welcome
Welcome to Paradise Valley Community College’s 11th annual Lunar New Year celebration! This year, PVCC is celebrating the year of the Dragon! This program features Chinese Herbs, Plants, and Foods for Yin/Yang, Dragon/Lion Dance & Martial Arts, Gourds and the Chinese New Year, and From Hollywood Stereotypes to Social Activism: Asian Americans in the Media. Besides the presentations and performances, there will also be cultural displays in the library.
Enjoy and Xin Chun Kuai Le! Happy Asian Lunar New Year!
Buxton Library and PVCC Int'l & Intercultural Education Committee
Chinese Herbs, Plants, and Foods for Yin/Yang
Tuesday, Feb. 6 | 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM; KSC1000A
Explore the cultural beliefs and gain an understanding of scientific evidence behind traditional Chinese nutritional practices and food therapy. Learn from Lili Kang, a native of Northern China, about popular herbs, plants and food which are used in daily life. These function as natural remedies, aiming to harmonize the balance of Yin and Yang through the integration of nutrition and medicine. Lili will also bring some sample food for illustration and taste.
Dragon/Lion Dance & Martial Arts, by Master Li’s Martial Arts Academy
Tuesday, Feb. 6 | 11:50pm - 12: 20pm; Student Union & Courtyard (if weather permits)
Celebrate 2024 lunar new year with a live performance of Dragon/Lion Dance along with martial arts presented by Master Jinheng Li, one of the well-known Shaolin Temple disciples. Master Li and his World Martial Arts Academy have been around and active in Arizona for several decades and enjoy a very good reputation. The performance will be in the Student Union and moving to the courtyard, if weather permits.
Gourds and Chinese Lunar New Year, an Unusual Relationship by Jan Downey
Tuesday, Feb. 6 | 6:00 pm -8:00pm; KSC1000A
It would seem that the lowly hard-shelled gourd, a cousin of squash and melons, is the least likely item to be associated with Chinese New Year festivities. And yet gourds have an enduring relationship with the Lunar New Year, and indeed, with Chinese beliefs and mythologies since ancient times. Gourds are among the oldest of cultivated plants. Why? And when, and how did they switch from being a functional object to an art object? What is cultural appropriation, and how do some gourd artists engage in dubious practice? Join Jan Downey, cultural anthropologist, and former PVCC faculty member, for an entertaining evening exploring these questions and others, all about the “Gourdgeous” gourd!!
From Hollywood Stereotypes to Social Activism: Asian Americans in the Media by Dr. Karen Kuo
Wednesday, February, 7 | 10:30 am - 11:45 am; KSC1000A
Perceptions of Asian Americans have long been shaped by stereotypes perpetuated by the media. We have seen the “model minority,” “asexual nerd,” “sexually submissive mistress,” “tongue-tied immigrant,” and “kung-fu master” portrayals in movies, cartoons, books, and news for decades. These stereotypes reflect historical inaccuracies, and embody racist, sexist and misogynist characterizations of Asian American women and men. How do these negative and reductive media portrayals impact the treatment of Asian people today? Have media stereotypes contributed to the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes? How is the Asian American community responding? This virtual talk will Karen Kuo, Ph.D. will examine the history of Asian American stereotypes in the media, from old Hollywood to the present, and explore Asian American activism today.
2024 Lunar New Year - Year of the Dragon
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If you have enjoyed Paradise Valley Community College’s 11th annual Lunar New Year celebration exhibition, please take a moment to visit our Lunar New Year archives which highlight the previous 10 years of Lunar New Year celebrations.