On March 15, the Asian Student Union hosted their annual Asian Night in the Lexington High School auditorium. At the event, students celebrated aspects of their cultural heritage through a series of performances where both groups and individuals at LHS introduced the audience to their respective culture’s music, dance, and heritage. Multiple LHS clubs centered on unique cultures and traditions performed at the event, demonstrating the diversity of Lexington’s Asian American Community.
“Asia is very diverse. It’s just such a huge continent and I feel like a lot of different groups brought in something special [to the show]. There were a lot of cultural Indian dances, K-pop, songs sung in Asian languages, and it was just so cool to see everything together,” Kyuri Lee, a sophomore in the Asian Student Union, said.
The performers put in a great amount of effort and commitment to make the event a success. Many even spent months rehearsing for the show.
“One girl who performed a traditional Indian dance called Bharatanatyam practiced for a whole year,” Maggie Shih, a LHS Counselor and the Asian Student Union advisor, said.
Despite being an event catered to the LHS body, the night successfully brought regions of the Asian community from the town together. For reference, this event has been held for 15 years and began when the club was founded in 2009.
“In the past, many of the parent organizations like the Indian Parent Association and the Korean and Chinese Asian Association have volunteered for the events, which is really great for us,” Shih said.
The club is hoping to encourage the Asian community of Lexington to take part in this event in the future rather than just high school students.
“[ASU] might be planning an Asian potluck with different types of Asian cuisines before the performance so people can try different foods, have fun, and then enjoy the performances,” Lee said.
Ultimately, Asian Night helped foster a greater sense of community and appreciation among LHS students, as well as providing a unique opportunity to both perform and learn about the diverse Asian heritage in Lexington.
“Asian Night really brings out what’s special about different cultures. You just love to see the diversity in each dance and type of song performed. They are aligned with each other. I think it’s so important and it’s awesome to have events that showcase different cultures,” Lee said.
