As you may know, there are certain traditions, or rather, superstitions in the Asian culture. I went around the Baruch community and asked some millennial Asian Americans to share some of the common traditions that they practice at home, things like taking off their shoes before entering someone’s home or traditional dishes they like to eat. Here are some their responses.
Some of these traditions required further explanation, for instance, why shouldn’t you be able to give someone a nice pair of shoes on their birthday? The answer is because Asian tradition dictates giving someone shoes equates to asking someone to bear your burden. I asked a millennial Asian American to explain these superstitions from her point of view. Here, Stephanie Chen, 20, explains why it is considered bad luck to gift people shoes, clocks, and use the number four, as taught to her by her mother.
There was also the mention of Lunar New Year in the ways that Asian American millennials celebrate their heritage. Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year to some, is a festive celebration to ring in the new year according to the Chinese calendar. Lunar New Year falls on a different day every year but the traditions in large, remain the same. Here is a brief video about what the celebrations entail. Dani Chen, 23, explains some of the common celebration practices, as well as her favorite part of the holiday.