and dance

At one booth, historian Rex J.T. Yu showcased the many Taiwanese hand puppets he has collected, from traditional puppets to more modern ones. Several puppets on display were lent by the Taiwanese government for the day.

Glove puppetry, or “budaixi,” is an art form dating back to the 17th century in which handpainted, doll-like puppets are controlled by hand to create a story and show. The shows were originally performed in theaters but since modern times, have been made specially for TV.

“This is a performing art from the Qing Dynasty from about 200 years ago,” Yu said. “When the immigrants came to Taiwan, they brought this art along. The tradition is still popular in Taiwan, but not as popular as before.”

San Fernando resident and attendee Vivian Thai was proud to see the celebration of cultures as she looked to learn more about her own Vietnamese culture.

Thai admits there was a time in her life when she felt ashamed of her identity, but she has come a long way since then.

“As a kid, I was kind of ashamed to be Asian because I went through some racism with people being racist towards me,” Thai said. “But growing up, I realized it’s something

I shouldn’t be ashamed of and I should be proud of.”

West Valley-Warner Center Chamber of Commerce board member Susan Tenzer helped organize the event as a way to get people to learn about different cultures in the community.

“There aren’t enough events that are around that are free for the community to see what other cultures are all about,” Tenzer said. “Today, we are bringing the culture of all Asian communities to Woodland Hills. We have vendors, we have costumes, national dresses and dances from various cultures.”

As May is AAPI month, the Valley Asian Cultural Festival also served as a way for Asian communities to have a safe and informative gathering while celebrating what it means to be Asian.

“What being Asian is to me, is about excellence–excellence in what we do, excellence in our careers, excellence in serving the community and also our families,” Klavir said. “We support a community like it’s our family.”

LINDSEY WHITTAKER Reporter

Gracejeet Sroya's life changed when she took organic chemistry and met Billy Stevens. They were stationed next to each other in the laboratory , and after a meetcute worthy of a romantic comedy, they became friends.

After eight years, the two started dating. A couple of years after that, they both returned to campus, and Stevens proposed to her in front of the college sign on Mason Avenue and Victory Boulevard.

“For me, that was the best proposal,” Sroya said. “It was where we met and it's a school that we loved so much, and still love so much.”

The day they met in organic chemistry was Stevens’ first class, but Sroya had been taking classes for a few semesters already.

“I built the laboratory apparatus that day, and it flooded her lab,” Stevens said. “I've always joked that my first words to her were, oh my god, I'm so sorry. Which was prophetically good practice for