Children's Activities Village Offers First Hand Experience of Asia in Iowa


	The Asian Heritage Festival Children's Activities Village Offers First Hand Experience of Asia in Iowa Des Moines, Iowa (May 5, 2006)—Only 8 days left until you can "experience Asia in Iowa"! The Iowa Asian Alliance (IAA) will be hosting a Children's Activities Village at the 2006 Asian Heritage Festival to be held at the Water Works Park in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday, May 13, 2006. The Children's Activities Village is sponsored by the Principal Financial Group. "The Principal Financial Group is pleased to once again support the Asian American community in their work to strengthen cultural awareness and understanding, while building economic opportunities for Iowa," said Jennifer Gribble, assistant director of Affirmative Action and Diversity, The Principal Financial Group. "We look forward to this year's festival, and all it has to offer participating families." The Principal Financial Group will also be participating in the Asian Heritage Festival Job Fair. The Asian Heritage Festival is free to the public and draws people from all over Iowa and surrounding states. The festival showcases the many different Asian communities that reside in Iowa. This year, the Children's Activities Village will feature a wide variety of Activity Centers to satisfy the five senses. Our participants can touch different Asian fabrics at a dress up and photo booth and create Asian-style crafts; see various Asian fabrics at the Fabrics of Asia; smell and identify various Asian spices at the Spice Station; taste foods from all over the continent by following an Ethnic Food Checklist and checking out the Asian Beverage Taste Test; and hear music from various Asian cultures throughout the day. The Children's Activities Village promises to be a truly educational experience, inviting children to a first-hand experience of Asia in Iowa. In addition, the Children's Activities Village will feature exhibits and a Cultural Presentation Area, where children can interact with people of various Asian cultures. The Principal Financial Group will present a simple introduction to money management using Asian currencies. 30,000 people are expected to attend Asian Heritage Festival, which is three times the number of people who attended the first festival. Asian Americans represent one of the fastest growing population segments in Iowa, and play a vital role in the state's economic development. According to the 2000 census, 13,614 Asian Americans live in the greater Des Moines area, comprising 3.5 percent of the area's population. Approximately 45,000 Asian Americans reside in Iowa, making up about 1.5 percent of the total population. New events at the 2006 Asian Heritage Festival include the Job Fair, Asian Wedding Fashion Show, the Health and Wellness Village, Samahang Kapatid (Filipino-American Youth Dancers), Hale O Malo Polynesian Revue, and the "Asian Inspiration" Art Contest. For more information about the Asian Heritage Festival, please visit http://www.celebrasian.org . The Asian Heritage Festival is organized by the Iowa Asian Alliance, a professional business organization that represents and promotes the business, economic and community development of a united Asian American community in Iowa. This year's festival co-hosts are ABC Virtual Communications, Toyota of Des Moines and Polk County Board of Supervisors. Other festival sponsors include American Family Insurance, BRAVO Des Moines, John Deere, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Pioneer, State Farm Insurance, Nationwide, Citigroup, Press-Citizen Shopper, LITE 104.1, and Principal Financial Group. ABOUT THE IOWA ASIAN ALLIANCE The Iowa Asian Alliance is a professional, non-profit organization dedicated to growing Iowa through a united Asian American community. IAA represents 18 Asian American community associations. Originally founded in 2002, the Iowa Asian Alliance promotes the business, economic and community development of Iowa's Asian American community. The group represents the 15 Asian communities within the state, and also works to increase community awareness of their cultural and economic contributions. Press Contact: Kim Poam Logan Executive Director Iowa Asian Alliance (515) 309-6047 info@celebrasian.org