Over 80 Overseas Chinese Leaders from the Americas to Meet in Arcadia to Discuss Future Development of Community Organizations
The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of Los Angeles announced on the 18th that the 35th annual conference of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Associations of the Americas will be held from August 22 to 24 in Arcadia. More than 80 overseas Chinese community representatives from North America, Central and South America, and Taiwan will gather to discuss the situation of overseas Chinese communities and the future development of community organizations.
Executive Director Zhang Zihao said the association was founded in 1976 with the mission of helping overseas Chinese organizations support each other, uniting the overseas Chinese community, promoting Chinese culture, and nurturing young Chinese Americans. The conference is held every two years in different U.S. cities, and this year it is Los Angeles' turn.
Members are distributed across more than 20 U.S. cities including New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles, as well as Canada, Brazil, and Paraguay. In addition to representatives from local Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Associations, Chinese community centers, and overseas Chinese associations, delegates from Taiwan's Overseas Chinese Association and the Overseas Chinese Federation will also attend.
Nie Zeying, president of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of Los Angeles, said that the earlier generations of overseas Chinese crossed the oceans and put down roots, and now the Chinese American community has developed very well in the Americas. Organizations such as associations and community centers have been maintaining contact with fellow townspeople, serving the community, spreading culture, protecting Chinese rights, and promoting Taiwan-U.S. exchanges.
He said that over the decades, local overseas Chinese organizations have relied on this biennial conference to exchange experiences and pool strength. The conference is not just a gathering, but also a platform for discussing where Chinese organizations should go in the future.
Zhang Haojun, director of the Overseas Community Affairs Council's Los Angeles office, said that preparations for this year's conference have been underway for several months, with nine working groups established. The council and the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of Los Angeles will jointly host the presidents of 69 overseas Chinese organizations from across the U.S. and Central and South America, along with 14 family members, hoping the delegates will have ample exchanges.
The opening ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. on the 23rd at the Arcadia Hilton Hotel. Expected attendees include Overseas Community Affairs Council Chairperson Hsu Chia-ching, Deputy Director Chen Ling-hsin of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, U.S. Representative Judy Chu, California Assemblymember Mike Fong, and former California Assemblymember Mike Eng.
After the ceremony, Hsu will host a forum on overseas Chinese affairs, discussing the future priorities for overseas community work. Leaders from various regions will also share the situation in their local overseas Chinese communities during a symposium and discuss how the Americas' overseas Chinese community can cooperate in the future. At 6:30 p.m., a banquet will be held at Golden Dragon Restaurant in Los Angeles' Chinatown, with representatives from more than 100 Los Angeles area overseas Chinese organizations also expected to attend.
