Chinatown Celebrates Year of the Fire Horse with Big Parade

You can’t have a big Lunar Year New Year parade without a little yelling, and at least a few jokes. That’s just one of the lessons learned on Sunday March 1 at the intersection of Mott and Hester Streets, where the expressive Steven Tin, president of Better Chinatown, the organizer of the parade, presided over the event’s pre-festivities. Gathered at this intersection where old Little Italy has largely morphed into the new Greater Chinatown, were at least 1,000 spectators craning to get a look at many dozens of dignitaries on the makeshift stage as countless costumed performers ambled around and among them.

It was this tension between persons of competing interests that led to Tin’s off the cuff interjections to the crowd, as he told some people to step back, others to move down Hester Street, and to scold one photographer with words to the effect “You got a million pictures already, enough!” Tin’s exhortations though forecful were more amusing than scarifying as he negotiated the difficult role of being both ringmaster and genial host. When you pack that many people into such a small space while also allowing maximum access, a gentle voice doesn’t cut it.

Other large Manhattan parades, it should be noted, almost all have a greater delineation between ceremony, press, staging and the crowds. But Mott and Hester isn’t 5th, 6th or Madison Avenue—it’s not even the Flatiron or Greenwich Village where the Gay Pride Parade starts and finishes. Manhattan’s little known but wondrous 4th of July Parade that begins outside Castle Clinton in Battery Park and wends its way up to Wall Street and over to Fraunces Tavern is similarly intimate but has only a fraction of the participants.

So Chinatown is special though like the Independence Day event, the Lunar New Year parade is very patriotic and follows a zig-zag route, its final destination being Forsyth and Broome Streets, just a few steps north from Grand Street where this the Lunar New Year festivities kicked off with the fireworks ceremony inside Sara D. Roosevelt Park on Feb. 17.

As at that event, there would be a cop on the dais. Then, it was 5th Precinct Commanding Officer, Captain Patrick Lam. Today, it was two-star Assistant Chief James McCarthy, C.O. of Patrol Borough Manhattan South (PBMS). Normally, one would expect the tall and garrulous McCarthy on the parade route keeping a watchful eye on the crowds and his officers—and indeed, he’d do that also but first, among Steven Tin’s various introductions and proclamations, McCarthy was going to receive an award. The award wasn’t for himself, however.

It was for NYPD Detective Danny Cheng of the 5th Precinct and before that, PBMS. Given that Chinatown generally and Better Chinatown specifically love cops, this wasn’t any a great surprise, nor was Tin’s call for for the crowd to cheer the police, which they did. What made it unusual was that Mayor Mamdani had arrived onstage also and while he has distanced himself from his numerous past anti-cop statements, other than his support for Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, one wouldn’t yet call Hizzoner a cop cheerleader, at least not in public. And yet, here he was, called upon to pose with the widely respected cop’s cop, Chief McCarthy.

It went perfectly fine, all smiles and warmth. It helped that both men already knew each other and both men are poised in public settings. It might even be that Mamdani, the more he’s gotten to know them, actually likes cops—but is constrained by his base from expressing it more openly. In any case, the images of Hizzoner and Chief McCarthy honoring Detective Cheng (who couldn’t be present) were so striking that, when shown a photo of the on stage Mamdani-McCarthy handshake, one veteran cop who knows the Chief well replied “wow.”

Solons, Solons Everywhere

Among the other politicians present, City Council Speaker Julie Menin gave an enthusiastic hello to the crowd and shouted out her fellow council member incluing Christopher Marte, Susan Zhuang of Brooklyn, and Harvey Epstein. On the state legislature side, there was Eldrige Street-native Lester Chang, Steve Chan, a.k.a. “Chan the Man,” both of whom represent Brooklyn districts, and the dapper, fedora-clad Brian Kavanagh.

When Boro President Brad Hoylman-Sigal was presented with a stuffed fire horse, he noted would excite his 8-year-old child.

Governor Hochul spoke in her usual forceful, sometimes awkward manner, boasting of having signed the Grace Lee-sponsored law making Lunar New Year a school holiday in New York State. Because Lunar New Year fell on during mid-winter break this year, how working families are supposed to pay for yet another full day off from school— especially when there are weeks of Lunar New Year events to attend—wasn’t an issue but it’s one that affects all parents and also one that Hochul didn’t address.

Onward, March!

After the pre-parade ceremonies concluded, the line of march began making its way down Mott Street, included the NYPD marching band; the NYPD Asian Jade Society; the New York State Courts Asian Jade Society; and NYC Emergency Management and various custom cars, including one honoring Prince called “Purple Rain.”

The big political names walked within an awkwardly drawn yellow rope cordon which including Mayor Mamdani. The effect was odd, suggesting Hizzoner knows he needs protection but doesn’t want to appear surrounded by undercover police (who were nonethlesss embedded near him), NYPD Community Affairs and DCPI officers as Mayor Adams often was. At this point, Chief McCarthy could be seen walking parallel to Hizzoner outside the cordon, while photographers and mayoral staffers were inside it.

After the politicians came myriad costumed Chinese women, percussionists, and lion dancers; as well as marchers from the New York Poem Arts Center; the office Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg, who’d spoken briefly earlier and a hilarious, brobdingnagian float from Mohegan Sun casinos, including giant red and green poker chips, playing cards and dice, refelecting the popularity of gambling in Chinese culture.

Also present were Guang Dong Association of America, including both large American and People’s Republuc of China flags and the Fukien American Association Inc, playing wobbly brass band music familiar from the funeral district on Mulberry and Canal Streets.

The Fuzhou Ting Hang High School Alumni Association of US followed, as did The New Fuzhou Senior Assocation USA, PS 130M The DeSoto School and the New York State Nurse’s Association

Particularly notable was a gay Asian group marching behind a banner that “Wishing you a happy new year from your Asian LGBTQ Family & Friends,” among the marchers were persons carrying signs reading “It’s an honor just to be Gaysian” and “I am Asian Queer and I respect my family..”

These affirmations aren’t to be taken lightly because this was the only segment of the parade where most—or even a majority—of the marchers were wore COVID-era masks, as if to hide the identity they were otherwise proud to proclaim.

The anomoly of Gaysians masking was highlighted by the XOOM float full of entirely maskless dancing Chinese women behind them and also that of the AANHPIP (Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders) Library Workers and Bibliophiles, among whom was woman holding a sign stating “Protect the Freedom to Read.”