 "Photo: PREFACE PHOTO/April Buck")
Food, fun, education, and socializing were top priorities at this year’s 11th annual Asian Cultural Festival.
The event began with a warm welcome from Dr. Yosuke Nirei. The evening was overseen by Sushma Agarwal serving as Mistress of Ceremonies.
After a brief awards ceremony, dinner was served. The group certainly had a plethora of Asian foods to be enjoyed. Dinner was provided by Grand Empire and Allie’s Café with drinks donated by KADA Partnership (McDonalds) and tea bags and cups provided by Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s Los Angeles office.
The event was provided free of charge, but there was a free will donation box located at the entrance.
Several groups had booths representing different countries, and there was even a henna tattoo artist on location.
After dinner, festival goers were treated to entertainment designed to “transport” them to the East. Ruby Jazayre and her group of talented dancers, including IU South Bend students, presented a belly dance presentation.
A Japanese mask dance followed by a Japanese Tea Ceremony took the audience to Japan. A group of four young girls brought Bollywood to South Bend as they performed an Indian dance (think Slumdog Millionaire).
Speaker Thomas Fujimura, Executive Director of curriculum and instructional development at South Bend Community School corporation, gave a talk entitled “Education and Life”. He talked about his cultural upbringing as a Japanese-American in Hawaii during the post-World War II era and his subsequent military service.
“I remember my father telling me ‘Tommy, I want you to get an education not for living, but for life’. “This resonated within me several times as I progressed through my educational career. I took the teaching of my parents literally,” said Fujimara.
“I was given a set of values, the courage to persevere, the audacity to pick myself up in times of adversity, and a mind to see the glass half full. These are things that were not taught to me in any school, public or private, university or college.”
As part of the evening a parade of participants, costumed in traditional dress, gave the audience a peek at the eastern countries represented in the festival. There were interesting and lovely outfits from China, Philippines, Japan, Korea, and India.
IUSB student, Corey Patterson, gave a presentation about his travels in Tokoyo, “Eating in Japan.” Often humorous, Patterson gave the audience a “taste” of his time in Japan. From curry filled long johns to themed restaurants to interesting vending machines.
Also on the program were a martial arts demonstration (including Okinawa kobayashi Syorin Ryu Karate, Kendo, Karate, Aikida and various Japanese weapons), Tai Chi, and “Sukiyaki”.
The annual event is put together by the Asian-Pacific American Heritage Committee and was held on Friday, April 23 in The Grille.
