
While Seattle has its new and improved Wing Luke Museum and Seattle Asian Arts Museum, Tacoma is home to the Asia Pacific Cultural Center, an organization that promotes the artistry and historical practices of several Asian cultures. They are most known for their Cultural Treasure Trunk Project, a program that explains the socio-cultural background of Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Filipino trunks. The trunks, accompanied by a historian, are aimed to the increase the knowledge of students between elementary and middle school.
To keep this project and the APCC going, the organization holds an annual Luau as a fundraiser. When I spoke to director, Phil Chang, last year, he expressed a growth for the organization, which would include several in-house workshops. The Luau serves as such an example and to keep a great organization like this alive in Pierce County, it’s an imperative event. More information can be found at the APCC site.