Laredo Asian Association Readies TAMIU Scholarship Fundraiser Saturday

The increasing cultural diversity of Laredo will be attested to with the Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, presentation of the third annual Asian Night Extravaganza at Texas A&M international University's Student Center Ballroom.

The event is hosted by the Laredo Asian Association (LAA).

Gina Tsai Mejia, LAA president, said the event is truly a celebration that promotes Asian culture and heritage and creates scholarships for local students.

"Laredo has a large group of its citizens from Asian countries," explained Mejia, "We celebrate Asian Night to promote our culture and heritage as well as provide scholarships to students who want to learn Asian languages or to international students working on masters degrees at the University."

Last year's event saw more than 500 attend.  Proceeds helped create a  $5,000 scholarship presented recently at TAMIU.

Mejia said this year's celebration is bound to impress guests.

"This year's Extravaganza features authentic ethnic food, magnificent cultural dances, and a fashion show featuring wedding gowns from the different Asian countries.  Our emcees for the evening will be Tricia Cortez and Richard Noriega. A silent auction will showcase local artists," she noted.

Ticket information is available by calling 717-1001.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu