As a Vietnamese-American, it has come to my attention that the term “Chinese New Year” is thrown around in local banners and newspapers. Lunar New Year is the celebration and welcoming of a New Year and spring that is celebrated by many countries in Asia, not just China. It is based on the Lunar Calendar, which uses the cycles of the moon and was discovered far before there was a nation known as China.
The inclusion of the word “Chinese” insinuates that China is the origin and center of this holiday and negates the significance of other countries like Korea, Japan and Vietnam, a few of the countries that also celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Ask yourself, is there any other holiday that so brazenly labels a holiday with a national mark such as, “Chinese New Year?” Wouldn’t it be awkward and offensive if I started wishing the international community a “Happy American New Year?” Political figures like President Obama, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senator Barbara Boxer all wish their constituents a “Happy Lunar New Year,” not a “Happy Chinese New Year.”
While we can all come to the consensus that the New Year, whether you call it Lunar or Chinese, is a time of joy and celebration, please take into consideration that there are other Asian ethnicities besides the Chinese that are represented in Temple City and elsewhere.
Austin Lam
TCHS Senior