Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander life, culture on LI in the past two decades
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Here's a look at photos highlighting the diverse contributions and achievements of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to Long Island in the last two decades.
Credit: Newsday / Michael E. Ach
Penn Hongthong, the author of "Simple Laotian Cooking," fills baskets with sticky rice at her home in Middle Island on Sept 17, 2003.
Credit: Newsday / Julia Gaines
On May 15, 2004 at the Grand Seafood Restaurant in Hicksville (from left) Li Louie, Lillian Young, Alice Li and Helen Chan reminisce as they celebrate the the 50th Anniversary of the Long Island Chinese Circle, which was started by young Chinese mothers new to Long Island in 1954.
Credit: Newsday / Karen Wiles Stabile
Chinese Center of Long Island performers Brendon Chan, 9, as the back and his cousin Christopher Yung as the head perform a Chinese dragon dance for seventh grade students participating in Ethnic Day at Seaford Middle School, as one of the culminating events to their studies on immigration on March 31, 2005.
Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan
Peter Yu, left, 63, and Kwum Yi Joo, 60, of the Korean Road Runners Club after finishing the Long Island Marathon on May 7, 2006.
Credit: Newsday / Moises Saman
Dancers from the Korean Cultural Club of Herricks High School stand backstage before performing at the inaugural Asian-American Cultural Festival of Long Island at Stony Brook University on March 11, 2007.
Credit: Newsday / Julia Gaines
Children adopted from countries such as Korea and China participate in activities at the Long Island Cultural Appreciation Program, a day camp in Melville that exposes them to the cultures of their native countries, on July 16, 2008. Sarah Murray learns "Bunka," a Japanese form of embroidery.
Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan
Native Indian dancers in colorful costumes provided entertainment for the thousands of visitors at Indiafest, sponsored by the Long Island India Association and held at the Hilton Hotel in Melville on August 3, 2008.
Credit: Josh Stewart
Members of Korean American Friends of Syosset march in the Syosset Memorial Day Parade on May 29, 2011.
Credit: Newsday / Karen Wiles Stabile
Randy Yung, lion master, directs dance troupe members Leland Chan, 16, holding the tail, and Brendan Chan, 16, in the head as they practice in a studio room at the Chinese Center on Long Island in West Hempstead on December 18, 2011.
Credit: Danielle Finkelstein
Cloe Southard, 16, of Malverne, performs a traditional Chinese fan dance with her dance group from the Chinese Center on Long Island, at the Asian American Festival in Port Washington on May 19, 2012. The festival celebrated the culture of Japan, India, China, Korea and Pakistan.
Credit: Steven Sunshine
Thomas Koodarem leads a procession toward Clinton G. Martin Hall in New Hyde Park during Onam Celebration hosted by the Indian American Malayalee Association of Long Island on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014. Onam is the biggest festival of the state of Kerala in India.
Credit: Newsday / Audrey C. Tiernan
Nicholas Sattinger of Manhattan dances during the Shiv Ratri event held in Great Neck at the Brahma Kumaris Global Harmony House on February 15, 2015.
Credit: Daniel Brennan
Aamir Sultan dances with Kalpana Thapa to the intense drum rhythms of Mohammad Boota and his son Sher playing traditional "Dhol" or Pakistani drums during the 7th Annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration at the Charles B. Wang Center at Stony Brook University on May 9, 2015.
Credit: Steve Pfost
Arvind Kumar, of East Meadow, far left, speaks to members of the group during the weekly meeting at the India Association of Long Island in Hicksville on May 28, 2015.
Credit: John Roca
Coppin Colburn, a Hawaiian fire dancer, performs at the evening Sunset Party of the Hamptons Paddle & Party for Pink annual benefit for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation at Fairview on Mecox Bay in Bridgehampton on Aug. 1, 2015.
Credit: Daniel Brennan
Jae An, left, 20, and Ben Su Yong Kim, 22, sit down for lunch in front of part of the exhibition "Webtoon: The Evolution of Korean Digital Comics," on view at the Charles B. Wang Center in Stony Brook on March 23, 2016.
Credit: Daniel Brennan
Chef Ken Chen hand pulls noodles in the kitchen of Splendid Noodle in Stony Brook on October 15, 2016.
Credit: Steve Pfost
Kin Leinghot, of Rhode Island, center, looks over old photos and reminisces with old friends Hank Boerner, left, of Manhasset, and Ed Lynch, inside the home of his foster sister Eileen Davenport in Setauket on May 20, 2017. Leinghot, a teenage war refugee, was relocated from the Montegnard tribe in Vietnam's central highlands to Long Island more than 50 years ago.
Credit: Jeff Bachner
A traditional dance is performed at Korean American Night in Eisenhower Park on August 20, 2017.
Credit: Barry Sloan
The Children's Dance Team from the Long Island School of Chinese performs during the 2017 Mid-Autumn/Moon Festival at Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay on September 23, 2017.
Credit: Johnny Milano
Dancers from the Long Island Chinese Dancing School perform during Lunar New Year celebrations, ringing in the Year of the Dog, on February 18, 2018, at Stony Brook University.
Credit: Newsday / John Paraskevas
As part of the Diwali celebration, Yelleshpur Dathatri conducts a prayer service or puja for the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on October 23, 2019 at Stony Brook University.
Credit: Kendall Rodriguez
Bhavin Desai of Levittown, Rekha Panda of Hicksville, and Jayshree Vabsola of Commack pray together with hindus as they celebrate Diwali, the Indian new year and the festival of light on October 28, 2019 at the BAPS Temple in Melville.
Credit: Howard Simmons
The 60th anniversary celebration of the Chinese Center on Long Island included a performance by the Lion Troupe on March 7, 2020.
