A large crowd gathered on Thursday on Seventh Street Plaza to line up for free boba and to watch lion dancers perform outside of the Student Union.
San Jose State’s Center for Asian Pacific Islander Student Empowerment, Associate Students and MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center collaborate to hold the Lunar New Year celebration.
Lunar New Year is celebrated through January and February by Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Each community celebrates Lunar New Year on a different day depending on which lunar calendar they follow.
Christopher Yang, director of the MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center, said Lunar New Year is a similar celebration to America’s version of New Year.
“It’s a time of renewal. Most of these cultures have some sort of connection with reflecting on the past, looking forward to the future,” Yang said.
Yang said Lunar New Year is not very different from the U.S.’s version of New Year. Both holidays celebrate reflecting from the previous year and make plans for personal growth the next year.
He also said Lunar New Year is also a time to celebrate connection and being with our loved ones.
“I think it's important for us as a campus to recognize the passing of the new year, and for students and staff and faculty to be able to be connected to the campus in this way,” Yang said.
Senior public health student Hoang Tran, wore a light yellow áo dài along with his fellow club members at the Vietnamese Student Association table, where many other clubs tabled for the event.
Tran said many in the Vietnamese community wear an áo dài, a traditional Vietnamese garment, during certain celebrations, including Lunar New Year.
An áo dài is a colorful dress that’s worn by both genders, paired with contrasting silk pants with embroidered designs, according to Remote Lands, an Asia-focused magazine.
Tran said it’s really fun to represent his culture, “Just a little representation of Vietnam, you know?” he said.
Global studies sophomore Lain Nguyen, wore her sister’s blue áo dài with leggings instead of with a traditional pair of silk wide-leg bottoms.
“It's not as traditional as it could be with the usual thin silk pants, but I thought this would be more comfy,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen also said she wore her áo dài to represent her culture. “I thought it'd be nice to kind of represent,” she said.
Around the table, students puppeteered mini lions as lion dancers continued dancing in the center of Seventh Street Plaza.
Surrounding the dancers, a large crowd of students cheering and attempting to give money to the lions, a common tradition in many Asian American communities.
Jinni Pradhan, program director of the Center for Asian Pacific Islander Student Empowerment, said all of these details were intentional.
“Everyone has a kind of an interest point and an opportunity to kind of engage in something that maybe they haven't learned about or haven't been exposed to,” Pradhan said.
Pradhan recommends everyone to find that entry point with their friends.
“Invite them out, maybe it's the free boba that brings people out,” said Pradhan. “Because there's always something new to learn and find out about each other.”
She said it does not change the fact that they have a connection to it, whether or not a person grew up with specific cultural traditions.
“Honestly, I do think all students are touched,” said Pradhan. Pradhan sees this connection made through not blood or family history, but instead through friends and loved ones.
In her personal life, Pradhan is used to celebrating Diwali or the Festival of Lights, another common holiday in other Asian American communities. However, she is not a stranger to celebrating Lunar New Year.
Diwali is a religious celebration in Indian culture that celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, according to a Diwali festival website.
“We're all a part of this community, this larger community that embraces this celebration,“ said Pradhan. “I think everyone can, you know, feel touched by that.”
