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Omaha Magazine

Omaha’s Forgotten Chinatown

Feb 23, 2018 10:48AM ● By Doug Meigs
Lion dancers leap into the air. Traditional Chinese instruments evoke tunes of a distant land. Dancing troupes perform in multi-colored costumes. There are even contemporary Chinese pop songs and, of course, plenty of Chinese food for guests.

It’s the Omaha’s Chinese Lunar New Year Gala. The festivities—March 3 at Burke High School—bring together the diverse segments of Omaha’s Chinese community: recent immigrants to the United States, overseas students, American-born Chinese, mixed-race families, along with friends and families who don’t have any personal claim to being Chinese (other than their possible interest in Chinese culture). Everyone is welcome.

The 2018 gala welcomes the Year of the Dog (the latest zodiac animal represented in the Chinese lunar calendar’s 12-year cycle). It’s also the 10th anniversary of consecutive festivities hosted by the Nebraska Chinese Association (formerly known as the Omaha Chinese Community Association).

But the history of Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations goes back much further than 10 years in Omaha. In fact, back when Qing Dynasty emperors still ruled “the Middle Kingdom,” Omaha had its very own (albeit small) Chinatown.

Although Omaha’s Chinese population is thriving in the early 21st century, the city’s historic Chinatown has been largely forgotten. This edition of Omaha Magazine tells the story of Omaha’s Chinatown leading up to the city’s current Chinese community.

Visit omahachinese.net to learn more or to purchase tickets for the Lunar New Year Gala. Tickets can also be purchased at the Asian Market (321 N. 76th St.). Advanced ticket purchase is required.

Catch glimpses of past NCA/OCCA Lunar New Year Galas:

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This article was printed in the March/April 2018 edition of Omaha Magazine.

See other Omaha-Chinese content from the March/April 2018 edition of Omaha Magazine:

Evvnt Calendar