Chinese Association (also CCBA) is the non-profit umbrella organization for most pre-collegiate and collegiate societies that teach Chinese. It also collaborates with mainstream organizations to provide services for the community.
Step one: Sponsorship of society gatherings (social and cultural) to ensure close interaction among members. Friendships formed during these events typically last a lifetime.
History
The collections include minutes and committee papers, correspondence with the Foreign Office, Board of Trade, Sino-British Trade Council and with the British Chambers of Commerce in Hankow [Hankou] and Tientsin; ephemera such as Chinese newspapers; and annual reports (1889-1955). The collection also contains papers of the China Association’s School of Practical Chinese and a few albums of press cuttings on China.
In a time before the Civil Rights Act and immigration law allowed Chinese Americans to gain full equality with other groups in terms of social welfare programs, economic and educational opportunities, a group was needed to seek social justice and protect civil rights. The China Association was that organization.
Known as the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) or the Chinese Six Companies, it was composed of family associations with their own distinct clan affiliations and regional identities—Hoy Sun Ning Yung, Hop Wo, Kong Chow, Yeong Wo, Sam Yup, and Yan Wo. CCBA members voted in 1972 to change the name of their group and adopted a constitution.
Purpose
The purpose of the Association is to create awareness, to inform and educate the Chinese American population of Iowa in order to enhance their cultural diversity and economic development. It also strives to strengthen ties with China through community and business activities.
The Association is a professional organization that promotes research and development in management with a special focus on China. Its members are management scholars, students, consultants, and practicing managers. The Association seeks excellence in its scholarship and contributions with a focus on ethics, relevance, rigor, and impact.
We can categorize contemporary associations founded by new Chinese migrants into three groups, depending on their closeness to Chinese domestic politics and their vision of leadership: some are civic and self-governing; others are semi-official and subject to the supervision of the Chinese embassy; while a few are distinctly more politicised and act as the extended arm of the Chinese state apparatus. These organisations are responsible for sponsoring society gatherings, both small and large – for ensuring close interactions between members, as well as organizing massive national and cultural celebrations.
Functions
The leaders of Chinese associations spend a great deal of their time managing their communities. They do not view their work as philanthropy. They are seeking to gain a greater presence and influence in local society. They are aiming for recognition from both their host country and the Chinese government. This translates to economic success for the community and access to politics.
The functions of these organisations are to bind the Chinese population in their host societies to China, while fostering the economic wellbeing of the community. They also provide a number of public goods, including security support and translation services. This is a role that has been overlooked in previous studies of Chinese associations, which often focus only on the organisation of protests and lobbying. It is important to note that these organisations are not purely civic and self-governing, but are semi-official and answerable to the Chinese embassy. They are a crucial link between the Chinese in Africa and the Chinese state apparatus back home.
Goals
CSAs bring together a Chinese community within a college campus to support industry unity and encourage students to be open-minded about their own culture and lifestyle. Their functions typically include promoting the Chinese culture, hosting national events, organizing holiday celebrations and assembling academic forums.
Networking is a major goal for most members as they seek to build their professional careers and establish life-long friendships with people from different backgrounds. In fact, a strong resume includes an association with a student society, especially one that is known for its cultural and social activities.
In addition to its regular business seminars and education services, ACA also offers naturalization assistance, ESL classes, social work services, choir classes and recreational activities at its three service centers in Detroit, Madison Heights and Canton. The association also works with government agencies to promote cordial relations between the United States and China. CCBA is also one of the oldest and most prominent community organizations in Chinatown, with its headquarters based on the “Chinese Six Companies” – the Hoy Sun Ning Yung, Hop Wo, Kong Chow, Sue Hing, Sam Yup and Yeong Wo.