2022 Lunar New Year Celebration!
Thank you for joining UCLA Asian Pacific Islander Staff & Faculty Association (APIFSA) and InspirASIAN, UCLA Health Affinity Group as we celebrated Lunar New Year this year! We've added the Foodie Photo Contest winners, a link to the Lunar New Year Virtual Cookbook, and the recorded cook-a-long with Chef Julia below!
Lunar New Year is a time to gather with our loved ones, honor our ancestors, bestow red envelopes, feast, and of course, wish for abundance, prosperity, longevity, and happiness in the coming year. This Lunar New Year falls on February 1st as we welcome the year of the tiger! The tiger is known as the king of all beasts in China, representing strength, bravery, and expelling bad spirits.
Lunar New Year is celebrated by millions of people around the world, including China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and here in Westwood.
🧧 Gung Hay Fat Choi, Xin Nian Kuai Le, and Chúc Mừng Năm Mới! 🧧
February 1 - 15: Foodie Photo Contest - WINNERS LISTED
Since we are limited in our capability to meet up and celebrate together on campus, UCLA APIFSA and UCLA InspirASIAN have teamed up to host a photo contest for staff and faculty in celebration and commemoration of all the feasts we will be having with our loved ones. We are open to submissions that are semi-homemade, made from scratch, or made by someone else to be consumed by you. Here are three categories for the contest:
Most Traditional
Most Sentimental
Modern Take to a Traditional Recipe
Thank you for submitting your photos via social media using our hashtag (#uclalunarnewyearcelebration2022, #uclalnycelebration2022, #mosttraditional, #mostsentimental, #moderntakeontraditionalrecipe) and to our 2022 UCLA & UCLA Health Lunar New Year Photo Contest web survey.The contest closed on February 15, 2022 and we are happy to announce our winners!
Most Traditional: Dinner at the In-Laws
Terry Giang, Graphic Designer (UCLA Student Affairs)
Most Sentimental: Honey Glazed Prawns
Bill Tsoi, Programmer Analyst (UCLA IT Services / Student Applications)
Modern Take on a Traditional Recipe
Michel Maokhampio, Business System Analyst (UCLA IT Services)
Committee's Choice: Mama Vu's Vietnamese Tet Feast
Clara Vu, Resident Physician (Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine)
We enjoyed seeing all of your entries and appreciate you taking the time to share a little bit of your Lunar New Year celebration with the UCLA community!
February 1 - 15: Shared recipes and traditions in our virtual cookbook
Is there a family recipe that tops all Lunar New Year eats? Or maybe you've come up with a new twist on a traditional plate? Check out shared recipes from our UCLA community in the Lunar New Year Virtual Cookbook!
Thank you for submitting your recipes to our 2022 UCLA & UCLA Health Lunar New Year Photo Contest web survey. The recipes have been added to our virtual cookbook!
February 1- 15: Celebrate by supporting local Asian-owned businesses
Food is very integral during the Lunar New Year. Please consider supporting local, Asian-owned businesses in your area! Here is a list of places we recommend in Westwood:
ACA Lion Dance
Founded in 2001 the Lion Dance team is affiliated with the Association of Chinese Americans (ACA) student organization. They have performed annually in UCLA's Chinese American Culture Night and Southern California's Chinese Heritage Festival, as well as at various venues and events, ranging from Lunar New Year celebrations, weddings, grand openings, blessings, parades, cultural celebrations, and birthday parties.
Watch a recent LNY celebration performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4GoVPTIjk8
Website: https://www.uclaliondance.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acaliondance
Instagram: http://instagram.com/acaliondance
February 10 at 12pm PT: Virtual Cook-a-long with Chef Julia - RECORDING POSTED!
The recording of the virtual cook-a-long with Chef Julia from UCLA Teaching Kitchen on Thursday, February 10th at 12pm PT in linked below! Learn how to make longevity noodles and crispy spring rolls, which are dishes that are enjoyed during the Lunar New Year celebration. Noodles represent wishes for a long life, and as an extra bonus, one should try to eat the noodles without biting through the strands! Crispy spring rolls represent good fortune as their shape and color resemble gold bars in ancient times.
View the Zoom Recording of the Cook-a-long
Chef Julia has shared her ingredients list and recipe so you can cook alongside her!
Chef Julia Rhoton has served as the Culinary Arts Coordinator for the UCLA Teaching Kitchen since its opening in October 2019. She has her Bachelor's degree in Elementary School Education and a Culinary Degree from Le Cordon Bleu School of Culinary Arts. After more than 18 years working in kitchens in Los Angeles, she is excited to be teaching others about cooking and nutrition here at UCLA.
For more info on the Teaching Kitchen: https://fitwell.recreation.ucla.edu/teachingkitchen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uclateachingkitchen/
2022 Year of the Tiger Zoom Backgrounds
We are excited to share 6 Zoom backgrounds (designed by UCLA Health staff member, Grace Florentin) to celebrate the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Tiger. Click on the individual thumbnails to download the backgrounds and use them during the celebration!
Who Are We
UCLA Asian Pacific Islander Faculty & Staff Association
APIFSA started toward the end of 2020 for the purpose of engaging and informing faculty & staff on the various cultures represented in the Asian Pacific Islander community. As a staff affinity group, we are focused on building community and sharing cultural knowledge and insights with the entire Bruin family and beyond. We welcome faculty & staff of all backgrounds to learn, share, and grow with us!
All are welcome to join, if you identify with the API community, API allies, or if you are interested in learning about the API community.
Check out our webpage | Join our APIFSA mailing list | Email us
InspirASIAN UCLA Health Affinity Group
UCLA Health’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Affinity Group InspirASIAN started in mid-2021 to foster inclusion and community through a support network of mentors, allies, and peers to act as advisors to UCLA Health around AAPI issues for faculty, staff, students, trainees, and patients. We aspire to increase visibility of the AAPI community and highlight issues and concerns centered around the AAPI experience.
