Asian American seniors celebrate and share culture through Lunar New Year party

BRANDON — It’s a senior center tradition that has gone on in Brandon for more than a decade. Every year they throw a big festival to celebrate the Lunar New Year, put on by seniors for seniors.

From the dancing to the food to the outfits, for many of these seniors, this was more than just a Lunar New Year party at the Brandon Senior Center. It was a trip down memory lane.

“I want to show people who I am. I’m an American right now, but I have a very beautiful culture from Vietnam, so I want to share so people can understand who we are, what we are doing,” said Ann Nguyen.

Nguyen was proud to share a traditional Asian performance with the entire senior center.

“And show them how to dance with the cone hat so they can enjoy, have fun,” said Nguyen.

According to Hillsborough County Aging Services, over the past decade, they’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of Asian American seniors in the Brandon community.

“We have several different Asian cultures that are members of this center, and it’s important to us because we love to celebrate diversity here in Aging Services, so we love to celebrate the different cultures and learn about the different cultures, and it's a fantastic way of educating each other and helping us to get along with each other better,” said Frances Duran Brea, with Hillsborough County Aging Services.

Those participating in the celebration say their favorite part is introducing something new to their friends.

“They enjoy it and they love to see us in our outfits so they always say, ‘can I take a photo with you,’ and I say, ‘that’s fine,’” said Bach Pant.

Tampa Bay’s Ms. Asia Pacific 2024 was also in attendance. Ni Pham said it’s important for younger generations to carry on these traditions.

“My favorite part is bringing the community together as a unity and being able to share something so beautiful, and also, it’s just a joyous time,” said Pham.