On May 16, parents, students and faculty alike filled up Boston Latin School’s auditorium seats to watch show-stopping acts from an array of student organizations and entertainers for Asian Night, presented by Asian Students in Action (A.S.I.A.).
The event has been a staple of Asian cultural representation at BLS for over 30 years, occurring in the midst of Asian American and Pacific Islander Month.
A.S.I.A. is an organization that advocates for Asian advancement and interconnectedness at BLS. The tickets for Asian Night were sold for seven dollars leading up to the event and ten dollars at the door the day of the event. A food truck serving Asian fusion cuisine was offered until 5:30 P.M. The event started at 6:00 P.M. on that Friday.
The profits from Asian Night go into the A.S.I.A.’s club coffers to fund the organization of next year’s Asian Night, in addition to other events that the club holds like Onigiri Omatsuri and the Holiday Sing-Off.
A.S.I.A.’s preparations for Asian Night began immediately after February Break. The event is largely student run, with several divisions focusing on specific aspects of the event. Volunteers are recruited, auditions are held, sponsors are found by the students and logistics are figured out prior to the night of the event.
Assistant Head of School and A.S.I.A. faculty advisor Mr. Steven Chen says, “All the things that you see on stage in May are the culmination of a year’s worth of work and the performance themselves, you can see every second they’re on stage the work they put into it.”
This year’s theme, Tour De Asia, was another aspect of the show that the students of A.S.I.A. developed and used to showcased the diversity of Asia and its culture.
The importance of having diversity exemplified is not lost upon any. As Jessica Holgado writes in The Commonwealth Times, “When cultural representation is prioritized, it fosters an inclusive atmosphere where students from all backgrounds can thrive. It is about visibility and recognition in a space where our stories are often overlooked.”
Asian Night also showcased a variety of talents across the BLS student body. It began with a lion dance, featured appearances from clubs such as BLS Koreo, BLS Dance and BLS Breakers throughout the night and ended with performances centered around the seniors.
The performers prepared vigorously for their events, with some starting as early as September. BLS Desi, for example, started their dance practices in December and devoted their meetings each week to prepare for the event, which ramped up as Asian Night approached.
BLS Desi President Anjuli Patel (II) speaks on the club’s participation for the event: “[Asian Night’s] [kind of] just to represent our culture, show that we are part of Asian culture, we are here. Especially since when people think of Asia, India, Bangladesh or Pakistan are not countries that come to mind.”
The variety of groups that performed, along with the Tour de Asia theme, showcased A.S.I.A.’s commitment to recognizing the importance of diversity within Asian representation, demonstrating the beautiful aspects of cultures all throughout Asia.
There were occasional errors in microphone feedback and in the music, but as Angela Deng (III), an A.S.I.A. officer and coordinator of the event, says, “Though these problems occurred, our officers and tech crew were able to solve these problems as quickly as possible.” The effort and passion of those working behind the scenes to prepare for Asian Night allowed the event to run smoothly and for the performers to shine on stage. In fact, A.S.I.A. officers were even able to leave the School after the event earlier than previous years because the cleanup process took a shorter time.
This year’s Asian Night was a smash hit and one to remember. BLS can certainly look forward to many more years of spectacular performances that showcase Asian representation and the talents of the student body!