CCNY Asian Alumni Group

Happy Chinese Lunar New Year 2021! In the 12 year cycle of the Zodiac calendar, its the Year of the Ox. The Ox is the second of all zodiac animals. According to myth, the Jade Emperor said the order of the animals in the Zodiac calendar would be decided by the order in which they arrived to his party. The Ox was about to be the first to arrive, but Rat tricked Ox into giving him a ride. Then, just as they arrived, Rat jumped down and landed ahead of Ox. Thus, Ox became the ...second animal. Seems like the Rat is clever, quick thinking and a bit devious, but that’s another Zodiac animal, another year, and another story! In Chinese culture, the Ox is a valued animal. Because of its role in agriculture, positive characteristics, such as being hardworking and honest, are attributed to it. Those born in the Year of the Ox (that's 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, and 2021) are believed to have great patience and a desire to make progress, Oxes can achieve their goals by consistent effort. They are not much influenced by others or the environment, but persist in doing things according to their ideals and capabilities. Before taking any action, Oxes will have a definite plan with detailed steps, to which they apply their strong faith and physical strength. As a result, people of the Ox zodiac sign often enjoy great success. In 2021, the traditional celebration of Chinese New Year will be somewhat muted because of the coronavirus pandemic. The crowds that normally line the narrow streets of NYC's Chinatown to watch the drum pounding lion dances and dragon parades won't be there this year. Some events will still be held, but virtually. I encourage everyone to visit your local Chinatown, wherever you might be, and order some of your favorite Chinese dishes. Remember to order a nice noodle dish...long noodles are lucky and associated with long life! Or if you're interested in learning how to make your own "Longevity Noodles," mark your calendar for a special Zoom event on March 5 at 6:30 PM. The CCNY Asian Alumni Group and James Beard Award winning cookbook author, Grace Young will speak about Chinese New Year traditions and their relationships to food. She'll also demonstrate how to prepare "Longevity Noodles with Spicy Pork (or Chicken) & Vegetables." Event information will be published in the next few days.

Happy Chinese New Year everyone. Year of the Ox.

Please help spread the word: The USPS ceremony for the Forever stamp in honor of Prof. Chien-Shiung Wu. It's at 11am on Thursday, Feb. 11. https://about.usps.com/.../chien-shiung-wu-commemorative... She was a Chinese immigrant who became a nuclear physicist in an almost entirely male-dominated field in the 1950s. She worked with Oppenheimer and Fermi on the Manhattan Project, helping develop the method for separating nonfissionable uranium 238 from fissionable U-235the bo...mb’s key fuel. Her experiment on the non-conservation of parity disproved a fundamental law of physics that had been considered incontrovertible for 30 years. The male theoretical physicists she worked with got the Nobel Prize, but she didn't get it this time, or for earlier work on Beta decay that was also considered Nobel-worthy. She's one of only two individuals being honored with stamps this year, and in a year that the USPS is honoring Asian-American achievement. The art for her stamp was done by Asian-American painter Kam Mak. Please tell any Asian-American, immigrant, Chinese, or Women in Science groups who might be interested in promoting this event on 2/11. Buy the stamp! https://store.usps.com/.../buy.../chien-shiung-wu-S_480204 See more