OCEANSIDE — After a yearlong hiatus, the Southern California Asian and Pacific Islander Festival returned to downtown Oceanside on April 26, drawing hundreds of visitors to celebrate a vibrant array of cultures.
The inaugural SoCal API Festival took place in front of the Oceanside Civic Center in April 2023. Although it did not return the following year, organizers announced it would be back for its second installment in 2025.
This year’s festival honored 20 different Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander cultures, featuring traditional performances by local artists, cultural foods and beverages, and a range of activities along Pier View Way, which was partially closed for the event.
Visitors explored a health and wellness area, a martial arts arena, live mural painting, art exhibits and other cultural displays throughout the day.
“Our team is thrilled to honor the legacy of community collaboration and collective service led by Umeke in 2023,” said Tuyen Nguyen, 2025 project director and festival co-founder, ahead of the event. “We plan to bring back the festival with the same joy, vibrancy, and connection to create space for the community to showcase their talents, stories and creativity.”
The festival’s return also helped kick off May’s Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The national observance began in 1977, when Reps. Norman Y. Mineta, D-CA, and Frank Horton, R-NY, introduced legislation to designate 10 days in May as Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week.
Senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga, both Democrats from Hawaii, soon joined the effort. The legislation was passed that October, and the celebration eventually expanded into a whole month.
For many performers, the festival was a meaningful homecoming.
“Returning to the SoCal API Festival feels like coming home to a celebration with close friends,” said Ilima Kam Martinez of Kuhai Halau O Ilima Pa Olapa Kahiko, a traditional hula group. “As a halau rooted in Oceanside, we take pride in reflecting the diversity of our community through hula and embracing the cultures around us. This festival is a meaningful way for us to educate, connect, and give back to the place we love.”
Among the groups performing was the Karen Organization of San Diego, which supports refugees from Myanmar (Burma), particularly from the Karen ethnic group.
Nao Kabashima, executive director and co-founder, said the organization works to keep Karen traditions alive by encouraging young people to learn cultural practices, such as dance.
“They are practicing two or three times a week — they’re getting really good,” Kabashima said, watching as several young dancers, including her son James Huang, took the stage at the festival.
City News Service contributed to this report.
