AsianFest celebrates 10 years of growth in food, culture and diversity in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS — For many immigrants, it takes a village to foster a sense of belonging and acceptance in a community.

And for the last 10 years, AsianFest has been bringing those villages together as they celebrate the differences that strengthen their contributions to Eastern Iowa.

Through food, dancing, celebrations and “villages” with activities representing multiple countries across the largest continent in the world, the annual celebration isn’t just a recreational opportunity. Each year, the festival reminds its founders and attendees that everyone has a place in Iowa.

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Whether it’s eating lumpia egg rolls from a Filipino food stand, having your name written in Japanese origami or watching the lion dance endear a crowd to the traditional arts of China and Vietnam, AsianFest has formed a winning combination — an emblem of America’s “melting pot” that pays dividends throughout the community.

“What brings us all together is an eagerness to learn about each other and just the willingness to share our culture with everyone,” said Bhumika Nayak, a founder and organizer of AsianFest. “That bonds and brings various cultures together.”

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The event, originally started as the Asian Cultural Festival under the former Diversity Focus nonprofit, was first focused on leveraging the benefits of diversity. But as an immigrant who grew up around the Midwest, Sarika Bhakta saw an opportunity for something more.

So with Nayak and the board, she helped mold AsianFest into the resource she wish she had growing up.

“My philosophy is (focused on) how we help people new to the region get connected, feel included and feel a sense of belonging. The only way for us to do that is to be proactive in opening up those doors,” the founder and organizer said.

Growing up in Midwestern states after immigrating from India as a child, Bhakta was not comfortable standing out. But after having children who are now being raised here, she wanted to envision a community they could feel proud of by building engagement.

Today, AsianFest is a valuable tool for city leaders and recruiters to show others the quality of life they can have in Cedar Rapids without feeling isolated or sacrificing their identity.

“(AsianFest) wasn’t here when I came here. If I had something like this in my backyard, it would have made me feel good about who I was,” Bhakta said. “(Engagement) really helped us to broaden the value of what this festival is really about.”

In 10 years, the festival has burgeoned from about 1,500 attendees to more than 8,000. Food vendors have doubled, the number of countries represented has grown and the City of Cedar Rapids now counts on it as one of its biggest events for Welcoming Week each year, which serves a similar objective.

With some creativity, inclusivity extends to vendors and organizations who may not be Asian or selling Asian products. For example, a food vendor can sell a new Asian fusion of their normal menu item.

“That means the community can be stronger and more resilient, should anything happen,” Bhakta said. “Yes, the festival fun is there, but we’re also doing our due diligence within Asian communities here to be proactive and intentional to build stronger partnerships with leaders in other organizations.”

AsianFest is now under the umbrella of the nonprofit Iowa Asian Alliance, giving the Des Moines-based organization a significant portal to developing its presence in Eastern Iowa. As the partnership continues to grow, AsianFest has its eyes on ways to broaden community engagements, like scholarships.

Despite its size, it continues to be completely volunteer run — a sign of its healthy relationship with the community it serves.

Performers said the celebration is more than fun and games. For Filipino dancer Vania Wang of the Quad Cities, AsianFest has been one where she remembers why she’s American.

With a series of six dances this year, the Filipino American Association of the Quad Cities demonstrated a rich culture that touches on the Philippines’ warm climate, centuries as a Spanish colony, and diversity across more than 7,000 islands.

“When I was a kid, everybody wanted to come to America because it was the land of opportunity. But it’s not just the land of opportunity, it’s a land that’s diverse,” Wang said. “With this, you get to learn from each other and how to live in harmony peacefully together. This is the best we can get from each other’s cultures.”

Khoa Ha, who has been performing with the Tay Phuong Lions at AsianFest for three years, keeps coming back in hopes of giving children the same feeling that got him hooked on the art.

Inside elaborate costumes with bold colors and textures, a dragon-like body’s eyes and ears blink and move in unison, animating a bamboo frame lined with fabric and papier-mache into a captivating personality.

“I saw the lion dance and I was completely enthralled. It was so dynamic — the first time I saw it, I was in a whole other dimension,” Ha said. “One of the main reasons I keep doing it is to pass that feeling onto others. Some people have gone their entire lives without seeing this.”

With each blink of its eyes on Saturday, the next generation was brought into the fold with the same reaction he had.

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.