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Spokane group formed after pandemic bias incidents revives Lunar New Year and expands cultural programming
Summary
Founders of Spokane United We Stand told the Spokane City Council office’s Equity Spotlight that anti‑Asian bias incidents during the COVID‑19 pandemic led them to form the group; they now run multi‑day cultural events, have installed historical markers and work with the city on language‑access outreach.
Alex Gjibolisco, manager of equity and inclusion initiatives for the Spokane City Council office, hosted an episode of the office’s Equity Spotlight in which leaders of Spokane United We Stand described how the group formed in response to anti‑Asian incidents during the COVID‑19 pandemic and how it has used arts and festivals to reconnect communities.
Ping Ping, a founding member, said the group coalesced after several incidents of bias toward Asian community members — including an episode in which Vina, the councilmember’s wife, was treated as a potential virus carrier while grocery shopping. "She had tears in her eyes," Ping Ping said, describing how those moments prompted organizers to create a collective response.
Charity Bhagat Singh, who leads programming for Spokane United We Stand, told the show the organization decided to focus on the arts "to educate, celebrate and connect" Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities with the wider Spokane public. She said performances are free and that the organization provides stipends to compensate artists and encourage continued participation.
The group highlighted its role in restoring Spokane’s Lunar New Year celebration after an 89‑year hiatus. Councilmember Michael Cathcart recalled the 2022 return and the large turnout: long lines and high community interest, he said, marked the event as a milestone in rebuilding visibility for Asian communities in the city.
Charity said the organization also researched and helped install two historical markers recognizing Spokane’s historic international district and the descendants of Chinese and Japanese railroad workers: one marker near Saranac/Trent Alley and another on Bernard at the Frucci Building near the Spokane Public Schools building.
On scale, Charity stated that the organization’s events have grown to multi‑day programs and that "last year, we had 34,800 that attended the event," a figure she attributed to the organization’s outreach. She invited listeners to a May 9 celebration and described a program slate that includes dragon dances, taiko drummers and a fire‑knife show.
The conversation also turned to the city’s role: speakers said city sponsorship and a city cultural grant have helped the events grow and build trust. Councilmember Cathcart emphasized language access as central to participation and accountability, and Ping Ping recommended that the city distribute a simple brochure or a one‑page table at event vendor tables listing translation services, reporting contacts for bias incidents and newcomer resources.
The episode closed with the host reminding listeners of upcoming council meeting date changes and directing viewers to the council office for more information.
The account is drawn from on‑record comments in the episode; where the transcript used multiple spellings for personal names, the article uses the spellings supplied when speakers were first introduced on the program.
