An annual Lunar New Year parade in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood was canceled this year amid concerns that federal immigration enforcement might target Asian attendees.
“The climate this year, with everything going on, just made it challenging to put on a Lunar New Year,” Maria Cohen, executive director of the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition, said Monday. “We thought our Asian community members, it should be a very joyous holiday for them, and they should feel safe. There were questions about that.”
Cohen told TribLive her organization — along with the Pittsburgh chapter of the OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates — decided to scrap the celebration as U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers have ramped up actions throughout the country, including locally.
Cohen described the decision as a “precaution” to protect immigrants who are anxious.
“I can only imagine the anxiety that people go through when that happens,” she said of ICE arrests, “or when you’re faced with even thinking that it could.”
The celebration last year was moved indoors due to weather. Cohen said they contemplated hosting an indoor event this year but ultimately decided to take a different approach.
Instead, the organizations have been encouraging neighbors to write their hopes for the new year, as well as their wishes for the Asian community, on red tags that will be hung on trees to mark the new year.
It is the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac.
The groups are also encouraging people to patronize Asian-owned restaurants in the community.
“We’re really looking to our community members to go out in extra support (for) our Asian businesses — to always do that, but particularly now,” Cohen said.
The Lunar New Year parade was canceled during the covid pandemic, Cohen said. But it later returned — and Cohen is hopeful it will come back from this challenge, too.
“We’re very hopeful that the climate next year will be different, and we’ll be able to host a really fun, joyous event for our community,” she said.
