The University community rang in the Year of the Horse at the ASU Pan-Asian Lunar New Year Celebration with food trucks, music and lion dancing.
The International Student and Scholars Center hosted the second annual Lunar New Year celebration on the Student Services Lawn on Tuesday.
"We're going by the Lunar calendar, which (says) spring is the beginning of the harvest time," Tan Nguyen, a junior studying supply chain management and a student worker for the ISSC, said. "For us, this event is a celebration of when the harvest seasons come, and everyone just comes together as a community to help celebrate and then prepare for a new year."
While the University is known for its large international student population, only 6.9% of ASU students identify as Asian, according to the 2024-2025 Global Education Office Enrollment Report.
For Nguyen, the event can help people feel closer to home, giving them something to celebrate when away from friends and family.
The event started being planned last summer, and the ISSC got in contact with 14 student organizations on campus.
The speakers at the event also spoke in English, Korean, Mandarin and Vietnamese.
"For all the student clubs to be here, it's such an honor, because we see every nation come in peace, just to celebrate," said Nguyen.
The Year of the Horse commonly represents persistence, strength and willpower.
"A lot of times you work like a horse," Nguyen said. "You just run. You don't know where to stop, but it's important for you to keep running. Just keep trusting the tracks and heading over to the next."
Tianyu Dong, a graduate student studying computer science and a student worker for the ISSC, explained that college is the perfect environment to carry strength into, specifically when balancing work and school as an international student.
"I kind of prioritize different tasks," Dong said. "I will focus on the academic one first and then go to my work."
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The celebration held performances by students. Each performance included traditional singing and dancing styles from different Asian countries.
Diana Huynh, a senior studying business communications and digital marketing, performed a traditional Chinese dance in a Dunhuang style at the celebration.
Huynh explained that the dance was an extension of herself, and she was excited to show the cultural significance of the dance to her friends and community.
"(The event) represents diversity, but it gives a space for students of the same college to build community with one another," Huynh said. "It brings a lot more festivity and also energy and community."
The celebration shone a light on Asian culture and community, showcasing that no matter how far away you are from home, there will always be a place for you at ASU.
"Hopefully, everyone can enjoy and then see the beautiful, diverse, different nationalities within ASU," Nguyen said.
Edited by Alan Deutschendorf, Jack McCarthy, Emilio Alvarado and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at galawre3@asu.edu.
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Grace Lawrence is a reporter for the community culture desk at The Arizona State Press. This is her 1st semester working with The State Press.
