CSUDH caps month-long heritage celebration with food, art, and community.
By Camila Chavarria, Staff Reporter
Although Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is commemorated across the United States in May, Cal State Dominguez Hills wrapped up its campus tribute early—closing out April with the vibrant sights, sounds, and flavors of the Asian & Pasifika Night Market. The annual community event on May 1 capped a month of cultural programming that included more than a dozen workshops, panels, and activities for Toros to experience.
Hosted by the Asian & Pasifika Inter-Club Coalition (API-CC) at the Sculpture Garden, the Night Market drew at least 500 attendees told by program and activity lead for the Asian & Pacific Cultural Center David Van Doan for an evening of art, live music, games, and cultural performances by groups like the Filipino artists collective Ube Arte and the dance group Tupulaga. There was also plenty to snack on, with booths serving crowd favorites like boba drinks and musubis.
“I love the representation of Asian culture, as well as how it’s openly diverse,” said Kaylia Estrada, a first-year biology student. “As an Asian woman, it’s really enlightening and lovely to see everybody embracing my culture.”
Many vendors were students or local artists showcasing their heritage through handmade goods and creative work.
“I’m showing off my handmade ceramics. I made all of these from the designs and from the colors and prints of my photography,” said Jupiter Pelayl, a fourth-year studio arts major.
In addition to local community groups, 11 campus clubs and organizations affiliated with the API-CC set up booths at the market to promote their programs and connect with new members.
“[The Night Market] is an opportunity for our API community to show unity, celebrate each other, and share our culture with the campus and surrounding community,” said third-year audio engineering student David Van Doan, the program and activity lead for the Asian & Pacific Cultural Center.
As attendees explored the booths, DH students DJ Shaoxo and Niko kept the energy high with a live music set. Meanwhile, Ube Arte captivated the crowd with a traditional dance performance rooted in pre-colonial Filipino culture.
Mary Lacanlale is the current chair of Asian Pacific Studies Department and a member of Ube Arte. She told The Bulletin the group traveled to the Philippines to learn more about the music so they could share it with the campus community.
“A lot of Filipinos here in America aren’t from that part of the Southern Philippines,” Lacanlale explained. “We found this really special music that hasn’t been colonized and hasn’t been changed for thousands of years.”
That spirit of inclusion was reflected not just in the performances and vendors, but in the crowd itself—students from a wide range of backgrounds came out to engage, support, and celebrate alongside the API community. Max Miller, secretary of the Asian & Pacific Islander Association, said that kind of participation is exactly what the event is meant to foster.
“We want other people to dig their feet—that will help us create a better cultural understanding between our people and our community,” Miller said. “This event provides a way for people to both express themselves and expose their creativity, and for students and others on campus to learn about those creative outputs.”
Despite ongoing budget constraints across the university, Van Doan expressed gratitude for the financial support that made the event possible. Funding came from the Asian & Pacific Cultural Center and the AANHPI Student Achievement Grant—a program designed to support low-income, first-generation, and historically underserved AAPI students with culturally responsive services. Additional sponsorships came from the Loker Student Union and the local Lotus Tea Lounge, a Carson-based café.
“We would appreciate more financial support from [CSUDH] in the future to make this event bigger and create engagement for even more students.” Doan said. “Not only is the Night Market an occasion for our API students to look forward to each year, but also to show those students still looking for their place on our campus that there is a community waiting for them.”