PHOTO PROVIDED
Pictured, from left, Commissioner Amber Concepcion, Vicki Fong, Nalini Krishnankutty and Commissioner Chair Mark Higgins pose after the passage of a proclamation recognizing the start of the Year of the Snake.

BELLEFONTE — Today marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year, and to celebrate the Year of the Snake, representatives of Centre County’s Asian American community joined county commissioners in a ceremony recognizing the holiday.

On the final day of the Lunar Year of the Dragon, the commissioners adopted a

proclamation recognizing Jan. 29, 2025, as the start of the Year of the Snake, which in traditional Chinese culture is often associated with wealth and wisdom.

Lunar New Year is commonly celebrated among East and Southeast Asian communities as marking the arrival of spring, and focuses on the celebration and strengthening of familial and community bonds.

This proclamation pays homage to the more-than-10,000 Asian Pacific Islander Desi

American (APIDA) residents in Centre County, who enrich the community with unique and

vibrant languages, cultures, skills, creativity and heritage. Moreover, the proclamation invites

people to learn about and participate in the tradition.

Nalini Krishnankutty and Vicki Fong, who co-founded the PanAPIDA Circle — a local community group celebrating and elevating APIDA voices in Centre County — and who helped

organize this proclamation, encouraged residents of Centre County to join in the

celebration of the Lunar New Year — “to reaffirm our community’s commitment to family,

diversity, mutual respect and creating an inclusive environment of belonging for all

residents.”

“Lunar New Year is a celebration of family. It’s a celebration of community. It’s a celebration where we recognize the village that we are all a part of,” said Krishnankutty, a member of State College Borough Council.

The holiday is also traditionally a time to honor one’s ancestors.

“In keeping with that tradition, I want to honor all the ancestors of our local APIDA community whom we have lost over this past year,” Krishnankutty added before sharing fond memories of two community members who recently died.

The first of which was Dr. Matilal “Mati” Sarker, of Port Matilda, a beloved husband, father, grandfather and esteemed chemist, who passed away at home on Dec. 13, 2024. Originally from the village of Sashikar in the Faridpur district of Bangladesh, he came to America to earn his PhD in Chemistry from Vanderbilt University before settling in Centre County to work as a scientist at Supelco in Bellefonte.

“We lost not only an esteemed scientist doing cutting edge research and development, but we lost a beloved resident who coached soccer, organized large-scale community events and supported his neighbors, extended family and friends,” said Krisnankutty.

She also remembered Dr. M. Jeya Chandra, of Ferguson Township, who was affectionately known as Jey to his friends and loved ones before his passing on Dec. 29, 2024. Born in Nagercoil, India, he had a distinguished career as a Professor of Industrial Engineering at Penn State University.

“Dr. Chandra was not only an award-winning teacher, researcher and generous mentor, he was also a church elder who bled blue and white and never missed a single football game at Beaver Stadium,” Krisnankutty added.

“These two ancestors and their oversized impact exemplify the story of many Centre County residents,” she said. “We are so lucky they chose to make Centre County their home, that they became Americans, that they raised their families here and impacted us. They shaped future generations of Centre Countians both through their professional and personal contributions.”

Krishnakutty gave a heartfelt thanks for the proclamation, which she said, “is so meaningful at this time of great uncertainty, when so many individuals are feeling marginalized and vulnerable… It shows every Centre County resident that they matter, and that all our rich and diverse traditions are part of our American story.”

The proclamation celebrates the diversity of Centre County, which includes first generation immigrants, naturalized and native born citizens as well as their descendants and “it honors individuals like Dr. Sarker and Professor Chandra, and gives us an opportunity to learn more from and be inspired by their remarkable exemplary lives,” said Krishnankutty.

“Thank you so much for recognizing those individuals that were lost in the past year,” said County Commissioner Amber Concepcion. “It really highlights the tremendous contributions of the APIDA community in Centre County and across the County.”

Fong, who immigrated to America in 1977 and has served on the County Board of Elections several times, noted that many local residents are unable to think of the names of any longtime APIDA residents who have contributed to the community, culture or economy. For that reason, she thanked the commissioners for proactively pursuing the proclamation which she said, “allows our voices to be heard and our faces to be seen.”

She then highlighted several living individuals from the APIDA community who have made significant contributions to Centre County, including Dr. Yi Koa, a beloved Chinese-American ear, nose and throat surgeon in State College; Victor Romero, a Filipino-American and interim dean at Penn State Law and the School of International Affairs; Dr. Jungwoo Ryoo, a Korean-American cybersecurity researcher and Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer of Penn State DuBois; and Neeli Bendapudi, a Desi-American and President of Penn State.

Chair of the Board of Commissioners Mark Higgins added, “If we’re going to have a world class university in our boundaries then we need to have people here from all over the world.”

Fong also promoted the following upcoming community events hosted by various APIDA

groups:

— Feb. 2: Lunar New Year at Schlow Library

— Beginning Feb. 28: Contemporary Korean art exhibit at Bellefonte Art Museum

— April 12: third annual APIDA festival in downtown State College

“We are so lucky to live someplace that has so much diversity from all over the world,” said Concepcion, who connected the contributions of community members to the role of economic development in attracting people to Centre County.