Description:
Native Washingtonian Rita Moy reflects on her history with the Chinese New Year celebration in Chinatown. She remembers coming down to Chinatown for the festival by streetcar as a child, going to family association buildings, receiving "red envelopes" of money gifts, and watching the firecrackers with her siblings from the top floor of buildings. She briefly talks about her father's involvement in Chinatown politics, such as with the Moy Family Association. Rita discusses how she's seen Chinatown evolve: whereas it used to be a tight-knit communtiy of mostly Southern Chinese, an increase in diversity has led to what she sees as good changes. While she says DC Chinese have scattered around the DC area, the Lunar New Year is now "a diverse group celebration."
