Our hearts are brimming with hope following the SEIU 721 Asian Pacific Islanders (API) Caucus’ Lunar New Year celebration on Tuesday, January 31st.
Students and members of SEIU 721, SEIU 2015, SEIU UHW, SEIU 1000, SEIU 99, the SEIU 721 Executive Board, and the community packed the SEIU 721 auditorium to welcome the Year of the Rabbit (Chinese zodiac), Cat (Vietnamese and Gurung zodiac), and Mouse deer (Malay zodiac), and honor those lost in the recent Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay tragedies.
California’s first Filipino American Attorney General Rob Bonta joined us to honor the new year by speaking to his continued commitment to workers’ rights, gun reform, and social justice. We also heard from API Caucus Officer Susan Li, API Caucus Chair Dr. Kelly Zhou, and SEIU 721 President David Green, all of whom offered inspiring words about the significance of Lunar New Year, the importance of community, and the future of SEIU 721’s API Caucus.
Together, we manifested our hopes for the year ahead by partaking in Lunar New Year traditions from across cultures and communities– from a thrilling performance by UCLA’s ACA Lion Dance, to gifting red envelopes, to feasting on traditional foods for good fortune, prosperity, and longevity.
Now– amidst the pandemic, ongoing violence and injustice, financial hardships, and more– is the time to lean on and learn from each other and celebrate what makes us unique and what ties us together. The API Caucus’ Lunar New Year event was one of the first large, indoor SEIU 721 gatherings to take place since the beginning of the pandemic, and we look forward to uniting more as a community in the years ahead.
Contact Susan Li for more information about SEIU 721’s API Caucus and stay tuned for more updates and events to come!
Wow Granny loved it.
Granny SEIU721.