Recently my #HeighPartyof3 returned to the city of Wilmington, NC …one of our favorite roadtrips from Raleigh, NC (ICYMI …Check out past blog posts>>here << of our travels to Wilmington NC and Island Beaches). The reason for this visit was to celebrate the diversity, history, beauty, and culture of Asian American and Pacific Islanders during AAPI Heritage Month in May.
South Asians began to arrive in Wilmington sometime in the 1970s and hence they have a relatively short history of living in this area. Over the past three decades their presence has grown. Many of Wilmington’s earliest South Asian residents are physicians in different specialties, ranging from cardiology to geriatrics to dentistry. ( Source: UNCW associate professor Venkat Dhulipala dhulipalav@uncw.edu)
Here are the places we visited during our #SundayFunday Day Trip to Wilmington NC for AAPI Heritage Month:
Attraction| Cameron Art Museum
The work of AAPI artists has long been part of CAM’s history and integral to our permanent collection from the early days of the museum
~Matt Budd, Director of Marketing CAM
Cameron Art Museum is one of the many gems of Wilmington. Built on the grounds of the decisive Civil War Battle Of Forks Road, this facility perfectly balances the past, present and future. My family and I try to visit here once or twice a year as they always have some new exhibit of interest.
May being AAPI Heritage Month meant we visited to see the art on display featuring AAPI artists. Permanently on view on their museum grounds are two site specific art works by two well-known AAPI artists: Mel Chin’s The Structure of Things Given and Held which is installed near the CAM café courtyard and Hiroshi Sueyoshi’s Harmony which is visible from 17th street.
ABOUT | Mel Chin (American, b. 1951). The Structure of Things Given and Held, 2008-2009 Bronze
Made of bronze and standing over 18 feet tall, the piece is only eighteen inches wide and has an airiness about it. It includes two girls, one girl with her hand open (“given”) and the other girl with her hand closed (“held”), balancing a partially erased house on their heads. The artist intended this work as “a meditation on the illusiveness of memory.” The artist asked twin sisters Mary Anne Massey and Allen Wright (both share their maiden name Keith) to sketch the house they grew up in and incorporated the similarities and differences in their memory. Mel Chin is a recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship (“genius grant”) and currently lives in Yancey County, NC near Tennessee.
ABOUT | Hiroshi Sueyoshi
(American, b. Japan 1946) “Harmony”
Hiroshi Sueyoshi moved from Tokyo, Japan to Asheboro/Seagrove, North Carolina in 1971 before moving to Wilmington in 1978. He is one of Wilmington, NC’s most accomplished artists and was awarded the NC Living Treasure Award by UNCW in 2006. Harmony is a 17-foot sculpture of red, yellow and blue panels, interlocking steel figures that are abstractions of a man, woman and child. Each figure depends on the other structurally and is perhaps an artistic choice that is symbolic of the emotional bonds of a family. The artist created the piece for a design competition for David Swain of Wilmington developers Swain and Associates. It stood at The Forum Shopping Center in Wilmington NC from 2000- 2020, until it found a permanent home at Cameron Art Museum in 2020. He served as artist in residence at Cameron Art Museum from 2006- 2015.
Read more about this artist & art >> here
📍Cameron Art Museum
BRUNCH | Cafe Chinois
Located just near CAM, this restaurant is a personal art gallery of Mrs Niki (who also owns Indochine) where you can enjoy all the flavors of the East! In the mood for some Chinese or maybe Thai or maybe some Vietnamese? Well you are in luck for all of the above in one spot. That spot is called Cafe Chinois in Wilmington.
Asian fusion is what they do and I am here to attest, they do it all well. We dined here for Sunday brunch and it was delightful! Unbelievable Asian inspired decor and ambiance. Stellar service and the food was great. Dumplings, fried rice and some of the best steak I have ever had melted in my mouth. Inventive cocktail menu and great wine choices were also available. Never have to choose between different genres of Asian restaurants again because Cafe Chinois does it all!
📍Cafe Chinois
3710 College Rd Unit #123
Wilmington, NC 28412
Attraction | New Hanover County Arboretum
New Hanover County Arboretum features a Japanese Garden with a Japanese tea house, koi pond, statues, trees and plants indigenous to Japan that grow well in Wilmington’s similar climate.
Did you know? …There are two traditional-style Japanese teahouses in southeastern North Carolina: one at Ashs Japanese Maple Nursery in Hampstead and the other at the New Hanover County Cooperative Extension Arboretum in Wilmington. The design plans were sent back and forth to Japan to ensure accuracy.
Throughout the county there are fine examples of Asian foliage to include Japanese maples, Japanese camellias, Chinese Jasmine, Japanese Plum and persimmon trees, Chinese chestnut trees, Asian pear trees..just to name a few. Visit this attraction for FREE and experience its beauty!
📍New Hanover County Arboretum
6206 Oleander Dr
Wilmington, NC 28403
Explore|Wilmington, NC
Thanks to Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau, there is always helpful information on their website to gather before we visit. Here’s some information and places to explore before your next visit!
Annual Events that celebrate Asian culture include:
- UNCW’s Intercultural Festival (usually in October)
- NC Azalea Festival Cultural Stage (April)
- Diwali Festival of Lights – UNCW
- The Asian Heritage Cultural Center (on the UNCW campus, Fisher University Union Room 1002) hosts special events throughout the year. The Fisher University Union is usually open. https://uncw.edu/seahawk-life/connections-belonging/asian-heritage-cultural-center
Places of Worship:
- Chua Tung Lam Temple (Gordon Rd.)
- Wilmington Korean Baptist Church (College Rd.) *also near Cafe Chinois
- Wilmington Peace Baptist Church (Military Cutoff Dr.)
Specialty Grocers:
- Saigon Market International Groceries on 831 S.Kerr Ave. @saigonmarketilm (since 1994) **we stopped by here and found some unique teas, spices & sake
- Asian Life Market on Market St.
DINNER | Tandoori Bites
For authentic Indian food, you can’t go wrong with Tandoori Bites for lunch or dinner! We came for an early dinner and ordered the following from the menu:
- Garlic Naan
- Butter Chicken
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Tandoori Lamb Chops
Everything was perfectly cooked and bursting with flavor. Order wine or a Rupee beer, which paired well with all the delicious dishes and make a toast to #AAPI #AAPIHeritageMonth!
📍Tandoori Bites
1620 College Rd
Wilmington, NC 28403
Thank you for reading and I hope this inspires you to visit Wilmington NC in May or anytime to celebrate and support #AAPI businesses ❤️
SobeSavvy 