The Asian American Alliance, Inc. (AAAI) is kicking off Indianapolis’ celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a light and sound show.
In partnership with Downtown Indy, AAAI’s light and sound show takes place May 3 at 9 p.m. on Monument Circle with a reception beginning at 7:45 p.m. at Barnes & Thornburg. The four-minute program is the first Asian American legacy show in Indiana and will be beamed on the AES building after dusk on weekends throughout the month of May, said Rupal Thanawala, president of AAAI.
“Asian American Pacific Islander Month is May, so we wanted to make sure that you know, we are talking about and celebrating through the month of May,” Thanawala said. “We just thought this is one way to engage our community and talk about Asian Americans and our legacy in the state, which isn’t really done a lot.”
AAAI is celebrating 25 years of service, which means the Asian Festival will look a little different this year, Thanawala said. It is the second year AAAI is partnering with the Indiana Historical Society (IHS) to host the festival, which will feature around 30 community partners ,outreach organizations and local food and business vendors.
The Asian Festival takes place on May 11, and Thanawala said the event aims to bring people in the community together to celebrate the vast and rich history and culture of Asian Hoosiers through food, music, dance and live cultural demonstrations.
“Indianapolis had a reputation for ‘Naptown’ and not [being a] very welcoming place. So this [Asian Festival] became an idea that we have to celebrate the cultures of our citizens and make Indianapolis more welcoming,” Thanawala said. “So, we use this platform of Asian American Alliance to celebrate the culture of Asian Americans but then also use it as an opportunity to educate others about Asian cultures.”
Jody Blankenship, CEO of the Indiana Historical Society, said their organization aims to look at and preserve Indiana’s history through a variety of lenses to paint a fuller picture of all the people who live here. Many nationalities fall under the term Asian, and Blankenship said it is important to look at the broader influences of Asian people and culture in Indiana.
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A series of exhibits entitled “Be Heard” allowed the IHS to go into different communities around Indiana to better tell and share their stories. One of the exhibits highlighted Indiana’s Asian population. Blankenship said the exhibit traveled and had a book written on it. That project led Blankenship and the IHS to AAAI and Thanawala.
“It’s important to shine a light on these stories, because we have some really tremendous individuals,” Blankenship said. “Some of them are corporate leaders, or tech innovators, but some of them are just everyday people who work hard, raise good families and contribute to our community. And I think it’s important to see our past through all these different lenses. Without doing so, it’s difficult to really tell an accurate story.”
During the festival, high school students will be honored with the Youth Leadership Award for their work in community service and leadership, Thanawala said.
Free health checkups from the Marion County Health Department will also be available for attendees as well as Henna artists, and hands-on activities such as writing names with Chinese or Japanese characters, Thanawala said.
“It is really heartwarming to see the entire community come together [and] take time to celebrate each other,” Thanawala said. “There has been a lot of challenges in the past few years in Asian communities … and it’s really important for us to see that together, we are stronger.”
In addition to hosting the Asian Festival, the Indiana Historical Society will have month-long art and language programming available to the community. Usually, admission is $15, but Blankenship said there will be a few free admission days and discounts during May.
The Light and Sound Show begins May 3 at 9 p.m. on Monument Circle, with a reception at Barnes & Thornburg from 7:45-8:45 p.m. The Asian Festival takes place at the Indiana Historical Society on May 11, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Both events are free to attend. For more information, visit indianahistory.org or aaalliance.org.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on Twitter @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe graduated with a degree in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and her previous work includes freelancing for Indy Maven, Assistant Arts & Life Editor for The Lantern, and editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Chloe enjoys covering all things arts and culture — from local music, visual art, dance, theater and film, as well as minority-owned businesses. In her free time, Chloe enjoys reading, cooking and keeping her plants alive.
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