The Culturally Responsive Care and Inclusivity (CRCI) committee of Kaiser, Santa Rosa, hosted Lunar New Year celebrations in February. The gatherings brought together colleagues of various cultural and ethnic backgrounds to celebrate and deepen each other’s knowledge and appreciation for the traditions of the Lunar New Year. During the gatherings, committee member Amy Flato, R.N., presented a poster filled with information on traditions, legends, and facts associated with the Lunar New Year Celebration. As a Chinese American, Amy was ecstatic to share a piece of her culture with her colleagues. Staff along with trainees were also in attendance. Everyone was encouraged to bring their own lunch and try out the celebratory foods such as dumplings and sweets. Some were curious about the origin of the celebrations while reading about their own Chinese Zodiac signs on the poster. Some planned to join the celebration by adopting the traditions and taboos throughout the Spring Festival Season. Overall, it was a great way to bring people together over cultural cuisines and appreciation. The event offered a way to increase cultural and ethnic diversity awareness in the mental health training program.
Lunar New Year 2024 falls on Saturday, February 10th, 2024, and celebrations culminate with the Lantern Festival on February 24th, 2024. It is an important holiday in many Asian cultures such as Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean. The new year marks the beginning of the Year of the Dragon, preceded by the Year of the Rabbit. Celebrations can last up to 16 days, with unique traditions for each day.
The CRCI Committee was founded in August 2021 and consists of various mental health professionals. Its mission statement reads: To advise our system and hold our system accountable in how to offer a more organized way to provide culturally sensitive and linguistic services. To inspire ourselves and our colleagues from all backgrounds and identities to provide opportunities for safe discussion and education on culturally responsive care and justice within our mental health department. For all to recognize the lived experiences of our community and the collective effort to address trauma, inequity, and discrimination impacting Mental Health.
Contributed by Emily Flato, Doctoral Intern, Santa Rosa, JEDI Trainee Liaison
