Hanson Qin is a senior from Sichuan, China. He can be reached at cqin@live.unc.edu.

Happy New Year! Wait, you are probably wondering why I’m screaming this when February is almost here. But for most of the people on this planet (Asians), it’s the Lunar New Year–also known as Chinese New Year.

The Lunar New Year is called so because months and years on the ancient Chinese calendar that many East Asian countries traditionally follow is based on the rotation of the moon. This tradition has been passed on to modern days, as the Lunar New Year is celebrated all over Asia and beyond.

I moved to the West when I was only four years old, so I can’t really remember the Lunar New Years I had celebrated in China. All I can recall is we would go visit the countryside, where a lot of our extended relatives lived, and have huge feasts. Fortunately, I studied abroad in Shanghai during my sophomore year and had the opportunity to return to my hometown and celebrate the New Year before classes started. That was one of the happiest moments of my life—going back to my roots and rediscovering a family that I never knew I had.

I appreciate the life I have in America with all its opportunities and hope. But sometimes, I do feel lonely and out of place. I identify completely as a proud American, but every once in a while my sense of foundation is lost. For one, the foundation of family is absent because my mom is the only person I have. Culturally, it can feel weird because although I have lived predominantly in the South, I don’t think I could ever be considered a true Southerner. That is precisely why I have dreamt of moving to New York City for so long. I want a cosmopolitan space where all cultures and backgrounds are embraced and expressed.

Yesterday, when I was flipping through YouTube, I was pleasantly surprised to find a video of Barack Obama wishing all Americans a Happy Lunar New Year. In the video, Obama described how he was exposed to this holiday while growing up in Hawaii, a state that is predominantly Asian. He also stated that cultural diversity is what makes America such a strong and unique country.

After watching this video, I felt proud and warm inside. I have come to realize that in the land of opportunities, I always have my hopes and dreams to keep me grounded. If I am ever abandoned by people, I have my independence and aspirations to keep me moving forward. That is the experience of America, and that is what I am taking away with me after college. So as the new week starts, a new year is also starting. It’s the year of the Dragon, so hopefully everything will be more auspicious.