| Chinese New Year in Milwaukee |
By Debby Tewes
UW-Milwaukee's Student Union was the site of the gala celebration hosted by the
Milwaukee Chapter of The Organization of Chinese Americans on February 16th.
Tony Lam was the emcee for a multi talented group of performers from the very
youngest members from the Milwaukee Chinese Community Center to the
Milwaukee Modern Chinese School as they performed the Children's Waist Drum
Dance to tiny little Sophie Tian singing an excerpt from Huang Mei Opera.
After the opening reception, guests were treated to a specially prepared authentic
Chinese meal that was not the menu that most Americans expect at Chinese
restaurants but rather more closely related to what you would find in restaurants in
China. I found myself needing an interpreter to understand most of the dishes but
the food was a cultural experience in itself!
The festivities opened with a Lion Dance presented by the Shao Lin Boxing
Methods School of Waukesha with some dazzling Lions with glowing eyes. Other
artists presented everything from modern Chinese singing by the popular Bai Mei to
traditional dance and traditional music from er hu and gu zheng performances.
Milwaukee boasts a growing Chinese community, and with the addition of Yi to
the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, the community has found a rallying point.
The New Year's celebration was a sold out event and I was lucky to have secured
the last of the available tickets to usher in the Year of the Rat!
UW-Milwaukee's Student Union was the site of the gala celebration hosted by the
Milwaukee Chapter of The Organization of Chinese Americans on February 16th.
Tony Lam was the emcee for a multi talented group of performers from the very
youngest members from the Milwaukee Chinese Community Center to the
Milwaukee Modern Chinese School as they performed the Children's Waist Drum
Dance to tiny little Sophie Tian singing an excerpt from Huang Mei Opera.
After the opening reception, guests were treated to a specially prepared authentic
Chinese meal that was not the menu that most Americans expect at Chinese
restaurants but rather more closely related to what you would find in restaurants in
China. I found myself needing an interpreter to understand most of the dishes but
the food was a cultural experience in itself!
The festivities opened with a Lion Dance presented by the Shao Lin Boxing
Methods School of Waukesha with some dazzling Lions with glowing eyes. Other
artists presented everything from modern Chinese singing by the popular Bai Mei to
traditional dance and traditional music from er hu and gu zheng performances.
Milwaukee boasts a growing Chinese community, and with the addition of Yi to
the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, the community has found a rallying point.
The New Year's celebration was a sold out event and I was lucky to have secured
the last of the available tickets to usher in the Year of the Rat!
