January 20, 2006

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Publication Date: Friday, January 20, 2006

Happy New Year! (Again)

On January 29, the first day of the new moon, the Asian community in Pleasanton and around the world will welcome the Lunar Year 4704, Year of the Dog. The 15-day celebration begins with feasts on New Year's Eve, parties on New Year's Day and concludes on Feb. 12 with the Lantern Festival, celebrated in San Francisco by the Chinese New Year Parade.

Chase Chen of Pleasanton will spend Jan. 28 in her kitchen preparing a feast for family and friends. The preparations for a traditional Chinese New Year's Eve meal are on par with the preparations for Thanksgiving Dinner, but Chen doesn't mind. She enjoys it.

Chinese tradition dictates Chen cook eight time-honored dishes. The number of dishes is critical: Eight is a lucky number. Among the Cantonese cuisine favorites, there will be a whole fish, a chicken or duck, rice and tangerines with their leaves intact.

And her son Eric, a fourth-grader at Mohr Elementary School, has a job too. He'll make sure his mom has the number of dishes right. "He counts the dishes, every year," Chen laughs, "that is his job."

Chen is part of a growing Asian population in Pleasanton. As more Asians move into the area, they are bringing the traditions of the Asian calendar's biggest holiday with them. Many members of the Asian community, comprised of ethnicities including Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean, Thai and others, will be celebrating Chinese New Year next week. The Japanese, also members of the Asian community, recognize the Western calendar for their New Year.

Drawing this new diversity to Pleasanton are two well-known assets of the city: its proximity to business hubs and its high quality schools.

Ellen Lui agrees that the convenient location and top-notch schools are a big draw for many Asian families moving into the area. Lui, her husband, Brett Jackson, and their two children moved here from Fremont in 2000. Both were working in San Ramon at the time and the move to Pleasanton cut their commutes, while allowing their daughter to attend quality schools.

"We like living here a lot," said Lui. "It's not too far from work, a nice residential area and good place to bring up kids."

When the family moved here six years ago, Lui remembers seeing very few Asian families around town and now rejoices at the number of familiar faces she sees each time she leaves her home.

"Now when I go to Safeway, I am saying 'Hi', 'Hi'. I see so many people," said Lui.

Lui's observation is just one sign of the increasing cultural diversity in Pleasanton. According to the 2000 Census, nearly 12 percent of the population reported itself as Asian. Of foreign born residents responding to the 2000 census, over 50 percent hail from Asian countries. While other Asian ethnicities besides Chinese make up a percentage of that number, the Chinese community represents a large portion of that growth. And officials estimate that that percentage has increased significantly since the 2000 Census was taken.

Shirley Zeng, Vice President of the Chinese American Cooperative Council (CACC), cites the growth in that organization as evidence. Founded in 2003 by nine families, the group now includes 115 members. Its mission is to promote healthy cultural heritage, enhance friendship in the Chinese American community, facilitate healthy cultural and business exchanges, and encourage cooperation between the peoples of the United States and Greater China. Population boom prompts new school

While many of the CACC efforts have been successful, it is most proud of the success of its Chinese School. Created in November 2003, today, it boasts over 500 students and offers over 70 language and cultural enrichment classes every Sunday of the school year at Hart Middle School.

And this weekend education program isn't just for kids interested in learning Mandarin. There are classes for adults, sports programs, music classes on traditional Chinese instruments, drawing and cultural dance classes as well.

For teens, CACC established a student council that represents youth and provides volunteerism and social activism opportunities for its members. These busy students staff cultural events, hold food drives and, this fall, raised money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Jessica Guo, 17, is a member of CACC's student council and a senior at Amador Valley High School. She has lived in Pleasanton since she was 9 and has noticed the impact of the growing multi-culturalism in Pleasanton schools.

"I have definitely seen a change. There is more of an amalgamation of cultures now," said Guo.

She's right. According to statistics from the Pleasanton Unified School District, the Asian population in the schools increased 3 percent in one year, up from 17 percent in 2004-2005 to 20 percent in 2005-2006. Leading the district in diversity is Mohr with over 50 percent of its population reported as Asian this year.

While the diversity has been a boon to the school community, it has had its challenges, according to Mohr Principal Joe Kettwig.

"The PTA and Site Council have had to reach out for more inclusion and be welcoming to everyone," said Kettwig.

To do this, the PTA hosts luncheons with school administrators and parents, holds an annual, week-long multi-cultural event celebrating more than 15 different cultures, and utilizes translators when necessary to make sure parents and teachers are communicating effectively.

According to Kettwig, while it has taken an effort on everyone's part to assimilate the many different cultures, the diversity has strengthened their school community by increasing understanding and awareness.

"I have been in the district 34 years, it was not always like this," said Kettwig. "But it's a good thing for us." Local history

While the multi-culturism in the area is trending up, it isn't new. In fact, as far back as 1870, the census reports for Pleasanton show several residents that list their country of origin as China. The original Chinese immigrants settled in the area while working on the Central Pacific Railroad as early as 1867.

Old maps and news reports from the late 1800s cite the existence of a small Chinatown in downtown Pleasanton. Located on the east side of Main Street, the old Chinatown spanned Ray Street to Spring Street. It included a laundry, general store, church and barbershop that catered to the Chinese community.

Once the work on the railroad was completed, many Chinese remained in the area and worked as laborers on local ranches, as house servants and even peddlers who roamed the townships with baskets of goods for sale.

Unfortunately, the Chinese willingness to accept lower wages proved extremely threatening to others who lived in the area. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 ushered in a very dark period of history for many residents of Chinese descent and forced them to leave the area. Big difference today

But if the Chinese left the Valley around the turn of the 20th century, the 21st century finds them and many other ethnicities welcomed into the area with a growing number of services to support their needs.

A small new Chinese grocery store just opened near Stoneridge Mall and the Tri-Valley Chinese Seafood Restaurant remains a favorite destination for authentic Chinese cuisine. Besides the CACC Chinese School, there is the Pleasanton Community Chinese School that operates at Mohr Elementary for those wishing to learn Cantonese. Despite these businesses and professionals who cater to the growing Asian community, CACC's Zeng is doubtful that Pleasanton will ever see a renaissance of its old-time Chinatown.

Zeng reports that the Chinese community settling in Pleasanton today is organized and focused on assimilating into the community.

"The Chinese here are highly educated and bilingual," said Zeng. "We won't need many special services like in Chinatown."

And as the growing Chinese community gets ready to ring in another New Year, many residents are immersed in holiday plans.

New clothes will need to be bought or made and shipped from China, houses will need to be cleaned and red envelopes will be stuffed full of cash for unmarried relatives and children. And on New Year's Eve, a little bit of food from Chase Chen's feast will be left to ensure there is surplus going into the New Year.

But for Eric Chen, 9, this holiday's rituals that are new to many Pleasanton residents are easy to explain. "Chinese New Year is kinda like Christmas. It's more about giving than receiving."
Chinese New Year events

As part of its "Dance & Sing Around the World" series, The Pleasanton Library is hosting Classical Chinese folk dances and music performed on traditional Chinese instruments. The performance is suitable for the entire family and begins at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, in the Library Meeting Room. For more information, contact the Children's Desk, 931-3400, ext.8.

The Chinese American Cooperative Council is hosting its third Chinese Culture Day at the Shrine Event Center in Livermore from 2-6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29. The program includes a number of professional performances as well as performances from CACC Chinese School students. Tickets will be on sale at Hart Middle School on this Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information contact: details@caccusa.org.

Civic Arts is presenting the Golden Dragon Acrobat Circus on March 2 at the Amador Theater. Chinese acrobats have thrilled audiences for centuries. Golden Dragon represents the best of this cultural tradition, weaving award-winning acrobatics, traditional dance, spectacular costumes and ancient and contemporary theatrical techniques into a spellbinding show. Tickets are on sale from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Civics Arts Box Office, 1155 Santa Rita Rd. or online at www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us/community/arts/civic-arts-presents.html.
Year of the Dog

The Chinese calendar is different from the Western calendar, which begins on Jan. 1 and ends on Dec. 31. The Chinese calendar is based on the cycles of the moon. As a result, the Chinese calendar starts on a different date each year, between Jan. 21 and Feb. 19. The lunar calendar repeats itself every 12 years.

Each of the lunar calendar's 12 years is designated with an animal. Legend has it that the Jade Emperor determined the order of the zodiac long ago. He did so by holding a contest where animals were tested on intelligence and physical skill as judged by the elephant that was known to be very fair and calm. In order, the winners were: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the rooster, the dog and the pig.

In good astrological fashion, the animal representing the year you were born defines much about your personality and characteristics. This Chinese Zodiac, like its Western counterpart, even goes so far as to advise on marital matches.

Jan. 29 begins the Year of the Dog, a positive year. "Dog" people are unselfish, reliable, caring, and good listeners. Often they are prone to worry. Sometimes they are seen as the nosy type, and they can have a pessimistic, cynical personality. Other "Dog" people were born in 1994 and, of course, in 12-year cycles earlier.

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