
Asian Pacific Student Services (APSS) and the Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS) will host LMU’s annual Lunar New Year celebration on Thursday, Jan. 26, from noon-2 p.m. on St. Robert’s grass. This event will also hold space and remembrance for those in the API community whose lives have been impacted in the Monterey Park/Alhambra and Half Moon Bay communities.
“It is important to celebrate Lunar New Year in our community because it is one of the most important social and economic holidays for billions of people around our world,” said Min-Jung Kim, director of APSS. “We invite the LMU community to join us on St. Rob’s lawn as we celebrate this week.”
A tradition celebrated in many Asian countries, Lunar New Year looks to the arrival of spring and is the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. According to the Chinese animal zodiac, 2023 is the year of the rabbit and in the Vietnamese and Gurung (Central Nepal) zodiac, the year of the cat is celebrated instead. LMU’s celebration will feature both traditions. While official dates may vary, this celebration draws strong ties to reuniting with immediate and extended family.
The celebration will include free food, traditional games, free T-shirts, and a class presentation taught by Heangjin Park, assistant professor of Asian and Asian American studies. This year’s Lunar New Year celebration includes partnerships with:
- OISS
- Heangjin Park’s class
- Asian American and Pacific Islander Faculty Staff Association (AAPIFSA);
- Han Tao, a Chinese and Chinese-American social-cultural club;
- Korean American Student Association (KASA), which provides opportunities for students to explore and experience Korean culture both modern and traditional through various activities;
- Vietnamese Student Association (VSA), promotes Vietnamese and Vietnamese-American culture through academia, social justice, art, and culture;
- And other Asian Pacific Islander (API) student organizations.
Staff from APSS and OISS will be tabling during Wellness Wednesday, on Jan. 25, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Regents Grass to promote the celebration. In addition to the Lunar New Year Celebration, APSS will be hosting and collaborating on a few programs this semester, including but not limited to the following:

- Two film screenings with Center for Asian Business and AAPIFSA collaboration (dates TBD);
- A mental health program with Student Psychological Services;
- Holi Festival on March 10, from 2-6 p.m.
- Avenues of Awareness art exhibit and discussion in late March;
- An API Alumni and Students networking event;
- April 28 – API Graduation;
For more information and the latest updates, visit APSS on LEO or on Instagram @lmuapss.