'A time to celebrate': May is Asian Heritage Month in Edmonton

Special #ProudlyAsian apparel was offered at a pop up event for Asian Heritage Month on May 1, 2024. (Brandon Lynch/CTV News Edmonton)

Edmontonians are being invited to show their support for Asian businesses this month.

Wednesday marked the start of Asian Heritage Month and the second-annual #ProudlyAsian campaign in Edmonton.

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Throughout May, pop-up events will be held at Asian businesses around the city. Events include the Mill Woods History and Culture Bus Tour and the Asian Food Truck Extravaganza.

The first pop-up event was held at Yelo'd Ice Cream and Bake Shop on Whyte Avenue.

"We're super happy to be the first host for our Asian Heritage Month," said owner Ailynn Wong. "I am Filipino, super proud, super proud to be Asian

Wong said there is a multitude of Asian cultures, and May is a time to share – and explore – as many as possible.

"We all have different traditions, different things that we want to showcase," she added. "This month is really a time to celebrate each other, get to know each other and definitely introduce all of our different cultures and heritage throughout our community."

New #ProudlyAsian merch will be on sale online and at participating businesses.

This year's designs were created by local illustrator Serena Tang, who is also an organizer for the campaign.

"I'm so glad that last year we were able to really start this initiative," Tang said. "I find it so rewarding to be able to gather and to see all of our different communities overlap and support each other."

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One hundred per cent of apparel sales will be donated to Political Divas, a group dedicated to supporting racialized women in politics.

Asian Heritage Month has been marked by Edmonton since May 1998.

For a full list of events click here. 

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Brandon Lynch