As a first time mother, Angela Chu was eager to share her passion for her Asian heritage with her daughter, but did not know how to — especially when she did not fully understand the reasons behind her traditions.
“Both my husband and I grew up attending Asian events and doing traditional things with our families but, being young, didn’t try to learn more about them,” Chu said. “With our daughter’s birth, knowing and being able to pass down our heritage became increasingly important.”
So she and her husband founded Little Buddha Baby with the intent of being a resource for information about Asian baby traditions, as well as a retailer of Asian-inspired clothing and accessories for children, with ages ranging from newborn to six, and parents.
Littlebuddhababy.com features information about everything from Chinese red egg and ginger parties for newborns to both the Tango no Sekku (Japanese Boys’ Day) and Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day), which bless their futures. The site also provides background on New Year celebrations and the lunar New Year zodiac.
Products for Asian American children include Cabbage Patch-esque dolls that speak English in addition to either Chinese, Korean or Japanese; a wooden sushi and vegetable toy set; and hair accessories handcrafted from vintage kimonos and books.
The business has become a family affair: Chu’s mother-in-law helps sew some items and their daughter has modeled their clothing line. Her daughter was also the inspiration behind the company name, as her parents both say she resembles a little Buddha baby.
The Chus took home $500 as the first place winners of the second annual Asian Heritage Street Celebration’s Arts and Crafts contest in May in Japantown. Vendors were judged on criteria such as the attractiveness of booth displays and the uniqueness of products.
The next Asian Heritage Street Celebration will be on May 16, 2009.
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Other Asian Heritage Street Celebration Arts and Crafts Winners
Second Place
$300 Cash Prize
Preet Collections
(1-877-By-Preet, preetcollections.com)
Preet Collections combines classic design qualities with the latest trends in Indian and Western fashion materials like fresh water pearls, semi-precious stones, Austrian crystals, copper and silver. Most pieces are offered in sets that include choker-style necklaces and matching earrings. “The fair has been growing every year and it is the best way for me to advertise my products to so many people from all walks of life,” according to founder/ designer Preet Talwar.
Third Place
$200 Cash Prize
Dragon Motif (dragonmotif.com)
Dragon Motif is the source for a rare collection of 1950s vintage dubplates from Taipei, Taiwan. The dubplates were handmade by founder Wilson Tai’s grandfather whose personal trademark of a dragon in clouds is the company’s namesake. “Art is subjective to taste and the Asian Heritage Street Celebration is enjoyably salted and peppered!” said Tai.
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