Southern Oregon Chinese Cultural Association Presents
2021 Year of the Ox Chinese New Year Celebration
Chelsea Rose, research archaeologist at Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) will talk about the Buck Rock Tunnel and the Oregon Chinese Diaspora Project.
The Buck Rock Tunnel, located within the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, is a site where Chinese laborers began excavation for a railroad line from Oregon to California.
The Oregon Chinese Diaspora Project connects the archaeology research from several statewide sites where Chinese immigrants worked and lived, such as the Jacksonville Chinese Quarter; mining sites at the Malheur National Forest; to the John Day Chinatown that once surrounded the Kam Wah Chung & Co. The Project, a collaboration of several agencies, including Bureau of Land Management-Medford, was awarded a 2020 Oregon Heritage Award “to serve as models for others on how to develop new ideas, approaches and innovations.”
2021 Chinese New Year Celebration Events
Welcome to Our 2021 Chinese New Year Celebration of the Year of the Ox
February 13, 2021
Watch the video for a special welcome from your 2021 emcee
Leslie Haze
from Lite 102 and 95.1 The Wolf
Watch the video for a special welcome from
Grand Marshals Jim and Gayle Lewis!
Meet Your 2021 Grand Marshals!
Jim Lewis, the Year of the Ox Grand Marshal, has been on the Jacksonville city council for 32 years and was the Mayor for 14 of those years and was the sitting mayor when the first Chinese New Year celebration in Jacksonville was held.
You may have seen Gayle Lewis around town in costume, either at the Beekman House on a historic tour or giving a haunted history tour. She also tries to be wherever the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology is excavating a site here in town.
Join us on this website on February 13 at 9:00am PST for a special welcome from your 2021 Grand Marshals, Jim and Gayle Lewis.
Live Events (Registration Required)
Feb. 13 2021
Southern Oregon Chinese Cultural Association will be hosting a virtual celebration for the Year of the Ox. Register below for our live-only events and check back on February 13, 2021 for our lineup of instant access programs!
Event Has Concluded – Presented at 9:30am PST
“Lunar New Year” presented by Asian Art Museum
Chickens and couplets. Dragons and oranges. Red envelopes and housecleaning. Learn about the fascinating and colorful traditions, and symbolism which enrich the celebration of the new year throughout Asian cultures.
February 12, 2021 on the Gregorian calendar marks the beginning of the year of the Ox; year 4719 on the lunar calendar. What does this mean and how should we celebrate?
Event Has Concluded – Presented at 11:00am PST
Making Oregon Home: Successes, Challenges, and Everyday Life for Early Chinese Oregonians presented by Chelsea Rose
In this live presentation Chelsea Rose of the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) will discuss archaeological and archival information about early Chinese residents across the state. The talk will include recent findings from the ongoing Oregon Chinese Diaspora Project (OCDP): a multi-agency collaborative public archaeology and history project aimed at the research and education of early Chinese Oregonians. Themes will include Chinese miners, railroad workers, merchants, and more.
Chelsea Rose is a historical archaeologist who focuses on the settlement and development of the American West. Rose is co-director of the Oregon Chinese Diaspora Project (OCDP), a collaborative research partnership that focuses on Oregon’s Chinese migrant history, and regularly works with the media, students, and community volunteers in an effort to promote archaeological awareness and encourage historical stewardship. Rose serves on the board of the Oregon Historical Quarterly, is chair of the governor appointed Oregon Heritage Commission, is co-host of Underground History on Jefferson Public Radio, and co-editor of the recent volume, “Chinese Diaspora Archaeology in North America,” available from the University Press of Florida.
Event Has Concluded – Presented at 12:30pm PST
“Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art” presented by Asian Art Museum
Bats, gourds, peaches, and monkeys on horses. These images, and many others, are frequently – and artistically – depicted in Chinese art, but what do they mean? Discover some of the fascinating and fun meanings and messages hidden in Chinese art.
As the Chinese language is an exquisite conduit for rebuses (visual puns) and symbolism, motifs that appear in Chinese art often represent wishes for good fortune and auspicious messages. Join us as we decipher hidden meanings of prosperity, health, and happiness throughout traditional Chinese art. Presented by the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco Community Speakers Program.
Bats, peaches, ducks, ribbons, monkeys, horses. What do they all mean? Using selected objects from the fabulous collection at the Asian Art Museum come learn to unravel some of the hidden messages within Chinese art in this fascinating and fun talk.
Event Has Concluded – Presented at 2:00pm PST
Magic Show with Perry Yan
Perry Yan aka “Perry the Magician” is a full time professional kids and family entertainer based out of the San Francisco Bay Area. Since bursting into the magic scene in 2006, Perry has quickly built a name for himself as being one of the top family entertainers in the Bay Area.
When companies like Google, Firefox, McDonalds, SF Giants, Oracle, Jawbone needed a trusted children’s entertainer to WOW their family events, they choose none other than Perry the Magician to do the honor!
When not performing for private events, Perry is frequently invited to perform for hundreds of kids in the schools & libraries around the Bay Area.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
2021 Community Sponsors & Partners
US Bank
2021 Presenting Sponsor
U.S. Bank is proud to sponsor the 2021 Chinese New Year celebration and partner with the Southern Oregon Chinese Cultural Association. Understanding the cultural history of those around us makes our community stronger and richer. Whether you identify as part of the culture or want to learn more about other cultures and experiences, you’ll enjoy this event!
We invite you to celebrate the Year of the Ox on February 13th for some fun events and activities.
Confucius Classroom at St. Mary’s School
2021 Education Partner
St. Mary’s School is an independent, co-ed college preparatory school in Medford, educating students in grades 5-12. We infuse intellectual curiosity, academic excellence, and democratic values and provide an inspirational atmosphere that propels students into responsible citizenship- locally, nationally, and globally.
Oregon Community Foundation
2021 Community Partner
Our mission is to improve the lives of all Oregonians through the power of philanthropy. As a statewide community foundation we work alongside donors, stewarding their priorities into strategic giving to support diverse communities across Oregon, creating lasting, transformative change.
Thank you to our generous community partners and sponsors for the 2021 celebration!
Instant Access Programs
2021 Chinese New Year Celebration
Programs are available throughout 2021.
NOTICE: 2022 Celebration Plans
The Southern Oregon Chinese Cultural Association, SOCCA, will not be presenting the Chinese New Year celebration in Jacksonville in February, 2022, Year of the Tiger. This decision was based on multiple factors, including the unpredictability of the pandemic and the difficulty in enforcing the current statewide COVID-19 guidelines given the nature of this community event. Past events over the last 15 years can be viewed on our website, www.socca.us.
SOCCA will continue to work with our local and out-of-town partners to present cultural and historical programs as they become available. On July 29, 2021, SOCCA co-sponsored with Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument and Southern Oregon University Anthropology Laboratory in a Zoom presentation by Chelsea Rose titled “The Chinese Railroad/Diaspora”; and on July 31 an escorted hike through the Buck Rock Tunnel. A video of “Introduction to Beijing Opera” presented by Ghaffar Pourazar at Grizzly Peak Winery is under production. These programs will be released on our website www.socca.us as the new year approaches.
SOCCA would like to thank the community and our sponsors for years of support. We wish everyone a happy and healthy Year of the Tiger in 2022.
You can still enjoy our on-demand programs below from our 2021 celebration.
Check back on Feb 13, 2021 for Instant Access events including a cooking demonstration, puppet show, tai chi and more!
No registration required for Instant Access events. Just check back on February 13 and enjoy the fun!
