From: Anan Sirisombatwattana <anan@igc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Date: 12 Aug 92 19:31 PDT
Subject: Thai Heritage Day
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1475000050:000:3586
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!anan    Aug 12 19:31:00 1992


PRESS RELEASE                            August 12, 1992
For Immediate Release                    Press Contacts:
                                         Jim Eursiriwan
                                         (312) 643-9393 (W) 
                                         Beeper:
                                         (312) 657-8035

               THAI AMERICANS OF ILLINOIS TO CELEBRATE
                      THAI HERITAGE DAY

     The Illinois Thai American community have set a full
day to celebrate Thai Heritage at the State of Illinois
Center in downtown Chicago on August 21, 1992.  

     The festival begins at the State of Illinois Center at
11 a.m. with a parade and will continue until 4 p.m.  The
deliciously exotic flavors of Thai cuisine will be available
to enjoy.  Traditional costumes, native musical instruments,
ancient crafts and an art exhibit will be featured during
the festival.

     There will be a reception at 6 p.m. at the auditorium
of the State of Illinois Center where top state, county, and
city officials are invited to meet with Thai American
community leaders and their members.

     The dance troupe from the National Culture Commission
of Thailand will be performing at the Auditorium of the
State of Illinois Center after the reception.  The public is
cordially invited.  Ten dollar donation is required at the
gate for the evening cultural  performances.

     "Thailand" in the tongue of her natives means "land of
the free", and indeed Thailand's status as the only country
in South-east Asia not to be colonized by European powers
reflects the name's meaning.  Thai culture fuses Chinese,
Malay, and Indian elements in a way that shows regional
variation and adaptation; the people of the mountainous
highlands have traditions distinctly different from
Thailand's central, northeastern, and southern inhabitants. 
The Thai community in Illinois reflects this tradition of
diversity.

     The Thai American community of Illinois numbers more
than 30,000.  They are involved in many enterprises; import
and export businesses, medical, nursing and other allied
health professions. There are also engineers, restaurant
owners, hot dog stand entrepreneurs, travel agents, grocery
store owners, and other services related businesses. 

     The largely Thai Buddhist population has founded 3
temples in Illinois around which their religious, social,
and cultural lives are centered.  The increasing political
maturity of the Thai American community of Illinois is
evident in their increasing political participation in city,
county and  state political processes.  People of Thai
heritage are concerned with issues that affect their
community.  They are also concerned with the U.S. Foreign
policies that impact the political development in their
homeland.  

     The Thai heritage day is sponsored by the Thai
Association of illinois in cooperation with the office of
the Secretary of State, George H. Ryan, and Chicago city
Mayor, Richard M. Daley.

     Co-sponsoring organizations are: Wat Dhammaram (Thai
Buddhist Temple), Buddhadhamma Meditation Center, Royal Thai
Consulate General,  The Thai Trade Center - Chicago office,
Tourism Authorities of Thailand, Thai Physicians Association
of America - Midwest chapter, Thai Nurses Association of
Illinois, Thai Northerner Association of Illinois, Thai-
American Southerner Association of Illinois, Thai Engineer
Association of Illinois, Thai Communication Association of
Illinois, The Siam Commercial Bank Ltd. Chicago branch, and
Thai Resource Center.

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