Reliving Their Tet Memories

To celebrate Tet, the Vietnamese New Year holiday, a group of immigrants gathered at a storefront Tuesday morning to trade joyous greetings, perform the centuries-old dragon dance and reminisce excitedly in Vietnamese about Tet holidays of the past.

This was not, however, a group of old-timers.

None of their Tet memories included the famous battle of 1968 or any other holiday celebrated in wartime. Indeed, almost no one gathered for the celebration at the Vietnamese Community Assn. of the San Fernando Valley had even been born by the time the Vietnam War ended in 1975.

Instead, these were teenagers, all of whom had come to the United States within the last 10 years. All spoke fluent English as well as Vietnamese, and all attended public middle or high schools.

But none wanted to entirely assimilate.

“It is up to us to keep the culture alive,” said Viet Tran, 15, as he put on an outfit for his role in the dragon dance, to welcome in the Year of the Cat. A student at El Camino Real High School, he came to the U.S. with his family when he was 5.

“The Vietnamese kids who were born here don’t have the same feelings,” said Tran, who played the part of the ong dia, a humorous character who clowns around with the dragons and spectators during performances. “They don’t know how special the holiday was in Vietnam.

“Everyone would get ready for weeks, fixing up the house, making things, setting off firecrackers. It was exciting.”

He was about to put on his mask, which like the dragon costumes had been imported from Vietnam. The mask was made of papier-mache, and on its unpainted inside one could see that it had been made, in part, from someone’s old arithmetic homework.

Tran, although only 15, grew nostalgic.

“I am glad I am here; I want to stay in this country,” he said. “But sometimes I miss my own country so much.”

Tran and the others belong to Vovinam Viet Vo-Dao, a martial arts club that meets at the association’s headquarters, where classes are also taught in English and citizenship. Hung Tran, 27, who arrived in the Valley with his family in 1992, is an instructor there. Over the last year, he taught the teens the dragon dance moves.

“In Vietnam on Tet, the dragon dance is everywhere,” said Hung Tran, who is studying architecture and graphics design at Cal Poly Pomona.

The group used brightly colored dragon costumes that take two people to operate--one inside the elaborately decorated head and the other hidden within the folds of its cloth train. Five boys and Hung Tran took on the arduous task of playing the dragon in shifts. Two other boys played the ong dia roles and four girls, plus another instructor, played traditional rhythms on cymbals and drums.

Excitement grew as the time of the first performance drew near.

“Maybe we will make a lot of money,” said Cam Chi, 14, with a giggle. Traditionally, people good-naturedly offer the dragon gifts of cash. Sometimes it is tied to a long pole, and the dancer inside the head is lifted by the one in the rear so that it appears the creature is snatching the money in its jaws.

For members of the group, who planned to divide the donations at the end of the day, the money was not the only benefit of the holiday.

“We got the day off from school, because it’s our New Year’s,” said Chi, who came to the United States with her family in 1994.

School is not always a good experience. Chi and others said they have been called racist names by some students. “It hurts the feelings,” she said.

Finally, it was time to put all the costumes and instruments into two pickup trucks and head for the first performance site--a parking lot outside a realty office where the incoming president of the community association and his wife work.

Led by Hung Tran’s graceful moves, the dragons slyly teased onlookers, running up to them and then retreating as the percussion established the rhythm. These dragons, more playful pussycat than menacing monster, especially loved to nudge up against children to the delight of the crowd. And in the end, they nabbed more than $200 in donations.

The next performance was at a private home and then came the dragons’ appearance at Rose Nails, a nail salon in Woodland Hills where many patrons had brought their children in anticipation of the event.

Especially enthralled were Stephanie and Ryan Minas, 5 and 3, of Calabasas, both of whom were dressed in traditional Vietnamese outfits.

“Their father is Jewish,” said Crystal Minas, 33, who was born in Vietnam. “The children are Jewish, too, but we like for them to know about my culture. To know where I came from.”

Stephanie and Ryan didn’t need any urging. Both were obviously delighted with the cuddly dragons, and when the troupe packed up to move on to the next performance, the children burst into tears. “It’s all right,” their mother said, hugging them close. “Maybe we can find more dragons.”

James Nguyen, 5, born in the United States of Vietnamese parents, also loved watching the show. But he brought a pragmatic touch to this business of national holidays.

“I like Christmas,” he suddenly explained. “You get presents.”

* PATT MORRISON: North Vietnam flag, visage of Ho Chi Minh have neighbors seeing red. B6

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Year of the Cat ... and the Rabbit

A different animal represents each Chinese lunar year, with different characteristics said to influence the year’s events. In general, the Chinese and Vietnamese follow the same lunar calendar, which has a 12-year cycle, but when the Chinese celebrate the year of the ox, the Vietnamese celebrate the year of the water buffalo. The Chinese sheep/ram corresponds to the Vietnamese goat. Tuesday ushered in the Year of the Cat(Vietnamese) and the Rabbit (Chinese).

The Rabbit/Cat Years

1903

1915

1927

1939

1951

1963

1975

1987

1999

2011

2023

2035

Source: AP; Times research