Asian community gets in the holiday spirit

Dozens of families enjoyed brunch with Santa Saturday at a holiday party organized by several Asian American organizations at the Providence Rec Center.

There was cookie decorating, ornament making, raffles with prizes, song and dance performances by children, gamesl, and plenty of food.

The event was hosted by the Annandale-based Asian American Community Center, the Coalition of Asian and Pacific Americans of Virginia (CAPAVA), the Virginia chapter of Make Us Visible, and the Vietnamese American Uniformed Services Association.

“So many families are impacted by the government shutdown and the high cost of living. We wanted to have an affordable, festive event for families,” said Make Us Visible Virginia Director Connie Park.

Make Us Visible advocates for including Asian American history in K-12 schools. The organization received a grant from the Virginia Department of Education for teacher training in support of that goal.

CAPAVA also works on strengthening Asian American studies in schools, says Kee Jun, as well as lobbying for better pay and conditions for Uber and Lyft drivers and reuniting Korean families separated since the Korean War.