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Iowa Asian Alliance Commemorates Asian Pacific Heritage Month With CelebrAsian: The Seventh Annual Asian Heritage Festival

Des Moines, Iowa (May 1, 2009)—Each May, the Iowa Asian Alliance (IAA) unites Asian American communities in Iowa to celebrate Asian Pacific Heritage Month during a daylong festival known as CelebrAsian: The Asian Heritage Festival. Join the celebrAsian this year on Saturday, May 16, 2009, at the Iowa State Capitol, East Campus, in Des Moines, Iowa from 10 am to 8 pm. Since its inception seven years ago, CelebrAsian: The Annual Asian Heritage Festival has steadily become one of the year's most anticipated events. It brings together people across the Midwest to experience Asia in Iowa. CelebrAsian is the largest Asian American event in Iowa, showcasing cultural exhibits, history, food, performance artists, sports, martial arts, children's activities, and other family-friendly activities.

"The Iowa Asian Alliance is extremely pleased to have the opportunity to showcase the cultural traditions and celebrate the rich diversity of the many distinctive Asian communities in Iowa" said Christopher McDonald, Chairman of the Iowa Asian Alliance. "CelebrAsian is a vehicle for our communities to reflect and promote a connected, informed, and diverse Iowa." added McDonald.

CelebrAsian is organized around distinct Asian "villages," representing twelve distinct Asian communities that live in Iowa. Villages include: Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Hmong, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Laos, Nepalese, Taidam, Vietnamese, and Thai. Each village showcases the food, culture, history, arts, and crafts indigenous to their culture.

Participants of all ages can also enjoy a wide array of activities, including Asian cuisine, martial arts performances and competition, cooking demonstrations, exhibits and sale of traditional and contemporary Asian crafts, and live musical, martial arts, and arts performances at the following CelebrAsian destination spots:

Sports and martial arts village

Health and wellness village

Children's activities village

Asian Fusion Arts Pavilion

Entertainment stage

Cooking Center

Those interested in learning more about how they can join the CelebrAsian should visit www.celebrAsian.org or contact IAA at 515.273.5100. Admission to CelebrAsian is free and open to the public due to the generous support from the following leading companies and organizations:

Co-Hosts—Polk County Board of Supervisors, Coldwell Banker
Festival Champions—The Des Moines Register, Lite 104.1 FM, and Mediacom
Festival Leaders—American Family Insurance, BRAVO Des Moines, Citi, Principal Financial Group, and Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield

About Iowa Asian Alliance

Founded in 2002, Iowa Asian Alliance (IAA) is a non-profit organization established by Asian American business, community and civic leaders for the purpose of forging cultural understanding and growth within the state of Iowa. IAA's mission is to grow Iowa through a united Asian American community, and its vision is that Asian Americans in Iowa are an integral part of a vibrant and prosperous community of diverse people.

IAA represents and serves the following Asian ethnic groups: Burma, Cambodia, China, Hmong, India, Japan, Korea, Lao, Nepal, Philippines, Taiwan, Taidam, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Press Contact:
Christopher McDonald
Iowa Asian Alliance
(515) 201-9137