By Cynthia Koons
The parade “will highlight the cultural value of the Asian communities,” Che-Tsao Huang, of the Council of Chinese-American Associations, said at a Lunar New Year parade press conference. “Lunar New Year is the most important event in the Asian culture.”
The two largest Asian communities in Flushing that will be performing in the parade are the Koreans, who will be celebrating the year 4337, and the Chinese, who are entering year 4702.
To establish a tradition, parade chairman Fred Fu of the Flushing Chinese Business Association announced a coin toss to determine which group would go first in the line-up. This year it will be the Chinese performers, and next year it will be the Koreans. The parade, Flushing's ninth, will begin at 11 a.m.
The route is new this year, beginning at 37th Avenue and Union Street and proceeding right on Sanford Avenue, right on Main Street and then splitting between Northern Boulevard and Prince Street.
At the end of the route, the Korean and Chinese performers will split between Flushing High School and the Flushing Mall, respectively.
“Unfortunately, there is not a big enough space for both of us to fit,” said Yangee Hahn, a member of the Korean-American Association of Flushing. “I wish that someday there will be space for all of us to perform together.”
A display of fireworks will go off at the beginning and end of the parade. Mayor Rudy Giuliani banned fireworks from Lunar New Year parades in 1997, only one year after their first display. Mayor Michael Bloomberg reversed that order when he took office, making way for last year's – and now this year's – pyrotechnics.
“A lot of people are concerned about the firecrackers,” Fu said. “Firecracker in Chinese means 'get rid of evil.'”
He said the fireworks will go off between the 109th Precinct, where the parade begins, and the firehouse.
“We think Mayor Bloomberg will like it,” he said.
An officer from the 109th Precinct, Ki Soo Kim, said he came to the press conference to remind the public about the road closures during the event.
“Our part is to provide the safety for the participants as well as the spectators,” he said. “Traffic will be extremely heavy.”
This year's parade-planning spawned little controversy. Just last year, planners debated the involvement of the Falun Gong practitioners.
At the time, some organizers were opposed to including the Falun Gong on the basis that the meditative spiritual movement, banned in China, was too political for the Lunar New Year celebration. At the last minute, the Falun Gong were invited to march in the parade. They performed without any disturbances.
Fu said the Falun Gong practitioners will perform this year.
“There should be absolutely no one group trying to promote an ideology,” Huang reminded the attendees of the press conference. “Not to judge a political belief, but this should be a cultural event.”
Reach reporter Cynthia Koons by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 141.
