Associations worked to minimize anti-Chinese sentiments and improve the lives of members within their communities. They handled everything from legal disputes to transporting ancestors’ remains back home.
The AoA must align with both Chinese corporate culture and its complex legal system. It must clearly define the company’s business scope and set out a clear structure for capital contributions.
The CCBA is a non-profit organization.
The CCBA provides community support, civic engagement and social justice efforts to enrich and empower Chinese American communities in America. From heritage sharing to youth development, CCBA works with many mainstream organizations and strives for equity. In 2020, CCBA has partnered with Discover to bring personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline workers in need of it most.
Many immigrants joined associations of family names, locations or professions to help them survive in their new homes. Associations may have rosters that can help you identify relatives and find out more about their lives. The Library of Congress has records from some of these associations that can help you with your research. The Library also has information about life in the United States that can give you context for your search. For example, the Library has educational pages about life in the US for Chinese Americans. It has also created a directory of resources about life in the US for Chinese Americans.
The CCBA is a community-based organization.
The CCBA has a long history of performing a quasi-governmental role for the Chinatown community. It has financially supported many Chinatown residents who had goals of becoming business owners as well as providing them with training.
CCBA members have also taken on a legislative role, seeking to amend or challenge local laws that were affecting Chinese individuals. They have organized for severance pay for laid-off electronics and rubber stamp manufacturers.
In addition to its own community service programs, the CCBA works with mainstream organizations, such as the Visiting Nurse Service and American Red Cross. It has even spearheaded the installation of Chinese-English street signs throughout the historic Chinatown district. These and other CCBA efforts promote education, cultural appreciation, mutual respect and understanding within the Chinese community and with the wider community. It has a number of Chinese-language classes, including Tai Chi and martial arts. It has a Great Meeting Hall on its first floor that is used for monthly Board of Directors meetings, Lion Dance practice and Chinese-as-a-Second Language classes.
The CCBA is a business organization.
The CCBA is a business organization that owns and manages property within the Chinatown district. It also sponsors a variety of community events and activities to foster cultural pride and maintain community ties. These include Chinese New Year dinner and dances, a college scholarship fund, and Chinese-English classes. It also sponsors and supports government officials who visit the area. For example, past Mayor Tom Bradley kept a close friendship with the CCBA and Chinatown during his term in office.
The CCBA was founded in the late 19th century to protect members’ economic interests and advocate for the rights of Chinese Americans. It has also worked to help Chinese immigrants with U.S. immigration laws and regulations, arbitrate disputes among family associations in Chinatown, and seek welfare for fellow compatriots overseas. The CCBA has since grown into an umbrella organization of local family associations, business groups, civic organizations, and religious and cultural institutions. It now has branches in multiple American cities.
The CCBA is a social organization.
The CCBA is also home to family associations, Chinese and English classes, and the popular Chinatown Crime Watch program, where volunteers patrol the streets to help keep crime in our neighborhood at a minimum. In addition, CCBA provides housing through its Tai Tung Village and Waterford Place complexes.
Besides local community services, the Association has established ties with organizations and research institutes of dozens of countries and is committed to “let the world understand China and let China understand the world.” It is dedicated to strengthening friendship and cooperation between different civilizations, safeguarding world peace and promoting cultural exchanges.
Board members must always be faithful to the mission of the CCBA and never use information obtained from their position or membership for personal gain. In the event of a conflict of interest, the Board member must abstain from discussion and voting on related issues. The CCBA has worked closely with many main stream organizations, including Discover, to share the diversity of Asian culture through lunch and learns, keynote speakers and events.