Associations unite and support communities, celebrate cultural heritage, advocate for justice, uplift their members’ lives, and inspire a legacy of resilience. They are the heart of community.
Southeast Asian Chinese associations’ business transnationalism has been strengthened by the BRI and their host countries’ supportive (albert cautious) policies. These business associations have built self-centric transnational networks with their ‘province’ in China through an ‘axis-spoke’ pattern.
Origins
In the early years of this century, the Association’s work involved taking on commercial grievances and representing British traders with the Government and Chinese authorities. It often acted in conjunction with the London Chamber of Commerce and local Chambers of Trade.
The membership of the Association, commonly known as the gentry, was drawn from a wide variety of social systems. It included officials with state associations, landlords who belonged to prestigious local families, and notables who enjoyed prestige as the result of their education in Confucian high culture.
The gentry’s loyalty to the Association provided it with a powerful platform to promote its interests. For example, the Association lobbied successfully for the appointment of a Chinese Charge D’Affaires and the restoration of full diplomatic relations between Britain and China. It also worked to persuade the Government to relax its strict trade regulations with China. This policy shift reflected decentralization and the beginning of a weakening of the traditional magistracy.
Functions
The organization promotes and protects the interests of Chinese Americans, advocates for civil rights, and contributes to the betterment of American society. ACA has spearheaded numerous initiatives ranging from cultural celebrations to immigrant rights legislation. Our historic accomplishments include preparing the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Lau v. Nichols, influencing local and state immigrant-rights legislation, and campaigning for a permanent Chinatown campus for City College of San Francisco.
The gentry controversy among Sinologists is one example of the wide range of different interpretations of the meaning of traditional Chinese society. Generally speaking, the term “gentry” suggests a status group bound together by a common ethos with roots in local social systems and links to the state through bureaucratic position. This contrasts with the party, which has replaced the gentry as the new ruling element in contemporary Chinese society.
While in traditional times the state was concerned primarily with exploitation and control, it was also an active manager of society, directing it into a particular direction. The party, in contrast, functions as a unifying force, but is itself dependent on specific contexts.
Members
CHINESE ASSOCIATION members serve on the boards of community-based organizations that work on a wide variety of issues in Chinatown. They have lobbied the city for bilingual job skills training for laid-off workers from P & L Sportswear and Beverly Rose Sportswear, helped fight anti-Chinese hate crimes such as the brutal murder of Vincent Chin, and assisted in the preparation of the landmark US Supreme Court case Lau v. Nichols.
Besides organizing educational programs for young children, CLASS has successfully worked with city government to establish the permanent Chinatown campus of City College, a campaign to increase Chinese-American involvement in electoral politics, and fought to ensure that Chinese programs remain available in public schools. CLASS also collaborates with mainstream organizations like the Visiting Nurse Service to provide community-based care for its constituents in times of crisis and disaster.
CHINCA’s membership is comprised of individuals from the fields of science and technology, education, business, law, medicine, and art. The majority of its members hold advanced degrees in their respective areas of expertise. The Association publishes Trade Winds, a newsletter containing articles of common interest to Chinese professionals in the United States.
Roster
The China Association is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to enriching the community by sharing Chinese culture, and promoting engagement, collaboration, and service among the members of our local Eden Prairie community.
We help people of Chinese heritage find records of their ancestors, connect with long-lost relatives and organize roots trips to China. We also help people of Chinese heritage find employment opportunities in the United States.
The China Association is a non-profit, social and cultural group that brings Chinese culture to the Rensselaer community through a summer picnic in June, Moon Festival gatherings in October, and small groups throughout the year. We also provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline workers and under-resourced communities at no cost to them. We do this because we believe that a strong, diverse community is the foundation of success for all of us. Our unwavering dedication uplifts and empowers individuals and inspires a legacy of resilience.