JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The city of Jacksonville brought the city together to celebrate the 40 countries that represent the vibrant Asian American Pacific Islander community.
Monday night’s event was held a the Downtown library. It featured a lineup of authentic Asian and American cuisines, cultural performances from dancers and musicians, and a chance for everyone to get a taste of diversity.
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Vikas was born in India. She was one of the dancers at the event.
She said moments like these help her never lose touch with her culture.
“I moved here, so finding ways to connect back to my culture and my heritage is very important. Dance has been a big part of my life ever since I was little. Getting to do something I enjoy, which is dancing, and also showing off my culture and connecting back to my roots, is very special to me,” she said.
Mayor Donna Deegan said 50,000 members of the AAPI community make up Jacksonville’s population.
The celebration allowed others to learn about the cultural practices they would have otherwise never been able to experience.
