The way most Asian American organizations celebrate Asian American Heritage Month (see below) is just as pointless.

Americans who patronize and appropriate the most palatable aspects of Asian culture on a year-round basis -- without giving a single thought to Asian American empowerment issues -- do not deserve a special month when it is all served up to them on a convenient combination platter.

This May, instead of coast-to-coast dumpling parties and dragon dances, wouldn't it be more productive to use this brief and precious time in the spotlight to raise the nation's awareness about the historical and continuing relevance of race to the Asian American experience?

Real Asian American heritage (to paraphrase Mari Matsuda) subsists in our memory of the people who went to bed hungry, who lost land to the tax collector, who worked to exhaustion and ill-health, who faced pain and relocation, who blasted the tunnels for the railroad, who stooped over the short-handled hoe, and who fought for a democracy that didn't include them.

We preserve the meaning of that heritage not by catering to America's taste for exoticism, but by continuing the struggle for empowerment.

Representative Asian American Heritage Month Activities

More than 400 performers from six Pacific Rim countries will participate in an Asian-American Heritage Month celebration for the ninth annual Asian Heritage Day at Paramount's Great America.

The daylong celebration of Asian cultures today will feature traditional Japanese, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, Taiwanese and Filipino performances.

The festival will culminate with a performance by popular Vietnamese performers, The Tran and Y Lan. Other highlights of the performance include: presentations by the three Japanese taiko drum groups from the Bay Area; traditional Thai mask dancing, Thai sword fighting, and Thai boxing; Filipino bamboo dancing; 60 performers from Taiwan performing Diabolo, a Taiwanese folk dance that incorporates yo-yos. A percentage of ticket sales from Asian Heritage Day will be donated to the Asian American Federation, sponsor of the event.

-- San Jose Mercury News, May 25, 2002

Students from the Northside College Preparatory High School perform a Korean fan dance today at the Richard J. Daley Center plaza. The event was part of the celebration of Asian American Heritage Month.

-- Chicago Sun-Times, May 21, 2002

"Sound of the Asian Spirit," a Korean and Chinese traditional folk song and dance performance, takes place tomorrow at the Queens Borough Public Library's Flushing branch in celebration of Asian- American Heritage Month.

-- Newsday (N.Y.), May 17, 2002

A recently opened exhibit, "Asian Arts at Tudor Place: An American Passion to Collect," presents 70 items from the Peter holdings, including exquisite jade jewelry, lacquered Chinese furniture, a Kabuki doll and curved wooden clothespins from Japan.

The exhibit is perfect for families wishing to celebrate Asian American Heritage Month in May. With the accompanying activity sheet, kids can hunt for hidden animals and explore symbology in Asian art. A pink-and-blue bat and butterflies on a porcelain bowl bring good luck and long life. A dragon twining through an intricately carved ivory ball represents good fortune. George Washington's large Chinese punch bowl sports an East-meets-West theme, with an American hunt scene on the inside and an Asian agricultural motif on the outside. A chess set transfixed my daughter, who returned several times to gaze at the finely detailed pieces.

-- Washington Post, May 17, 2002

Kansas State University will enjoy Asian American culture and a little taste of Asia by celebrating Asian American Heritage Month with events and activities open to the campus and community scheduled for the month of March.

The Union Program Council Multicultural Committee will sponsor "Festival of Nations," featuring South Asian cultures, from noon to 1 p.m. March 4, in the K-State Union Courtyard. Members of the Indian Student Association will provide entertainment with a South Asian theme performance. In addition, refreshments will be provided free of charge.

The "Taste of Asia," an Asian food potluck, is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. March 10, at the International Student Center on the K-State campus, and will feature several native cuisines for those in attendance to sample. Members of the community are encouraged to bring an Asian dish or a minimum donation of $2.

In addition, the film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," will be shown at 7 p.m. March 11, in K-State Union Forum Hall. Previous to the showing, a representative from the Asian American Student Union will speak briefly about the genre of the film. Admission is free of charge.

-- Kansas State Collegian, February 28, 2002

See also: Students Show Up to Multicultural Fair Solely for the Food