Tampa Bay AsiaFest and
International Dragon Boat Festival
A day of culture and pride for West Florida Asians.

By Ramon Gil for AIA, April 2005

When you think about Asian American communities, you usually think about the West Coast, specifically, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego. But there's another city on another west coast where Asian Americans are making their presence known. Namely, Tampa on the west coast of the Florida peninsula where the Asian population has more than doubled in the past decade.

It is in this city of about 28,000 Chinese, Filipinos, Indians, Koreans, Japanese, Chinese and many others that the Annual AsiaFest celebration is being held. Sponsored by the Asian American Coalition of Florida, the festival has been a way for the local Asian community to come together to celebrate friendship and culture while kicking off Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

"I came to Tampa in 1979 and there was no unified Asian community here." says Kimmy Springsteen, Hillsborough County's Asian American Liaison. "In 1982, I called all the Asian American groups together and we started the Asian American Heritage Council here in Tampa. There were 15 groups from 9 countries and we all networked and helped each other with our events and social work efforts."

They also organized the first AsiaFest with a handful of Asian groups and a promising attendance. Since then the council has changed its name to the Asian American Coalition and the festival has grown significantly. "We have food booths offering cuisine from both local restaurants as well as home-cooked meals from some of the smaller communities." beams Springsteen "We have live music and dance performances from China, India, Laos, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Philippines."

But the biggest boost to the festival has been the partnering of AsiaFest with the Tampa Bay Dragon Boat races, now in it's 3rd year. "Before the Dragon Boat races, attendance to the festival was at around 1,000 - 2,000 people. Last year we had close to 10,000 people come out to watch the races and enjoy the festival" said race organizer, Keith Greminger. "People seem not only intrigued by the history of the races, but also the challenge of competing."

"Dragon Boat Racing is one of the fastest growing athletic events in the world! In a relatively short period of time, with its strong sprint canoeing background, North America has emerged as an international Dragon Boat Racing powerhouse, shaking the foundation of a sport which has historically been dominated by Asian countries." claims the organizations's website. " What is most exciting is the growth of the sport at the grassroots level. Dragon Boat Racing is great fun for anyone, young or old. Although most international crews are either all male or female, national and regional events attract primarily mixed teams from corporations, public service groups, clubs sponsored by small businesses, high schools, and colleges and universities."

"The races are very popular" affirmed Springsteen. "The two events really complement each other." And hopes are high that the two events grow even more. "We hope to attract 80 corporate and organizational teams to the races this year, double the number from 2004." said Kevin Burns, another race organizer.

The festival also brings out the local military community from Macdill Air Force base including troops from the United Nations Coalition Forces stationed there. The mayor is also a regular guest of honor. "Celebrating our community's natural relationship to water, the Greater Tampa Bay International Dragon Boat Festival brings to the downtown waterfront the excitement, color and pageantry that promotes corporate involvement, expands tourism and showcases our ideal climate." wrote mayor Pam Iorio in a letter to the festival.

One of the oldest Asian groups in Tampa is the Korean Association of West Florida which includes about 25 Korean churches in Hillsborough county. Its leader, Chu S. Moon has been one of the most avid organizers and supporters of the event. "It will be a good thing and our members are really looking forward to it."

Tampa Bay Annual AsiaFest and
International Dragon Boat Festival
Satuday, April 23, 2005
Race Area: Garrison Channel and Cotanchobee Park
Asia Fest: Cotanchobee Park and surrounding properties
(Florida Aquarium, Channelside, Convention Center)
Website: http://www.tampabaydragonboats.com

Source: Interview with Kimmy Springsteen and "Dragon Boats Race Channel Into AsiaFest" by Janice Froelich, "Asians Make Up Growing Sector" by Linda Peterson for Tampa Bay Online and "Dragon Boat Race Planners Get Ahead" by Linda Froelich for the Tampa Bay Tribune.