By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Sunday’s Chinese New Year celebration in Del Rio was bittersweet, with organizer Diana Stern announcing this would be the last year she would produce the event.
Stern has organized and hosted the Chinese New Year event in Del Rio for about 15 years, with her husband, Del Rio attorney Jack Stern, sponsoring the yearly fest.
She has repeatedly said it is her way of bringing a taste of her native Chinese culture to her adopted home on the Texas-Mexico border.
Sunday’s parade including several authentic Chinese dragon “puppets” carried by Del Rio youngsters and dozens of young and not-so-young local residents dressed in jewel-toned traditional Chinese dresses, robes and headpieces.
Following the parade, the public was invited to a presentation of Chinese dance performances at the Paul Poag Theatre for the Performing Arts in the heart of the city’s historic downtown district.
Before the performances began, some of Stern’s many friends in the community had some surprises for her.
Linda Guanajuato-Webb asked Stern and Mayor Pro-Tem Jim DeReus to join her on the Paul Poag stage.
“I want to start out by saying ‘thanks’ to you and your husband for putting this on and for all the other things that you do for the community,” DeReus said.
He then read a proclamation issued by Mayor Bruno “Ralphy” Lozano.
“Whereas, Chinese New Year is a festival that celebrates the beginning of the new year on the traditional lunar-solar and solar Chinese calendar, and, whereas, Chinese New Year is thought to date back to the Shang dynasty in the 14th Century B.C. under Emperor Wu of Han, when the tradition of carrying out rituals on the first day of the Chinese calendar year began,
“And, whereas, the Chinese zodiac, or shengxiao, is a repeating 12-year cycle of animal signs and their described attributes, based on the lunar calendar, in order, the zodiac animals are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig, and whereas, 2022 is slated to be the year of the water tiger, and the water tiger comes up every 60 years and is action-oriented and represents strength, bravery and clearing away evil,
“And, whereas, depending on the country, the holiday is called by different names, including Chinese New Year, Lunar New Year, New Year Festival and Spring Festival, and whereas, each culture celebrates the Lunar New Year differently, with various foods and traditions that symbolize prosperity, abundance and togetherness,
“And whereas, the law office of Jack R. Stern has sponsored and Diana Stern has hosted Del Rio’s Chinese New Year for the past 15 years, and whereas, numerous children and adults from the community have participated in Del Rio’s Chinese New Year festival throughout the years by being spectators or participants in the annual parade and celebration, and whereas, Del Rio’s Chinese New Year has featured an annual fashion show representing Chinese dynasties throughout history and several traditional dances such as the dragon dance, fan dance, kung fu fighters, ribbon dance, fair lady dance and many more,
“And whereas the city of Del Rio embraces and appreciates the opportunity to learn about Chinese traditions and culture, now therefore, on behalf of Bruno J. Lozano, mayor of the city of Del Rio, I hereby proclaim Feb. 20, 2022, as ‘Del Rio’s Chinese New Year’,” DeReus read.
Guanajuato-Webb and her daughters, Jessica Guanajuato and Salyna Guanajuato Galvan, presented Stern with a framed commemorative poster celebrating Stern’s leadership of the event, and Jeanne Roe Slover of Roberts Jewelers also presented Stern with a gift.
Stern thanked all those attending the event and said the accolades came as a surprise.
She thanked the parents and teachers of the participants and everyone else who has supported her efforts.
“It’s my pleasure and my honor to do this for the people in Del Rio, and I just hope I leave a piece of China in your hearts, even if we don’t do this celebration anymore,” Stern said.
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Contact the author at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
