LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Asian Cultural Festival is dedicated to the diverse traditions in food, music, games and more. The local non-profit organizing the event also provides important resources within the valley's Asian community.
Rachel Moore shares the story of a Vietnam veteran on a mission to help Asian immigrants.
CULTURAL FESTIVAL
Vincent Palmieri is bringing together the community for the 2nd annual Asian Cultural Festival in Las Vegas.
"There's no better reward than helping somebody and seeing them succeed," Palmieri said.
He gets a lot of questions from the community: Why and how did this Italian American with a Brooklyn accent create one of the largest networking systems for Asian immigrants in Las Vegas?
"No one really reaches out to the Asian community the way they should," he said. "My family came from Italy. It was hard for them to assimilate."
Palmieri is the president and founder of the Asian Pacific Community Awareness organization, a non-profit structured to assist the Asian Pacific community in assimilating into America.
APAC aims to keep the communities within the Asian population informed.
"Even something fun like Taco Tuesday, where is it?" he said. "We post it on our website."
Even for things complex such as new legislation introduced by Nevada lawmakers. APAC will translate the bill.
"Our job is to give them the information and let them decide," he said.
It's one of the many duties Palmieri feels he's obligated to fulfill.
"When I lived in China, people had my back," he said. "They looked out for me."
After serving in the Vietnam War, the finance executive was sent to China by the bank he worked for, but when the company went out of business, he still had three months left on his visa.
FINDING PURPOSE
"I opened up a school to teach about business and finance," Palmieri said.
Three months turned into 14 years. He met his wife, Daisy, a successful real estate agent, and found purpose when returning to the U.S.
Palmieri continues to volunteer in various Asian and Pacific Islander cultural centers in Las Vegas.
"I taught English in them. I taught citizenship classes," he said. "And I felt that they're not being helped to assimilate into our culture."
This is a challenge he's determined to take on. APAC's goal also provides information and contacts in healthcare, jobs, veterans benefits, legal aid, and attaining citizenship.
"Teaching someone to pass the citizenship exam and they pass the first time. It's a thrill that's priceless," he said.
