No more Chinese New Year ?

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Gfamily
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No more Chinese New Year ?

Post by Gfamily » Fri Feb 12, 2021 8:48 pm

I notice Joe Biden's tweet
tweet.PNG
tweet.PNG (309.06 KiB) Viewed 1126 times
and the mouseover text on today's Google Doodle
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doodle.PNG (96.35 KiB) Viewed 1126 times
Are we not calling it Chinese New Year any more? I have to say I didn't get the memo
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jaap
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Re: No more Chinese New Year ?

Post by jaap » Fri Feb 12, 2021 9:49 pm

I guess calling it Chinese is rather exclusionary of the Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese people, of which there are quite a few in the USA.

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Martin Y
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Re: No more Chinese New Year ?

Post by Martin Y » Fri Feb 12, 2021 10:05 pm

They made up for dropping "Chinese" from the name by giving the ox racist stereotype eyes. So that balances it up.

apogee
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Re: No more Chinese New Year ?

Post by apogee » Sat Feb 13, 2021 1:33 am

Happy Losar 2021,🎊
The Year of the Iron Ox πŸ‚
https://www.bonshenling.org/losar-2021/

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Tessa K
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Re: No more Chinese New Year ?

Post by Tessa K » Sat Feb 13, 2021 8:18 am

From what I've read/seen it is because it's not just the Chinese who celebrate it. It's also Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Tibet, South Korea and the Philippines. Possibly some others.

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Re: No more Chinese New Year ?

Post by sTeamTraen » Sun Feb 14, 2021 12:11 am

Martin Y wrote: ↑
Fri Feb 12, 2021 10:05 pm
They made up for dropping "Chinese" from the name by giving the ox racist stereotype eyes. So that balances it up.
I thought it was meant to represent Biden. He seems to be permanently squinting.
Something something hammer something something nail

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Gfamily
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Re: No more Chinese New Year ?

Post by Gfamily » Sun Feb 14, 2021 12:47 am

Tessa K wrote: ↑
Sat Feb 13, 2021 8:18 am
From what I've read/seen it is because it's not just the Chinese who celebrate it. It's also Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Tibet, South Korea and the Philippines. Possibly some others.
Yes, that's true, but it was true last year as well, and I don't recall seeing it called the "lunar new year" before.

I kind of wondered whether it was because the Trump use of the phrase "China Virus" has made people over sensitive to using "China" as an adjective.
My avatar was a scientific result that was later found to be 'mistaken' - I rarely claim to be 100% correct
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Re: No more Chinese New Year ?

Post by Herainestold » Sun Feb 14, 2021 4:14 am

Tessa K wrote: ↑
Sat Feb 13, 2021 8:18 am
From what I've read/seen it is because it's not just the Chinese who celebrate it. It's also Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Tibet, South Korea and the Philippines. Possibly some others.
I was in Philippines over the Chinese New year in 2016. The referred to it as Chinese New Year, not Lunar New Year. It wasn't a big deal, but there was some pressure to acknowledge it.

"Why should we celebrate Chinese New Year? We're not Chinese."
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Re: No more Chinese New Year ?

Post by secret squirrel » Sun Feb 14, 2021 5:09 am

Herainestold wrote: ↑
Sun Feb 14, 2021 4:14 am
Tessa K wrote: ↑
Sat Feb 13, 2021 8:18 am
From what I've read/seen it is because it's not just the Chinese who celebrate it. It's also Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Tibet, South Korea and the Philippines. Possibly some others.
I was in Philippines over the Chinese New year in 2016. The referred to it as Chinese New Year, not Lunar New Year. It wasn't a big deal, but there was some pressure to acknowledge it.

"Why should we celebrate Chinese New Year? We're not Chinese."
In Thailand they mostly call it Chinese New Year too, though I have seen a couple of people call it Lunar New Year, and they dress up in traditional Chines clothes etc. to celebrate it. See e.g. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/pr ... 1-campaign

Edit: This isn't just a translation thing either. They call it something amounting to Chinese New Year in Thai too.

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Re: No more Chinese New Year ?

Post by Millennie Al » Sun Feb 14, 2021 6:55 am

Herainestold wrote: ↑
Sun Feb 14, 2021 4:14 am
"Why should we celebrate Chinese New Year? We're not Chinese."
For the same reason you might celebrate Christmas even if you're not Christian - it's as good an excuse as any for festivities.

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TimW
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Re: No more Chinese New Year ?

Post by TimW » Sun Feb 14, 2021 9:58 am

jaap wrote: ↑
Fri Feb 12, 2021 9:49 pm
I guess calling it Chinese is rather exclusionary of the Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese people, of which there are quite a few in the USA.
Not at all, it's called Chinese because it's based on a calendar that originated in China. Is it suddenly necessary to do away with that historical connection?

It's about time we renamed Arabic numerals, etc. etc.

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Tessa K
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Re: No more Chinese New Year ?

Post by Tessa K » Sun Feb 14, 2021 11:38 am

I can see both sides of the argument. If it originated in China, why not call it Chinese New Year, especially if people from other Asian countries call it that. On the other hand, Western imperialism, racism etc etc so err on the side of caution and inclusivity. Maybe it depends where you're standing, ethnically and geographically speaking.

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Re: No more Chinese New Year ?

Post by Herainestold » Sun Feb 14, 2021 2:10 pm

Millennie Al wrote: ↑
Sun Feb 14, 2021 6:55 am
Herainestold wrote: ↑
Sun Feb 14, 2021 4:14 am
"Why should we celebrate Chinese New Year? We're not Chinese."
For the same reason you might celebrate Christmas even if you're not Christian - it's as good an excuse as any for festivities.
Tell it to the Filipinos. They weren't too enthused about it.
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