LOCALIZE IT: Lunar New Year traditions part of US fabric

Food Lunar New Year Desserts

Families from China to the U.S. to Vietnam will ring in the Lunar New Year on Sunday. The holiday follows the Chinese zodiac, where each year is tied to one of 12 animals. This year is the Year of the Rabbit (or Year of the Cat in Vietnamese culture). Loved ones typically gather for an elaborate dinner. The meals often include a whole chicken, a whole fish, pork, noodles, spring rolls and dumplings, which are lucky symbols because of their shape resembles ancient Chinese gold ingot currency. Chinese bakeries are also bustling with people wanting to snap up traditional desserts like nian gao (sweet rice cakes) or tang yuan, which are mochi-esque rice balls with black sesame or peanut paste in soup.

It's not just about the food. The goal of Lunar New Year is to reunite with family and usher in good fortune and prosperity. Children get red envelopes with money. Celebrations can continue in the days after New Year's day. Some U.S. cities with a Chinatown or Chinese American enclave will have events two weeks later. For example, San Francisco Chinatown, the oldest one nationwide, will have its annual Chinese New Year Festival & Parade on Feb. 4. Public events have become more commonplace as Lunar New Year has become more mainstream.

Here are some ideas and resources for reporting on Lunar New Year customs and the Asian Americans in your community who honor them.

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REPORTING AVENUES

— See if your city or any nearby community has an Asian or Chinese American chamber of commerce or business association. If not, then reach out to your local chamber of commerce. They should know of any festivals, parades or dance and music presentations at local malls or community spaces happening in the coming weeks. They can refer you to any cultural groups like lion dancers or Chinese folk dancers to talk about Lunar New Year traditions.

— Nothing is more emblematic of Lunar New Year than eating. If you want to delve into savory and sweet traditions of the holiday, you can try social media. It's highly likely that your city has multiple food bloggers/influencers whose Instagram is devoted to food pictures. You could probably find them by searching a tag of “#(name of city)foodie.” They will probably lead you to restaurants, boba shops or other small Asian American owned businesses that are offering authentic traditional dishes. Or they will know the places owned by younger restaurateurs who are serving some fresh take on a new year meal.

— Facebook can work too. Search for Asian American groups specific to your area or your state and by topic such as food. For example, the Subtle Asian Baking Facebook group has over 150,000 members from all over the world. Chances are you can find someone local. Organizations or social media groups are the most in the know about restaurants, shops and other businesses who are hosting Lunar New Year events or are deserving of media exposure.

— Schools with Mandarin programs as well as private Chinese schools are a growing trend across the U.S. Talk to a teacher from a school in your area and see how they integrate Lunar New Year into their curriculum, or if there are any events planned. This could lead to more potential stories about other elements of Chinese heritage they want to promote in the community.

RESOURCES

— Pew Research Center has published several recent reports on Asian American life, including Key facts about Asian Americans, a diverse and growing population and What It Means To Be Asian in America.

— OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates, founded 50 years ago as the Organization of Chinese Americans, is a national organization advocating for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders on social, political and economic issues. They have chapters across the country.

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Localize It is an occasional feature produced by The Associated Press for its customers’ use. Questions can be directed to Katie Oyan at koyan@ap.org