“Love & Unity in May: Healing Through Music” 2023 Recap
[June 8th, 2023 | Brooke Yeh]
On May 20th, 2023 – a.k.a. the internet-dubbed “I Love You” day because of the similar “520” pronunciation in Chinese – Glow Cultural Center celebrated Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage, Mental Health Awareness, and Women’s Health Care Month.
We hosted not only a concert, but also a “Building a Stronger Community” resource fair for the community along the sidewalk of 41st Avenue. State Senator John Liu, City Councilmember Sandra Ung, Special Advisor to the Mayor and Director of Asian Affairs Winnie Greco, Senior Advisor to Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks – Peter Koo, among other representatives from the NYC Office of Immigrant Affairs, Commission on Human Rights, Queens District Attorney, and NYPD Community Affairs Bureau brought their many resources and insights to share with our concert attendees. Director Eva Wong from the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health and Executive Director Hassan Naveed from the NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes also gave talks on how city agencies are strengthening their platforms and programs to better serve and protect at-risk community members.
Fifteen performances were given at the concert, varying in form and style from original songs about struggling with Asian cultural identity (“Belong” & “Shape of Eyes” by Vivian Fang Liu) to dances that combined Vietnamese folk music, hip-hop, and Chinese yo-yo (“Pearlescent Tango” by Linda Quach). In keeping with the focus on public safety and cultural diversity, Master Longfei Yang demonstrated a brilliant combination of Chinese martial arts & self defense techniques, and the audience was able to enjoy a guitar & piano rendition of the popular Korean folk song “Arirang,” a deeply moving gospel song by Jenise La Vonne, and two classical Indian dances in the Kuchipudi and Kathak traditions.
Glow Cultural Center has felt the transcendent power of cultural arts to open eyes, clear minds, and heal hearts, and we believe this is the first step in bringing “Love & Unity” to the community. The May concert is a way to spread awareness on the issues that affect our community today – namely hate crimes, violence, mental health crises, and socio-economic disparities. We hope that by bringing people together to present their empowering works of art to the government and organizations, we will be able to impact and change our community in positive ways. Let’s build a stronger community together!
當天精彩直擊！Photos of the Day:
Picture 1 & 2: Artist & Ken Dewey Director of Franklin Furnace Archives, Harley Spiller, presented “Free Fruit For All,” a discussion & sampling of lesser-known fruits such as the Cacao, Loquat, Mangosteen, Rambutan, etc. complete with their peeling, paring, and piercing devices. (Click here to learn more!) 
Picture 3: Over a hundred attendees came to our “Love & Unity in May” live concert. 
Picture 4: Glow Together Youth Program participants present “Stop Asian Hate” posters made during a GCC cultural workshop by high-school students from North Carolina.
A Big Thank-You to Our Partners:
Special Thanks to So-I-Am-Worthy for the amazing talent,
So Am I-Worthy’s mission is to inspire, empower and provide more music opportunities for women singer-songwriters, especially women from all minority groups. We are not just about the music but about purpose, about changing norms and doing it confidently. Our services are tailored to alleviate the stressors women face in the music industry. We include, not exclude. We pride ourselves on collaboration, teamwork, diligence as well as mental and physical wellness.
& Flushing Town Hall for the support!
This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall.
News Links:
- 僑報網 「溫馨五月 愛與團結慈善音樂會法拉盛舉辦」
- 紐約華人資訊網 「05/20 启扬文化中心：“温馨五月，爱与团结” 心灵重建免费慈善音乐会」
- 星島日報 「啟揚系列活動將登場 分享文藝及社區資源」
- 世界新聞網 「慶亞太裔傳統月 啟揚中心辦系列活動」
- 美国新闻网 「温馨五月 爱与团结慈善音乐会法拉盛举办」
