Stop assuming that Lunar New Year is Chinese New Year

The issue

It's not true. We believe the Vietnamese or the Korean don't celebrate Chinese New Year. Do you realise or refuse to acknowledge that the Lunar New Year that we celebrate is different from CNY? Culturally, they are different. While you ignore the minority races culture and choose to promote the more dominant one and assume that they are all the same, it is not correct politically.

If you choose to also celebrate the Lunar New Year with Asian people from backgrounds other than Chinese, you need to stop assuming they celebrate CNY.

If you choose to celebrate CNY alone, stop including other Asian countries in your message because it is in fact a disrespect to us and you are going against the multi-culture of Australia instead of promoting it.

We are not against the CNY and the Chinese people. Instead, we respect them and their culture and hope that you/they respect us and ours too.

avatar of the starter
Anthony NgoPetition starter
Media enquiries
This petition had 1,852 supporters

The issue

It's not true. We believe the Vietnamese or the Korean don't celebrate Chinese New Year. Do you realise or refuse to acknowledge that the Lunar New Year that we celebrate is different from CNY? Culturally, they are different. While you ignore the minority races culture and choose to promote the more dominant one and assume that they are all the same, it is not correct politically.

If you choose to also celebrate the Lunar New Year with Asian people from backgrounds other than Chinese, you need to stop assuming they celebrate CNY.

If you choose to celebrate CNY alone, stop including other Asian countries in your message because it is in fact a disrespect to us and you are going against the multi-culture of Australia instead of promoting it.

We are not against the CNY and the Chinese people. Instead, we respect them and their culture and hope that you/they respect us and ours too.

avatar of the starter
Anthony NgoPetition starter
Media enquiries

The Decision Makers

City of Sydney council
City of Sydney council
Responded
“Dear Anthony I refer to your petition asking the City to acknowledge other cultures that recognise the lunar new year in our celebrations. I appreciate your concerns that the Chinese New Year Festival’s name isn’t inclusive of these other cultures. The festival’s name is historic, reflecting its origins in the Chinese community when groups in Chinatown started organising it as a community event 18 years ago. At that time there were no other major communities in the area celebrating the lunar new year. The City recognises that other Asian cultures celebrate the lunar new year, and in recent years we’ve invited people from other cultures, notably the Korean and Vietnamese communities, to share their traditions and participate in the festival. These communities are growing in the City of Sydney’s local council area and play an important part in the festival. Members of these communities have provided overwhelmingly positive feedback on the festival. This broadening of the festival has prompted ongoing discussion about the festival’s name, and I appreciate your comments on this issue. We will be discussing your concerns about the festival’s name with the Chinese New Year Festival Advisory Group. The advisory group is a panel of community members chaired by Councillor Robert Kok that advises the City on the development, organisation and content of the Chinese New Year Festival. If you would like to speak with a Council officer about the Chinese New Year Festival, you can contact Stephen Gilby, Senior Program Manager, on 9265 9333 or at sgilby@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au. I wish you a happy and prosperous new year. Yours sincerely Clover Moore Lord Mayor of Sydney”
Clover Moore
Clover Moore
Sydney Lord Mayor
Office of the Lord Mayor
Office of the Lord Mayor

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Petition created on 28 January 2014