CLEVELAND — The city of Cleveland’s Community Relations Board hosted their annual Asian Heritage Day celebration Wednesday, which celebrated all the accomplishments of Ohio’s diverse Asian community.

What You Need To Know

  • May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

  • The city of Cleveland's Community Relations Board hosted the Asian Heritage Day celebration

  • The event featured recognitions, cultural performances and a Himalayan dinner

Community leaders gathered to recognize Asian Americans in the northeast Ohio area who are making a difference in their neighborhoods. 

Several cultural performances took place, including one from Hsa Win, who performed a Karen dance, to honor the ethnic group from Myanmar.

Mark Zhang showcased the Chinese dramatic art of Face Changing on stage.

Guests who stayed for the dinner feasted on Himalayan food. The choice of food represents the Nepali and Bhutanese communities, which is one of northern Ohio’s largest refugee populations.

Johnny Wu sits on Cleveland’s Community Relations board as an adviser. He said the event is a great way to honor the diverse history and the heritage of Asian Americans.

“It is a month to celebrate the Asian-Pacific heritage in the sense of America is built with a lot of diversity ethnic groups and this is a month we celebrate that [in] the city of Cleveland. We want to celebrate as a whole, and also socialize and let people know about our culture, our ethnic groups and have a great time,” Wu said.

Wu added he believes the board has hosted the Asian Heritage Day Event annually for at least 20 years.

This celebration was held just a few days after the Cleveland Asian Festival took place in Asia Plaza. Roughly 30,000 people attended the festival that honors Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.