Visit Philadelphia Debuts ‘Common Threads’ to Celebrate AAPI Heritage

PHILADELPHIA, May 1, 2024 – In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, Visit Philadelphia today launches the latest installment in its In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union series, this time celebrating Philadelphia’s vibrant and diverse AAPI community.

Entitled “Common Threads,” the eight-part video series focuses on how participants celebrate and honor significant cultural holidays and family traditions. The first video showcases all of the interviewees, followed by seven videos highlighting individuals who identify as a member of one of the largest-represented AAPI cultural backgrounds in Philadelphia, according to Census data. Those include Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean, Hawaiian and Japanese.

“With over 120,000 Philadelphians identifying as members of the AAPI community, this video series highlights the breadth and diversity of our city’s AAPI community and the various ways in which they keep their traditions and heritage alive in our city,” says Angela Val, president and CEO at Visit Philadelphia. “By featuring their stories alongside the neighborhoods and landmarks throughout Philadelphia that honor the AAPI community, we aim to ensure visitors and residents from all cultural backgrounds feel welcome and at home here.”

In each of the videos, participants speak to their own unique experiences, as well as the “common threads” uniting these diverse groups: family, traditions and finding a home in Philadelphia. Those sentiments inspired the namesake for this series.

Visit Philadelphia collaborated with local AAPI leaders and organizations, including the Asian American Chamber of Commerce, to identify participants for the videos, which were filmed at culturally significant neighborhoods and landmarks throughout Philadelphia. Each participant selected the filming location for their respective video.

Details for each video are as follows:

• Kazumi Teune, executive director at Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia, is seen at Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center speaking about the Cherry Blossom Festival. Teune identifies as Japanese. 
• Kiki Aranita, who identifies as Hawaiian and Chinese, is a chef, food writer and sauce entrepreneur. Her video was filmed at Herman’s Coffee, which carries her sauce products, and she discusses Lei Day.  
• Visit Philadelphia Director of Design Sindoor Shah, plus her husband Alok and their son Neev, who identify as Indian, discuss Holi while exploring the Festival of Colors at the Philadelphia Zoo. 
• Hospitality consultant Roland Bui, who identifies as Vietnamese, is filmed at Hung Vuong Market. In his interview, he explores Tết (Lunar New Year).
• Travel blogger Samantha Elisabeth, who identifies as Chinese, is seen at the Chinatown Friendship Gate speaking about Lunar New Year. 
• Drag performer Yari, who identifies as Filipino, shares about Araw ng mga patay (All Saints’ Day) on set under the Philippine flag on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
• Digital creator David Wesolowski, who identifies as Korean, takes to Kimchi House to talk about Seollal (Lunar New Year).

“With nearly 50 ethnic groups and 100-plus languages represented in AAPI Heritage Month, we knew it would be a challenge to create a meaningful series that would resonate with such a wide audience,” said Neil Frauenglass, chief marketing officer at Visit Philadelphia. “But in all of our conversations and research, we were consistently reminded of the importance of traditions and celebrations for all members of the community. Our video series shows the birthplace of America as a welcoming destination that values and honors AAPI culture in May and all year long.”

The videos will roll out at a twice-per-week cadence throughout May on Visit Philadelphia’s Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube channels.

“Common Threads” serves as the fourth installment of In Pursuit of A More Perfect Union, a compelling series developed by Visit Philadelphia that showcases the city as the premier welcoming and inclusive destination in the U.S. Previous installments include Drag Queen Storytime at Independence Hall, Hispanic Voices and the Little Free(dom) Library.

As a continuation of the Little Free(dom) Library project, Visit Philadelphia is adding three new books by AAPI-identifying authors to the 14 libraries located at sites and attractions across the city: Under My Hijab by Hena Khan, American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang and Bilal Cooks Daal by Aisha Saeed.

As the official destination marketing organization for the city, Visit Philadelphia works to honor the nation’s history, while also acknowledging that the Founding Fathers’ vision of America does not reflect how many of our values have evolved over time.

To learn more about “Common Threads,” please visit visitphilly.com/commonthreads.

About Visit Philadelphia

Visit Philadelphia® is our name and our mission. As the region’s official tourism marketing agency, we build Greater Philadelphia’s image, drive visitation and boost the economy. On Greater Philadelphia’s official visitor website, visitphilly.com, visitors can explore things to do, upcoming events, themed itineraries and hotel packages.

Compelling photography and videos, interactive maps and detailed visitor information make the site an effective trip-planning tool. Visitors can also find loads of inspiration on Visit Philly’s social media channels.

Note to Editors: For high-resolution photos and high-definition B-roll of Greater Philadelphia, visit the Photos & Video section of visitphilly.com/mediacenter.