A roar of approval in US for Year of Dragon stamp

Jason Sean joined the long line of people eagerly waiting Thursday to buy a commemorative Year of the Dragon stamp issued by the US Postal Service (USPS).

He was among the hundreds who filled the International District/Chinatown Community Center in Seattle for the first day of issue ceremony for the stamp. Sean said purchasing the stamps has become part of a family tradition to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

"For many Asian Americans, the Lunar New Year celebrates a chance to leave behind the troubles of the past year and invite prosperity and good luck moving forward," said Connie So, a professor at the University of Washington.

"This Year of the Dragon stamp ceremony recognizes the importance of the diversity and cultural significance Asian Americans bring to the United States and provides Seattle an opportunity to promote the significance of the Lunar New Year," So added.

The Census Bureau's annual American Community Survey shows Seattle's Asian population reached an estimated 135,300 people in 2022, an increase of around 13,000 from 2021.

For more than three decades, the Postal Service has issued stamps highlighting the Lunar New Year, and it has been some of the most successful stamp releases in the long history of the Postal Service, said Eduardo H. Ruiz Jr, USPS vice-president of retail and delivery operations for the Postal Service's Westpac area, who served as the dedicating official.

"The Postal Service has one of the most diverse workplaces in the United States, and its customer base is as diverse as the country itself. This stamp is a great example that reflects our nation's rich, multicultural heritage and traditions," he added.

Beginning in 2020, in observance of the Lunar New Year holiday, the Postal Service introduced its third Lunar New Year series. This year's is the fifth Forever stamp in the series, which will continue through 2031 with stamps for the Year of the Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

"I think we're really unleashing the power of the everyday and the power of the small," said Joël Barraquiel Tan, executive director of the Wing Luke Museum. "Everybody uses stamps, or most everybody still uses stamps nowadays. And to have it reflect the tradition of Lunar New Year is pretty incredible; (that) an object as small as this … carries such huge intention, such big impact, is pretty amazing."

USPS Art Director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp, with original art by Camille Chew. It features a colorful, three-dimensional mask depicting a dragon, which is a contemporary take on the long tradition of paper-cut folk art crafts created by Chew. Gold and red colors each represent prosperity in the coming year and good fortune.

The Year of the Dragon stamp is on sale now at post offices across the country and on USPS.com. In total, 22 million of the new stamps have been printed.