The Peoria Chinese Association fosters friendship and fellowship among members through social activities. The organization’s clubs serve individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions. They unite around common interests, such as food, holidays and language.
China is a complex and dynamic society undergoing significant change. Consequently, its leadership is concerned about maintaining order and not allowing perceived challenges to spiral out of control.
Peoria Chinese Association
The Peoria Chinese Association is a non-profit organization that works to bridge the gap between Chinese culture and the local community. It organizes cultural events, educational business opportunities, and community service projects. It also offers social activities for its members and their families.
The PCA is a diverse group with clubs that focus on various interests, such as modern dance, zither playing, and calligraphy. Each club meets regularly to practice its craft. Members also participate in annual summer picnics and the Duanwu Festival, which honors a patriotic Chinese poet.
The PCA has collected and donated thousands of masks to area hospitals, first responders, and nursing homes. The association used donations to purchase masks from China and ship them to Peoria. These masks will help protect first responders, patients, and visitors from the pandemic.
CCBA
CCBA is a non-profit Chinese association in Augusta, Georgia. It is dedicated to preserving Chinese culture, advocating democracy, and helping fellow compatriots. It also aims to promote community service and organize social activities. In addition, it regularly welcomes government officials who visit Chinatown.
The CCBA was founded in the late 19th century. At that time, the Chinese Exclusion Act was in effect, and it was difficult to own property in Chinatown. Consequently, the CCBA erected a building with three stories, painted green, yellow and red (Chinese lucky colors).
CCBA has collaborated with several other nonprofit organizations in Augusta and at Augusta University. For example, it partnered with Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia for its annual Dragon Boat race and festival, Goodboats. This event was a fundraiser for both organizations. It has also worked with the Asian Family Caregiver Resource Directory and Beth Israel Hospital. It has held many other community events as well, such as the Summer picnic at Clark Hill Lake.
CAST
The Chinese Association of the United Kingdom was a society for people with connections to China. It was a social club, with dinner meetings and a range of activities. You can find records of it in the School of Oriental and African Studies archives. Membership lists and rosters may provide clues to your ancestor’s life and associates. Other associations included lineage or clan, family, and wooi-kun (district) associations, which were organized on the basis of surnames; guilds and other professional groups; secret societies in the form of large fraternal lodges and smaller fighting tongs; and Chinese Christians and community independents.
Engineering a Better Cast
CCC
The CCBA is the largest umbrella organization for Chinese American family associations and community organizations. It offers programs such as a health plan through Total Healthcare and Cantonese language classes. The CCBA also sponsors activities and organizes voter registration drives.
Historically, the CCC has sought social justice and economic opportunities for its members. It has lobbied the government and local chambers of commerce to advocate for its members. It also has worked with mainstream organizations to provide services for the Chinese community.
The CCCC is piloting a new mechanism to allow Divisions and Members to coalesce around exciting, emerging science topics that require a more focused approach than is possible within a Division or through other funding mechanisms. While coordination of programming is a key component, the CCCs are intended to provide a flexible framework for collaborating on other community-building and supporting activities as well. Ideally, this will lead to greater involvement by the entire ACS community.