NYCHA Staff Celebrate Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival with Warmth, Wisdom, and Community
On October 28, members of NYCHA’s Chinese-American Association (CAA) welcomed colleagues from throughout the Authority to the Ceremonial Room at 90 Church Street to celebrate a cherished tradition of East Asian culture: the Mid-Autumn Festival.
On October 28, NYCHA’s CAA warmly welcomed their colleagues to the Ceremonial Room to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival, which is traditionally celebrated across China, Singapore, Vietnam, Korea, and parts of Japan, calls on participants to look for the full moon at its closest and brightest and to see in it a symbol of reunion, gratitude, and continuity. For Linda Zhang, Director of NYCHA’s Accounts Payable Department and the event’s lead organizer, the day resonated on a deep personal level – as it always has.
“I came to America right after college,” Ms. Zhang said after the event. “I was here by myself for many years, always missing my family back in China. But at every Mid-Autumn Festival, I remembered what my parents told me: ‘If you miss us, just look up to the moon and know we are thinking of you.’ I know my parents are looking up, just like I am. That’s the tradition: You look up to see the moon at its fullest, and you feel your family with you. You can feel your roots.”
This year’s gathering at NYCHA was full of that same spirit of connectedness. Employees from across the Authority, including NYCHA’s executive leadership team, joined the celebration, seated at tables filled with traditional foods. After introductory remarks offered by the CAA’s masters of ceremonies Julie Zhu, Remington Lo, and Susan Leong Loo, Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt and Chief Operating Officer Eva Trimble welcomed the assembled. They were followed at the podium by NYCHA’s Chief of Staff Andrew Kaplan, Chief Information Officer Patty Bayross, and Chief Financial Officer Annika Lescott-Martinez.
Employees from across the Authority, including NYCHA’s executive leadership team, joined the celebration.
After introductions of the new CAA board, attenders were treated to a special performance of traditional Chinese instrumental music from pipa and guqin player Zhou Yi. Attendees left nourished not only by the food but also by a sense of connection.
