The Chinese New Year parade has returned to San Francisco after being postponed the previous year because to the COVID-19 outbreak. It is the biggest parade of its sort outside of Asia. The year of the tiger was celebrated by thousands of people.
Photo Courtesy: SFGate
“I’m thrilled to have it returning. I don’t know, it just seems like everything is back on track,” said Patricia Heaton, a parade observer. The parade this year, though, is about far more than just ringing in the new year. After a string of assaults against Asian Americans, it was also an opportunity for many in attendance to spread a message of solidarity.
Over the duration of the pandemic, attacks on AAPI community members have gotten worse. The past month has been particularly terrible for our community, according to Hudson Liao, the founder of the nonprofit organization Asians Are Strong. “It has been a difficult couple of years,” he added. It’s nice to get out and show folks we don’t have to stay inside out of fear.
In order to empower the Asian population, Liao formed his organization. On Saturday, hundreds of people came to the Chinatown festival where he had a booth. We are here to demonstrate to the neighborhood that there is support, he said. “You feel alone as the pandemic and crimes continue. It’s nice to be outside today and demonstrate our sense of community. There are many of us present.
Photo Courtesy: San Francisco Police Department
And the celebration on Saturday served as a method to combat the hatred. According to San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, “when you have events like this, where people can see who you are, where people can see the diverse cultures represented in the AAPI community, it actually leads to a greater understanding of who individuals are.” Simultaneously honoring rich cultural traditions. Amalia Corona, a spectator, said, “I’ve never seen anything like this before, so it’s extremely eye-opening to see so much culture in such a little location.”
Because of the past two challenging years, many people here express excitement for what the future may bring. We can all gather in this kind of setting without having to worry as much about the health issues that we’ve encountered over the last two years with COVID, which, according to Miyamoto, is a testament to the city’s resiliency.
References: 2022 Chinese New Year Parade + Fireworks (San Francisco)
Here’s What To Know About Saturday’s Chinese New Year
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Written by John Mark Villafranca
John Mark Villafranca is a Digital Marketing Intern of PS Media Enterprise and a 3rd year Bachelor of Arts in Communication student of Batangas State University ARASOF.
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