PARISIANS ADOPT THE CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION

COVID BROUGHT ANTI-ASIAN RACISM... 

    2:55 PM 27 Jan. 2020 from Paris, France

But the growing support of "Gauls" for the New Year's celebration show it insignificant, at least in the 13th. For example:  

• A Franprix superette in 2015 had the decor below, but did not sell Asian products. Then in 2024 it promoted Asian products, not only in this neighborhood bordering the Asian district, but nationally since they were highlighted on the company web site:

Rue Nationale

 Rue Ponscarme (five minutes away from rue National, but still in the "French" neighborhood) 

"Chinese New Year: Discover our selection of products"

• The library

• The mall

• City Hall

Posters announce two weeks of events.

Including an exhibit of works by young Chinese, the oldest aged 16.

# # #

The public

• The evening before New Year, kids (mostly Asian but also French) saluted it with costumes, banners and drums in front of a Chinese optician's store on the border of the Asian and French neighborhoods, enthralling passers-by:

 Corner rues de Tolbiac / Château des Rentiers

• Next day, that of the parade, French and Asian restaurants filled the Asian restaurants, even when away from the parade route. This one, just beyond it, took no reservations and there was a 20-minute wait to get in:

• A crowd lined up in the rain to watch the parade, two hours before it began.

   Corner rue de Tolbiac / avenue de Choisy

People waiting under umbrellas

suggest that racism, at least here, has lost its hold.

*    *    *

Next,

A parade unique in Europe