AALEAD at Fiesta Asia DC 2015!

By Chelsea Iorlano, Development & Communications Associate
Photos Courtesy of Chelsea Iorlano

This past Saturday, May 16, Asian American LEAD joined the festivities at Fiesta Asia DC.  161 youth, staff, and mentors came out to represent AALEAD and celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month at the 10th annual Fiesta Asia street festival!

The day began bright and early as our AALEADers from elementary, middle, and high school gathered at the East Stage and performed our 4th annual Asian Fusion modern dance, choreographed by our 6 AALEAD lead choreographers.  The dance was an exciting opportunity for our youth across programs to meet one another, work together, and continue to strengthen the bonds of the AALEAD family.  Our youth showcased their talent and hard work through the performance; some youth even had the opportunity to highlight their passion for dance with a solo spotlight during the performance!

The MD Middle School Youth Council stepped up their leadership by preparing and operating the AALEAD booth as part of the street festival.  AALEADers drew in curious members of the crowd with a trivia board about Asian culture and traditions, a photo both, and face-in-the-hole stand-ins that showcased traditional Asian attire.

Youth also had free time to walk around and explore the festival, learn about other Asian cultures and organizations at a variety of booths, try different Asian cuisines and cool down with bubble tea and sugar cane juice, and watch performances at any of the 5 stages.  After a full morning of dancing, picture taking, and exploring Fiesta Asia, our youth came together once again to represent AALEAD during the Fiesta Asia Culture Parade.  AALEADers celebrated their community, carrying signs they made for the parade and chanting and cheering to express what AALEAD means to them.

A special thank you to everyone who came out to support our youth and made the event a fun and rewarding experience!