Lauren Tran

Swaying to the music, dancers captivate the audience and bring their cultural roots to life.

On May 11, the City of Pleasanton celebrated AAPI Heritage Month by hosting a community event at the Firehouse Arts Center. The event featured poetry readings, singing, dancing, and activities that all shed light on AAPI heritage. 

“I think it is important for us to keep in touch and preserve our ancestral roots because they are a part of who we all are. We have a duty to keep our tradition going and keep everything alive throughout the generations. And that is the main reason why I came to this event,” said Riya Sharda (‘25).

The month of May is dedicated to honoring the historical roles of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. They have made numerous contributions to society to share their knowledge and preserve their culture.

“I feel that as a society, we are all blending together, maybe because we don’t always appreciate our culture that often. So, I want to show my appreciation and commemorate all AAPIs because they taught us so much about our heritage. They made so many sacrifices to keep their culture alive,” said Sharda (‘25).

Poets and authors spoke at the AAPI Heritage Celebration event and shared their culture with the audience. Pleasanton Teen Poet Laureate, Ishmeet Dhillon (’24), attended the event and read her poem, “Weaving the Future.” It was devoted to honoring the AAPI community and inspiring the younger generation to draw lessons from these leaders.

“My poem is a call to action to celebrate the legacy that leaders in the past have left us with. As an Asian American artist, my goal is to continue spreading the love of poetry to everyone. By being able to speak and talk to so many people here, it’s a great way to spread that love with the community,” said Dhillon.

Volunteers also set up informational booths with ancient artifacts, traditional art pieces, and pictures of famous AAPI leaders.

“I have my own table that has pictures and descriptions of AAPI leaders. I think spreading awareness of these people really helps to honor this month and celebration,” said Dhillon.

Along with poets, authors, and booths, there were also several performers singing and dancing to their cultural music at the event. They put on a dynamic show for the audience while displaying immense pride in their heritage.

“The dancers were great, the music was relaxing, and everyone seemed to be enjoying the performances under some cool shade. It really just slowed me down and made me appreciate our AAPI community,” said Sharda.