Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Lu's story banner

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and we’re honoring the ethnically diverse ancestry within the community. We recently caught up with Lu Yang, Senior Data Analyst on the Research & Evaluation Team, to learn more about her background and lived experience as well as some of her favorite cultural traditions! Here’s what she shared with us:  

Tell us a bit about your background. 

I was born in Hubei, China. Ten years ago, I came to the United States to pursue my master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. Later, I earned my PhD in education from UC Davis, where my work focused on early language and social-emotional development for dual-language learners and for learners of foreign languages. I am passionate about using data analytics and research to improve the quality of early childhood education and to make a positive difference in the lives of children of families across the nation. Both of my parents and close relatives are in China. I am bilingual in Chinese and English. I can also speak my dialect in Chinese.    

Can you share about a favorite cultural tradition and what it means to you? 

Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival, celebrates the beginning of a new year on the lunar calendar. This year is the year of Tiger. For Chinese people, Lunar New Year is a time for reunion with family and friends. The celebration lasts for 15 days, and people clean their houses to sweep away all the bad luck. Also, family members receive red envelopes “Hongbao” containing small amounts of money from the elders. The significance behind this tradition is that money brings good fortune to the family. Family members also prepare a family feast to celebrate, and some families, make and eat dumplings together. During the celebration, people hang messages of happiness, money and longevity over the windows and doors.   

How does your family honor its heritage?  

 When Lunar New Year is approaching, my parents and I go shopping together. We shop for new clothes at the shopping mall, buy food from the farmers’ market and prepare Hubei dishes. These are special dishes that featured Hubei cuisine that my family makes at home. For example, lotus root soup with pork ribs, fish cake “Yugao” and pearl meatballs. I also learned how to make some of the dishes that my parents usually make when I am here in the U.S.  

What do you want to pass on to your child? 

I hope that my child will be bilingual and bicultural. I want to teach my child how to speak, read, and write in Chinese. Close family relations are valued in China. I hope that my child will be able to communicate with my parents and will have close relations with them.  

Thank you for sharing with us, Lu!

~Original article by Emily Snyder

  • ECE
  • Early Childhood Education
  • AAPI
  • Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
  • Employee Stories
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