The long, overlooked history of Lunar New Year in the US

AROUND the world, Lunar New Year is celebrated in many unique ways: as Spring Festival in China, Tet Nguyên Đán in Vietnam, Seollal in Korea, Losar in Tibet, Tsagaan Sar in Mongolia, not to mention diaspora communities across the globe.

While ancient traditions are frequently discussed, the more recent history of these celebrations is less well-known. In the U.S., Asian Americans developed their own Lunar New Year traditions that were inflected by immigration, international relations, orientalism, and complicated relations with mainstream American society.

The origins of the term “Lunar New Year”

The English term “Lunar New Year” is actually a misnomer: The holiday is based on a lunarsolar, rather than a strictly lunar, calendar.

Lunar calendars have one major flaw: 12 full moon cycles last around 354 days, just short of a solar year. To bridge this gap, many cultures incorporate solar patterns into their calendars.

The calendar used by many countries within

The family of 68-year-old Valentino Alvero first mourned the loss of their loved one along with the other victims in an official statement posted by Alvero’s grand-niece Karmel Kwan on Monday, Jan. 23. “Overnight, we became unwilling members of a community who has to mourn the loss of our loved ones due to gun violence. We are left frustrated, stuck with this vicious cycle,” the family said.

The family also shared what Alvero was like, describing him as “a loving father, a dedicated son and brother, a grandfather who loved his three granddaughters fiercely, an uncle who loved his nieces and nephews like his own.”

The family noted his love for dancing and

US-based Filipinos encouraged to visit PH during upcoming tour

by donnabelle Gatdula-arevalo AJPress

LOS ANGELES — Filipinos living in the United States are invited to travel back to the Philippines this summer.

The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles officially launched the Very Important Pinoy (VIP) Tour 2023 with special packages and affordable rates for a nine-day travel itinerary to Manila-Iloilo-Boracay.

In his opening remarks during the launching ceremony, Deputy Consul General Ambrosio Brian F. Enciso III said they are looking forward to this tourism event as this is a major comeback activity of the Philippine consulates in the United States after the COVID pandemic.

“We are so excited as this is one of the activities that u PAGE 3