Rajinder Singh Mago
CHICAGO: Plans are underway for the Asian American Coalition of Chicago’s 37th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration, to be held on February 8, 2020, at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Rosemont, a Northside suburb of Chicago with about 900 people expected at the optional black-tie gala. The theme for the 2020 Annual Lunar New Year Celebration is “Advocate. Advance. Achieve”.
This year’s Lunar New Year Gala welcomes the Year of the Rat 4718. The Cocktail Reception begins, and exhibits and the political forum will start at 4:30 p.m. Opening Ceremonies are at 6:30 p.m. with dinner, entertainment and awards presentation
following until approximately 10 p.m. Tickets are $1000 per table of ten,
Every year a different Asian community takes a turn playing the host of Lunar New Year. This year it is the Indian American Community, for the third time hosting the Asian Pacific American community’s most important event of the year. The Indian American Community last hosted this event in 2011. An event held on this grand of a scale only once a year. Lunar New Year is the largest annual celebration of its type in the Midwest.
A good number of dignitaries traditionally attend the festivities, including the Asian consular corps, elected and appointed governmental officials, political candidates, top business and corporate leaders, decision-makers and on-air talent at Chicago’s major media press outlets, According to the U.S. Census, there are 21.4 million people of Asian descent in America (2017). The number is growing by 20 per cent annually. Illinois has the sixth-largest Asian population in the USA
AWARDS
The Coalition plans to award its prestigious Pan Asian American Ping Tom Memorial Award – its highest award – that evening. The Coalition also plans to award its Grand Asian American Sandra Otaka Memorial Award, that evening. The Grand Asian American Award is periodically presented to a non-Asian Friend of the Asian Community. Betides there will be an award its 2020 Exemplary Community Service Awards and its Youth Who Excels Awards that evening.
