How Lunar New Year Traditions Take Root Across America

Growing up, I never really felt like Asian culture or Vietnamese culture in general was included in Mardi Gras. Having them go down the street with us through the French Quarter is a really special feeling. Creating safe spaces for Korean adoptees to celebrate and not worry about doing it the right way or the traditional way is really important to give people a sense of belonging. It’s always this massive production to get the day going. And it’s always fun. Because we are still nomadic in our hearts, we do yearn for that community and for that celebration. The recipe collecting and playing mahjong, they’re like the vehicle in which I can build our family story through, and that’s been really meaningful to me. For me, Losar is a family gathering. It always has been since I was younger. My family makes a specialty dish which is called gyakok. It’s similar to a Tibetan hotpot. It’s a tradition that started in Lhasa with my grandmother making it for my mother, uncle and aunt. And despite being in this diaspora, they’ve been able to maintain it to this day.