Year of the Ram: Chinese New Year Feature
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How Ram-like Are You?

By AsianWeek Staff

We took a cross section of APA rams and asked them how much they believed in the Chinese zodiac which says they are one of the gentlest signs out there, and to tell us about some important years in their lives.

Jessica Zhang (Born 1991)

Strolling down Portsmouth Square on a warm Lunar New Year’s Day, Jessica Zhang feels she has a lot to celebrate. Standing in line among many teens, Zhang awaits her turn at one of the many carnival booths set up for Chinese New Year.

“It’s been a good year so far,” Zhang admits.

A young ram who will be turning 12 this year, Zhang believes that this year brings much promise and optimism.

“I believe in the Chinese zodiac,” she said. “My family taught me about it and nothing bad has happened so far this year,” she commented with a look of relief.

As the astrology forecast shows, this year is a good time for rams like Zheng to relax and make peace with themselves and others. Reconciliation, diplomatic moves and healing of rifts are in order. Zhang admits that this suggestion might be challenging for her.

As for the most rams, family life is important to her, though she may butt heads with dominant characters. She will fight to the end to voice her opinions about issues that she believes in, especially with her 15-year-old brother and 14-year-old sister.

“Sometimes we fight over something we both want,” she confesses. But, like a ram, she will easily forgive and understand others’ faults.

For the upcoming year, Zhang vows she will be a better student and obey her parents if they are right. “I try to discuss my opinions with them,” she said. “I do what I think is right.”

She adds, “I’m not necessarily superstitious but I like this sign because it’s the cutest animal in the zodiac.”

Jennifer May Yuen (born 1979)

Jennifer May Yuen giggles uncontrollably at the thought that her zodiac sign explains her personality traits or predicts her future.

“I don’t believe in Chinese astrology but it’s interesting to read,” she says, trying to regain her composure. “I think it’s pretty general for everyone. Each sign takes a bit of everyone’s personality and mixes it in.”

Yuen, a Bay Area resident, believes that everyone is bound to find some truth in the overly generalized statements of horoscopes.

“My parents don’t believe in it,” she confesses. “They think personality traits come from family.”

She admits that her Americanized attitude may contribute to her skepticism about astrology. Yuen thinks that perhaps she might be more superstitious or cautious if she did not live in the United States.

As such, her methods of coping with challenges have been ingrained by experiences and learning from them, not by advice from her astrological charts.

“Part of my personality comes from trying to cooperate with my family members. I don’t think any of it comes from the horoscope,” she said.

Yuen does admit that she likes to take a quick peek at newspapers or posters that explains her ram characteristics. She describes them as fun — something like the light-heartedness of comic strips.

“I don’t think it has anything to do with some supernatural force,” Yuen said vehemently. “There are certain degrees of how you believe in it. Some people are very adamant and maybe a little kooky — the extreme.”

Millie Lee (born 1967)

Ram Millie Lee was born in Hong Kong and arrived in the Bay Area when she was 3-1/2 years old. She has lived here ever since and now works as an accountant in San Francisco.

She always celebrated the traditions of Chinese New Year growing up, and like most Chinese Americans was very aware of the 12 zodiac signs.

“But actually, my mother was not very traditional, so we did things our own way,” Lee said. “I didn’t grow up believing in the tradition so much.”

After hearing a list of ram traits, which include the fact that it is the most feminine sign, that rams dislike strict schedules and that they are nature lovers, Lee says she wavers on how much it really describes her.

“Some things sound true but definitely not everything. But I think it’s hard to say what is true about yourself. You are kind of blind to it,” she said. “People who know me might say that I am a pretty classic ram.”

Lee admits to not really being a big believer. For example, she says that she doesn’t have an artistic bone in her body, even though the ram is supposed to be really artistic. She does love nature though.

And she said: “Who doesn’t dislike strict schedules?”

“I am not really into it,” she says. “But it is interesting.”

Ram’s are supposed to be most compatible with the signs of the rabbit, pig or horse and least compatible with the rat and the dog. It turns out that Lee’s husband is a rat, a zodiac rat that is.

“I know that ram is not the best to go with rat, but we get along fine,” she laughs.

Lee’s western horoscope sign is a Taurus, and she says she believes in that about as much as she believes in the Chinese zodiac. Her husband is also a Taurus. That’s a lot of horns for one family!

Today, Lee still celebrates Chinese New Year with her family. In fact, her celebrations nowadays are more traditional then when she was growing up.

“My mother-in-law is very traditional and very into Chinese New Year. You know all the superstitions like how you can’t wash your hair on the first day and all that kind of stuff. Red envelopes, oranges,” Lee said. “I have all kinds of special dishes from her that are in my refrigerator right now and will continue through the next few days of the celebration.”

Lee said that even though she doesn’t believe totally in the superstitions and mythology that surround the new year, she has a lot of respect for people who do, especially her mother-in-law.

“Who knows, maybe she knows things that I don’t know,” Lee said.

Emil Guillermo (born 1955)

Ram Emil Guillermo — AsianWeek columnist and journalist extraordinaire — learned everything he knows about the Chinese zodiac from those placemats at Chinese restaurants. Guillermo, who is Filipino American, grew up in the Bay Area.

Filipinos, he said, celebrate New Years on the regular New Year’s day, Jan. 1. “We’re kind of normal that way,” he admitted.

Hearing about the ram’s characteristics, Guillermo agreed and disagreed in turn. Forgiving: no. Creative: yes. Moderate: no.

“The descriptions seem to be like a self-fulfilling prophesy,” Guillermo said. “Upon further review, all of the traits could fit into your personality somehow.”

Guillermo said that even though he grew up surrounded by Chinese New Year celebrations and mythology, he doesn’t quite understand how it works, but still believes in it, at least a little.

“If some people have gone to the trouble to categorize these things, I have enough of an open mind to consider it,” he said. “Especially being Asian American, when the horoscope hits the bullseye, you take a pause and then wonder why you aren’t a dragon.”

Going back to the descriptions of the ram, which include the ram’s femininity and fear of confrontation, Guillermo wonders why the ram doesn’t have more characteristics that fit with the actual animal, and why its not “Year of the Goat.”

“Goat I can understand. Goats are stubborn and they eat everything in sight. I mean, they aren’t really ferocious or anything — that is, unless you are a leaf of grass or something,” Guillermo pondered.

Hearing that the “Year of the Ram” is also sometimes known as “Year of the Sheep,” Guillermo objected.

“I mean sheep, who wants to be a sheep?” he questioned. “The thing is, it’s all so complicated and connected. I like to think I am a little bit of all the signs: a little bit dog, a little bit cock and dragon. Everyone wants to be a dragon.”

While listing the other animals in the zodiac, Guillermo realized that he didn’t quite understand the reasoning behind the specific animals.

“Is there a rhino? How about a giraffe?” Guillermo asked. “Why is there no elephant? I think that’s an oversight. How can you miss an elephant?”

In fact, Guillermo decided that he would start a campaign for a 13th zodiac sign: the elephant.

“This is a sign for those people who just don’t like their sign, just don’t want to be a rat or a dog,” Guillermo said excitedly. “There should be flexibility. It is also great for people who are “incompatible” with their mate according to the zodiac. No one wants to hear that they are incompatible with their wife when they sit down to dinner. This will solve all those issues.

Shing Yan Kwan (born 1943)

Shing Yan Kwan, a San Francisco resident, hopes for one thing for the Year of the Ram. “It’s very important for my eye to get better,” he explains.

A stroke two years ago impaired his vision, leaving his wife to do most of the work for the both of them. Kwan stays mostly at home, except when he makes weekly visits to the Richmond District to participate in activities at the Self-Help for the Elderly Adult Day Services.

“I don’t believe too much about the horoscope. I look at it sometimes … with each new year, I just think about living a normal life. Health is very important as I get older,” Kwan explains.

Kwan has been living in San Francisco for 27 years now. After leaving the Guangdong Province in China, he has settled well into life in California. He says that San Francisco “is a very suitable area for Chinese people to live in. The weather is a plus also.”

However, Lunar New Year celebrations in the U.S. are unlike festivities taking place in China. Kwan misses that festive atmosphere.

“It’s a lot different here. People here just call and say ‘Happy New Year.’ No more visiting friends and family, bringing food and gifts,” he says a bit sadly.

Kwan does not show much excitement with each new year. He thinks that every year is the same. However he still finds time to visit with his two children who also live in San Francisco. They usually plan for a “before-new-year and after-new-year get-together.”

Chun Yin Gee (born 1931)

Chun Yin Gee was a bit of a mischievous child, once throwing firecrackers at others during New Year celebrations in his village of Toishan in Guangdong Province, where he grew up in China.

“I would compete with friends to buy firecrackers with the lai see … and then throw them at people in the village,” he grins nostalgically.

“I don’t believe in the horoscope or in many superstitions, just myself. My thoughts have been opened up since being in the U.S. They have become more westernized,” he explains.

Born in 1931, Gee, does not associate himself with the qualities the horoscope assigns to a ram, one of which is being shy. He is quite the opposite.

Donning a baseball cap that reaffirms his youthful and personable qualities, Gee happily shares memories of his New Year celebrations in China and in the United States.

After arriving in the United States in 1980, Gee had to plan new ways to spend the Lunar New Year. “It’s more boring here … in China it’s more festive and has four days of holiday. I can’t do the same things as I did in China, like watch Chinese opera and visit the parks. Here, people are too busy,” he says with disappointment.

Nevertheless, Gee and his wife contently celebrate the New Year in their San Francisco home. His wife pays attention to the horoscope and usually follows traditions like going to the altar and burning incense. While he says neither of them truly believe in customs like these, they follow them faithfully.

“I still visit flower markets to bring home cherry blossoms and mandarin oranges … and wish for better health and longevity each year,” Gee continues. He also finds time to have dinner with his family, which includes four sons and a handful of grandchildren, all residing in the Bay Area.

This year Gee hopes to be more alert and healthy and see more places, saving some energy to continue cooking for his wife. Perhaps it being the Year of the Ram will work in favor of him.

Tung Chi Chien (Born 1919)

The grey, cracked cane that follows Tung Chi Chien around gives his age away. But looking at his gently chiseled face, it’s hard to believe that Tung is 84 years old. The wrinkles on his face only appear when he laughs, and even then, they softly hug his eyes and mouth.

Tung emigrated from Shandong, China with his wife a little over six years ago, after his only daughter sponsored them to come to the United States.

“We had to come to America, because both my wife and I were old and all our relatives had passed away,” said Tung, in his native dialect. “There wasn’t anything to eat, we couldn’t work, so we had to leave China or else we would have starved to death.”

Another reason why he came to America was to leave behind years of painful memories and scars. Before the Sino-Japanese War broke out in China, Tung worked on a farm with rice paddies his father had passed down to him. He also peddled dried fruits and goods and sold them at the open markets throughout Shandong.

After the war, however, the Communist Party went through his village and began their re-education efforts, focusing on landowners and merchants.

“Because I was in the northern area, the Communists got there early,” said Tung.

Tung looks up and moves his eyes from left to right as he recalls his re-education experience. Between the late 1940s and 1950s, Tung had his land taken away, his house partitioned and was constantly interrogated. His house was ransacked and destroyed, and as a form of punishment, was strung up with rope.

He pauses in the middle of his recollection, but keeps his mouth open. He continues by telling me that he was placed in prison for six months.

“In those six months, I was put through a lot,” said Tung, who clenches his fists around the cane’s handle. “I couldn’t move without permission, I couldn’t speak.”

Now, all of this is in Tung’s past, although he thinks of his experience every now and then. Today he is healthy and self-sufficient, and he and his wife of 64 years live in a senior citizen apartment complex in San Francisco.

Perhaps Tung being born in the Year of the Ram characterizes his strength and determination to survive. But Tung said he doesn’t know anything about his zodiac sign.

“I don’t believe it in,” said Tung, as he adjusts his tawny ‘San Francisco’ cap, showing a pile of soft white hair. “I think peoples’ characteristics are affected by their environment and where they are at and where they grew up in. It can change.”

Tung doesn’t believe he’s a strong-minded person, but said he likes to be organized and realistic. Tung said he knows he’s sincere, because his wife always reminds him of that; however, he tends to overanalyze things and ends up getting anxious.

The secret to his health, he says, is constant physical movement and exercise. He loves to eat fish and still enjoys cooking.

Tung has no intention of returning to China or his village.

“That’s not a place for me, there’s no place for me there,” he said. “Too many bad memories.”