This past Saturday, May 24th, marked the third annual Future Roots festival at Plaza de Cesar Chavez in Downtown San Jose.

The event was organized and hosted by San Jose City Councilmember Ash Kalra and Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI), and sponsored by numerous organizations from across the Bay Area.

It was a festive afternoon, full of performances, food trucks, vendor booths, and costumed cosplayers browsing from next door Fanime Con. At News for Chinese’s booth, we passed out our free community papers, sold handmade headbands and chatted with festival attendees and fellow booths.

Performers included Far East Dragon Lion dance and drum ensemble, the Balle Balle Bangra Indian folk dance group, Japanese-American rock band AkaiSKY, martial arts and choreographers Team Loopkicks, Indian-American voice star Sonia Rao and others. Fanime Con also took place on Saturday, and it was a great opportunity for Japanese anime fans of the convention to take part in the Future Roots festival.

The festival highlighted Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, as well as the achievements and diversity of the young Asian-American generation. Friends, couples, and family sat on blankets in the park, chatting and snacking on deep-fried mac n’ cheese, paneer quesadillas, and customized fried rice from the nearby food trucks.

In addition to commemorating Asians and Pacific Islanders throughout history, the festival also celebrated today’s young artists, activists, and scholars. The goal of this year’s and future Future Roots Festival is to continue honoring those whose stories will someday become part of Asian Pacific Islander heritage.

For more information on the Future Roots Festival visit: http://www.futurerootsfestival.com/