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Using a stainless steel spatula, parent volunteer Sien Zhang fries a fresh green onion pancake as an appetizer for the Lunar New Year lunch. Since the line to the main dishes was long, Zhang offered pieces of hot pancake to the faculty members waiting for their turn.
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Smiling, parent volunteer Lihong Chen pours egg drop soup into a small container for a teacher grabbing lunch. Chen was an active member during the event, setting up the dishes well before the faculty started trickling in.
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Going down the line, Math teacher Ellie Qu carefully spoons stir-fried tofu skin onto her plate. During the special event, teachers were excited to try different traditional new year dishes.
The savory smell of soy sauce-glazed chicken dumplings floated around the atrium on Friday, Feb. 27, as parent volunteers gathered together to host the annual Lunar New Year celebration at the library patio, honoring the Year of the Horse with a traditional Pan-Asian style lunch buffet and red and gold paper lantern-adorned walls.
To ring in the new year, volunteers brought in traditional dishes like dumplings, noodles, and spring rolls. In Chinese culture, dumplings symbolize wealth, as they resemble gold pouches. Noodles symbolize long life, as the savory strands seem never-ending, and spring rolls symbolize golden wealth, manifesting a year of luck and prosperity. The parents arrived the day before, setting up tables, booths, and red Year of the Horse decorations. After decorating, volunteers started to trickle in, bringing tin trays of traditional homemade dishes and catering from P.F. Chang’s, a restaurant that serves Asian fusion cuisine.
“In Chinese tradition, we respect our teachers a lot, so we wanted to show our appreciation,” parent volunteer Sien Zhang said. “That’s the main goal [of this celebration]. Around 17% of the Westwood community is Asian, so we wanted to [showcase a piece of] our culture by [being here today].”
The excitement of the faculty members created a festive atmosphere as they swarmed the tables, forming a line stretching into the library. Teachers were hyped to try the different dishes prepared by the parent volunteers.
“It’s amazing to see [diverse culture being recognized] here, [and] I just wish we had more time,” Social Studies teacher Melanie Trembley said. “I love bean curd, so I’m really excited to try the mapo tofu. All the teachers want this day. It’s the best day ever. The parents worked so hard staying up until midnight [making food]. We are all very grateful for this [experience].”
While enjoying dishes, teachers appreciated the parent volunteers’ effort to share their culture through bringing faculty together.
“This is the most extravagant lunch the parents have ever [prepared],” Math teacher Serena Johnson said. “At Westwood, we celebrate different cultures and festivals. As [someone who is] part of the Chinese community, I’m so happy [that they’re doing this]. [To the parents]: Thank you so much for preparing everything. I always look forward to this lunch every year.”
