Spring is in full swing, and May is sure to bring plenty of opportunities for Lake Oswego to get outdoors.
May is also Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. To celebrate, the city of Lake Oswego is hosting the fourth annual AANHPI Heritage Month Celebration at Millennium Plaza Park.
“The aim is to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders during Heritage month,” said Emily Liu, events and farmer’s market manager for parks and recreation. “For me personally, what I look forward to the most is the sense of community that this event brings. Growing up in Lake Oswego, we didn’t have events like this, so it gave me such a sense of pride that we put this on because I think representation is so important.”
The celebration is from 12-3 p.m. on Sunday, May 19 at Millennium Plaza Park. Performances begin at 1 p.m., including keynote speaker Marshall Cho.
Cho was the Lake Oswego High School varsity boy’s basketball coach for eight seasons and has worked with the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Africa, the Yao Foundation and Hoops 4 Hope.
In April, Cho attended the Nike Hoops Summit where he serves as the head coach of the World Select junior team, made up of some of the best young players from around the world.
Cho was one of the first Asian American basketball coaches in Oregon.
“He’s got a wealth of expertise and knowledge in coaching, boys basketball and the importance of representation in sports. So he’s got a great keynote address geared up for us,” said Liu.
The event is hosted by Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation, which partnered with LO for LOve, Respond to Racism, Lake Oswego Chinese Council and the Chinese Friendship Association of Portland.
Each of the nonprofits will bring activities and information to their booths at the heritage celebration.
Kimvi To from LO for LOve will emcee the performances and speakers during the event.
“I think (events like these) are important for a few reasons,” said To. “The LO community is growing — a lot more and more young families are moving and we know from the census that it’s becoming more diverse culturally and ethnically. So these events do a lot of things; they help new folks feel seen and feel welcome. They also help folks in our community get to know their neighbors and learn about their culture and create community with them.”
Started only four years ago, the AANHPI Celebration brings the community together — something that wasn’t always the case.
“Oregon has had a pretty ugly, painful past of discrimination and exclusion, and these events also really help our community as a whole heal and pave the way for a brighter, more inclusive Lake Oswego,” said To.
One way that events like the heritage celebration bring the community together is through food and performance.
HK Cafe from Portland will serve dim sum at the event and BBTEA Jars will sell boba tea and reusable, zero-waste mason jar boba kits.
Performers include World Champion Taekwondo, whose demonstration team guarantees to stun, and Portland Lee’s Association Lion Dance, a favorite among young audience members.
“It’s not just one event or several events that create that feeling that gets people out of their homes and into the community and meeting people,” said To. “It’s just creating this culture — so it’s events, policy, all of those things.
“It’s not just new families that need to come out and can benefit from city events and programming, it’s the folks that have been residents for a while, but just never felt like they had a place and never felt comfortable coming out. These are all pieces of a puzzle that allow people to come out and be a part of the community.”
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