The annual Asian Culture Festival, aiming to bridge the gap between international and non-international students, will take place from 5-8 p.m., today, April 5 in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park.
Hosted by the Asian American Association (AAA) at Miami University, the festival’s primary focus is to introduce various Asian cultural traditions and increase interest among Miami University students and the Oxford community as a whole.
At the festival, visitors will be able to “travel” through 12 various Asian countries with a “passport” to collect stamps at each location. Countries include the Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, China, Kazakhstan and many more.
A unique cultural performance native to each country will be given.
The festival provides a space and a reason for domestic and international students to share and enjoy new cultural experiences.
AAA at Miami University is one of the largest multicultural organization on campus. Their mission is to promote and provide cultural awareness through bi-weekly meetings, special events, and service projects. In 2015, AAA won the “I am Miami Outstanding Organization” Award and in 2016, their event titled “Fusion” won the “2016-2017 Event of the Year” Award at the 2016 SEAL Awards Ceremony.
Ganjana Lindquist, an AAA member, spoke about details pertaining to previous year’s festivals. “Previous festivals have been a success,” she said. “In fact, last year, we had over 400 visitors.”
When asked about whether or not the festival dates have meaning, she replied, “We [Asian American Association] always choose this Friday for the festival because we want more people to be able to come. The Friday after Spring Break is usually not as busy for students, plus this Friday is typically free of other campus events.”
Various cultural booths from different Asian countries, trays of Asian food and live dance performances all serve as ways for domestic students to get more familiar with Asian culture in an entertaining way.
The festival is free of charge and is open to the public.
