The Asian Food and Culture Fair, along with a talent showcase, will kick off Asian Awareness month this afternoon in the Ohio Union ballrooms.”It is intended to showcase and celebrate the diversity of the Asian culture, and to try and present more accurate portrayals of Asians in the United States,” said Sheila Kapur, coordinator of Asian American Services.Sponsored by Asian American Student Services and Ethnic Student Services, the Food and Cultural Fair will begin at 5 p.m. with more than a dozen Asian student organizations on campus bringing their traditional foods. Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian and other Asian dishes will be featured at the fair. Many traditional Asian cultural entertainment programs will be performed at the same time, including folk dances, songs, martial arts performances and a Beijing Opera show.A fashion show will also be held during the kickoff event with clothes designed, sown and modeled by Asian American or Asian international students.The Talent Showcase will feature Asian students’ talents in both modern and traditional arts. Performances will include a reflection song from Mulan, modern dances, as well as piano and guitar music.This year marks the 11th time Asian Awareness Month has been held. It will continue through May 31. George Takei, who played Sulu on the original “Star Trek” series, will give a speech May 20.”This is the first time we’ve had a major celebrity as our keynote speaker,” Kapur said. “We are expecting a big turnout.”Takei, a Japanese American who at age 4 was taken to a Japanese internment camp during World War II, will speak about his personal journey in the film industry, including how he overcame obstacles of racism and stereotypes.”Every year we try to add new programs into the mix,” Kapur said.