By Brittney Le
AsAmNews Intern
The Asian American Expo will be returning to Pomona, California, on January 14th and 15th. The expo occurs at the beginning of each year in order to celebrate the Lunar New Year, which is based on the lunar calendar and occurs in late January to mid February every year.
Founded in 1982 originally as the Chinese American Expo, the Asian American Expo has expanded greatly, now with 7 exposition halls and over a thousand vendors. From its humble beginnings over 30 years ago with just 60 vendors to the expo’s massive size today, the mission of the expo is still the same: to bring the community of Asian businesses and consumers together. Vendors and attendees of different work and ethnic backgrounds come from local areas, from across the nation, and from even across the sea.
At the expo, you can enjoy a vast array of different ethnic foods while watching the martial arts performances or traditional song and dance dramas. You can also shop for new gadgets, beauty products, clothes, and much more. You may even come across cosplayers and video game fanatics, as part of the animation exhibition of the expo. There is also an eating contest that attendees may sign up for that features foods from all over Asia.
It is important for cultural gatherings such as the Asian American Expo to exist today, in order to unite people of different ethnic backgrounds from various regions of the world to celebrate Asianness in a country that does not always embrace Asianness as a positive addition to U.S. culture. As both Asians and non-Asians unite to revel in the diversity of foods, clothes, and merchandise, a greater appreciation for the Asian American community can be found. This event also serves to unite various vendors behind a common network, bringing businesses together under one roof.
Check out a video of the 2016 Asian American Expo:
Check out more on the Asian American Expo on the official website.
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