The Voice of America celebrates its 75th anniversary on February 1, 2017. In
honor of this momentous occasion, we are taking you on a journey around the U.S.
to showcase vibrant and exciting celebrations that take place in various
diaspora communities every year. From Persian New Year celebrations in Los
Angeles to the West Indian American Day Parade in New York City, to Carnival in
Puerto Rico, these celebrations highlight the multicultural diversity that makes
the United States what it is today. For example, did you know that the Cherry
Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. all started with a gift of cherry trees
from the mayor of Tokyo more than 100 years ago?
Voice of America’s
audience growth has been exponential. In fact, our 2016 numbers were the highest
to date. We now reach a record number of 236.6 million people weekly around the
globe through various platforms – television, radio, and the web. Every year
more people get their news and information from digital platforms, so we placed
a greater emphasis on social media this year, and our numbers skyrocketed. VOA
sites now enjoy nearly seven million hits weekly from people around the world.