That may change with the birth of the Lunar New Year Unity Parade, which will take place on March 8.

"Our profound hope is that there is no predominant group among the spectators. We'd like them to match the demographics of the city," says former Cupertino mayor, Richard Lowenthal, who co-chaired the Lunar New Year Unity Parade Committee.

Cupertino's parade is based on the model of San Francisco's Chinese New Year Parade. Despite its Chinese theme, the parade's participants and spectators are of all ethnicities, ages and backgrounds.

Mayor Michael Chang suggested adding the word "unity" to the title of Cupertino's parade.

"Unity is our goal," Chang says. "A parade is a very American way to bring people together. Lunar New Year is an important occasion in many Asian countries. This parade will be a watershed event for Cupertino."

The parade's logo conveys that spirit, featuring six people standing on a bridge holding hands.

"The people holding hands represent people of different ethnicities and interests," says Michelle Hu, the parade's co-chairperson. "The bridge represents bridging differences. The people on the logo also look like children," she says. "It is the kids that bring a community together."

The importance of children in the community shows in their active participation in the parade. Of the 50 groups that will join the parade, 24 are from schools in the Cupertino Union School District. The Monta Vista High School marching band and Cupertino High School jazz band will be in the parade as well.

The parade, which starts at 10:30 a.m., will also include ethnic dances and local groups. The route extends 1.2 miles from Jollyman Park to Memorial Park, and an international fair will follow in Memorial Park.

The event is expected to attract more than 20,000 people, according to Gilbert Wong, a member of the Lunar New Year Unity Parade Committee.

"We want to create unity within the community," Wong says.

Cupertino has gone through rapid changes over the past 10 years. The city's Asian population has more than doubled over the past decade. Although the influx of newcomers has made Cupertino a more diverse city, it also has caused discomfort among some old-timers. For example, in 1998, the community was divided over whether it was appropriate to have a Chinese dragon and lion dance in the Fourth of July celebration.

In the Lunar New Year Unity Parade, the Chinese-style dragon dance is only one of the various ethnic programs.

"We want to offer programs that everyone is interested in," says Rani Goel, a member of the Lunar New Year Unity Parade Committee.

The ambitious project is the undertaking of more than 30 community leaders that have worked together since January of 2002.

The committee itself reflects the city's diversity. It is made up of people of Iranian, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese and African American descent. Committee members include representatives from school districts, the Chamber of Commerce, the Cupertino Rotary Club and the YMCA.

Hu says planning for the parade has created closer relationships and better understandings between these groups. Hu, who didn't know Lowenthal before, has exchanged at least 20 emails with Lowenthal to discuss the parade.

The planning process has also turned out to be a great learning experience. The parade was originally named the Chinese New Year Unity Parade. But Cupertino Community Services Director Jaclyn Fabre, who is of Vietnamese descent, said "Lunar New Year Parade would be a better name because people from Vietnam and Korea also observe the Lunar New Year."

"When we started promoting the parade, some people suspected Michelle and I had some political purposes," Lowenthal says. "We do. We want to help build a united and neighborly community, where everyone can enjoy and share each other's cultures."

For more information about the Lunar New Year Unity Parade, call Richard Lowenthal at 408.777.3193 or visit www.unityparade.org.