Lion dance and cultural performances ring in Lunar New Year at Sac State

Sacramento State celebrated Lunar New Year in an event hosted by the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Center Tuesday, Feb. 18. The event, initially scheduled to take place outdoors in the Library Quad and Acorn Amphitheater, was relocated to the University Union due to weather conditions.

Marking the Year of the Horse, this year represents the Chinese Zodiac sign of the confident and responsible horse. This Lunar New Year was celebrated with cultural performances from several student performers. These acts ranged from traditional dances and martial arts to singing and food, representing some of the ways Asian culture and identity were commemorated.

RELATED: Lunar New Year celebrates history, culture and community

Andrew Yang, director of the APIDA Center, said he was glad to have had a large turnout despite relocating inside. Yang said that the event’s goal was to give community members an opportunity to interact with a shared holiday that dates back to the Shang Dynasty from 1600-1046 B.C.E.

“We have over 7,000 APIDA students on campus and 35 different ethnic groups. That means there are a lot of needs,” Yang said. “Celebrating this event is a step we are taking to acknowledge the different and diverse backgrounds of our APIDA students.”

Yang said the goal was to show multiple different aspects of many cultures that celebrate Lunar New Year. Known alternatively as Chinese New Year; the holiday is celebrated differently across several Asian countries other than China, such as Vietnam, South Korea and Thailand.

Cyan Vang, a coordinator at the APIDA Center, spoke at the event and said the planning was a long but fulfilling process. Vang said she was appreciative of the community for the showing of support despite relocating inside.

“I’m glad we were able to have a good representation with all the student body to be able to come and also participate in the performances,” Vang said.

The performances consisted of several acts, such as a singing showcase from Carla Marie Baldonado and a Filipino martial arts showcase from Samahang Pilipino. The event also featured a routine from the Red Lotus Lion Dance Team, a traditional Hmong dance from Malli Yang and a performance from Sac State K-Pop team, Krescendo.

“Our performers are students and that is intentional,” Yang said. “We want to showcase how talented our students are and how diverse our students are.”

Minh-Ha Nghiem, a senior nutrition and food major, performed alongside the Krescendo team and said it meant a lot to participate in the event as a Vietnamese American. Nghiem said the event was a “very heartwarming” opportunity to be able to celebrate with the community and show spirit for the Lunar New Year.

“We all wore red. We all showed out, just showing our spirit for good luck and just hoping we have a good New Year,” Nghiem said.

Another student who attended the event was Christian Navarro, a senior photography major. Navarro said he attended the event to take photos for University Communications. He also said he attended for food and community gathering hosted in the APIDA Center following the performances.

“I was able to get good pictures of the dances that was going on, and [the event] was looking pretty good,” Navarro said. “I enjoyed my time.”

As members of the community formed a line into the APIDA Center to converse and eat, they were met with a table holding red fortune cookies, shirts of all sizes and red envelopes to wish them a good Lunar New Year. Karaoke was also set up for attendees to sing various songs with each other as the celebration continued.

“We really want to show representation for these [APIDA] students that have a sense of belonging in the community and on campus,” Vang said. “It really means a lot to see these faces come out and celebrate.”