2026 Lunar New Year Celebration

The Southern Oregon Chinese Cultural Association (SOCCA) is getting ready to usher in the Lunar New Year with an unforgettable celebration that will honor multiple Asian cultures! The 2026 event promises to be a vibrant and culturally rich experience that will captivate audiences of all ages.

When: Saturday, February 21, 2026
Time: 10am to 3pm
Where: A variety of programs will be hosted at the following downtown Jacksonville locations: Jacksonville’s New City Hall, Community Center, Library, and Art Presence Art Center

The Presenter: Patnarin Plongmai is from Southern Thailand. She is currently studying at Denver University working on a master’s on Curriculum and Instructions. Patnarin has a BA in Thai Literature, and an MA in Hindu.

In the Presenter’s Own Words: My name is Patnarin Plongmai, and I am a Thai national with a deep interest in cultural history, food, and identity. Growing up in Southern Thailand, I was surrounded by the rich traditions of Thai, Malay, and Chinese communities. From an early age, I learned the meaning of heritage through family rituals, traditional festivals, and especially through cooking with my grandmother.

Although I identify as Thai, I have realized that Hokkien Chinese culture has been an integral part of my daily life-from the language I hear at home, to the festivals I celebrate, to the snacks I grew up eating. This personal connection inspired me to explore the intersections of migration, cultural blending, and identity, and to share these stories with others.

Through this presentation, I aim to show how culture is not only preserved through history but also lived and experienced in everyday life, and how even something as small as a snack can reflect generations of blending, harmony, and connection.

The presentation will end with a demonstration and taste of a traditional Thai-Chinese New Year dessert called “Kanom Ko” (A glutinous dumpling filled with palm sugar, boiled in water and covered with coconut flakes).

Tracing his ancestors through the Gong Family genealogy book, Ted will explain how genealogy records are kept, how to read them, and their importance to family and community. He also discusses the role of Chinese immigrant women, despite them not recorded generally in genealogy records, maintain the rites that keep the traditions and community alive.

Ted Gong retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2009 as a Senior Foreign Service Officer. He worked on policies, laws, and management related visas, border security, immigration, refugees, citizenship, and consular services at the Departments of State and Homeland Security. He led the national grass roots effort for Congress in 2011 and 2012 to apologize for the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and is Founder-Director of the 1882 Foundation. The Foundation broadens public understanding of the Chinese American experience through preserving oral histories and historical sites, organizing teacher workshops, and building collaborations among APA museums and historical societies. In 2024, he was instrumental in registering the Sierra Summit Camp of the First Transcontinental Railroad a National Historic Landmark. He is President of the DC Lodge of the Chinese American Citizens, and was educated at the University of California in History, University of Hawaii in Asian Studies, and U.S. Army War College in National Strategic Studies. He received a Frederick Douglass FD200 Award in 2019.

Mohkeed Wong, writer, journalist and food blogger, specializes in simplifying home cook dishes. Born in Singapore, the home of Crazy Rich Asians, Mohkeed has lived with her diplomat husband Ted and children in many countries including China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. She picked up different styles of cooking from these and many other places.

Hear her tell some personal stories as she demonstrates Nor Mai Gai (Cantonese Chicken Mushroom Sticky Rice) which you can get in Dim Sum restaurants. Come learn how easy it is to make this yummy dish at home.