| Folk Arts - Asian TraditionsWashington State is now home to more than 400,000 Asian-Americans. One of the state's fastest growing minority population is also, in many ways, the least visible community.
Within the Asian-American communities the traditional arts play a particularly significant role in providing sources of cultural identity. Although nearly 60% of the present Asian-American population was born in Washington, many are new arrivals and face problems of cultural displacement. For both new arrivals and long-time residents, traditional expressions of culture remain an integral part of individual and community life.
Most of the eleven largest Asian-American communities of Washington have made efforts to maintain their cultural traditions through perpetuating the festivals of their homelands. The music, dance, food, rituals, folk dramas, and narratives of traditional festivals continue to provide important sources of meaning and cultural enrichment. These events heighten and unify community life throughout the year. Festival traditions are especially abundant in the Seattle area where nearly 80% of the state's Asian-American population lives.
Articles and InformationKorean Traditions (coming soon)
The articles above come from two projects: the Asian Festivals of Washington State project was made possible through the collaborative work of leaders in the Hmong, Indian, and Japanese-American communities and the WSAC Folk Arts Program, Ethnic Heritage Council, and Jack Straw Productions. The events included are the Hmong New Year, Indian Diwali, and the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival; and the Traditions of Change: Five Korean American Traditional Arts in Washington State project completed for the Washington State Arts Commission’s Folk Arts Program by Josh Pilzer. It was funded in part by the American Folklore Society Public Programs Section. |