Cupertino plans unity parade
By Jennifer Zhang
Starting in 2003, San Francisco will not be the only Bay Area city that has a cultural New Year celebration parade. Cupertino is planning for its very own parade--the Lunar New Year Unity Parade, which will take place on March 8, 2003.
This parade, however, will be somewhat different from its San Francisco model. Its creators, Mayor Richard Lowenthal and former Vice President for the Asian American Parent Association Michelle Hu, have designed the event with a special mission in mind--to bring the community's broad spectrum of cultures together.
Cupertino is a very diverse city. Its residents represent many different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, with Asian Americans about 44 percent of the city's population.
Lowenthal describes Cupertino as a peaceful but segregated place. Although much effort has been made in the past to bring the community together with cultural events such as the Moon Festival, participation was primarily limited to the Asian population. According to Lowenthal, the end result may have been more divisive than constructive.
Many other subtle issues continue to keep the community separated. For instance, on July 4, 1997, people were divided as they disagreed on a proper way to celebrate the national holiday. Some argued it should be a celebration with an American theme, while others believe it should be a multicultural celebration.
The recent teen commission controversy has only strengthened the division within the community. During its member selection process last year, many Asian American parents thought some Asian American male applicants were unjustly denied participation to the commission The ill will spilled over into a particularly contentious city council meeting on Nov. 19, 2001.
To break down the barriers and bring the community together, the unity parade committee, led by Lowenthal and Hu, started working in January 2002 to plan for an event that will appeal to people of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
"The unity parade is a celebration of commonality, unity and community," Lowenthal said, "This is a positive step to make our community a more harmonious place for everyone."
"We want to move from diversity and focus on unity, although they are not mutually exclusive," Hu said. "We want to lay a good foundation that will help to make our community better."
There will be about 50 parade groups, such as lion dancers and school bands, that will present a wide range of multicultural performances. The parade will take place on Stelling Road, starting from McClellan Road and ending at the Quinlan Community Center.
Cupertino, California Since 1947
