Belleville Celebrates Chinese New Year; Tiger Seen In Town

BELLEVILLE, NJ — The Year of the Tiger has already inspired smiles in Belleville.

Earlier this month, Belleville officials celebrated the Chinese New Year with a virtual fireworks event done in tribute to the town’s storied history as one of the first Chinese communities on the East Coast (watch the video here).

The Year of the Tiger runs from Feb. 1 until Jan. 21, 2023.

“Chinese New Year is a time for Belleville to recognize an important chapter in its history,” town officials noted in a news release about the celebration.

According to Belleville officials:

“The very first Chinese New Year celebration on the East Coast was held here 151 years ago. The celebration was only possible because these Chinese immigrants, who had been ostracized and excluded in other communities across the country, had been embraced in Belleville. Even as these Chinese-Americans gave their blood, sweat and tears to build so much of the country’s early railroad system, they were met with prejudice almost everywhere they turned – except in Belleville.”

“Belleville has a long history of acceptance and inclusion that proudly continues to this day,” Mayor Michael Melham said. “It reminds us that our town is enriched when we open our arms to others. Chinese New Year is a time to enjoy fireworks, eat festive food and celebrate our differences … together.”

Michael Perrone, the president of the Belleville Historical Society, said the group – which was recently awarded the 2021 Community Service Award by the New Jersey Chinese-American Chamber of Commerce – has been making local Year of the Tiger “good luck visits” and handing out fortune cookies for 2022.

The society, which has documented the town’s inspiring history with Chinese immigrants, is in the final stages of completing a book on Belleville's Chinese-American history, Perrone said.

• See related article: Belleville Historical Society Commemorates 150th Chinese New Year
• See related article: Early Chinese Immigrants Remembered In Belleville
• See related article: Belleville Remembers Chinese History, Transatlantic Railroad

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