magazine

Connecting CulturesLinking Lives

September 2015Volume 10 Issue 9

asian avenue

Restaurant Peek Las Vegas premieres

SYNERGYNathan Yip Foundationhosts annual dim sum brunch

COLORADO NONPROFITSserve the state and around the world

Tengu Kabuki Spectacle

event unites cars, music and fashion

8

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September 26

Dear Asian Avenue readers,

It is bittersweet to send off a great friend of the magazine, Chris Jose, to Dallas! Since Chris moved to Denver five years ago to report for Fox 31 Denver, he has been extremely involved in Colorado’s Asian-American community. He has volunteered at countless events as an emcee and brought such energy and charisma to the mile high! While he is from Seattle, he proudly wore his Denver Broncos jersey and was sent to cover the Broncos at Super Bowl XLVIII in New York! Chris and I met up in Times Square during that weekend in January 2013. Such good memories! Thank you for all that you’ve done for our city, Chris! You will always have a home in Denver. This issue we feature Colorado’s nonprofit organizations that have a focus on Asian/Asian-Amer-ican communities. We want to thank all organizations and volunteers for the amazing and impact-ful philanthropic work being done in Colorado and around the world. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed! Keep it up!

We hope to see you this month at the Synergy party on September 20 at Metropolitan Lounge. The event will showcase ‘elements of culture’ including cars, music, fashion and food!

Annie Guo, PresidentAsian Avenue magazine

staff & supportPublisher & Founder: Christina Yutai Guo

President: Annie GuoEditorial and Marketing Manager: Sarah Shirazi

Marketing Coordinator: Chun GuoSenior Designer: C.G. Yao

Staff Writer: Patricia KaowthumrongStaff Writer: Mary Jeneverre Schultz

Staff Writer: Brenda VelasquezPhotographer: Trang LuongIntern: Anastasia Yagolnik

Intern: Akemi Tsutsui

advisors groupGeneral Counsel: Michael C. Song

Patty Coutts, Donna LaVigne, Nestor J. Mercado,Sum C. Nguyen, Alok Sarwal, Tom Shieh,John Yee, Nai-Li Yee, George N. Yoshida

contributing writers Brenda Pearson, Pok Sergent

contributing photographers Clarence Low, Ash Valesco

on the coverColorado’s nonprofit sector is flourishing with more than 28,000 nonprofits that have a combined revenue of $51 billion. Learn more about some of Colorado’s

nonprofit organizations in this cover story.

subscriptions To subscribe, e-mail marketing@asianavenuemag azine.com. A one-year subscription is $25 for 12 issues, a two-year subscription is 40 for 24 issues. Please make checks or money orders payable to Asian Avenue magazine. For details about special corporate or group rates, please call during business hours: Monday - Friday, 9am to 5pm. Shipping and handling included.

advertisingAsian Avenue magazine offers businesses the most cost-effective way to reach consumers in the Denver/Boulder metro areas and beyond. For more information, call during business hours or e-mail us at marketing@asianavenuemagazine.com for our media kit and ad rates.

editorialTo submit story ideas, letters to the editor or event calendar listings, e-mail editor@asianavenuemagazine.com. Asian Avenue magazine (ISSN 1932-1449) reserves all copyrights to this issue. No parts of this edition can be reproduced in any manner without written permission. The views expressed in articles are the authors’ and not necessarily those of Asian Avenue magazine. Authors may have consulting or other business relationships with the companies they discuss.

Published by Asian Avenue Magazine, Inc.P.O. Box 221748 Denver, CO 80222-1748

Tel: 303.937.6888 | Fax: 303.750.8488www.asianavenuemagazine.com

Asian Avenue magazine is in association with the Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network.

asian avenuemagazine

September 2015 | President’s Note4

Dear friends,

It is bittersweet, but I’m excited to an-nounce that I have accepted a job at NBC 5 in Dallas, Texas. My wife Jaclyn and I cannot thank you enough for your love and support!

I’m not a Colorado native, but I’m proud to call Denver home. When I accepted a job at Fox 31 Denver/Channel 2 News, I thought it would be a stint—another stepping stone —to advance my career. I ended up staying five years, which is considered a long ten-ure, by television news standards.

Often times, television folks ask me why I stayed. The answer is simple: the people.

No doubt about it, Colorado’s majestic beauty is second to none. Denver’s boom-ing downtown has become a hot spot for great food, drinks and entertainment. Yet, it’s the people that I appreciate the most.

The viewers at home and Colorado’s Asian Pacific American community em-braced me from day one. For that, I will al-ways be grateful.

Thank you for welcoming me into your home and trusting me with the respon-sibility of reporting the news. The Aurora theater shooting, devastating wildfires, and historic floods are recent events that rattled our community. Yet, time and time again, we have proved we are resilient and Colorado strong.

It will certainly be a transition, but there are so many great Colorado memories that I’ll take down with me to Texas. The oppor-tunity to cover the Broncos run to Super Bowl XLVIII is by far the most memorable assignment to date. Luckily, we’ll be back often to visit. Jaclyn is a native and she’ll travel back monthly for business.

It has been a pleasure meeting you at the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, chari-ty events, fundraisers, on the street, in the studio and around Denver. Thank you for making the past five years the best yet!

Best, Chris Jose

Farewell from Chris Jose of Fox 31

Chris’ wifeJaclyn Jose

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Find Inside >> Table of Contents

September 2015 | Table of Contents6

920

4 Farewell from Chris Jose

UPCOMING EVENTS

7 Event Calendar

8 Nathan Yip Dim Sum Brunch: Sept. 26

9 Synergy Party and Car Expo: Sept. 20

COVER STORY

11 Colorado nonprofits show the power of philanthrophy

13 OCA of Colorado, Asian Art Coordinating Council, Boulder Asian Pacific Alliance

14 Denver Art Museum’s Asian Art Association

15 Theatre Espirit Asia

16 Asian Pacific Development Center

17 Eco-Tourism Organic Farm: Friends of ENCA Farm

18 Asian Chamber of Commerce

19 Uplift Internationale

20 Global Refugee Center

MILE HIGH SOCIETY: ON SCENE

21 Asian festival brings culture to Boulder

Thai summer school gratuates youth

22 Asian Pacific Development Center premieres thte Terracotta Warriors 3D performance

23 Aurora Global Fest welcomes guests to one of the most diverse cities in the nation: Aurora, Colo.

24 Feature Kabuki Spectacle: “Koi-Tsukami” celebrates Japanese culture and art at the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas

27 Restaurant Peek Tengu specializes in ramen and sake

28 Chef’s Menu Thai Recipes: Chicken with Basil and Garlic-Soy Ribs

242122 27

upcomingNan Desu Kan Anime Convention

Weekend of September 4-6Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel

1550 Court Place, Denver, CO 80202Cost: $50 at the door

For more information, visit www.ndkdenver.org.

Nan Desu Kan began in 1997 as a fan-run convention. With a total weekend attendance

of more than 21,000, it’s now the largest convention in Colorado and surrounding states, as well as one of the top 15 largest anime con-ventions in the country. The convention offers

live gaming, J-pop dance, art shows, video rooms, panels with experts in the field and

of course, lots of cosplay! There is a costume contest each year that awards best craftsman-

ship, presentation and audience favorite.

Colorado International Lion Dance Competition

Sat. September 5, Begins at 10am

Regis University, Peter Claver Hall3333 Regis Blvd, Denver, CO 80221Cost: Free and open to the public

For more information, visitwww.coinliondancecompetition.weebly.com.

The Colorado International Lion Dance Compe-tition aims to start an annual international lion

dance competition for the United States. In addi-tion, the competition hopes to provide education about lion dance to the public and community

building for lion dance troupes around the world. Competing groups will be using South Lion Dance

with prop for competition.

Fight like a Bender, Learn from the true Avatar Sifu Kisu

September 19 and 20 Korean Academy of Tae Kwon Do

621 Southpark Dr. Suite 1100, Littleton, CO 80120 Cost: $75 per day or $125 for both

For more information, visit www.kungfu-rma.com/sifu_kisu.

Attend a seminar from Sifu Kisu of the Harmo-nious Fist Chinese Athletic Association, who is

known for his work as a Martial Arts Consultant to the Hit TV series Avatar the Last Airbender and Kung Fu Panda Legends of Awesomeness. He will be teaching several skills and forms for

the seminar. There will also be having a raffle for signed Chinese straight swords each day!

Synergy: Car Show, Sneaker Expo, Fashion and Food

Sun. September 20, Begins at 11amMetropolitan Lounge and Event Center1230 E 31st Ave, Denver, CO 80205

Cost: $10 Day Pass; $35 VIP Pass; Children 12 and under are free with adult supervision

For more information or tickets, visit www.playback303.com.

Synergy will showcase the top 80 cars in the Rocky Mountain region with special guest Dannie Riel making her very first appearance in the Mile High. Hmong-American rapper David Yang will headline the performances. Sneakerheads will

sell and trade their prized kicks inside the lounge. Metropolitan Lounge will also be celebrating its first anniversary with entertainment, food trucks and a video game tourney all day and night on

Sept. 20. Come out to the Synergy party to enjoy ‘elements of culture.’

Nathan Yip Foundation Mid-Autumn Celebration

Dim Sum BrunchSat. September 26, 11am to 2pmKing’s Land Chinese Seafood Restaurant

2200 W. Alameda Ave. #44, Denver, CO 80223Cost: Adults $35, Children 12 and under $25

For more information or tickets, visit www.nathanyipfoundation.org/events

or call 303-817-8400.

Non-stop dim sum. Join Linda and Jimmy Yip at Denver’s most authentic and delicious Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival each September to benefit the Nathan Yip Foundation. Coined the “Thanksgiving of the East,” the festival brings

together family and friends for food, entertainment and celebration.

events

7Upcoming Events | asian avenue magazine

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EVENT: NATHAN YIP FOUNDATION SERVES UP DELICIOUS DIM SUMAutumn Moon Festival event to benefit and support children in rural China

The Nathan Yip Foundation serves up the most spectacular dim sum at their annual event on Sept. 26, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kings Land Chinese Restaurant, 2200 W. Alameda Avenue in Denver.

One of the season’s most exciting and deli-cious fundraisers, the event raises money to sup-port thousands of children in rural China. “Many children in rural China have no chance for educa-tion,” said Jimmy Yip, co-founder of the Nathan Yip Foundation with his wife Linda. “Our goal is to go in areas where no one has gone before and make it possible for all of the children in China to have a chance for success.”

Jimmy and Linda Yip founded the foundation in 2002, not long after their only child Nathan,

was killed in a tragic traffic accident while on winter break from college. They hope that many of the Denver Asian community will attend the DIM SUM, not only for the great food and cama-raderie, but for the knowledge they will be con-tributing to the foundation’s mission of making a better life for children in some of the poorest corners of the world.

Those attending will enjoy a multi-course feast at Kings Land, entertainment, door prizes and an official celebration of the Autumn Moon Festival.

For more information about the Nathan Yip Foundation, or to purchase tickets to the dim sum event ($35 for adults and $25 for children under 12), please call 303-817-8400 or visit www.nathanyipfoundation.org.

Center for Visual Art 965 Santa Fe DriveDenver CO 80204 msudenver.edu/cva303.294.5207

AUGUST 7 — OCTOBER 24, 2015

Artist Reception —

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

August 27, 6 - 8 pm

August 27, 5 - 6 pmGongbi Demonstration —

Sat. 9/5/2015 Islamic Community 9:00am -1:00pm Masjid Ikhlas | Denver North Islamic Center 11141 Irma Dr. Northglenn, CO 80233

Sun. 9/6/2015 Korean Community9:00am - 2:00pm H-Mart Supermarket 2751 S. Parker Rd. Aurora, CO 80014

FFri. 9/11/2015 Refugee Community 9:00am - 1:00pm Hidden Brook Apartments 1313 Xenia St. Denver, CO 80220

Sat. 9/12/2015 Refugee Community 9:00am - 2:00pm Hidden Brook Apartments 1313 Xenia St Denver, CO 80220

Sat. 9/19/2015 Korean Community8:30am - 11:30am8:30am - 11:30am Denver Disciple Mission Korean Church 8390 E. Hampden Ave. Denver, CO 80231

Sun. 9/20/2015 African-American Community12:00pm - 4:00pm Bicentennial Park 13655 E Alameda Ave. Aurora, CO 80012

Sat. 9/26/2015 Islamic Community 9:00am -1:00pm Masjid Al Noor | Denver Islamic Society 2124 S Birch St. Denver CO 80222

Sat. 10/3/2015 Muslim/Islamic Community 9:00am -1:00pm Masjid Abu Bakr | Colorado Muslim Society 2071 S Parker Rd. Denver, CO 80231

Sun. 10/4/2015 Korean Community 9:00am - 1:00pm Focus Culture Center (Basement) 11000 E. Yale Ave. Aurora, CO 80014

SSat. 10/10/2015 Korean Community9:00am - 1:00pm Korean New Life Church 943 Emory Cir. Colorado Springs 80915

Sat. 10/17/2015 Korean Community9:00am - 1:00pm Fellowship Korean Church 29 Del Mar Cir. Aurora, CO 80011

Sun. 10/18/2015 Korean Community8:30am - 12:30pm8:30am - 12:30pm Joyful Baptist Church 9565 Otero Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Sun.10/25/2015 Korean Community,8:30am - 2:30pm Golden Seventh-day Adventist Church 3101 S Golden Rd. Golden, CO 80401

Sun. 10/25/2015 Korean Community12:30pm - 3:00pm Korean Presbyterian Church of North Denver 9730 Huron St. Northglenn, CO 80260

Interpreters available in the respective language at that community’s health fair. Fairs are open to all (not only speciic community). If an interpreter is needed in another language, please call CAHEP in advance. Additional health fairs may be added to the website. Visit www.cahep.org for updates on locations and times.

Visit ww

w.cahep.org or call 303-954-0058.

in partnership with Walgreens, Colorado Christian University, Connect for Health, Colorado Heart Health Solutions, and Colorado and Caring for Colorado.

September 2015 | Upcoming Event8

9Upcoming Event | asian avenue magazine

Playback Productions and Metropolitan Lounge present Synergy to bring together cars and music, and to celebrate the first anniversary of the lounge.

Founder of Playback Productions Hendrik Samosir says, “Synergy by definition is the creation of a whole that is greater than the sum of its individual parts. Hence, this event combines elements of culture and lifestyle that are prevalent to the millennial genera-tion: cars, fashion, food, and music.”

On Sunday, Sept. 20, the street outside of Metropolitan Lounge will be closed off in order to showcase the top 80 cars in the Rocky Mountain region. Special guest Dan-nie Riel will make her very first appearance in the Mile High, and Hmong-American rapper David Yang will headline the performances. Sneakerheads will sell and trade their prized kicks inside the lounge.

Playback Productions was first estab-lished as a video production company; it has gradually ventured into photography, graphic design, promotion, and now special-izing in event production. The company aims to better the experience of those attending and participating in its events with every op-portunity and has hopes to also expand the brand nationwide.

Samosir, who is Indonesian-American and of the Batak heritage, says, “Being Indone-sian isn’t common here, so it’s always special when you can be the first Indonesian person someone has met.”

“The Colorado community is very unique and growing rapidly. The nightlife scene has evolved to be very diverse through the years. There is a great mixture of awesome venues and great talent in Colorado’s current scene.”

Playback Productions has partnered with Metropolitan Lounge on many of its events. The multi-level space can accommodate events ranging from simple meetings to cor-porate events with dinner and dancing. The lounge offers a private patio, complete with a firepit and full service bar!

The lounge has hosted wedding recep-tions, holiday parties, 7-course meals, hip-hop artists and DJs, and has welcomed cele-breties including Kendrick Lamar, Ty Lawson, Kid Ink and Columbus Short. Metropolitan Lounge, which can fit up to 800 people, has also hosted charity events and social gath-erings to help support the local community such as PBS, Roundup River Ranch, and Col-orado CASA.

Metropolitan Lounge is designed with hardwood floors and the original brick build-ing from the early 1900’s. Celebrating its first anniversary, the lounge is looking forward to the upcoming year!

According to its co-owner Brandon Schlag, “Our plans are to continue to evolve to make our space different and well known.”

“We hope to deepen our roots in our com-munity and serve more of the neighborhood through good music and great food.”

Metropolitan Lounge enjoys the football

season, the draft parties and college alum-ni games. They also look forward to the hol-iday season. Last year, the lounge hosted corporate and private events for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years!”

Becoming one of Denver’s hottest venues, Metropolitan Lounge will feature entertain-ment, food trucks and a video game tourney all day and night on Sept. 20 for Synergy. Children 12 and under are free with adult su-pervision. For more information and tickets, visit www.playback303.com.

Car Credit: Chris Giovenco

Samosir (left) and the #CodeRed2015 planning committee organized Summer Lights on Aug. 22 to raise funds for Nepal Earthquake Relief.

Playback Productions’ All White Party on May 30 featured Ashley Vee and Lil’ Crazed.

Magazine Ad Designer: Maurice Anderson (pg. 31)

King Center Concert Hall855 Lawrence Way, Denver, CO 80204on the Auraria Campus

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

FREE PARKING at the 7th St. Garageduring the event day & time.

PERFORMANCE INCLUDES:Traditional & Modern Chinese DanceChinese Folk Music & DanceChinese Instrumental MusicChinese Martial ArtsCalligraphyBeijing Opera Chinese Folk SongModern Ballet

Part of the program requires audience participation!

TICKETS: Adults: $8

Students with ID: $1Children (12 and under): FREE

RESERVATIONS:ahec.edu/kingcenter/tickets

or call 303.556.2179

This event will sell out reserve your seats IN ADVANCE.

Sat., October 36 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Sun., October 43 p.m. – 5 p.m.

For more information: CCD.edu/ConfuciusInstitute

REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED DURING

INTERMISSION.

Cell: 720-299-5149s.cree@comcast.net

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2000 W. 120th Ave. #2Westminster, CO 80234

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Five Star Real Estate Agent by 5280 Magazine, 2014 & 2015

THE NONPROFIT GROWTHSECTOR

AS HOUSING, THE JOB MARKET AND POPULATION SURGES IN COLORADO, SIGNS OF GROWTH ALSO BECOME MORE VISIBLE IN THE THIRD SECTOR, ALSO KNOWN AS THE NONPROFIT SECTOR. JUST IN COLORADO, THERE ARE MORE THAN 28,000 NONPROFITS WITH REVENUES OF $51 BILLION.*

Introduction by Mary Jeneverre Schultz

11Colorado Non-Profits | asian avenue magazine*According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, a part of the national clearinghouse of the nonprofit sector in the United States.

Friends of ENCA Farm shade grown arabica coffee beans dried and ready for roasting.

Photo Credit: Ash Valesco, Filipino Photographer

September 2015 | Cover Story 12

Despite the upsurge in growth, nonprofits are feeling the growing pains. In Colorado, the nonprofit sector will soon face sig-nificant increases in operating costs due to rising real estate expenses in the Denver metro area and beyond.

The 2014 Colorado Nonprofit Facilities Survey Report, released in November by Denver Shared Spaces and The Nonprofit Centers Network, shows that 26 percent of Colorado nonprofits will rene-gotiate their leases in the next 12 months.

With the current booming com-mercial real estate market, these organizations may face a $5 per square foot cost increase to retain current office space. For the aver-age nonprofit surveyed, this could mean $15,000 per year in addition-al occupancy costs.

However, growing pains doesn’t sway the positive outlook in Colo-rado. Almost 79 percent were opti-mistic about their organization for 2015, according to the Colorado Collaborative for Nonprofits year-end 2014 survey.

Growth will continue in the non-profit sector especially when cate-gories vary so much in this indus-try. Nonprofit organizations come in many different formats. Some nonprofits are directed as profes-sional development for graduating college students and young adults. Most nonprofits are promoting a worthy cause, while others are vis-ible through outreach efforts of re-lief organizations.

Volunteer board member and community leader Tom Migaki finds service to nonprofits as a way of getting involved with his local community and surrounding neigh-borhoods. “It’s a way of gaining leadership skills and giving back to my community,” said Migaki, who has served as a volunteer board member for four Pan-Asian non-profits in Colorado.

Professional development is a way to gain a foothold on leader-ship skills. One such organization is the local chapter of the Nation-al Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP).

“Whether it be at work, school, community or church, NAAAP Colorado’s goals is to empower Asian Americans to be leaders and not fade into the background like

so much of Asian culture tells them to do,” said Clifton Moy, treasurer of NAAAP Colorado. “We do this through workshops, panel discus-sions, Toastmasters club, network-ing events, volunteer events and annual National Convention.”

While professional networks are a popular way to engage within the nonprofit world, organizations are created to fill a void in the corporate and/or government space. Through the La Alama Connection project developed by nonprofit organiza-tion called Arts Street, underserved high school to college-age youth will participate in sustainable urban design and creative place making to improve the traffic congestion along Santa Fe during First Friday ArtWalks.

“Problem solving is the most im-portant skill we teach at every level,” said Arts Street executive director Stella Yu. “Together with cognitive learning and col laborat ion through team-work, youth at Arts Street ap-ply their natural creative talents, and find that they can fly if they want to.”

While art organizations appeal to right-brain individuals, sustain-ability, eco-tourism and best hopes for your homeland appeals to those who are conscious of the environ-ment and want to give back to their country of origin.

Through the efforts of Friends of Enca Farm, executive director Sherry Manning is fundraising and supporting the work at Enca Eco-Tourism and Organic Farm in the Philippines.

The story begins during the 1970s when mining operations contaminated the land in Benguet Province, located one-hour drive from Baguio plus an additional hour hike. The government at-tempted to take over the precious farmlands owned by a local family since the 1800s. However, 30 years of legal battles allowed the Filipino family to retain the land. With the assistance of Friends of Enca, the farm is open to the public for edu-cational purposes.

Since 2008, Manning has shared its stories to raise awareness

through annual luncheons, book launches and film screenings of the Philippines. Manning has even enlisted the help of her sister, Hei-di Peterson, who is a chef and has learned how to cooked Filipino cui-sine, including the sweet, succulent longaniza, egg-style tapsilog and the decadent dessert of leche flan.

Global warming and sustain-ability of land can go hand in hand. However, relief organizations play a pivotal role in fundraising and raising awareness of country’s plight due to unforeseen natural disasters of earthquakes, typhoon, tsunamis and cyclones. Just last April, Nepal was hit with devas-tating earthquakes, triggering ava-lanches on Mount Everest and sur-rounding areas.

Back in 2013, Typhoon Hai-yan hit the Philippines. (Asian Ave-nue Decem-ber 2013). Local Den-ver organiza-tions band-ed together for the first time to raise fundraising, bring shared c o m m u n i -ties together

and raised awareness of Filipino organizations through the Saklolo fundraiser. (Asian Avenue January 2014) Two years later, community and activist leaders such as Filipi-no-native Hope Hervilla are receiv-ing accolades. Since last year, she is engaged in helping the Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan survivors in her community Estancia, one of the worst hit fishing communities in Northern Iloilo. She founded Voic-es of Hope, a collective of local sur-vivors trained as citizen’s journalist in giving voices to the survivors victimized both by the deadly ty-phoon and government negligence. Her work has not gone unnoticed as she recently visited Aspen and Denver last July to share her per-sonal testimony in grass-roots ac-tivism.

Nonprofits are not just part of the economic sector. They provide a place to engage, empower and make change in one’s neighbor-hood, community and city. There is a nonprofit for everyone, whether it is a relief organization, person-al cause or motivation for upward

career movement. As a reader of Asian Avenue Magazine, take the challenge to volunteer as a board member, participate at fundrais-ing events or just donate to any of the local charities in Colorado. It makes a difference.

Please read on to learn more about nine Pan-Asian nonprofit organizations in Colorado that we highlight in this cover story: The-atre Espirit Asia, Asian Chamber of Commerce, Friends of ENCA Farm, Asian Pacific Development Center, Uplift International, Glob-al Refugee Center, OCA Colorado, Boulder Asian Alliance, and the Asian Art Coordinating Council.

Mary Jeneverre Schultz has worked in the nonprofit arena for the last 16 years of her career. Find her on Twitter @Jeneverre.

JUST IN COLORADO, THERE ARE MORE

THAN 28,000 NONPROFITS WITH REVENUES OF $51

BILLION

GIVING CIRCLES, A WAY TO INVEST IN UNDERSERVED

AAPI COMMUNITIES

AAPIP (Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthro-py) is a national organization dedicated to increasing invest-ments for underserved AAN-HPI communities. Over the past 25 years, AAPIP continuously looks for bold, creative oppor-tunities to bring more resources into our diverse communities.

In 2003, AAPIP began de-veloping and supporting Giving Circles in the AANHPI com-munity and soon after, launched a National Giving Circle Cam-paign to catalyze a movement that empowers everyday people to join with their friends, fami-ly, coworkers and colleagues to become local philanthropists.

Today there are 49 AANHPI Giving Circles across the nation including the newly formed Mile High Ohana Giving Circle in Denver that have funded a diverse group of organizations and programs supporting the AANHPI community.

To join or start a Giving Cir-cle, contact huong@aapip.org.

The Asian Art Coordinating Council (AACC) was incorporated in 1987 as a non-profit organization dedicated to generating new bonds of understanding between Asians and Americans through art and cul-tural programs. AACC’s mission is to serve as a bridge to the discovery of the many traditional arts and cul-tures of Eastern societies.

By devoting its resources to organizing exhibits, educational programs, and providing network-ing services, the AACC reaches out to people from all walks of life with programs of educational and cultural value.

AACC is best known for devel-oping and implementing the an-nual Contemporary Asian Art Ex-hibition series (CAAE), the only event of its kind in the US featur-ing contemporary Asian art. Each year since 1990 the AACC has worked in conjunction with mu-seums and non-profit galleries to

present these exhibits and accom-panying educational programs. Art from the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, and Japan have been featured. The AACC also offers an Asian art ap-praisal service, which helps fund its exhibits and programs.

13Colorado Non-Profits | asian avenue magazine

OCA of Colorado is the Col-orado chapter of OCA - Asian Pa-cific American Advocates. OCA is a national membership driven or-ganization dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Ameri-cans, touching tens of thousands of individuals each year through its ex-tensive network of over 100 chap-ters, affiliates, and partners from around the country. In addition, the organization strives to foster devel-opment, leadership, and engage-ment through its various programs.

OCA’s national headquarters in Washington, D.C. gives the OCA National Center an effective van-tage point for monitoring legis-lation and policy issues affecting Asian Pacific Americans.

In addition, OCA is able to build national support and to work in coalition with other national groups around issues affecting Asian Pacific Americans. OCA of Colorado’s Board members look forward to continue to celebrate the diversity of Asian Pacific Ameri-cans in Colorado.

The Boulder Asian Pacific Alli-ance (BAPA), a 501c3 non-profit organization, was formed in 1994 and is a coalition of representa-tives from diverse Asian-Pacific populations, the second largest minority group in Boulder. BAPA strives to promote awareness, ap-preciation, and understanding of their rich, diverse cultures.

For the past 21 years, BAPA has organized and presented the Boulder Asian Festival held on the world-famous Pearl Street Mall in downtown Boulder, Colorado.

This two-day event highlights the thriving Asian culture in the Boulder/Denver area and show-cases arts, crafts, food and musi-cal performances from local Asian and Pacific Islander communities.

This event is free and open to the public and is funded solely by grants and corporate donations.

BAPA is an all-volunteer or-ganization with no paid staff.

New members and volunteers are always welcome.

For more information, please contact:

Boulder Asian Pacific AllianceP.O. Box 21406

Boulder, CO 80308

Tel: 303-499-0108E-mail: info@bapaweb.orgWebsite: www.bapaweb.org

How to reach us:100 S Madison Street

Denver, CO 80206

Tel: 303-329-6417Fax: 303-320-7597

E-mail: asianartcc@aol.com

Website: www. asianartcc.org

ASIAN ART COORDINATING COUNCIL

BOULDER ASIAN PACIFIC ALLIANCE

OCA OF COLORADO

Contact UsOCA of Colorado

P.O. Box 44236 | Denver, CO 80201Email: ocacolorado@gmail.com | Tel: 720-663-1 OCA (1622)

www.ocacolorado.org (Colorado) | www.ocanational.org (National)

September 2015 | Cover Story14

The Asian Art Association (AAA), a membership support group of the Denver Art Museum, is dedicated to promoting knowledge and understanding of Asian art and culture.

It works closely with the Asian Art Department to present programs and activities that will enable the community to learn and enjoy, while keeping abreast of important developments in the fascinating world of Asian art.

The AAA presents a Wednesday-at-Noon lecture series from September to May and evening lectures throughout the year.

Get Your Hang Time!

Open Now thru November 1st

DENVER ART MUSEUM’SASIAN ART ASSOCIATION

UPCOMING EVENTWednesday at Noon

LectureLast Empress in Qipaos

from Manchu to China Chic by Sally Yu Leung

Wednesday, September 30, 2015, 12-1pm

Denver Art Museum100 W. 14th Ave Pkwy,

Denver, CO 80204

Sally Yu Leung is an independent lecturer, author

and curator of Chinese decorative arts.

For more information, e-mail blittle@denverartmuseum.org, call 720-913-0040 or visit www.asianartassociation.org.

15Colorado Non-Profits | asian avenue magazine

Before long, the idea for their own company, which they named TEA, was launched. The creative ideas flowed easily and many collaborations between the two co-founders and others in their network sprung up quickly.

The more challenging components of any young company involved governance and fundraising. That first season, TEA put together a board, by-laws, rounded up as many of the talented actors, directors and designers they knew, created a website, and then began the lengthy process of applying for non-profit status. (Ironically, the process took even longer than normal, almost 18 months; the assumption amongst TEA board is that the IRS scrutinized the documentation even more finely out of the assumption that there was a connection to the political Tea Party.)

For the first year, TEA contracted with the Vintage to use the smaller of the two theatre spaces in the Vintage’s home in Aurora. In May 2013 Maria Cheng’s own Spirited and Sworded Treks, a one-woman comedy/drama, based primarily on Maria’s real-life experiences, premiered to critical acclaim.

That production alternated with Dust Storm, Rick Foster’s brilliant portrayal of one man’s experience in the Japanese Internment camps during WWII. Both of these one-actor shows have also traveled to other venues for highly successful performances in the greater metro area.

The next production in October. 2013, was 99 Histories, a drama written by Korean American Julia Cho, and starring Tria Xiong as a troubled young woman looking to come to terms with her relationship with her mother. An Aurora Sentinel review of this show noted that the “young troupe has plenty of creative potential” and took on a substantive drama.

The Board also approved the

addition of a third co-artistic director, Sushma Bagga, whose skills as a multi-talented artist and performer have been well known among Denver’s Indian American community for many years.

The second season 2014-2015 brought M. Butterfly, David Henry Hwang’s classic drama; Occidental Moon and One Night of Thunder, two original one-acts focused on Indian culture; and Fermata, another original play by Maria Cheng. By the time Fermata took the stage in May, 2015, TEA had moved into its new permanent home at the Aurora Cultural Arts District gallery on 1400 Dallas Street in Aurora.

The main gallery space can now be transformed into a theatrical performance stage that seats 45-60 depending on the configuration. TEA’s current Board president, Jonathan Vogels, says that the “new space has really helped us establish a strong presence in the city of Aurora, whose commitment to the arts is strong and palpable. We are very excited to be a part of this scene.”

This season has already featured the structured workshop reading

of Citizen Min, Holly Yasui’s bio-drama about her father, noted civil rights attorney Minoru Yasui. Coming in November/December will be Tales of the Asian West, a series of monologues featuring stories from Japan, Bhutan, Iran,

China and India. TEA is also in the process of bringing on an executive director, who will help facilitate the fundraising and promotional aspects of the company, while assisting the three co-artistic directors with their vision.

THEATRE ESPRIT ASIA (TEA)

The story of the founding Theatre Esprit Asia (TEA) is, like many good ideas, a simple case of two people seeing a need and deciding they were the ones who would fill it. Co-founders Tria Xiong and Maria Cheng had worked together in the Vintage Theatre’s production of Joy Luck Club. After that show’s successful run, both women remarked how wonderful it had been to connect with so many other talented Asian American actors and designers on the show and wished there were more good opportunities for them in the Denver area.

TEA encourages support both in terms of donations and participation in its productions and other sponsored activities. More information can be found on the website at www.theatre-esprit-asia.org.

The mission statement for the company has three components:

• Give voice to Asian American narratives that address the contemporary human condition in areas of love, family, identity and immigration issues of racism, sexism, classism and cultural assimilation.

• Provide performance opportunities and nurture the growth of Colorado and US Asian American actors, directors and playwrights.

• Promote community and understanding amongst the Asian American sectors and between TEA and other indigenous groups through theatre productions and other shared projects,

particularly in areas of education and social justice.

September 2015 | Cover Story16

A fter the fall of Saigon in 1975, there was an influx of South-east Asian refugees to Colorado. There was a huge need for mental health service for the population, a lot of whom were dealing with conditions such as PTSD, depres-sion, etc. A group of Asian mental health professionals and commu-nity leaders decided that it was time to set up a clinic to serve the Asian community in Colorado. In October 1980, APDC was born and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) agency.

Throughout the years, APDC saw different challenges the com-munity was facing and expanded

its services to meet the needs of the community. APDC now offers the following services:• We heal the traumatized mind

through mental health treatment and clinic• We teach English through our

ESL programs• We provide job readiness and

citizenship classes• We help the youth adjust

to life challenges through our youth programs• We help people navigate the

many systems through case management• We help victims of crime and

violence through our victim as-sistance program• We help people navigate the

legal system through our legal aid clinic• We help educate people

through our health promotion and education

In addition, APDC provides in-terpreting and translation services through Colorado Language Con-nection (CLC). Founded in 1990, CLC provides affordable inter-preting and translation services for over 60 languages including Span-ish, Russian, Vietnamese, Nepali, Mandarin, Arabic, Burmese, and many more. CLC translators and interpreters are highly skilled pro-fessionals and many of them are certified to provide legal and medi-cal translation and interpreting ser-vices. Call CLC at 303-923-2945.

ASIAN PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT CENTER: CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF SERVICE

UPCOMING EVENTS

Saturday, October 3, 2015APDC/Philippine Nurses Association/9HealthFair

at APDC8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon

1537 Alton Street Aurora, CO 80010

Saturday, February 6, 20162016 Chinese New Year and

35th Anniversary Celebration

6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. The Cable Center

2000 Buchtel Blvd.Denver, CO 80210

We encourage you to visit APDC and take a

tour of our facility. For more information, visit www.apdc.org or

please contact us at info@apdc.org.

APDC1537 Alton Street

Aurora, CO 80010(303) 923-2920www.apdc.org

Asian Pacific Development Center (APDC) is a state licensed health clinic serving the Asian and Pacific Islander refugee and immigrant community in Colorado. For 35 years, APDC has been providing our community with culturally appropriate and integrated medical, behavioral health, and related services.

APDC staff and volunteers helped build, wrap and handout over 100 gift baskets for clients last holiday season.

APDC community partners, patrons, friends and clients joined in the 2013 Open House and Anniversary Celebration at the new building in Aurora.

Friends education and advo-cacy programs ensure that Filipi-no farmers have access to organic seeds, local youth participate in environmental education camps, and Ibaloi cultural practices are documented, taught, and pre-served throughout the Philippines. Through community-based tourism programs ENCA visitors learn or-ganic farming techniques and con-duct meaningful service projects.

Friends was founded in 2011 by Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Sherry Manning, who dedicated her service helping her host fami-ly realize a modern vision for their ancestral land, ENCA Farm. In tandem with her host family, Ms. Manning facilitated its rise as an organic farming training center, youth environmental education fa-cility, and sustainable eco-tourism destination.

ENCA Farm has been in the Acop and Cosalan Family since the 1800’s. It is named after Enrique and Carmen Cosalan, the third gen-eration to operate the farm. Enrique and Carmen spent their lives tilling the fields, growing fruits and veg-etables, raising animals, and edu-cating their eleven children about sustainable organic farming prac-tices and the history of their Ibaloi Culture.

In the 1970’s, not only did the Santo Nino Mines open up-stream

from the farm and contaminate its irrigation source, but the Philippine Government also tried to take away the Cosalan’s ancestral land. After 30 years of legal battles, the Phil-ippine Supreme Court restored the farm to Cosalan ownership in 2001 and it was officially opened to the public in 2006.

Since it’s founding in 2011, Friends has facilitated the follow-ing projects at ENCA Farm and the community of Tublay, Benguet: Organic Seed Access and Training: Friends has supplied organic seeds to ENCA Farm and is launching a

new organic seed bank initiative. Fifty organic farmers will bene-fit from education and technical training addressing seed propa-gation and storage, and will col-lectively establish a sustainable source of locally produced organic seeds, which will ensure the valid-ity of their crops and support food bio-diversity and environmental preservation.

Youth Environmental Education Camps: Biannually since 2011, 45 students from the Laren Montessori School in Manila visit ENCA Farm as part of their field school curricu-lum. The students spend one week living at the Farm and benefit from experiential learning opportunities that deepen their understanding of organic farming and environmental preservation and conservation.

Solar Energy Initiative: Friends partnered with Nokero (a social en-terprise whose mission is to end the use of kerosene around the globe through the use of high quality solar light bulbs and cell phone charges) to bring solar lights and solar cell phone chargers to ENCA Farm, saving hundreds of dollars, improv-ing the off-the-grid environment at the Farm, and eliminating the need

for kerosene or candles. Through a partnership with Solar Lights Phil-ippines (a local Nokero distributor), Friends receives a percentage of sales, supplying a passive revenue stream that supports farmer and youth education programs.

Colorado Non-Profits | asian avenue magazine 17

FRIENDS OF ENCA FARM (FRIENDS)

To learn more about Friends of ENCA Farm please visit our

website: www.encaorganicfarm.com.

And, save the date and join us for our 5th Annual Nourish event on Saturday, October

24th from 11am - 2pm at our office The Posner Center for International Development.

The event will feature Filipino cuisine and cultural

entertainment.Denver Contact InformaSherry Manning, Founder

and Executive Director

sherry@encaorganicfarm.comThe Posner Center for

International Development 1031 33rd Street, Ste. 174

Denver, CO 80205

Friends of ENCA Farm (Friends), serves as the educational and advocacy entity supporting the work of ENCA Eco-Tourism and Organic Farm in the Northern Philippines. The rising threats of global climate change, extractive economies, and big developers continue to threaten environmental sustainability, food security, and cultural heritage throughout the Philippines.

Auntie Olive, ENCA Farm Caretaker featured with Cow at the Farm.

The Cosalan Family Celebrating Lola Carmen’s 80th Birthday at ENCA Farm at ENCA

September 2015 | Cover Story 18

Led by President and CEO, Clarence Low, ACC continues to broaden its relationships and connections with organizations locally that result in referrals and opportunities for growth for its members. Affordable membership levels are available for small business owners, academic institutions, non-profit organizations and corporations.

Its website, www.acccolorado.org, features a number of monthly programs and events to help

members connect, and has a list of job opportunities and RFPs to large business contracts such as Denver Water, RTD and Denver International Airport.

ACC continues its work to help its Asian immigrant and refugee communities gain access to healthcare, immigration and social services, educational opportunities and civil rights representation by its collaboration with organizations such as Denver Health and Kaiser Permanente, Asian Pacific Development Center, the tri-institutes on Auraria Campus, and the Office of

Civil Rights.ACC is proud to partner with

the University of Colorado, Denver to mentor and advise students. Additionally, ACC is currently working to establish the Asian Chamber Scholarship Fund, benefiting first-generation students in Colorado. Scholarship awards are anticipated for Fall of 2016.

In conjunction with Delta Air Lines, ACC is planning a number of business trade missions to Asia in 2016 and 2017, with destinations to cities such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Kunming, Tokyo and Takayama.

ASIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF COLORADO (ACC)

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 16, 2015 Business After Hours at Volcano Asian Cuisine

October 1, 2015 Annual Golf Tournament at Fossil Trace Golf Club,

Golden

October 21, 2015Business After Hours at Charles Schwab campus

November 13, 2015 Annual Dinner and Gala at

King’s Land Chinese Restaurant

To learn more about Asian Chamber of Commerce,

please visit www.acccolorado.org

or contact Clarence Low at303-595-9737.

If you would like to be added to the ACC email list for periodic notifications of

events, please email info@acccolorado.org.

The Asian Chamber of Commerce of Colorado (ACC) was founded in 1984 as an organization to promote awareness and to assist in the business/economic development of Asian businesses in Colorado. Since that time, its efforts and connections within the community has expanded considerably – reaching deep into the multi-ethnic Asian community as well as through partnerships with local and multinational companies seeking to increase their diversity and inclusion efforts. ACC enjoys partnerships with the City and County of Denver, the Colorado Governor’s office and the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Board members from the Asian Chamber of Commerce attend a White Coat tour of Denver Health. Photo Credit – Clarence Low

Members of the White House Initiative team with commissioners from the Denver Asian Pacific American

Commission. Photo credit – Clarence Low

VIP Tour of the Westin Hotel at Denver International Airport. Photo Credit – Clarence Low

Colorado Non-Profits | asian avenue magazine 19

Uplift Internationale is a non-profit organization, incorporated in Colorado in 1989. Our goal is to change lives of children by mending their facial deformity - primarily cleft of the lip and/or palate …one child at a time.

The Philippines – the aim of UI’s humanitarian assistance – is estimat-ed to have an incidence of cleft lips and palates of up to twice that found in Western countries. Notably, the disabling consequences on the chil-dren include significant health and psychogenic disabilities. UI, through its project Operation Taghoy* (*Fili-pino for whistle, a function prevent-ed by the facial cleft), has recruited more than 690 volunteers over 27 years for the annual medical mission to provide free surgeries to indigent children with deformities.

These volunteers have shared their time, expertise and charity; pro bono. Through the annual mission and at our community cleft clinic, UI can account for over 1,700 children who have benefited from life-changing surgeries; their lives now filled with hope and promise.

UPLIFT INTERNATIONALE

Uplift InternationaleP.O. Box 181658

Denver, CO 80218 USA303-707-1361E-mail us at

info@upliftinternationale.org

For more information on Uplift Internationale please visitwww.upliftinternationale.org or call (303) 707-1361.

Circle of AdvisorsJack Dahl, MDPatricia CarrCasey Tighe, JDBarbara Moyer, DDS Richard RemingtonBarry Hudson, JD Dominic Foti, MDTom Williams, DDS, MDDan Balch, MDLarry Wolk, MD

Uplift Internationale ~ Annual Gala

October 3, 2015

The Twins Ashley and Eliza Nicole - three years later

Ashley before surgery Eliza Nicole before surgery

September 2015 | Cover Story 20

In 2008, five members of the East African community founded the East African Community Cen-ter (EACC). The EACC was es-tablished to support successful co-habitation between newcomers and life-long Greeley residents.

The founders also saw a need for a refugee center to help educate the receiving community about refu-gees and their new role in Greeley. The EACC mediated disputes and misunderstandings between refu-gees and the receiving community and soon realized that education was the first priority and the key to newcomers’ and life-long Greeley residents’ successful cohabitation. The EACC began their first En-glish as a Second Language class in 2008.

As the refugee community grew, so did the diversity and vitality of the EACC. By 2011, EACC was no longer serving just members of

the East African community but newcomers from over 20 different countries. The EACC also expand-ed the services offered from one ESL class to six different levels and Citizenship classes, advocating for refugees in the Greeley community and offering a myriad of services from translation to employment assistance to healthcare referrals. To reflect these exciting changes, the EACC officially changed their name to the Global Refugee Center (GRC) in November of 2011.

The Global Refugee Center provides comprehensive access to education, system navigation and community outreach.

English affects all aspects of adjustment. The language barrier segregates newcomers from the re-ceiving community, severely limits their employment possibilities, and makes navigating America’s politi-cal, legal and social structures baf-fling and frustrating.

To make this adjustment easier, we offer six levels of adult En-glish classes from pre-literacy to advanced. For families with small children, a Little Learners class was implemented so adults could attend classes and have a safe place to bring their children while learning. The GRC also help refugees and immigrants understand and engage with various American systems through on-going case manage-ment and the facilitation of detailed workshops and seminars in their

native languages. Additionally, the GRC provide resources and refer-rals for housing, transportation, food, finances, legal, employment and healthcare.

Our clients journey from all over the world to join our community. The GRC believe communities are built upon relationships between diverse populations. The GRC acts as the bridge between the receiving

community and newcomers. The GRC staff strive to support

local businesses and agencies with cultural context to meet the diverse needs of their clients. To do that, we provide interpreting and trans-lating for over 20 different languag-es, cultural awareness workshops, assistance in mitigating local dis-putes and technical assistance for system navigation.

GLOBAL REFUGEE CENTER

JOURNEY TO HOPE – FUNDRAISER

November 6, 20156:30pm

Zoes Café – Greeley, COPlease visit our website for

more information: www.grccolorado.org

United Methodist Church3rd Floor

917 10th Ave. Greeley, CO 80631

970-313-8800www.grccolorado.orggrc@eaccolorado.org

www.facebook.com/global refugeecenter

The Global Refugee Center (GRC) works to establish sustained integration of all refugees and immigrants, as self-sufficient, healthy, and inclusive members of society. At the GRC, all refugees and immigrants are welcomed, supported, and empowered as contributing members of society.

Mile High Events | asian avenue magazine 21

ASIAN FESTIVAL BRINGS CULTURE TO BOULDER

The world-famous Pearl Street Mall was the setting for the 21st Boul-der Asian Festival which took place on August 8-9. Over 40 vendors and performers representing cultures from Asia and the Pacific Islands partic-ipated in the event, which strives to increase awareness and appreciation of their rich and diverse cultures.

Visitors to the festival purchased scarves made in Thailand, bamboo purses from the Philippines, Tibetan Buddha statues and handmade jew-elry from Molokai, Hawaii. Hungry visitors feasted on curries from a lo-cal Himalayan restaurant and macaroons available in 10 different flavors from a Korean-owned bakery.

Festival performance highlights included Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu Association, which featured their traditional 70-foot dragon on the Pearl Street Mall, followed by a 9-person Lion Dance and Kung Fu demonstra-tion. Yoga and a miniworkshop on Taiko drumming gave the audience a chance to take part in the festivities as well.

Several members of the Pi Delta Psi fraternity at University of Colo-rado as well as past winners and participants of the Miss Asian American of Colorado took turns emceeing on the Performance stage and leading family-friendly activities in the Community Tent.

Formed in 1994, BAPA is a 501(c)3 organization and is comprised of representatives from diverse Asian-Pacific populations, the second largest minority group in Boulder. BAPA is an all-volunteer organization with no paid staff. The Boulder Asian Festival is free and open to the public and is funded solely by grants and corporate donations. For more information, visit www.bapaweb.org.

THAI SUMMER SCHOOL FOR YOUTHBy Pok Sergent

The day finally came.On the afternoon of Sunday, August 9, eleven kids, ages 5 to 12,

proudly and excitedly received their diplomas for finishing Thai summer school at Wat Buddhawararam (a.k.a. Wat Thai Denver). Two teachers from Thailand traveled to Denver for the summer, specifically to teach the program, which ran from June to early Au-gust. The summer school focused on building verbal and written Thai language skills, as well as Thai cultural awareness like tradi-tional dance and arts and crafts and Buddhism.

As the gathering place for the Thai community in Denver, the temple holds various festivals and ceremonies celebrating Buddhist and Thai holidays throughout the year. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/watthaidenver.

By Brenda Pearson

Bohua Chinese School perform Chinese folk dances at the 2015 Boulder Asian Festival.

Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu Association weave its 70-foot dragon down Pearl Street Mall.

September 2015 | On Scene 22

APDC PREMIERE OF TERRACOTTA WARRIORS 3D PERFORMANCE

On August 14, Asian Pacific Develop-ment Center’s night at the Newman Center for Performing Arts was a great evening for staff, board members, patrons and sponsors alike as we joined to share ice cold Miller-Coors beverages, a buffet dinner and des-sert after party, catered by Uncle Joe’s A Hong Kong Bistro, and experienced Dr.

Dennis Law’s 3-D, in-theatre technology, up close and very, very personal.

CEO and President, Chris Wanifuchi kicked off a warm welcome and intro-duced the evening’s keynote speaker, Asian Chamber of Commerce President, Clar-ence Low, who shared information about the Chamber’s collaborative work with APDC in the AAPI immigrant and refu-gee communities, and highlighted some of

APDC’s accomplishments over the past 35 years. Dr. Dennis Law, who’s been produc-ing musicals for the past 15 years, told of his dreams to bring new innovation to an art form that hasn’t changed much in the past 50 years, and introduced us to his vi-sion and the use of this first time 3-D stage technology.

Friends of APDC, including event spon-sors, MillerCoors, Asian Chamber of Com-merce, Asian Avenue Magazine, Nepali Tea Traders and Uncle Joe’s A Hong Kong Bis-tro, sat front and center at the performance, highlighted by a VIP backstage tour and a closer look at the 3-D video wall, made up of more than two million LED lights.

Nearly 50 performers including Chinese actors, with a blend of local Denver sing-ers and dancers, wore beautiful period cos-tumes and the story unfolded with scenes changing from detailed landscapes and arid battlefields to rooms inside the emperor’s palace. Many in the crowd could be seen removing their 3-D glasses to enjoy the performers in front of them from a differ-ent perspective.

It was truly 80 minutes of non-stop ac-tion, which is how the story unfolded be-fore you, rather than through dialogue. You have to see it to believe it! Tickets are on sale through the Newman Center box office

through September 6 so be sure to see it. Thank you to all who contributed to the

evening’s success including Mayor Pro Tem, Debi Hunter-Holen and husband Bill Holen, Arapahoe County Commissioner and Vietnam Vet; Gloria Schoch and colleagues; CH2M Hill, John Blakney and wife Maria; COO and CFO Peter Janssen, and Gurudev

Khalsa from Spring Institute; APDC board members, Rudy Lie, Lily Shen, Gigi De-Gala and Elisa Chen. A special thanks to ticketholders for their support of APDC’s programs and services.

Photo Credit: Anastasia Yagolnik

Rudy Lie, APDC Founding Board Member and family, Ruth, Regina and Leandro Boccadoro with sons Xavie and Sam, and good friend Rubie Clay.

Dr. Dennis Law, Producer, shared information about his 3-D technology and the use of a high-tech video wall.Associate Sponsor, MillerCoors, enjoyed a pre-show VIP dinner and backstage tour following the performance.

Keynote Speaker, Clarence Low, President, Asian Chamber of Commerce shared the history of APDC and introduced the programs and services.

www.apdc.org

William Schoolcraft, MD • Eric Surrey, MD • Debra Minjarez, MD Robert Gustofson, MD • Jennifer Brown, MD

For more information call 720-873-6243 or visit our website today at: www.ColoEggDonor.com

More than 30 colorful flags of countries from around the world waved in the windy air as the second annual Aurora Global Fest began on Sat. August 22.

The festival opened with remarks from Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan, Congressman Mike Coffman and other elected officials, followed by the parade of nations. One at a time, parade participants carried flags that represented the country they were from. Upon stepping on to the main stage, they introduced the nation’s flag and also said “welcome to our city” in their native lan-guage. The parade gave a glimpse of the diversity of the city. According to Wal-letHub, Aurora is the 13th most diverse city in the nation.

Aurora Global Fest, presented by the City of Aurora, showcased fantastic flavors and cultural experiences. The World Beer Market offered five beverages with brew-ing techniques and flavors from around the world. All beers were globally inspired

and locally made! Food vendors included: North of the Border Mexican Food, La-dydee’s Authentic Nigerian Cuisine, New Orient Restaurant, Philly’s Italian Ice, Mythos Greek Food and others. The Global Village provided cultural education, while the two entertainment stages presented cultural dance and music. Trio Talismán Mariachi and Simba Kenyan drums were two of the crowd’s favorite bands; their music brought people to their feet to dance.

The international fashion show featured cultural attire from countries such as Nepal, Mexico and Thailand were presented. The Aurora History Museum hosted an ikebana (Japanese floral art) demonstration and a Hawaiian party, among other events.

An estimated 5,000 people attended the Saturday festival, which was double of last year. Festivalgoers included families from around the world who now call Au-rora home. For more information about the event, visit www.auroraglobalfest.org.

WELCOME TO OUR CITY: AURORA GLOBAL FEST

WRAPS UP SECOND YEAR

Mile High Events | asian avenue magazine 23

September 2015 | Feature 24

Las Vegas is known for many things—its entertainment and night life are of course at the top of the list. Any newcomer to Vegas is almost al-ways advised to visit the Bellagio Fountains. However, even self-pro-claimed Vegas experts such as myself, have never seen anything quite like the Kabuki Spectacle, “Koi-Tsukami,” or “Fight with a Carp,” a special perfor-mance brought to the iconic Fountains of Bellagio, August 14-16.

The Bellagio Resort, owned by MGM Resorts International has prioritized offering free entertainment on the Las Vegas strip, whereas many casinos and hotels have scaled back their ef-forts to present free entertainment af-ter the recession.

Kabuki is a traditional Japanese art form that features Japanese dance, music and drama. Kabuki theatre is most often recognized for its elabo-rate makeup and folklore style.

Shochiku, one of Japan’s leading Ka-buki production companies for over 120 years partnered with MGM to debut the never before seen Kabuki Spectacle on the Las Vegas strip, with artistic part-ners Panasonic, teamLab, and WET.

The hotel built a special 165-foot stage on its lake to host the five per-formances held over the weekend. Each show lasted approximately 30 minutes, and was attended by 10,000

people each night. “Koi-Tsukami,” or “Fight with a Carp,”

is a classic Kabuki piece starring re-nowned Japanese actor Ichikawa Somegoro, who played a handsome sa-murai who falls in love with a beautiful maiden, played by fellow Kabuki actor Nakamura Yonekichi. The samurai even-tually discovers that woman is actually a giant carps’ spirit taking the form of a women to seek revenge against humans for killing her carp lover.

The performance climaxes with a dramatic battle between Somegoro and the carp. An enormous fish and turbu-lent sea were projected onto the Foun-tains of Bellagio to depict an epic battle scene. Traditional Takemoto chanting helped create a dramatic peak for Somegoro’s fight scene with the carp.

The water screen projection, pre-sented by teamLab, using teamLab’s digital technology and Panasonic’s 3-Chip DLP™ Projector PT-DZ21K, was truly the highlight of the performance.

Jay Sakomoto, President and CEO of Shochiku Co., Ltd., stated, “To be able to realize this new effort as Shochiku welcomes its 120th anniversary is ex-tremely meaningful for us. As the one and only producer and exhibi-tor of Kabuki, we are dedicated to com-municating Kabuki and other aspects of

Japanese culture to the world, as well as preserving the traditions of Kabuki.

“We are excited to present this vast and new Kabuki performance with col-laborations of Japanese music and cutting-edge video projections on wa-ter fountains in a never-before-seen scale, with Kabuki stars Ichikawa Somegoro and Nakamura Yonekichi.”

While the Kabuki Spectacle was a onetime effort to debut the ancient Japanese art form, MGM is committed to continuing to celebrate Japanese culture and the arts. Other nods to this effort include an installation at Bellagio by renowned sculptor Masatoshi Izumi and the first-ever Japanese-inspired display at Bellagio’s Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

“Koi-Tsukami” celebrates Japanese culture and art at the Bellagio Fountains

Kabuki Spectacle

Sarah ShiraziAsian Avenue magazine

Kabuki was first performed by females, but after 1629, a law was passed to ban female performers, leaving males to play both roles. Actors are often selected to play female roles based on their fea-tures and height.

One of the most important as-pects of Kabuki theater is makeup. Each actor learns how to apply their own makeup, it almost goes hand in hand with learning how to be a Kabuki actor. The process of apply-ing makeup also allows the actor to transform themselves deeper into the persona of their character.

Asian Avenue magazine (AAm) had a special opportunity to sit in on a makeup transformation with Kabuki actor, Nakamura Yonekichi.

22-year-old Nakamura Yonekichi, comes from a long line of Kabuki actors. He currently lives in Tokyo, and performs 11 months out of the year. His hope is that the readers of AAm will one day have the oppor-tunity to visit Japan and experience Kabuki theater in his hometown.

First, Yonekichi applies oils and waxes called “Bintsuke Abura” (in Japanese) on his face as a

base to help the makeup stick to his skin.

Next, he mixes water with white powder to create a thick coat of white makeup called oshiroi

(made of rice powder) to apply on his whole face, neck, and shoulders.

To complete the look, several coats of dark black makeup are applied with precision to create

a dramatic brow. This is followed by dipping a brush in rouge to line the eyes, and to shape the lips.

It takes an average of 30 min-utes to apply makeup, and less than five minutes to take off.

After the makeup is set, Yonekichi’s crew helps him dress two kimonos, and the final headpiece is adjusted to complete the transformation.

Kabuki Spectacle | asian avenue magazine 25

Makeup Transformation with Kabuki actor

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NAKAMURA YONEKICHI

Denver is the place to eat and drink right now. With new restaurants and breweries opening every month, our food and bar scene is booming at a wonderful pace.

The River North neigh-borhood is contributing sig-nificantly to Denver’s lively culinary scene, and if you haven’t had the chance, you must check out Tengu, a ramen house and izakaya – Japanese tavern – located in the new In-dustry building.

Once you arrive at Indus-try, don’t walk through the main entry. Save the explora-tion of the large warehouse, home to start-ups, eateries and retail spaces for another day. Or at least eat and drink at Tengu first.

Head straight to the side of the building facing the main parking lot. You will know that you have arrived at the right place when you see a large black metal door with tree branch for a handle.

Don’t hesitate, go inside and take a seat at a small intimate table or at the large wooden community table in the main dining area, where you can comfortably watch the kitchen staff prepare delicious bowls of ramen and small plates.

The menu is simple and well-executed; you can choose from five main ramen bowls, side carrs (housemade con-diments like honey garlic, country miso pork, and sesame shishito seven spice), a Japa-nese curry dish, and a curated choice of starters, including gyoza and edamame.

Tengu offers both tradi-tional and innovative ramen bowls. If you like to stick to a more traditional style ramen, go with the #1: chicken and pork broth, soft cooked egg, spicy bamboo, bean sprouts, and scallions. The honey garlic side carr paired well with this ramen bowl.

I highly recommend bowl #5: Tengu’s “Denver style” ra-men. The broth has a delighful spicy flavor, featuring chicken curry broth, pork, soft cooked egg, carrots, bamboo, jalape-nos, and scallions. Adding the sesame shishito seven spice side carr provided an additional level of spice and complexity.

Tengu is named after the mythical bird-man goblins from the mountains of Japan. Tengu are also known for their exceptional sword skills and for their wicked sense of hu-mor. The owners named the restaurant Tengu to represent

“mischief,” and the restaurant has several playful elements spread throughout. For exam-ple, in the bathrooms you will find “Learn Japanese” lessons painted straight on the walls.

There are also Daruma, or Dharma dolls, placed around Tengu. In Japanese culture, Daruma dolls symbolize good luck in the pursuit of working towards a specific goal. The restaurant owners give each employee a Daruma doll to work towards a goal, and once the goal was fulfilled the sec-ond eye of the doll is filled in.

After eating, head down-stairs to Tengu’s tavern, where a special experience awaits. Modeled after a traditional izakaya, or Japanese pub, the space is designed as a gather-ing place to unite people.

On each table you will find a reminder of your childhood, a “cootie catcher” that you can play with while enjoying a va-riety of sakes and beers. The sake menu is quite impressive, and it includes rare types of sakes, best served cold. Sake is a popular Japanese alcohol-ic beverage made from fer-mented rice.

The dimly lit space creates the perfect atmosphere for an intimate pub experience to share drinks, good conversa-tion and laughter with friends.

The final say: the atmo-sphere is playful and comfort-able, the food is delicious, and the service is top-notch. It’s worth the visit, but hurry up and get there before everyone else finds out about Tengu—this rare gem will soon become a Denver favorite.

Ramen Bowls, $10 #2 pork broth, chicken, nori, fish cake, enoki mushrooms, scallions #3 chicken broth, chicken, egg, bean sprouts, pickled ginger, shallots#4 veggie miso broth, enoki mushrooms, scallions, bean sprouts, pickled ginger, cabbage, nori, chili seasme oil#5 chicken curry broth, pok, soft cooked egg, carrots, bamboo, jalapenos, scallions

Side Carrs, $1.50 Country miso pork, garlicpaste, shishito 7 spice

JapANEse Curry, $9 Chicken, carrots, potatoes, rice

sIDEs, $4Side salad or edamame

Menu Highlights

Mon - Fri: 11 am - 10 pm Sat: 4 pm - 10 pm

Sun: closed

TENGU 3053 Brighton Blvd Denver, CO 80216

www.tengudenver.com 303.749.0109

by Sarah Shirazi PhotoS BY Anastasia Yagolnik

Restaurant Peek | asian avenue magazine 27

While Denver has a wide array of Thai restaurants, cooking Thai food at home can be extremely satisfying. Furthermore, most amazing Asian cook I know — my mama — taught me that cooking Thai food at home can also be easy and afford-able (She cooks like a pro on a large wok under a gazebo in the backyard!).

Here are just a couple of my favorite recipes to get your started on your culinary journey. Whip them both up with a pot of white rice, and enjoy a meal for four people for less than $20.

Easy Weekday-Night Favorite:Chicken with Basil

This popular Thai dish features a super-versatile sauce, which can be modified to accommodate steak, ground beef or pork. I use two Serrano peppers, including the seeds, but feel free remove the seeds and adjust the amount of peppers you add according to the heat level you prefer.

Ingredients:1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil2 teaspoons minced garlic1 pound of chicken, cut into bite-sized cubes¼ teaspoon ground white pepper (regular works too!)1–3 Serrano peppers2 tablespoons oyster sauce½ teaspoon sugar20–25 basil leaves

Method:1 | Heat a wok or saucepan over medium-high heat. 2 | Add the oil and garlic, and sauté until the garlic is fragrant and slightly brown. 3 | Stir in chicken, white pepper and Serrano peppers. 4 | Stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the oyster sauce.5 | Cook for another 4 to 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through. 6 | Add basil leaves, toss and serve with rice.

Crowd-Pleaser Garlic-Soy Ribs

This is one of my mama’s go-to recipes and will fill your home with a wonderful, garlic-y fragrance. They are also excellent finger foods for potlucks and meals with family and friends.

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons minced garlic1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon ground pepper2 pounds of country-style pork ribs3–4 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil for frying

Method:1 | Slice the ribs into 1 to 1-½- pieces; cut between the bones. You can remove some of the fat on the ribs, but it will add extra flavor. This recipe also works with baby back ribs cut into 1 or 1-/1/2-inch pieces. 2 | Add the garlic, soy sauce and ground pepper, and toss the mixture with your hands to make sure each piece is evenly coated. Marinate for at least 1 hour.3 | Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. 4 | Dry the ribs gently with a paper towel and use tongs to place them in the oil. 5 | Make sure the oil isn’t too hot, or the garlic will burn. 6 | Cook the ribs in batches until beautifully brown on all sides, about 10 or 15 minutes. 7 | Serve with rice.

Chef’s Menuby Patricia Kaowthumrong

September 2015 | Chef’s Menu 28

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