AAPI Heritage Month 2023

AAPI Heritage Month 2023
Posted on 05/11/2023
MLK is very happy to host calligrapher, Hajj Wafaa and YoYo artist Judy Chen as part of AAPI Heritage month. Both artists will be back again next Wednesday for more fun with our students.

Hajj Wafaa
Hajj Wafaa
Hajj Wafaa born and raised in an ancient city of Kufa in Iraq. Mr. Wafaa became a refugee during the second Gulf War in 1991. He lived in a refugee camp in Saudi Arabia for 6 years. He spent 12 hours a day practicing calligraphy on scraps of paper with ink he made from power batteries and pens he made from sticks of wood and thick bamboo. His calligraphy practice helped him survive during the tough time he spent in a refugee camp. It was a blessing for him to write ancient surahs (verses) from the Quran that brought him a sense of well-being and spiritual strength. It kept him sane and gave him hope. In 1997, Wafaa landed in Chelsea, MA seeking a new home and peace. Since 2010, he started to teach calligraphy in several places around the greater Boston area. He was a guest speaker for many schools and organizations talking about Arabic calligraphy and giving workshops. The city of Kufa, where he was born and raised, gave him the enthusiasm needed to learn calligraphy because the first styles of Arabic calligraphy took its name from this city and called “kufi style.” During the journey of about 25 year of learning calligraphy, Mr. Wafaa mastered most of the calligraphy styles and taught them for 13 years. Now he is dedicated to educating people about the beauty of calligraphy and Islamic arts in general like Islamic geometry and Islamic illuminations.

Judy Chen
Judy Chen
I currently teach at The Newton Chinese School. I have been a Chinese YoYo teacher for more than 10 years. The Chinese YoYo is a folk sport in China. This movement can develop students' concentration. Train body coordination. Hand-eye brain and body coordination and responsiveness. It's a very popular sport. I believe that students not only enjoy it but also help their learning ability and teamwork ability.
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