This event will be in-person only. Your ticket will provide you access to the vendor fair and various workshops and activities from 10 am-3 pm. This event is part of the Building Denver initiative, and your ticket provides you access to the Building Denver exhibit and the rest of the History Colorado Center for the whole day. 

Schedule of Events

The workshops are first-come, first-served. Please arrive early or on-time out of respect for our workshop facilitators and participants. 

10:10 - 10:40 am -- Everyday Qi Gong: Finding the Roots of Your Energy with Jason H. Duong. A follow along qi gong workshop with basic and easy to memorize movements. Practicing qi gong can be beneficial to our everyday lives.

10:45 - 11:15 am -- Heal Yourself with Reiki with Alana Watanabe (Watanabe Warrior Wellness). Alana will offer a brief discussion about the origins of Reiki, and will guide you through a Reiki self-treatment to introduce you to this gentle yet transformative modality.

11:20 am - 12 pm -- Kapwa Healing - Sound Bath Meditation with Christina Ifurung. Every cell, organ, and system in the human body has an optimum, healthy frequency or harmonious rate of vibration, also known as resonance. In opposition, illness or the discordance of it is dissonance. The vibrational sounds produced as crystal bowls are played facilitate healing by working to resolve any dissonance in the body and creating harmonious resonance.  A sound bath is basically a form of meditation that utilizes ambient sounds to reduce the grip and pace of our thoughts, inviting a state of peace of mind and relaxation in the body.

12:10 - 1 pm -- Lunch Panel: AAPI Forum on the Refugee Experience with Elvina Htoo and Nga Vương-Sandoval, moderated by Derek Okubo. An intimate panel discussion regarding the Asian refugee experience with a focus on the Vietnamese and Burmese diaspora. The discussion will connect personal stories to current events and audience members will receive action items on how to support refugee and immigrant communities. Light lunch and appetizers provided from local Vietnamese and Burmese-owned restaurants. 

1:10 - 1:40 pm -- Community Resilience through Daruma Creation, presented by Japanese Arts Network. The Japanese Arts Network (JA-NE) is a national resource for artistic collaboration and connection. Participants will have a hands on experience making Japanese 'daruma' - a handcrafted intention setting doll that is a talisman of perseverance and resilience rooted in Japanese expressions including 'mottainai' (not to waste) and 'wabi-sabi' (beauty in imperfection). 

1:45 - 2:15 pm -- Folk Dances performed by Ang mga Sumasayaw. The Filipino American Community of Colorado (FACC) is one of the oldest Asian American nonprofit organizations in Colorado. The FACC Youth Dance Group “Ang mga Sumasayaw” will perform three dances: Banga, Tinikling, and Malong. Performing are Esta Mae Ault, Zoe Whitefield, Elara, and Riley Niblo.

2:20 - 3 pm -- Bhangra (Northern Indian Dance) Workshop with Naureen Singh. Bhangra is an energetic, folk dance and music form that originated from Punjab, India. Bhangra was formed in the 1900s, as a way for farmers in Punjab to cope with the ongoing drought, and lift their spirits. Since then, it’s the newest dance, music, and fitness phenomenon spreading all over the world. 

Other:

Take Home Poem by Kimberly Ming. Kimberly is a passionate storyteller through public speaking, writing, and more recently acting and she has created this poem for participants on this special day. She hopes it will serve as a lovely reminder of the beauty of our healing. Kimberly has had personal battles of understanding her own mixed identity as a Chinese and Puerto Rican woman which led her to creating The MixdGen Podcast so people that are mixed race, mixed ethnicities, or multicultural have a space to process and make sense of their unique positionality. 

Vendor Fair

The vendor fair will open at 10 a.m. and close at 3 p.m. in the Colorado Room. 

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Jason H. Duong Acupuncture, Lim Acupuncture, and Foothills Acupuncture have come together to showcase the health benefits and healing power of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). They will share the benefits of integrating traditional Chinese medicine through acupuncture demonstrations, free samples, and general education. 

Asian Avenue Magazine is a monthly print publication that highlights the stories and experiences of Colorado's Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community through cultural insights, current news, and local events. Asian Avenue Magazine will be sharing a booth with the Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network (CACEN).

Asian Chamber of Commerce Colorado (ACC) actively promotes concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion by providing culturally competent economic development and business opportunities.  The ACC has a strong understanding of the AAPI communities that conduct business in a manner that is unique to the heritage we claim.

Asian Girls Ignite (AGI) builds a strong community of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) girls and women celebrating their individual and collective power. Through storytelling, they focus on elevating their voices, exploring their identities, and caring for their wellbeing. AGI serves AAPI Colorado students in grades 6-12 who identify as a girl, queer, or gender-expansive.  

Bubbling Up: Giving Voice to Injustice by artist Grace Gee. Do you have a story to tell? Our community needs healing from the rise in incidents of racism, discrimination, harassment, and injustice. In this activity your voice is welcomed, your experience is honored, and your stories preserved in your own words. Artist Grace Gee invites you to share your stories on individual bubble-like forms, to be part of a larger art installation that amplifies and gives witness to your voices and lived experiences. Experience the healing in coming together in community for collaborative art making and personal expression. 

Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network (CACEN), is a non-profit established in 2009 and works to build equitable spaces in Colorado for Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) to be able to be their authentic selves. The organization provides educational trainings and workshops to strengthen the AANHPI community, celebrates local heroes, and offers community gatherings. CACEN will be sharing a booth with Asian Avenue Magazine.

Colorado Asian Pacific United (CAPU) is a coalition of Asian and Pacific Islander American leaders, creatives, and allies seeking to contribute to an inclusive Colorado that recognizes our history, and celebrates the past, current, and future diversity of the state.

Colorado Dragon Boat works to build bridges of awareness, knowledge, and understanding between the diverse Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities and the general public through cultural education, leadership development, and athletic competition.

Denver Asian American Pacific Islander Commission (DAAPIC) serves as a support liaison and facilitator between the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in Denver, the Agency for Human Rights and Community Partnerships and the office of the Mayor of Denver. Further, it is the Commission's objective to act as catalyst, educator, collective voice, and respond to issues and/or advocate based on community assessment of need, and create awareness and visibility of AAPI community.

Denver Asian Collective (DAC) creates empowering Asian-dominant spaces and resources for unapologetic, non-assimilative Asian existence.

National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA) has a mission to improve the mental health and wellbeing of AAPI communities. We work closely with community based organizations around the country to provide training, develop policies, and partner with other stakeholders to improve the overall quality of care. NAAPIMHA also believes strongly that part of mental health is celebrating who we are and finding creative solutions to healing.

National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP CO) is the Colorado chapter of the National Association of Asian American Professionals. As a non-profit organization, our goal is to cultivate and empower Asian & Pacific Islander individuals through leadership development, professional networking, and community service.

OCA Colorado. Since 1974, OCA Colorado has been promoting social, political and economic well being of Asian Pacific Americans. 

Pagoda Lab is an incubator for small businesses and individuals to build an ecosystem of like minded people to culturally bring together a community. 

R Bazaar has a mission to honor the journey of refugee and immigrant artisans by showcasing their food, art, and entrepreneurship, with an aim to set into motion an intercultural experience and promotion of global expression through local artisans, provisions and goods. By planning out event details, providing training and marketing for the events, R Bazaar helps businesses grow and entrepreneurs achieve dreams.

_{This event is part of Building Denver, a sweeping retrospective, present-day examination and a bold look ahead at how our city has been designed and the consequences that have emerged in our physical, social, and emotional spaces. Learn more about the Building Denver Initiative →}