(Every so often, we here at 8Asians get e-mails asking for advice. This is NOT one of those e-mails, but my co-worker did ask me this question, to which I promptly told her to send this to the blog for additional blog fodder. What? I’m shameless.)
To my wise Asian friend Ernie,
Help! I’ve been dating a guy I really like for about a month. He asked me if I wanted to go to his best friend’s Chinese New Year party this weekend. As a nice Jewish girl, I’m not sure of the etiquette. Should I bring anything special? I usually default to bringing a bottle of champagne to a party. Is that OK in this situation or does Chinese New Year call for something different or unique?
Thanks!
Laura
For me, if this party were to occur over actual Chinese New Years last week, the proper answer is: “you wouldn’t be invited to this party because REAL Chinese New Year is about watching your family argue over petty shit, making you feel bad about yourself.” As this is Chinese New Years party is more Americanized, I told her to bring a bunch of tangerines for ironies sake, and if anyone gave her a hard time about it she could be all, BOOM DID MY RESEARCH BITCHES, and bust out the bottle of Olde English 800.
How would you answer Laura?
(Flickr photo credit: liza31337)
What next?
Other posts you may be interested in:
- My Panda Paws: Helping Your Americanized Kids Learn Chinese
- The 8Asians.com Writers Talk About: The Seattle Asian Party Scene
- For Chinese-Americans, Beijing Olympics bring mixed emotions
- American Dad Jailed in Japan for Trying to Bring Kids Home
- The New [Asian American] Face of the [California] Grand Old Party
Recent Comments
- KFC vs. KGC: WTF???
- alienation: This is a great thread! I grew up eating Kentucky Fried Chicken. My family would make an effort to get it in East L.A., over by the King Cole Pizza. It was way better than the Kentucky Fried over in MPK and up in SG. I...
- Proof that Russell of Disney/Pixar’s Up is Asian: The Color Scripts
- Daul Kim: One Sassy ‘n Smart Bitch
- Najib: I wonder what is going on with this girl. She has been fooled into this simulacrum, and what she thought was real is not real at all.
- Mending Broken Glass: Khmer Rouge History Now to be Taught in Cambodia
- kbok: it may seem shocking to other people that kids don’t believe their elders when hearing about khmer rouge atrocities, but if your mother told you that soldiers shot at her, pushing her off a mountain and into landmine paths...
- Chinese Adoptees: Stolen or Abandoned?
- Dan: CSLI, I think my previous comment stated that I “hope” not “should”. It was not meant to belittle anyone and yes I can imagine just like most people, adopted or not. Though the effect will not be the same as...
- Obama Bows to Emperor Akihito
- JC: @ Eric: Not only that, he’s half brother lives in China and is married to a Chinese woman. There’s a lot of Asian in his family
- Yahoo! Games Writer Freaks Out Over Nintendo DS Dating Simulations
- JC: This guy knows next to nothing about Otaku culture and dare to write about Japanese games. It’s just another ignorant white person making self-righteous judgment calls against another part of Asian culture. He’s just...
Recent Events
- [Nov 3] NORTHERN CA: Intro to Movietelling (Neo-Benshi) with Dennis Somera
- [Nov 14] SOUTHERN CA: Grace Kim & the Spiders From Mars
- [Nov 20] NORTHERN CA: CATS 9th Annual Asian Comedy Night starring 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors
- [Nov 21] SOUTHERN CA: BANANA: Where Infamous Asian-American Bloggers Unite to Chop It Up
- [Nov 22] TORONTO: S.M. Global Audition
12 Comments to “Ask an Asian: What do you bring to an Americanized Chinese New Years Party?”
Moye wrote:
I’d tell her to bring sushi, and then act all confused when people ask her why. Or money in red envelopes. Or a giant cardboard number 4. That’s bad luck, right?
Posted on 03-Feb-09 at 4:02 pm | Permalink
Efren wrote:
I’d tell her to wear a lot of white.
Posted on 03-Feb-09 at 4:50 pm | Permalink
jr wrote:
Burritos.
Posted on 03-Feb-09 at 5:12 pm | Permalink
Edwin wrote:
Go to a Chinese butcher, get a roast duck or roast pork chopped up and bring it to the party on a plate!!!
peerrrrfect!!!
Posted on 03-Feb-09 at 8:32 pm | Permalink
korean new year wrote:
i would tell them that it’s the lunar new year and last she checked the moon shone over countries other than china and people other than communists. so bring the champagne and if they complain, tell them to take the high-fiving ceramic cat out of their butts.
Posted on 03-Feb-09 at 8:54 pm | Permalink
tracy j. wrote:
firecrackers?
Posted on 04-Feb-09 at 4:52 pm | Permalink
sc wrote:
I just don’t get the why everyone insists on renaming it lunar new year. if your not Chinese then simply name give it it’s proper name ‘asian country’ New Year. ie Vietnamese New year, Korean New Year. Most of the asian calendars were based off of the lunisolar Chinese calendar anyways so what’s the big deal.
Posted on 04-Feb-09 at 9:47 pm | Permalink
Joo So Dum wrote:
Probably cuz people don’t want other to say “Asians are all Chinese, that’s why they celebrate the Chinese New Year!” I don’t see the problem with calling it Lunar New Year because it can apply to different cultures, without having to name every single one.
But then again, some people think Chinese give Asians a bad name. If people from Hong Kong and Taiwan have a right to say “Hey, we’re not Chinese!”.I don’t see the problem with calling it Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year (assuming their Chinese of course).
Some people don’t like being called Asian. Some people don’t like being called Oriental. Some people don’t like being mistaken as a Chinese. Just people with different views and opinions.
And to Laura, why didn’t u just ask the guy you were dating what would be good to bring? I don’t see the problem with bringing champagne, cuz you know the real party starts when Chinese are hustling and gambling and smoking and drinking…so alcohol is always appreciated.
Posted on 05-Feb-09 at 12:35 am | Permalink
Aya wrote:
I don’t see the problem with Lunar New Year. It isn’t only Asian countries that celebrate it. White people druids/wiccans celebrate things by the lunar calendar too!
Posted on 05-Feb-09 at 4:46 pm | Permalink
Aya wrote:
Curse your stripping out of html tags. That was supposed to be crossed out up there.
Posted on 05-Feb-09 at 4:46 pm | Permalink
Xxxtine wrote:
My very Jewish officemates looked at me blankly when I asked for “Lunar New Year” off … then I said, “Chinese New Year” and they all went “Ah!”
It’s the same difference between wishing someone a Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays.
Posted on 06-Feb-09 at 6:06 am | Permalink
Mee Make Funny wrote:
Pabst Blue Ribbon, a sack of potatoes and a cousin (or two)
Posted on 14-Feb-09 at 8:39 am | Permalink
Post a Comment