chan、Ethan Liu、Yiray Wang、Ryan Xia、Cody Bau、Wenyao He、Jacob Li、Wenqi Ding、Cedric Shen、Jacob Li 、Li Xu、Jian Li、Benjamin Wang 、Yiray Wang、Ivan Chan、Ethan Liu、Weihua 、Huiying Guo、Wei Tang、Dan Song、Lili Foti、maya jaiswal 、Xiangye Li、Xiaosu Wu、Jingxu He、Wenyao He、Wenqi Ding…

Special acknowledgement and thanks to the media.

波士顿中文广播电视台(BARTV)、波士顿电影学院、星岛日报、今日头条、美国中文电视、GBH New、NBC 10、波士顿中文网

Special acknowledgement and thanks to the photographers.

波士顿华人摄影协会BCPA、Daryl Luk、April Chai、Benjamin Cheung、Ann Fong、Jiangjun Chu…

Special acknowledgement and thanks to the sponsors.

Karma餐饮集团、波士顿房产网、ZETA FENCING、AllFAVOR Worldwide PCB Solution等