KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month is in full swing, and Kansas City is putting its rich culture on display with the second annual AAPIconic Festival.
“Our city is made of Asian and Asian American population, and because we want to celebrate the community that exists here," said Jackie Nguyen, the owner of Cafe Cà Phê.
It's because of her that this event is happening and is so popular. She's not from Kansas City, but she said she knew when she moved to her new home she wanted to bring some AAPI representation.
"We pay taxes, we are part of the community here, doctors, nurses, people in our salons — and so we want to be able to showcase the culture and show that we have a presence here in Kansas City," Nguyen said.
Right now, there are about 2,000 people registered. Festival-goers can expect food, retail and entertainment, all in celebration of the AAPI culture. For Nguyen, diversity is in the forefront, and Cafe Cà Phê helps with that.
"We want to make sure that everyone can experience Vietnamese coffee, and that we’re not only amplifying the AAPI community, but marginalized communities as well," Nguyen said.
Kansas Citian's agree, the focus on inclusion is important.
“An amazing thing about Kansas City is that there’s so much diversity that’s so celebrated, especially through food," said Lily Feinson, a loyal Cafe Cà Phê customer. "It’s really important to me that we do everything we can to support that and make that keep growing.”
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Columbus Square Park. It's a free, dog-friendly event, and everyone is welcome.
