Plano celebrates Asian heritage on Sunday

Haggard Park is expected to turn into a wave of Asian cultural activities ranging from martial arts to dance and fashion on Sunday during the second 2006 Asian Heritage Festival from noon until 5 p.m.

The event, which is expected to attract at least 2,000 people, is underwritten by the city of Plano and culminates Asian American Heritage Week activities recognizing Plano’s Asian community.

“The Asian community is now the largest minority in Plano, which is unusual in Texas,” said Steven Li, festival co-chair. “Many of these people were drawn to Plano because it is open to newcomers. The school district is a big draw because Asians value education.”

Plano probably has 32,000 Asians, 13.3 percent of the city’s 250,000 residents, senior planner Steve Sims estimates. The Asian population grew 351 percent between the 1990 and 2000 census counts, he said. In 1990, the city had 4,992 Asians, representing 3.9 percent of its population. By the 2000 census, the numbers escalated to 22,518 Asians, or 10.1 percent of the population.

After a Chinese festival was hosted three years ago, the Celebrating Asian American Heritage Foundation was created to organize a festival representing all Asian countries, Li said.

“We have as many different types of Asian groups (involved in the festival) as there are in Plano,” said Khatina Wahab, foundation president.

About 20 volunteers are involved in the foundation, which promotes Asian and cultural activities to help people appreciate diverse Asian heritage. Activities will range from traditional Asian performances, such as a lion dance by the Chinese Cultural Center -- which will kick off the festival -- the Jiaping Shi Dance School, Indian dances, traditional Asian games and origami lessons.

“Our goal is to reach out to the community…and bring people of different ethnic platforms together,” Li said. “Diversity is a strength through new ideas and values.”

The Jiaping Shi Dance School will bring students trained by Shi, a Chinese folk and classical dancer, teacher and choreographer born in China and former member of the Association of Chinese Professional Dancers in China. She received the Wenhua Award in 1991, the highest honor bestowed by the Chinese government.

Dancing for 30 schools, she founded a dance school here to teach Chinese traditional folk dances, expand the excellence of Chinese culture and to train, develop and nurture new talent who share a deep love for the arts, Wahab said.

The Shops at Willow Bend, the Courtyard Theater and Plano libraries will also feature Asian art as part of the Asian American Heritage Week activities.

For festival details, visit www.AsianAmericanHeritage.org.

Contact staff writer Amy Morenz at 972-398-4263 or amy.morenz@scntx.com.

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