South Jersey’s AAPI Festival Celebrates Culture, Unity
Image of Philly Dance Group performing the March of the Naval Vessels. Photo by Ashley Ward.
BY ASHLEY WARD | For AC JosepH Media
CHERRY HILL – A visit by U.S. Sen. Andy Kim along with new vendors highlighted a mixture of food, music and activities that made the fifth annual AAPI Heritage Month Festival at Cherry Hill West High School sparkle on Sunday, May 18.
The Asian American Alliance in South Jersey (AAASJ) hosted the festival, that included vendors offering handmade crafts, henna, jewelry, and more. Attendees enjoyed interactive lessons, community resources, and engaging activities for all ages. The day’s highlight included beautiful performances showcasing traditional and modern Asian cultures.
The AAPI Festival started in 2020. It started initially as an “Anti-Asian Hate Demonstration” and later grew into a bridge between the AAPI communities and others.
“The festival can help people learn who they are and learn to accept each other’s differences.” Nina Gao, the President of AAASJ, told Front Runner New Jersey.com.
She shared some exciting additions to this year’s festival, including Kim’s return. A native of South Jersey, Kim became the first Asian American to represent New Jersey in U.S. Senate last year and the first Korean American ever in the body. He made a surprise visit at the festival last year.
Sally Tong, one of the main event organizers, played a significant role in arranging performances and vendors, helping the event succeed behind the scenes.
She added that the festival was created “to preserve our culture for the next continuous generation,” emphasizing the importance of celebrating diverse backgrounds within the community.
“Events like this are critically important because our community is extremely diverse,” Cherry Hill Public Schools Superintendent Kwame Morton said.
Morton said that diversity includes people of different cultures, traditions, customs, and ethnicities. That inclusion recognizes and celebrates everyone’s differences, instilling the notion that everyone belongs. He ends by saying that marrying diversity and inclusion is possible through learning about one another, which can break down walls and barriers between people.
Many important political figures, like Evesham’s Mayor Jaclyn Veasy, Councilwoman Heather Cooper, and Moorestown’s Mayor Quinton Law, attended the event.
Mayor Law emphasized the importance of celebrating diversity, especially in today’s political climate, and shared his excitement for the performances and community spirit. Veasy highlighted how learning about each other’s cultures builds understanding and stronger communities. Cooper added that events like these help people value unfamiliar traditions and realize how much we all have in common.
Kim attended the festival with his wife and two sons, who were excited to see the dance performances. In his speech, Kim emphasized that Asian Americans are a part of the American story and deserve equal representation and recognition. He shared his journey, including the challenges as an Asian American candidate and how he overcame doubts about his electability.
Kim expressed pride in celebrating AAPI heritage while highlighting the importance of unity, inclusion, and breaking stereotypes, stating, “We are as American as anybody else!”
Among the attendees were many spectators, volunteers, and performers. Alessandra Yadal, a student at Cherry Hill East, performed with the Filipino Culture Club. Her favorite part of the performance was Tinikling, a traditional Filipino dance involving bamboo sticks, which she found unique and fun to perform.
“To have a fun event like this with performances and booths with food,” Yadal said. “I think it is a good way to educate others and spread awareness about all these cultures because many people don’t know about these things.”
Ray Chavoso attended the festival with his family to support his daughter, who also performed with the Filipino Culture Club. He emphasized the importance of events like this in helping the younger generations stay connected to their roots, noting that, “It’s always good to represent.”
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