Many Chinese immigrants joined associations of family names, locations and professions to help them succeed in their new communities. Look for your ancestors’ names on their association’s lists and rosters.
The CCBA was an advocate for the protection of Chinese residents and their businesses in Chinatown. It also promoted charitable causes and provided welfare services.
Origins
CHINESE ASSOCIATION, known as CLASS in the United States and Canada, is a non-profit organization that promotes Chinese cultural heritage, enhances the quality of life for Chinese Americans, and educates the public about the diverse aspects of Chinese culture. In 1967, the first membership meeting was held to bring together professional, business, ministry and student components of the community into one association.
The early work of the China Association involved lobbying the British Government and authorities in China regarding commercial grievances on behalf of its members. It often worked in conjunction with London and local Chambers of Commerce and the Federation of British Industries. Other key requests for intervention included support for transit passes through the interior of China; pressure to open the West River for steam navigation and foreign trade; and representation of concerns over peace terms following the Sino-Japanese War and their impact on mercantile interests. The Association also produced quarterly summaries and translations of the Chinese press.
Functions
A Chinese society combines three inter-locking sectors: the state, the gentry, and local social systems. The latter largely sustain the legitimacy of the state by providing patterns of authority based on status groups and notables. Western observers of nineteenth-century China often called the ruling class of these status groups “gentry.” Modern scholars object to the term on the grounds that it evokes an inappropriate analogy with eighteenth-century English gentry, which was defined by land ownership.
The local social systems themselves vary considerably, as reflected by the continuing diversity of regional dialects and customary law, and in the fact that there is little in common between pre-collegiate and post-collegiate Chinese. Indeed, there are few examples of societies that have brought state and society into line. It would therefore be more productive to see traditional Chinese society as the product of a national bureaucratic superstructure that interacts with a multiplicity of local social systems. This is the approach taken by Skinner (1959). It has been endorsed by Ho (p. 195).
Members
Originally a mercantile body, the Association was composed of those involved in trade to China, Hong Kong and Japan. Its members included representatives of the large China Houses (Swire & Sons, Jardine Matheson and Co) and retired colonial and military officials who had served in the Far East.
Membership requirements were a belief in the value of the Association’s purpose and an annual fee determined by the Executive Board. The members were also expected to provide financial support through their donations, time and effort.
Many Chinese immigrants formed associations based on family names, locations or professions to provide community and help them succeed in their new homes. These associations are sometimes referred to as Zhong Hua Hui Guan or Gong Suo in Chinese. Look for your ancestors’ name on lists and rosters of these groups in order to find out more about their lives. Series XV, STUDENT ART WORK, contains drawings and paintings created by students of the Yale-China Association.
Activities
The Society promotes unity and cultural exchange through events and academic communication between Chinese students and local students. It is a platform for sharing and gaining experience in the US. It is also a place for networking, making friends and building connections. CSA members are expected to uphold the bylaws, believe in its purpose and pay an annual membership fee.
The Association had a number of full-time secretaries who provided a range of services including correspondence with the Foreign Office over commercial grievances in China, a quarterly political summary for members, translations from the Chinese press, and an annual dinner to which leading politicians were invited.
The collection is arranged into the following sections: annual reports (CHAS/A); correspondence; details of committees, meetings and other proceedings (CHAS/C); and newspaper cuttings (CHAS/N). Detailed chronological indexes are available for most of the sections. A detailed handlist of the material retained by the Society is also available. The collection is available for consultation in the Special Collections Reading Room.