Lunar New Year: Stories of Past & Present
[Livestream today, 10am PST • 1pm EST • 7pm CET]
Hey folks! For those who are new here, I’m Sen, host of the Beyond Asian podcast and a Theatre of the Oppressed practitioner. I’m also an adult third-culture kid • serial immigrant. I make things with and for intercultural people, and I am entirely reader-supported. If you can afford it, become a paid subscriber for $8/month and help this work reach further 💛
If anyone had told me a few years ago that I would be speaking at a Lunar New Year event, I would have rolled my eyes. Significant chapters of my life have been spent wrestling with my Chinese heritage, and for long periods abandoning it in favour of being more Western.
I would feel awkward whenever my non-Asian friends would approach me with New Year's greetings - it felt strange to be recognized as Asian, and even stranger that non-Asians seemed to be more into this holiday than I was.
Much of the healing I’ve done in the last years has been about understanding the intersections of cultural influences that have led to these experiences. Growing up in Canada in the 90s (just yesterday 😆!), the society I lived in did not have the vocabulary to describe what internalized racism looked like, and the forces that brought it about. Certainly, my parents could not understand why their child suddenly wanted nothing to do with dumplings and pickled radish after taking them to school for lunch one day. (Hint: food shaming is a real thing)
For me, the reclamation of culture and heritage is more than the re-donning of tradition, as some traditions can also perpetuate problematic dynamics. For example, the expectations laden in the 'gift' of a cash-filled red envelope 🧧 is a practice I am glad to leave behind. Now, an occasion like Lunar New Year is about sharing time with others who have been on this journey of self-examination, and recognizing how our intercultural struggles have shaped us and as a result, how we carry ourselves in our worlds.
Today, I’ll be sharing this time with Rosie Yeung (Un-Executive Coach™, and fellow hyphenated Canadian) to tell our stories of Lunar New Year, Past & Present, and to hear how your journeys with your heritage have unfolded. We’ll be doing some low-key snacking (I’ll be having steamed longevity peach buns, those ones with the painted pink tops and the red bean filling), and would love to be in the space with you.
All are welcome to tune in, whether you share Asian heritage or not!
We’ll be Livestreaming today (Feb 7) at 10am PST • 1pm EST • 7pm CET, and you can tune in to any of these channels:
May the Lunar New Year be a time of reflection and integration for you, and all the facets of yourselves 🍑.