Chinese New Year expands beyond Chinese communities

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Saturday marked the first day of Chinese New Year. Chinese communities in Los Angeles celebrated by watching the dragon parades and eating with family members. Even though it used to be only the Chinese who celebrated the festival, other demographic groups have started to participate in it.

USC Anthropology Professor Gene Cooper explained Americans have started to recognize and respect the value of Chinese New Year. Even though Chinese New Year has now expanded past the Chinese communities in Los Angeles, it is losing its traditional values among the younger generations.

The third and fourth generation Chinese American children are more acclimated to the American culture so they no longer hold Chinese New Year to great value.