The Asian American Alliance on Saturday celebrated its 20th Asian Fest at the Indiana Historical Society. The free festival brought the Asian American community together and recognized their importance in Indiana.
There were dance performances, music, food and activities for families that allowed attendees to discover and explore diverse cultures from Asia that are woven into Indiana’s history.
Asian American Alliance President Rupal Thanawala said the dancers' ages range from five to 75-years-old. She said the performances give them a chance to celebrate their heritage and America, especially for the younger ones.
"So that is why we want this young people to come out and be confident about who they are, because we don't want them to feel that, you know, ‘I cannot be who I am.’ So this is our way of giving them an opportunity to express themselves,” Thanawala said.
The state is home to more than 200,000 Asian Americans according to 2025 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. They represent the 48 countries and thousands of islands that make up the continent.
The event comes after others including last summer’s Hispanic festival FIESTA Indianapolis and Burmese festival in January were canceled due to safety concerns.
Isabella Tuimuk is the program director for the Chin Center on the south side of Indianapolis. Tuimuk said current immigration policies have brought fear and anxiety to the Chin community, but the festival allows her and others to gather together.
"Being able to come out here, I think this is a shared safe space for us and to see that you know, so many others like us are out here too, and I think that's a good reminder of the community that we have, as well as the Asian population in Indiana,” Tuimuk said.
Asian American Alliance, Inc. is the festival organizer. President Rupal Thanawala said it’s important to celebrate Asian Americans in Indiana in a safe and welcoming space where people gain empathy and understanding of their neighbors.
"We’ve heard from our visitors in the past that once they’ve come, they experience a culture, they feel that you’re celebrating your culture, but you’re very much an American citizen, and you’re no different than us,” Thanawala said.
The festival also included free health screenings for attendees. This year in addition to blood pressure and diabetes tests offered at previous festivals, people could also get screened for Alzheimer’s.
From doctors to nurses, Thanawala said Asian Americans have played a pivotal role in healthcare in Indiana.
“This group came back to us and said, you know, ‘hey, this is how we want to give back to our community’,” Thanawala said of the health screenings. “So we have been hosting a health fair for probably 15 plus years. But this year, we have expanded a little bit bigger,” she said.
Mattie Upano is the past president of the Philippine Nurses Association of Indiana. The group volunteers with free health screenings at the festival. Upano said community outreach is important to provide health equity.
“So if they're pre diabetic, or they are at risk for cardiovascular disease or diabetes, then we can provide proper referrals for them,” Upano said. “Or if they're, if they need their medications to send them back to their doctors to do that.”
Attendees received a first aid kit and other free giveaways at the festival in honor of its 20th year.
Throughout the month there will also be a video projected on the AES building in Monumental Circle that recognizes the story of Asian Americans in Indiana. The four-minute display is in partnership with Downtown Indy Alliance and runs nightly at 10 p.m., 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.
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