San Diego Alliance for Asian Pacific Islander Americans
Asian Pacific Islander American arts and culture
The San Diego Alliance for Asian Pacific Islander Americans builds community through communication, collaboration, and celebration of the cultural heritage and diversity of San Diego’s Asian Pacific Islander American communities, and to advocate for Asian Pacific Islander American rights and empowerment through service, education, and philanthropy.
In 2010, the Alliance received a grant from ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Program to support their annual Dragon Boat Festival. Working in partnership with the San Diego Dragon Boat Team, the Alliance organizes the annual Dragon Boat Festival which highlights the pageantry and rituals of the more than 2,000 year old Chinese tradition of dragon boat racing. Included in the ceremonies are the blessing of the boats and a dotting of the dragons’ eyes to awaken them for racing. The San Diego Dragon Boat Festival highlights the diversity and Asian Pacific cultural heritage with concurrent performing artists, visual artists, and craftspeople included in the festivities.