San Francisco's Chinese New Year Parade 1980: The Year of the Monkey

Major funding for this program has been provided by a grant from the San Francisco hotel tax fund. Additional funding provided by citizens savings and loan association Farmers Insurance Group and the members of KQED. 7:00 am going to be reporting from. Tonight. There's a. Four hundred fifty foot long golden dragon that. Was. To give. Back some of the activities that have been surrounding. These

past couple of. That world. Take a look at some of the current happenings in China right curbside. Here. And. You. Were. Relating the sense of course it was exactly. Right. Now that you. Will. Leave her brain here in San Francisco it's balmy weather here there's a lot of people are estimated 50000 in the crowd here. Here in downtown San Francisco on the edge of Chinatown.

We have there's some fireworks here there are a lot of excited people who are here assembled to see all the colorful floats and the different marching groups that will be showing you here. The night the number one world war where these legendary beings which to attain mortality with their studies of. Different conditions such as poverty. They are women in a way. To where. It begins with these stories elaborate. What.

Would. You know is the queen whose name is Jenny. She's a student at San Francisco State University in San Francisco. And this is a hardass sponsored by the Student Association. This is us it was formed in 1965 and it brings together Taiwan and Hong Kong college students studying in the United States and they have chapters throughout the United States. With members that it's over 200. Every year they sponsor this particular beauty pageant in the fall dance with Northern California members. To. Go. Inside the car. Three princes were killed when the Yang is a second. She's a student at San Francisco City College and the

third Francis is Helen Lu was a student at Sacramento State University. Yeah. You know you. Never. Know. You're looking at the corner of pine and Kearney streets in San Francisco the parade route through San Francisco extending for about two and a half miles. And would you believe that every single space on the sidewalk is taken up by people at least 10 lined up to look in the on the sidewalk. It's an amazing turn out to. Find a home for comfort and this group has been placing number one every year in their line dancing. They perform the traditional lion dance using tonight. And their lions are

specially made to represent this particular meaning the peaceful way. The hands are narrow and we're told takes more skill in these narrow hands. This particular organization was established in 1969 and the numbers you see out there range from over 60 years of age. Yeah I see the. Lines of grown more out there now. Young people on their. Very first grade. Working without white. House I. Don't know the Chinese New Year parade is the sort of a focal point of view. I'm actually about a 2 1 win the series for a weeklong series of festivities in San Francisco but that I certainly want to be shared and enjoyed. Chinese-American communities all over there are smaller

rates in some communities and of course there because of the Chinese. From the Chinatown USA functions which is a national contest. There are contestants from every major city in this country where there is a Chinese-American community. And some of the rubber here tonight from Detroit in Chicago one Seattle Honolulu Hawaii as well so it was really is a consolidation effort on the part because of all the Chinese in your own country. These are but a series of line dancing that we're going to see tonight and it's I think one of the roots of some food dancing and lion dancing. They are not merely. Women. But they are rehearsing and practice and yet the main hospital like the Dragon Inn steps are almost my life. You know the roots of the martial arts we trace back to the stars 5000 B.C. to wind.

Down to China one Japan. Deal to bring martial arts to the United States along with Americans who immigrated to this country. And now is what part of. I think Roberta's out they're dying to tell us what she's saying. Her son described here how his very very might take you to learn how to bring who comes here here

here. Certainly a lot of very nice thank you very much. Thank you Richard. This is an exciting display of. Tremendous exercise inscribe on the part of. Your rightfully so you know that takes a great deal of strength and great deal of practice to the north you. Know this is not a first. New phenomenon which is will bring you. San Francisco and celebrating the Chinese New Year coming back to you once let's all matter. 29 years old when you're in San Francisco I think if you want to remember Chinese station to California to work on the legends of the work in the.

Morning. Once the wedding procession going by. My man this is a full display of traditional dynasty there goes with this package. Sedan chair with the free mansion Palace last longer than six past address. The mark know why and the answer. Right. He's been. On the board. Minus his right to say. The bride must be transported from her parents house is going to be a very traditional drive. Down the street is going to try to talk to our bride to be.

Let's get on that sedan chair. But. She's actually going to be married this year. Try and talk to her this is the quite exciting for after her own wedding. Who. Are you going to get married. How did this make you feel are you excited. Would you like to have a wedding like. This. Wow. This is as you say is quite elaborate I imagine that if this is the sort of place you know if there was any traffic in those days it would say this is. What it is like this to take place in the 17th 18th 19th and even into the early 20th century in the villages streets of China. Under this tradition the bride to be must be transported to the new house to her husband

to be. This is when the wedding procession takes place bringing the bride to the groom so to speak. Traditionally as you saw the boy dressed in red covering her face. And on her arrival of the groom's house firecrackers will be let off to scare away evil spirits here at the weekend. My. Congratulations to Perry Deron early on. So. Pretty soon to be new with my wife leaving man from San Francisco. The West Bank from Scotland their back doors are from Sky. I think their appearance in this episode of San Francisco. This organization has won a number. Of words. In the 1979 Pacific Coast band Association champion. I'm thankful they won the same award back in 1978.

They certainly are going to have here tonight before me. This is the ninth year they've dissipated in The Shining. And if they sing them in the same touching thank you thank you. Thank. You. Thank you. The monkey again. Designed to represent a monkey. Young women dressed in traditional Chinese. This organization was formed in 1967 when our parents and their mothers will be seeing later on in the film they wanted to the

classical Chinese spoken military dances. There are people in this group it's range from 14 to 24 years old. In general. The answer to my one man one woman I love. You what amazes me is that there are so many people were involved in the preparation was great. There are hundreds of volunteers I mean when I was hours putting together. Oh and just for us tonight. And this is true of all the activity surrounding the Chinese New Year. Our reporter John Roos act takes a look now at some of the things happening during the celebration of Chinese New Year in San Francisco. That's the sound of drums and dogs announce the approach of the line the streets of San Francisco's Chinatown. During the two week celebration of spring festival these traditional symbols of power and cunning were believed by the ancient Chinese to drive away the evil spirits bring good luck. Chinese New Year and its famous

parades Oh there's only one part of the entire spring festival. Since 1974 the Chinese Cultural Center has brought together community groups and individuals in performances and displays of craps. The stress is on the long and rich cultural heritage of the largest Chinese community outside Asia. There are traditional folk arts range from paper cutting calligraphy and pottery to demonstrations of the taking which has been performed in China for thousands of years. But he is. Gun to her mouth. At least he doesn't listen. They discovered this in India China Egypt and also now we have the same thing in Southeast Asia in China now we're doing it. We. Taste. Like comes our oh maybe rice flour just makes you want it. And in the big game like this. Is this an art that younger Chinese are still learning to do. Yeah and this is more kind of folk art martial arts associations with

members ranging in age from 6 to 16 performing the lion dance or one of the highlights of the yearly fray. They compete with each other for top honors for the last nine years to move on to system has won first place. It's judged on its skill in imitating the prowess of the King of the sea the lion in Asian times this river sand the king of the beast. OK things are a thing of all creatures and in ancient Chinese history where there's different kinds of animals lice like snappers and all that they always attack the villages. So people got the idea as if they owned a lion that will stay off all the other animals. People who practice martial arts. So OK and they use that too. Physical Training and self-defense. And when they look at a lion they try to imitate the steps at each doorway Elian's journey through Chinatown. He's appeased and rewarded with good luck tangerine rent money on slopes or Lycee. They're the same gives exchanged the traditional family reunions and

visits with friends during the New Year's celebrations. It's an important time for the Chinese community to draw on its rich cultural past the spring and prepare for the year of the month for the 678 the spring festival has grown tremendously over the years. Initially we started out as an alternative to the festival to the New Year Chinese New Year's parade in San Francisco because some people thought that the brain was a little too commercial. But obviously the Spring Festival become an important part of the fourth dimension to the overall festivities going on here in China. Here. Comes. My. Son flying. Right Out. The. Door. This is a small say. 60 foot. Long small fragments of momentous fifty thousand people here the senior class member the San Francisco Washington given that.

They were close by members of. Congress. The parents are. Sponsored by the Chinese Chamber of. The Southern style. With 20 members in this particular. Organization. 14. Soldiers over 15 years old and it's based right here in San Francisco's Chinatown. Look at that smiling things that happens to be missed Chinatown team name is Michelle. She's 15 years old Rose Academy in San Francisco. She was chosen as a representative of younger people in the community. She's active in dance and music. In addition to the school and says. The Lion's Club was formed in 1953. They are service organization that was to assist the blind and the needy. The elderly. And have a youth service program.

Coming to a furniture to a housing project for the elderly. All the way through the. Night before even hearing fireworks there some going on right now but you know years and years ago before fireworks we've invented in China. Chinese. Devised a system where they would take dried bamboo sticks and light them at the end and rock them against a sidewalk or some building where they could begin to look back and started. More sophisticated over here of course the main reason for those firecrackers and I can't think of a better way to scare them off. Sure. Now there's Mayor Dianne Feinstein in San Francisco she's joining the crowd Jews. She's always down here for the parade every year even when she was before she was mayor when she was an elected supervisor. I don't worship the city council in her community. But the military is really the organization as you can see there. They've got a little

baton sort of word for dramatic words or dark you may not be able to see it as well when they get the front. Lines. But they are very present here. Right. Now coming up is the part where they are drilling look the tongs. The organizational everything goes into this. Great really amazing have a large contingent of police officers San Francisco police or here to. Cordon off the streets there with the parade route is designated. And. Ordered. Absolutely there's been a lot of the love to come out here and see the parade. We do are. There is an estimated. 2000. Tonight. That is excited. Feeling. Right now. It was amazing.

Really. Raining we were here quite early ourselves but there were. Already. A. Good number of people lining the streets trying to get that. Surprised. Me with a migraine. And it's well worth it obviously for your television viewers have probably the best. Are you worried. That all our cameras are there when all the noise on the street below. The bread has become synonymous to China's ears in many people's minds but in fact Chinese New Year is just full of symbolism and tradition and this holiday to bid farewell to the old and welcoming the new as will be in this next story. The celebration of Chinese New Years in America dates back to the 1850s when the first

large numbers of Chinese immigrants settled here. They were modest events compared to what we see today but they were just as meaningful to the soul journeys from China. Miners workers from all around would collect in Chinatowns to cheer in the New Year at the family name associations for this holiday is a most important family affair on the Chinese lunar calendar. Of all the traditional Chinese festivals the new year is the most elaborate and colorful China Town erupts with activity. Groceries and food stalls are stocked with seasonal delicacies nursery trucks crowd Grant Avenue with flowers that symbolize growth longevity and courage. Oranges and tangerines are abundant. They're used for decoration and gifts. The Chinese word for orange sounds like well and the Chinese word for tangerine sounds like good fortune. So it's a way of wishing fans and relatives well. Red is the color of happiness. It's seen everywhere

storefronts display red banners called Spring couplets and read on below. Stuffed with coins and bills are given to children for luck. Over the years a Chinese New Year celebration has evolved and changed into something very unique reflecting its Chinese past and its American present. Nothing illustrates this more than tonight's Chinese New Year parade sponsored by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the San Francisco's Convention and Visitors Bureau. What you're looking at right now. During the 1979 miss Chinatown USA there was a blended tank She's 21 years old and she's from Columbia South Carolina with her on the same old boring life. Miss San Francisco Chinatown here where. Her Puerto Princesa. You mean he's 20 years old is near San Francisco Chinatown they are ending their reign tonight and there will be a new 1980 Miss China Town USA who will take her feelings and she will be coming later in The Great to Lotus Notes on these particular floats and they did the showstoppers in their own rights as the

photographers scrambled to get a nice shot of this you know her neighborhood. It's such a colorful for the floats are so colorful in the so many people and this is absolutely marvelous to watch all this happen. We. Were just not going to win the contest there as I can tell and especially. Well the. Contestants come from all over the United States including Hawaii. And the brutal force of the 1979 miss Chinatown USA was one. Of the favorites. In the Chinese girls from foreign drill and of course there are differences. These includes my friend the drummer. Boy. This old world from foreign.

Influence from. 10 years old. Very big dreams. For. John F. Kennedy. In 60. Years of this year we're just learning. That since the very first parade this large public celebration. Right. North. Of. Washington where many cross their fingers for years will be also be in the parade. I notice a green come through when you're on the way. Why don't we listen to them now while they form for us.

The police. Were. There. And he was. Very. Rewarded. By. The Butler. Good. For her.

As we can see here is rich in its tradition. But I think in a parade like this that's such a unique insight into some of the more traditional things that we're seeing tonight here tonight to give us some insight. Such as. This is something. Procession takes place at.

The beginning of. This. Round. In the rain. Very very important for farming country. The reason for the Lions are the different kinds of flying some have red. Tassels and some have their oftentimes representative or something. Which. Symbolizes bravery and loyalty surprises. Now symbolizes justice. And mystifies me. But lions

are. Rather creatures rather than as it is a Western tradition. We see playing with us and they are supposed to bring. They're from San Francisco. One black face one red faced one flowered baby lion for. 10 to 15 people. Larger lions. Team change every few minutes but their lion team leader man found woman dressed in traditional Chinese man. This organization is over 10 years old and the school emphasizes the choice but

still. It's a major style practiced in China today. Members top competitions are 100s of trophies. The members of the forty five years old their second year participate in second place in their division. Just thinking about the significance here. I'm told that the line goes can symbolize peace through its majestic movement. I learned something. When the lion with the black whiskers represents a new thing and shows this through his energetic movements. I would like to see the whites make.

The white whiskers rather. User friendly right. Here comes offload the winner one time one during the 1980 Miss China Town USA. You're the one who is just now starting to rain. She's run the thing she's 20 years old she's a student at the University of Hawaii from Honolulu. Come with her from the first Francis who also has missed Chinese Chamber of Commerce Her name is when the Wong She's 21 years old a student at City College of San Francisco. She's from San Francisco. Cover science mistrusts sandwiches. Susan was 23 and a student at all. LLOYD What

is your family really doesn't. Care. I. Have a good wife like many Chinese Americans today does not speak fluent Chinese model since she was around them to strengthen us as she doesn't tend to learn Chinese astonished year during her reign. She's a homegirl just like a bird to my right. And I want to ask. You. The next year. You were a dozen. Commercialised losing my. Mind so far in. This New Year's celebration. Traditionally what.

We are. It's Hello where the bridges are promoting Well the House marriage. Where the. Community I don't see anything wrong. Everyone likes to make money. With. The Chinese New Year. Which was. Originated. From. Agrarian. Was to adapt to changing. Things and the commercial as well. Thank you for being with us tonight and giving. In. To our favorite. Songs on the parade route. They are so large long and they take a lot of work together. But obviously it's a labor of love and the love of dissipating and doing this for this hearing very special night. Now we're looking at the full Academy from San Francisco.

There marchers are a drum and billboard. And obviously they are really they range in age from the very young to the very very mature shall we say. Would you wear. The costume setting with the cademy participants are wearing are made by the parents and other volunteers. There and now the minutes are the 1924 they offer her after school classes. Fulcher language. And music and you have won a number of prizes not only hearing all the part that was well thought out. About. Your. Thinking readable form for if I would listen to them as a victim of this is by the way their twenty seventh year of participation in the Chinese new year bring. That first one must have only included St. Mary's in them. One. Third.

What. The world would. Say. Right. Now but I think that with all the might write about often I would love to have a dollar or even a penny for everything here for those going off. I could be a very rich man. It's just been a little over a year since the United States has normalized its relations with the People's Republic of China but

in a brief span of time. Changing attitudes and interests in China a lot of the attention is going toward the business process there as we'll see in this next piece. That. Interest in China trade has been growing since the normalization of U.S. relations with the People's Republic of China. This is especially true within the Chinese American business community which may have a slight edge with the language and an understanding of the culture but that has not proved to be enough to make the big breakthroughs in dealing with the PRC locally an organization was recently formed to specifically promote and develop business relations with China. Bill Wu is an officer of the Chinese American Association of Commerce. Well. This is.

The goods being imported fall basically into two categories food stuffs and arts and crafts which in itself covers a wide variety of items. There are a handful of Chinese American businessmen who are no newcomers to the China market. David lay of the triger imports is one of them. Realistically is there room for the small businessman to get involved in china trade. There's very little room I believe unless you have. Enough financial backing is very difficult because the Chinese their own Everything is owned by the federal government. They're owned by the state. So they do business only in large volumes. Most of the popular import items are handmade which limits production less. Les

doesn't see much change in this area. Quantity is very low for the arts and crafts because of the labor involved. Thing number of people less involved in making each one of these items the quality I think will stay pretty much the same they're training a lot of the younger people. Oh and to take over these arson crafts they don't have really that many of the old masters around anymore but they're teaching that teaching to young people and most of the people you see other factory at the factories are younger people. However both he and you are optimistic that trying to trade will expand and improve with the increased interaction between our two countries. Hopefully the Chinese will come here themselves and see for themselves how our business is conducted in the US and that's one of the main difficulties to do business is if one of the partners is not familiar with doing business and I think the other be sending more people over here more delegations and more

US business people will be going back and teaching them how to do business or conduct business with the U.S.. Did you get a chance to see factories in China. I sure both of us have been in the past couple months on assignments to documentaries over there and we learned a great deal by traveling through trains factories and going up to provide material support to the United States. The conditions are only a little bit we're not exactly one of America's standard. We're now looking at the Chinese high school this is a march or a drawing board and there are 21 participants in the. US has been around for 30 years for Cantonese or Mandarin language classes and music classes to high school students in the afternoon. They are one of the only oldies in this parade. They've been participating in the New Year

parade over 20 years. Making the year the monkey is the ninth in the calendar and according to legend summoned people and animals to his. Holy Family. Put them in the order of their arrival. Here will be a time of great manatee manlike of the. Same. Chances you were. Born during the month. Clever inventive artistic. Science politics and words which seems to cover everything I said in

your recent work. Nine thousand nine hundred thirty one thousand forty four fifty six. Were you born in. I was born here and that makes me loyal. Reader has just joined us from the executive director of Chinese for affirmative action. Every day candidate promises to be more refugees coming from the PR. Thing in housing has always been very bad in Chinatown over 60 things substandard with more immigrants in many ways put it where it can only get worse.

And do you think that the city is prepared to deal with these problems. But I don't think so because land is scarce funds are drying up to subsidize housing. That's coming up a great deal of emphasis placed on that. How is this going to affect the Chinatown of the Chinese population. There are many of us here that there may not be an accurate account because of lack of sight to see jurors not initiated by the U.S. Census. Many of us in the community are working very hard to tell people to participate in the 1980s to make sure that they answer their question. Certainly one of the constant. And. Yes OK. Absolutely. It is a federal offense for any census employee to divulge answers. To the public. People. If found guilty can be

imprisoned after five years and fined $5000. So people should be assured that. The responses on the questionnaire will be kept confidential. The community stands elusive. People are not actively involved in signing the census forms. I think we can be short changed on federally funded wonder programs housing programs trial here programs. Bilingual education programs and educational programs for young. Ones. Certainly that makes a big impact on the community and I do hope people will participate in these thank you when you're writing. What you're seeing now is the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day marching band and one for. Number one something which is which all together. There are partial twirlers there dressed in tennis shoes chains white T-shirts. Logo. Johnson visors. Colors red white. This guy was born. First a friend a friend. Told June 20. 19

something. There members including nurses. People with their new. Carpenters professional musicians. Ranged in age of 16 to 15. And. When we listened when you. Were out. With. The book Take a look. This is. Warner Brothers pharmacy

and they've done a number like this you can search for land. Let's have a three person here this is the Chinese we're bringing certainly one where this is. Also why would a soon as we've heard something. Now with some loud drama club from San Francisco. Right there this year is a dancer performing in her hood archway the four others just in the traditional theory. There will also be on the float dances with her mother. When it comes to the sounds around the world. This particular one was started in 1958 by Chinese students and a playwright from Taiwan. Is considered an amateur stage. But their productions are certainly

very very professional. Every year after the Chinese New Year parade before a modern royal here in a little theater on the life of the family during the Chinese New Year celebration. And this is their ninth year participation in the new parade. What's happening out there. Trying to find the Sea Dragon here to the reviewing stand your lights 60. Last. Week a few years ago. I was up there freezing like my. Sister. Very excited.

It's just like this. And. This is the next moment. This is 150 foot long dragon that means it's going to. Be quickly just as a reminder that the firecrackers A. Sign of chasing away those devils and demons looking in the. Form of someone coming up not far behind. John. Where. Is the train coming in where you can see I

can see this is what happened. Some people are just playing pranks on the band was getting louder. There's any right way to. Make. Everybody. Heard of. It because of the phrasing where you're standing. This fight is normally lighting the fire crackers up their backs off when you see this and that appears along with those sounds. I don't care how many times you may or may not have seen the parade but just waiting for them to come so exciting I just can't avoid. It's with a great deal of anticipation. We wait for the dragon to appear.

Yeah. Thank you for your. Thanks. I don't know if you noticed with. Rules but also. We have a fire brigade. Which you know. Was. One of those.

Waiting. Firecrackers. Thank you sir. Thank you for striking. What. You've seen. Thank you. Thank you thank you. Thank you. Don Imus. Now and. Thank your family. Thank you. Really on the phrase. All right fine. Joining. Whereas this traditional. March with the Dragon feel. Thanks.

For. The sun was. Absolutely deafening all those firecrackers. Going. Off. The summer might sound like the city's under siege. Oh you. Are. Quite. Free. Thank you. Thank you. Way. Way. Way. Way. Way. Way. Thanks for the right way. And the. Way you. Don't. Want me. Show me the. Way. You say there's no disruption in most of these here. Right. Away. Going along quite successfully.

With the superstitions vaguely related to the simple. Minded. People I've. Heard. Yeah. Tangle with the Dragon. That's a funny. Noise. Burgers are going off. If. That's the only one among the three of you know.

What. Comes. To three really. Good. Anyway. You don't have to be really. Nice runners and they take turns carrying. Her. Now with the. Ragged boy you can see where the head is underneath at this point the president. Beautiful sight. Those are more firecrackers. You're looking at the street just north of California Street in downtown San Francisco. And there are those people who are joining the parade now it's very spontaneous but Young Lady Clavering. Everybody is so excited to see the dragon. This is a new year like no others in the. Intensity and the good feelings are. In the

air now. I think. You're the man. There's no doubt about that and little people joining the parade in the middle of Kearney Street. They all want what we should build around. Here it. Will be a great year. This is really a people's parade. We'll. Have a great TANYA NOLAN great time there on the scene. I can't think of any more terrific

work. I had a. Wonderful time. It's probably the best ever seen. Never been a part of the dragon that I am. Your tour next year David. The three. Two week celebration of the year the monkey in this promises to be an incredible year since the monkey as we said earlier is a man like in there for more. Well we'll see. In any case thank you for joining us tonight. Thanks for that. And when you mark the anthropology professor. Hayward. And thank you for myself and. Goodnight. And. When. When. Thank

you. Who with. Thank you. Who were with us. Thanks. Thanks. Major funding for this program has been provided by a grant from the San Francisco hotel tax fund.

Additional funding provided by citizens savings and loan association Farmers Insurance Group and the members of KQED.