It's the beginning of the Year of the Tiger, and Asian Americans are marking the Lunar New Year with joy and resilience in the face of anti-AAPI hatred that has festered in the country. It's a sentiment many Asian Americans expressed to USA TODAY ahead of the Tuesday holiday. Many described feeling hopeful and inspired to create change even as they make safety plans to celebrate amid the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing incidents of anti-Asian hate. Anti-Asian hate crimes increased 339% in 2021 in over a dozen of America’s largest cities, breaking records dating back to the 1990s in New York and Los Angeles, according to an analysis from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. When Amanda Nguyễn was growing up in Southern California, Lunar New Year meant counting down to midnight and rushing toward the Buddhist temple. As an adult, she still plans to visit a temple on Lunar New Year. But instead of hosting a large, in-person gathering the night before, Nguyễn, 30, planned a virtual event to share family traditions and celebrate her heritage with other Vietnamese women. She noted that women been faced much of the violence and harassment aimed at the Asian American and Pacific Islander community amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Tap the link in bio to read more about how Asian Americans are celebrating the Lunar New Year, and we wish everyone celebrating a great new year and happy Year of the Tiger! 🐯