A 7-year old Holleigh was getting ready for school one morning. Her mother tells her, 'Today we celebrate Nu-na New Year. "
In Holleigh's 2nd grade class that morning, Mrs. Carrol asks, "Does anyone know what today is?"
Holleigh is the first to eagerly raise her hand to volunteer an answer. No one else volunteers. Mrs. Carrol seemed to expect to have her only Asian 2nd grader to answer the question, "Holly."
So proudly, Holleigh proclaims, "Today is Nu-Na New Year!"
A blank look goes over Mrs. Carrol's face as she pauses before turning towards Daniel, "Daniel, do you know what today is?"
Daniel tells her, "Chinese New Year."
Mrs. Carrol replies, "That's right, today is Chinese New Year."
I thought, "Couldn't today be both? My mom told me so!"
This story has stuck with me since then. Why didn't she even reply? It wasn't until after I had graduated college that I put "2 and 2" together. Why did my mom tell me it was "Nu-Na New Year"? Was it a Vietnamese word for "Chinese New Year"? Then it hit me, My mom was saying "Lunar New Year", but because she has an accent, she can't really create that sound easily! :O)
Happy Nu-Na New Year!
In Holleigh's 2nd grade class that morning, Mrs. Carrol asks, "Does anyone know what today is?"
Holleigh is the first to eagerly raise her hand to volunteer an answer. No one else volunteers. Mrs. Carrol seemed to expect to have her only Asian 2nd grader to answer the question, "Holly."
So proudly, Holleigh proclaims, "Today is Nu-Na New Year!"
A blank look goes over Mrs. Carrol's face as she pauses before turning towards Daniel, "Daniel, do you know what today is?"
Daniel tells her, "Chinese New Year."
Mrs. Carrol replies, "That's right, today is Chinese New Year."
I thought, "Couldn't today be both? My mom told me so!"
This story has stuck with me since then. Why didn't she even reply? It wasn't until after I had graduated college that I put "2 and 2" together. Why did my mom tell me it was "Nu-Na New Year"? Was it a Vietnamese word for "Chinese New Year"? Then it hit me, My mom was saying "Lunar New Year", but because she has an accent, she can't really create that sound easily! :O)
Happy Nu-Na New Year!
