Tacoma Weekly | APCC celebrates grand opening of its newly built home
By: Tacoma Weekly Staff
On Sept. 8, 2023, a grand groundbreaking ceremony was held to kick off construction for the Asia Pacific Cultural Center’s long-awaited new facility. Now, it is time to cut the ribbon on Friday, Aug. 29, and the public is invited to take part.
Finally, APCC has a building that reflects its impact on, and value to, Tacoma, Pierce County and the entire state of Washington and Pacific Northwest.
“It’s really beautiful. People are impressed with how it turned out,” said APCC Founder and President Patsy Surh O’Connell. “We are all very proud that there is no building like this anywhere and that we are able to gather to work together and showcase each of our countries’ art, culture, education, and business.”
Art Wang, a retired Washington State Superior Court Judge and longtime APCC Advisory Board member, said it was the combination of O’Connell’s dream and vision and APCC Executive Director Lua Pritchard’s persistence and drive that brought a state-of-the-art center that truly embraces the 47 Asian and Pacific Islander countries that APCC represents.
“It is incredible. I’m just amazed at how they stuck with things,” he said. “I’m joining everyone else in being excited about the opening of it and to see that sometimes, a dream can become real. This was a very difficult vision that Patsy had 30 years ago, and it is amazing to see it come true.”
Designed to welcome more than 300,000 visitors each year from Washington, the U.S., and around the world, this new building was achieved through a partnership with Parks Tacoma to enhance cultural programming and visitor experiences for the Asian, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian communities.
It features the large Aunty Rosa Franklin Performance Arts Center, a full commercial kitchen, the Jade Choe Gallery, a welcome center, Corridor of Nations, Judie Fortier Asia Pacific Gift Shop, Dr. Belinda Louie Asia Pacific Library, many classroom and meeting spaces, Al Cosio Dance Studio and more.
“The Asia Pacific Cultural Center’s new home is a proud milestone for our Asian American and Pacific Islander community and for all of Pierce County,” said Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello. “It’s a testament to years of vision and dedication, creating a place of belonging, learning, and celebration. Congratulations to APCC on this achievement – we look forward to the many ways this center will enrich our community for generations to come.”
Mayor Woodards shared her congratulations. “I am overjoyed to see the Asia Pacific Cultural Center bring this long-awaited building to life for South Tacoma and our entire region,” she said.
“APCC has long been a place of connection, education, and celebration for our city, and this new space will only deepen its impact by creating more opportunities for our AAPI community. I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to President Patsy Surh O’Connell, Executive Director Lua Pritchard, the board, staff, funders, partners, and everyone who made this vision a reality. We will all benefit from this remarkable space that honors heritage, inspires learning, and brings people together.”
The grand opening will feature a Parade of Nations at 2:30 p.m.; elected officials, dignitaries and honored guest speakers; the ribbon cutting; tours; performances from different countries and the Symphony Tacoma brass ensemble; hands-on activities provided by the countries that are participating; interactive booths to learn origami, tropical flower, and lei making; and other means to mark this momentous occasion.
The grand opening activities would not happen without generous these sponsors: BECU, Puget Sound Energy, All Ways Caring Home Care, WorkForce Central, U.S. Oil Refinery Par Pacific, TwinStar Credit Union, Lightcurve, UFCW 367, Tacoma Public Utilities, Umpqua Bank, and Catholic Community Services.
DECADES IN THE MAKING
Nearly 30 years ago, local artist and community leader O’Connell gathered with a small group of Asia Pacific leaders from Pierce County to discuss the need for a central space that could bring together all Asians and Pacific Islanders. The six original founding board members representing three generations of Asians and Pacific Islanders in Tacoma were Daniel Yu, Michi Osaka, Judy Chen, Eva Laird Smith, O’Connell, and Steve Wong.
They dreamed of a place that would honor their ancestors and preserve the legacies passed down through generations, a vibrant center where Asia Pacific communities could teach, share, and celebrate their rich cultures and heritage with the broader public.
They also sought to create an inclusive space that would support immigrants, refugees, and families across the Asia Pacific community. Most importantly, they imagined a place where children and youth could stay connected to their roots and grow into future leaders.
In the early years, O’Connell led the “Cultural Treasure Trunk” project, literally trunks full of items to bring interactive cultural lessons and activities for children K-12, presented at schools, libraries, community events, and other locations.
As O’Connell explained, “That was one of the major programs. We all moved to this new country and all our possessions were in a trunk. We emigrated to this new world and because of that reason, we wanted the trunk to go to different places to educate. The people who volunteered to go to schools, to different places where we were invited, were so proud to show their cultures.”
She recalled a touching story of when the Cultural Treasure Trunk touched the life of a young boy at one of the schools she was visiting.
“I went out with a Korean gentleman who could not speak any English and I was translating his talk about the Korean culture. Amongst those students, there was a Korean and every time the gentleman spoke, all the other kids were looking at that boy because he apparently spoke Korean. As we finished and were packing up, all the kids went to this Korean boy and asked, ‘What did he say? What did he say?’ He was so proud. That’s when I realized it is so important that we do this.”
O’Connell held firm to her objective, heart and soul. A person who naturally attracts people with her warmth, sincerity and conviction, all along the way folks got onboard to support her and help her fulfill what she wanted for her API community and everyone in between. From this vision of cultural unity and belonging, the Asia Pacific Cultural Center was officially founded in 1996.
Finding a permanent home would be no small task. At first, in the year 2000 it was in a small office – a closet size – donated by the City of Tacoma at the Sheraton Hotel Bicentennial Convention Center now known as the Murano Hotel Pavilion.
“I remember several meetings where she was asking if the city could help,” said Ray Corpuz, who served as Tacoma City Manager from January 1990 to July 2003. “As the city manager, I was able to figure out how to provide them a small office space at the Bicentennial Pavilion to help them get started. Patsy came with three or four people from the board and she was the leader. She just wanted some recognition from the city and some resource support, not a grant but a place to have an office to start their operation.”
Finally, in 2012, the former South Park Community Center was secured in partnership with Parks Tacoma. The 10,500 square-foot building allowed for the rapid expansion of programs and services for the community.
In 1997, APCC partnered with the local Samoan and Pacific Islander community for the very first Annual Polynesian Luau, which quickly became a signature event. APCC welcomed the Year of the Tiger in 1998 with its first Asia Pacific New Year Celebration which has grown to capacity at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall. Many cultural and arts activities and events soon followed and are held regularly throughout each year.
“The center offers language classes, youth tutoring, cultural studies, even mental health support,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell. “Thousands of people use it every year. It helps connect people to their heritage and also provides useful skills.”
THE DYNAMIC DUO
When Faaluaina “Lua” Pritchard came into the APCC picture, it really took off. As a board member at the Korean Women’s Association, O’Connell already was friends with Pritchard who was there as executive director from 1996-2009. In 2010, Pritchard was the Board Chair of APCC and already retired from KWA. In April of that year, the APCC board had to make a decision to hire someone to move APCC forward or make a hard decision. Lua Pritchard became the Executive Director of APCC on May 2010.
“When I started APCC, she became a board member and I kept telling her to come and work with me for APCC,” O’Connell said. “She kept saying, ‘After one project. After one project.’ She was doing her duty for KWA and she kept her position on the APCC board all that time. When she was available, I told her to come work with us and that’s how it was in 2010.”
Together, O’Connell and Pritchard are the epitome of APCC. Born in Shanghai, China, to Korean parents, O’Connell immigrated to America as a student in 1963 and Pritchard came from American Samoa in 1966 when she was 10 years old. Two women from different cultures who came together in unity to make great things happen, which reflects the heart of APCC.
“They are from completely different backgrounds and they have had success and struggle but they never gave up and it’s always with a smile,” said Rosa Franklin, APCC Advisory Board member and the first Black woman elected to the Washington State Senate (1993-2010). “As I watched them and how they worked together, that is one thing that I admired about both of them – how they did their work, respected each other and didn’t stand in each other’s way.”
Corpuz said Pritchard made “a huge difference” when she came onboard.
“Patsy was the missionary, the leader, the spiritual mover, and Lua operationally and administratively put it all together, implementing the vision if you will. She was the key, excellent at organizing and seeking out resources, working with groups and finding partnerships,” Corpuz said.
“She and Patsy are the dynamic duo. They were excellent at working together and presenting their case to acquire the dream and it really worked. They were inseparable and they worked so collaboratively. Their relationship is a great story itself, the respected partnership those two leaders continue to have, an example of great leadership and how to develop a strong working partnership in order to accomplish the vision and the goals.”
Washington State Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck said he is Pritchard’s “biggest cheerleader in the state although there are probably a million other people who would take issue with me on that,” he laughed. “She is a community treasure and Patsy is too. The combination of those two people is unstoppable. It truly is. Patsy is the most gracious person I have ever met in my life and Auntie Lua is the unstoppable force. I like to joke that when Lua says jump, I ask how high on the way up? Who can turn down Auntie Lua? You just can’t do it.”
Senator Steve Conway, an APCC Advisory Board member, said the new APCC would not be happening without the leadership of Pritchard and O’Connell together.
“Anything that Lua and Pasty are working on, they do a very class act, and they understand the politics and the needs of their projects. It has been an honor to work with them.”
Connie Bacon said she first became aware of APCC when she became a Port of Tacoma Commissioner (1997-2017).
“Patsy is very calm, sweet and persistent and Lua is just a fireball,” she said. “Patsy’s absolute dedication and Lua’s absolute dedication and persistence, they had a dream, and it was going to happen come hell or high water and you have to respect them. Lua should be in the Guinness World Book for something.”
A MODEL FOR ALL COMMUNITIES
Over the years, APCC grew and grew, and it continues to this day, offering programs and services honoring each country’s distinct artistry, business protocols, history, and social practices.
These countries are Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Caroline Islands, China, Cook Islands, Easter Island, Fiji, Guam, Hawaii, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Okinawa, Pakistan, Palau, Philippines, Pohnpei, Saipan, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tahiti, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam, and Yap.
“We respect each country, and we have to do that,” O’Connell said. “We have to educate others to do the same. I think that’s important.”
APCC Vice President Belinda Louie said it’s all about building trust.
“We don’t speak their language so how can we build a common bond if language is not the medium of interaction?” she said. “We bypass some obvious and challenging barriers, and we build a bond and a home.”
A founding faculty member of the School of Education at the University of Washington-Tacoma, Louie is a professor of Education and a student of history. She commented on what a feat it is to bring together people from certain countries that have been in strife with one another.
“For me, serving in my position for so long and understanding the history of many of the countries because I study those things, I know that they were enemies. They fought and killed each other,” she said. “You think about Japanese and Korean; Cambodian, Laotian and Vietnamese… Here, I encourage everyone that it’s not that we don’t remember our history but since we are making a home in the bigger Tacoma area, let’s work together to build a better and common future for us all. I’m not asking them to forget. I’m asking them to push forward to build a brighter future for us, our children and grandchildren.”
During the COVID era when people of Asian descent were being blamed for the virus in America, tensions escalated and hate crimes skyrocketed. However, APCC accomplished a magnificent pivot to the virtual world and didn’t miss a beat as that shelter from the storm. Taking to the internet airwaves, every day there was something to enjoy online, from cooking demonstrations and live feeds of activities to APCC’s annual Lunar New Year celebration for a virtual, and worldwide, audience.
Louie, who chairs APCC’s New Year Steering Committee, said this event attracted more people than any of APCC’s Lunar New Year festivals of years past.
“We caught the most attendance and we were amazed at the outcome. We used our personal phones to capture the performances and post them online,” she said. “With Lua, we are always committed to delivering what we have planned so we pivot. We say let’s find a way to move forward.”
Working alongside public and government organizations such as Washington Department of Health, Tacoma Pierce County Health Department, King County Health Department, Washington Department of Commerce, BECU, Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Pierce County United Way, INATAI, City of Tacoma, Pierce County, Milgard Family Foundation, TwinStar Credit Union, Emergency Food Network, Columbia Bank, CAPAA, Front & Centered, Pierce County Emergency Management Department, local organizations, local AANHPI cultural groups, and AANHPI churches, vital community health services were delivered such as free COVID-19 testing, vaccinations, and PPE.
Partnering with public health agencies, the center reached underserved Asian and Pacific Islander communities across Washington. APCC provided food distribution, translated health resources, and led a Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Task Force to promote culturally responsive outreach – earning the Governor’s Arts & Heritage Luminary Award in recognition of its impact. Pritchard saw to it personally that Asia Pacific small business owners received pandemic funding.
“During COVID, Lua personally helped small businesses fill out the forms and get the grants. Can you imagine the time involved in helping those individuals and businesses? The post-funding process was equally difficult,” she said. “Now we have a division of Business Development to help folks. Many departments came out of COVID.”
BRINGING THE WORLD HOME
Come this January, APCC will commence its 30th anniversary year. To have accomplished so much in that relatively short period speaks volumes about the organization, its leadership, staff and volunteers who consistently give their all to make APCC the absolute best it can be. It remains a world class operation bringing the world right to our own city.
As Sen. Franklin stated it, “They bring it to our front door. A lot of people do not travel. They don’t get to see what other people do so bringing it right to their front door is a very good thing.”
While she was serving in the Senate, and before APCC even had its name, Franklin said she was hooked when O’Connell mentioned the word “arts.”
“She said her main purpose was connecting communities through the arts. That stuck with me because connecting communities through the arts is one of the best things that you can do and that was her dream. Reaching communities through the arts is where it all came from.”
When Joel Larimer founded the Chamorro (Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands) dance ensemble Guma’ Imahe 13 years ago, lessons and rehearsals were done in the three-car garage at his sister’s house in Graham. Guma’ Imahe grew such that a much bigger space was needed and APCC came to the rescue, inviting Larimer to bring his classes there.
“Since then, it has been like a fairytale,” he said. “They were the first ones to give us our very first show because they wanted to push the Chamorro community out there. They’ve been advocates for our community to a point where they give more than we give, and we’ve been trying to figure out what to give in return to equal that out.”
APCC’s support of Guma’ Imahe fans out to the whole Chamorro community. The inaugural Chamorro Day Festival last June welcomed close to 7,000 people.
“It was the biggest cultural day that APCC has ever sponsored,” Larimer said. “APCC is a blessing to Guma’ Imahe more than it is a partnership. We look at them as the parents of every Asia Pacific country that is here in Washington.”
Guma’ Imahe will be performing at the grand opening event.
Raby Oum has had a similar experience. Assistant Director at Tacoma Public Schools’ Multilingual Learner Department, she works with refugee students.
“APCC serves refugee students from Ukraine and Afghanistan too, so they have tutors that come in to support the newly arrived middle and high school refugee students in the school district,” Oum said.
Her dance group is Cambodian Classical and Folk Dance of the Northwest. They practice at APCC every Sunday morning.
“Lua offers us free space to practice, and we greatly appreciate that,” Oum said. “Without her offering that, it would be very difficult for us to have a space to practice because we don’t have the budget to lease.
“I can’t express enough what APCC has done and is doing for our community. It has really built us and sees us in the big picture, giving us that opportunity to be who we are living away from home. I was one who felt that no one cared about my culture or identity, but APCC provides that space for us. I want to thank her and Patsy personally for that. Without them, I think my culture would not be embraced here in this community.”
Cambodian Classical and Folk Dance of the Northwest will also perform at the grand opening.
DUE DILIGENCE PAYS OFF
It wasn’t always a set plan for APCC to have its new home at its current location at 4851 South Tacoma Way. Numerous sites were considered and thoroughly studied.
As the Building Development Committee chair, Louie was out of her element, but she knew that Pritchard had full faith in her to do an excellent job, which she did.
“I don’t know how to build things. I’m a professor. I don’t even know how to use a hammer. I don’t even know how to cook – I only eat,” she said with her trademark sharp sense of humor.
She learned along the way of the long journey that was years in the making.
As she explained, “We did our due diligence to study and with professional support. That’s homework time. We had meeting after meeting and visit after visit at each site and with goodwill. None of them were good or bad until we studied the land, the soil, the rock, the traffic, the streets, the impact on the neighborhood, talking to neighbors, so that it would be very clear to us whether it would be a good fit. It was nothing spontaneous.”
The meetings were many and detailed.
“For example, they needed to know the model of the refrigerators and stoves we wanted to put in for the frame and drywall to be put in,” Louie said. “Different appliances have different requirements. Then we had to know the computer placements – a lot of details had to be well thought out and decided.”
When asked if she is relieved that the new facility is finally done, she replied, “We are never done. We will always be in a position of evolving, transforming and transcending. It’s a major watershed, a major step, but it is not done. We have to stay current and innovative. We have finished this step, a job well done, now let’s move on to the next one.
“A dream is only a dream if you can put some wings to it. It is my privilege to go through the journey with the legendary Lua Pritchard.”
State Rep. Jake Fey’s work with APCC goes back to when he was on the Tacoma City Council and APCC was looking for a home. Moving on to the legislature in 2013, his support continued including helping secure some state funding for the new building. He calls APCC “a real success story.”
He said, “Lua has worked this hard, and it has paid off. She has stuck with it when many people would have given up. To her credit, she is solid with this. Without Lua and Patsy, it would not have succeeded.”
Sen. Yasmin Trudeau was part of the state funding as well. She is South Asian and her husband is Filipino, so supporting APCC comes from Trudeau’s personal reasons as much as it does from her political position as vice-chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee with responsibilities for leading the Senate’s work on the capital budget.
“Because of increased construction cost and asbestos abatement, every year since 2021 there has been an appropriation to APCC to help them stay on the track to make sure they open. It didn’t go without its challenges, but I’m grateful that we got here. We were able to get them about $3.5 million ever since I’ve been in the budget room but they’ve gotten two or three separate allocations to make up almost $4 million in the years before I started.”
She noted that APCC has support from both sides of the aisle.
“It’s been a collective effort. Everyone on the delegation is in support of APCC, both Republican and Democrat, which is something I think is really cool about APCC. It’s one of the few spaces where we’ll see folks on both sides of the political spectrum understand the value.”
House Speaker Laurie Jinkins goes to bat for APCC too. She has known O’Connell since 2003 when they met each other while taking a course with the American Leadership Forum. When she and Pritchard would travel to Olympia to meet with legislators about the new building, Jinkins was always glad to see them.
“They started coming to the legislature with ideas. They had some plans for a Tacoma Avenue site and a Point Ruston site, and we started funding some of their planning efforts then,” Jinkins said. “None of those plans really panned out until they started working with Parks Tacoma which committed to having them in the site at South Tacoma Way.”
APCC is connected to one of Jinkins’ fondest memories of a dearly departed friend.
“One of my very best friends who is now deceased, Judie Fortier, she and Lua worked hand in glove on so many issues. Their hosting of Judie’s memorial service was very meaningful to me because Judie was so focused on helping them get exactly what they’re going to be opening this week,” Jinkins said. “That was the last time I talked to her before she passed. She said to me, ‘Help make it so, Laurie.’ It was a great assignment to get from a really great person.”
About O’Connell and Pritchard both, Jinkins shared a quote by Audrey Lorde: “When I dare to be powerful – to use my strength in the service of my vision – then it becomes less and less important whether I’m afraid.”
Jinkins said, “They embody it. Using their power and strength in service of their vision, that is the role modeling as women that they have done for so many other women including me.”
In the hallowed halls of the other Washington, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland is a staunch APCC advocate.
“It is very exciting to see APCC have this ribbon cutting. If you think about the history of the center, over the years there have been various locations proposed to have this new center and they landed right where they need to be,” she said. “A lot of work went into this and a lot of partnerships. Patsy and Lua are two powerful and influential women who never lost sight of their vision and now we get to cut a ribbon and open this facility that will benefit the entire state.”
Sen. Patty Murray secured $1.5 million in federal funding.
“APCC has done incredible work over the past three decades to foster a spirit of belonging and connection for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in Tacoma and across Washington state, and I’m proud to have played a small part in making their new state-of-the-art cultural center a reality,” she said.
“With this much larger facility, APCC will be able to expand its educational and cultural programming and give more people the opportunity to connect with their roots and learn about the diverse array of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities who have contributed so much to our state and our nation. As the Trump administration tries to stir up hatred, stoke fear among immigrant communities, and divide us, it is more important than ever that we come together to celebrate America’s rich cultural heritage and make clear that immigrants truly make our country great.”
A PROSPEROUS FUTURE
A flourishing APCC means opportunities for a flourishing community around it. APCC is good for our city, county and state economies and that APCC will stay in South Tacoma gifts this often-neglected local district with something the likes of which is not found anywhere else in Tacoma.
“We came here in the 1950s, so we knew what Tacoma looked like back then,” Sen. Franklin said. “It was quite an active place and South Tacoma was an active community. I hope that APCC being there will help it return to some of that activity. Since APCC is right at the entrance, it has great possibilities.”
Corpuz said, “It’s a tremendous thing, especially in South Tacoma. It will continue to make a huge positive impact in that area. You’ll see some related revitalization going on down the streets. The final opening of the facility and the activity it will generate will, I think, spur additional redevelopment in that area.”
“I expect that there’s a whole history ahead in terms of having this center in South Tacoma and I’m very proud to be part of this grand opening,” Sen. Conway said.
That Tacoma is an international port city comes into play as well.
“Pierce County is called a Gateway to the Pacific, and this has to do with Tacoma and Seattle being connecting to the Asia Pacific ports. The state of Washington, and the greater Puget Sound particularly, is dependent on foreign trade. There is a sizeable and recognizable population of Asian Pacific Americans here with many ties to where their families are from. That whole recognition turns into the importance of understanding the culture of Asian Pacific communities and understanding that there’s an economic connection. Just look at the Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma and the trade that’s going on in the Pacific Rim.”
According to a news article at portoftacoma.com, the Port’s Local Economic Development Investment Fund provided $5,000 for APCC’s new facility’s business plan in 2017, $10,000 for renderings and sketches in 2018, and $25,000 for architectural design in 2020.
“As a center of global trade, the Port of Tacoma embraces relationships with all Asia Pacific cultures and sees this center as a key link to sharing multicultural perspectives and building welcoming and inclusive communities in our region,” said Port of Tacoma President Dick Marzano.
The beauty of APCC is that people from all countries and cultures are invited in, led by our API friends and neighbors who are holding the door open for they want all of us to be healthy and happy.
As O’Connell said, “Having a big place, they feel proud and they are willing to do whatever it takes to keep the place their home for not just for a few of us. There are so many non-Asia. Pacific people wanting to know who their friends are or the API family they belong to. They get to learn through what we are presenting here.
“I want to take this opportunity to mention the non-Asian and Pacific Islanders who say bravo to what we’ve been doing and being supporters and part of APCC to create this beautiful building, for them to come and learn more about our cultures. I really appreciate their support.”
When asked if she is relieved that the new facility is finally done, Louie replied, “We are never done. We will always be in a position of evolving, transforming and transcending. It’s a major watershed, a major step, but it is not done. We have to stay current and innovative. We have finished this step, a job well done, now let’s move on to the next one.”