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| Lion statue |
On November 6th I had to visit a cultural center or attend a festival for my Popular Entertainment (TAR150D1) class. I saw this as an opportunity to double dip and also emerge myself into more Asian culture, which is why I chose the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center. Aside from taking the following pictures I did not spend a lot of time there as wasn't a lot for me there, however the celebration and pride the members of this community had for the parents/grandparents that fostered this community radiated the second I stepped inside.
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| Newspaper article |
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| Pieces of decorations in the markets |
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| A artist depiction of a market |
The section I saw in the center focused on the markets that Chinese immigrants owned and operated when they first came to America. I really enjoyed this portion of the market as I felt it to be super personal because the location of all the markets were in Tucson or surrounding cities. There were stories of owners and their battles with prejudice and even an instance where the top of a market was bombed during a during a period of Sinophobia (fear of people of Chinese decent). Having an immigrant mother, I understand the struggles immigrants can go through coming to America however I could not even begin to imagine the struggles my mother would have gone if there was a "fear" of her ethnicity.
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| Rabbit gourd carving |
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| Chinese zodiac gourd carvings |
Within the same section there was a showcase of gourds with carvings of a few
Zodiac signs. I paid specific attention to the rabbit carving as that is my zodiac sign however there were monkey, goat, snake and a few other carvings done.
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| Dragon used in dragon dances |
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| Lion head |
Another area emphasized two traditional Chinese dances. The lion dance (left) and the dragon dance (right). Although similar, the lion dance is more popular since it performed for all times that good fortune feels necessary or for celebration. The dragon dance is primarily performed on Chinese New Year. Both are seen as mythical creatures that are signs of good fortune and seen as auspicious.
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| Chinese statue |
Here is a statue I saw at the end of the hallway, I could not decipher the significance however I can assume it's an entity that is worshipped due to the intricate design of the statue.
For those interested in going to the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center the link and website are below along with the website I used to find out more information on the differences between lion and dragon dances:
Tucson Chinese Cultural Center:
1288 W River Rd
Tucson, AZ 85704
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