By Kai Curry
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
“Congratulations APCC! I know we had so many memories locked in from the old building…but I know the community will pour new memories into the new space. Thanks for your leadership and [for] bringing the whole community along.” posted Larcy Villafuerte Douglas.
The effusive response from the community said everything, as the above posting on the Asia Pacific Cultural Center’s (APCC)’s Facebook page demonstrated. On Aug. 29, 2025, APCC welcomed the public to its new building on 4851 South Tacoma Way with a gigantic celebration.
New building. Old location. APCC had been temporarily relocated to E. Portland Avenue while this state-of-the-art facility was under construction. Now, at last, it was time to celebrate the contributions of everyone involved in the successful completion of the updated site, which will still be in partnership with Parks Tacoma—but much, much expanded to better serve.
“Our hearts are so full!” said APCC Executive Director Lua Pritchard on APCC’s website. “This Grand Opening will be a festive celebration. We welcome all! Please, come join us! This is our home, but this is also your home. APCC is here for the community.”
APCC Executive Director Faaluaina “Lua” Pritchard with Rep. Marilyn Strickland (Courtesy: Rep. Marilyn Strickland)
Festivities kicked off at 3 p.m. with an official ceremony and ribbon cutting. Many city, county, and state VIPs were in attendance, including Sen. Maria Cantwell, Rep. Marilyn Strickland, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, and of course, all of APCC’s finest.
“This building represents a vision that’s been transformed into a home where our AANHPI countries and communities can come together to share our many cultures and traditions, but to also learn from each other, while helping each other grow,” Al Cosio, APCC Secretary, told Northwest Asian Weekly. With this facility, Cosio said, APCC will be a cultural destination and help enhance the experience of living in the greater Washington state area. Not only will the already generous (usually free-of-charge) programs continue to run, but with the expanded space, APCC will be able to increase its offerings.
After the kickoff, guests were invited to tour the new building, situated amidst the green of the park (important to note, too, that neither the park’s famous Garry Oak trees, nor any mature trees, were harmed during the transition). The updated facility, designed and constructed with the involvement of APCC, SMR Architects, Edge Developers LLC, Korsmo Construction, and generous donations from the community, includes an art gallery, performing arts center, gift shop, culinary kitchen, garden, library, tearoom—and so much more—all within the prior footprint (they built up, not out). Cantwell, who helped secure $400,000 for a program housed in APCC aimed at ensuring at-risk AAPI youth can graduate, explained the importance of the new building in an Aug. 28 news release.
“APCC will be able to serve 25% more of the community with important classes and initiatives that not only connect older residents but also help young people learn their heritage and learn valuable life skills,” the release stated.
The importance was clear from the turnout on Friday, Aug. 29. Representatives from multiple Asian and Asian American groups joined in with their own banners and festive outfits to welcome the new building—and the return of APCC to its familiar and beloved location. After formal aspects of the celebration were concluded, it was time to party with cultural performances and delicious food—culminating in a fire knife show as the sun went down. Tropical prints, golden headdresses and embroidery, blooming flowers, mouth-watering eats, all abounded.
“APCC is our home away from home—a place where we can learn, preserve, and share the beauty of Cambodian culture,” Rady Oum, Cambodian Community Leader, told the Northwest Asian Weekly. “Even far from Cambodia, it gives us a deep sense of belonging and pride. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, APCC!”
For Oum, her Cambodian community, and the greater Asian and Pacific Islander community in Tacoma and beyond, APCC is a hub. It’s a place to learn, preserve, and share, Oum explained, with each other and with the public. It helps those who are far from their original homes to find a sense of belonging, identity, and pride, she said, and fosters understanding and unity across cultures. “APCC is more than just a building,” Oum said. “It is a place where our culture is not only remembered but celebrated. Thank you from the bottom of our heart, sister Lua!”
There were lots of smiles, lots of hugs, and probably some tears of joy. As Dr. Belinda Louie, APCC vice president, put it, “The new home of the Asia Pacific Cultural Center is the culmination of years of dreams deferred and reshaped, plans abandoned and reconstructed, blueprints scratched and redrawn, and partnerships explored and consolidated. We have gathered support from elected officials from federal to local, grants from public agencies as well as private foundations, and donations from individuals and corporations. The building is a distillation of discussions, disagreements, frustrations, compromises, hearings, and meetings. Our new center is a convergence of goodwill, handshakes, head nods, and contracts. Here we are, celebrating one another and our collective success in creating this beautiful center for us all!”
Kai can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.