Public Employee Press

Traditions unite Asian celebration

By JANE LaTOUR

The DC 37 Asian Heritage Committee presented a full menu of food for thought — as well as the palate — at their annual celebration on June 6.

While delicious aromas enticed the senses with foods from distant homelands, speakers and dancers meshed to provide a peek into the wonderful world of disparate Asian cultures represented by DC 37 members. The evening included a moment of silence to honor those who died in natural disasters in Burma, China, and Bangladesh.

Committee Chair Maf Misbah Uddin, DC 37 treasurer and Local 1407 president, welcomed the guests as emcee of the event and introduced the Honorable Muhammed Shamsul Haque, the Consul General of Bangladesh.

Mr. Haque pointed out the importance of “preserving your history and at the same time, becoming part of American society. This in turn will lead to an even better relationship between America and Asia.”

Dr. Nuran Nabi, an eminent research scientist, activist and author, was the keynote speaker. Dr. Nabi was recently appointed a council member of Plainsboro Township in New Jersey. He spoke about the importance of sharing the rich cultural heritage of Asian countries, the contributions that Asians have made to America, and the importance of joining in the political life of one’s adopted country.

Song Hee Lee, formerly a member of the Pusan Metropolitan Dance Company, demonstrated traditional Korean dance, a form that evolved from religious ceremonies dating back thousands of years. Megha Kalia offered a Punjabi Bhangra folk dance that is mainly performed for joyous occasions in India, such as weddings and festivals. Other entertainers did traditional Bangladeshi, Malaysian, and Filipino dances, and the Chinese fan dance, along with a sampling of Bollywood dancing borrowed from the Hindi film industry.