The Arizona Chinese Historical Association held a board of directors meeting

The Arizona Chinese Historical Association held a board of directors meeting (Newsletter of the Arizona Chinese Historical Association) On May 27, 2017, the Arizona Historical Society held its first board meeting at the Silver Dragon Restaurant...

(Newsletter of the Arizona Chinese Historical Society) On May 27, 2017, the Arizona Historical Society held its first board of directors meeting at the Silver Dragon Restaurant. At the meeting, the division of labor, specific tasks of the board members, and the future development direction of the association were determined. The meeting was chaired by President Zhang Zhaohong. In his speech, he said that after more than two years of planning, the "Arizona Chinese Historical Association" has been officially established with the support of the majority of overseas Chinese. The association will actively carry out the work of collecting, researching and passing on Chinese history in the United States and Alberta. Due to historical reasons, objective records of the Chinese ancestors are very scarce. The Chinese are part of the immigrant community in the United States and, together with other immigrants, make up American society. Overseas Chinese have not only made indelible historical contributions to the development of American society with their wisdom, talent and spirit of hard work, but have also brought with them China's excellent cultural thoughts and educational concepts, enriching the political, humanistic and economic life of the United States. But we cannot accept some distorted and derogatory records of the Chinese in history. History needs to be restored to its true colors. Now more and more Chinese are aware of the importance of discovering, protecting and improving the history of Chinese immigration, thereby promoting a correct understanding and evaluation of Chinese history and Chinese people. Currently, Chinese history research groups and organizations have been established in many states and cities in the United States. President Zhang Zhaohong has been collecting and organizing the history of the Chinese in Alberta for thirty years. So far, he has published two printed and multiple electronic versions of the "Pearl of the Desert" book collection on the history of the Chinese people's struggle. More than 20 years ago, Alberta writer and scholar Tang Xiaoxian first reported information about finding information on Chinese tombstones. But how easy was it to find them at that time? President Zhang had a heavy workload at the time and could only keep the information first, but he never gave up thinking and collecting information. It was not until recent years that he finally solved the "mystery of the tombstone." The Chinese Welfare Association also built a commemorative tombstone for the Chinese ancestors in Phoenix City. During this process, he and Mr. Tang Xiaoxian formed an indissoluble bond, and they discussed together how to establish a Chinese history association, and hoped that through this association, they could unite the strength of the overseas Chinese community in Alberta and do a good job in discovering and researching the history of Chinese people in Alberta. Vice President Tang Xiaoxian pointed out in his speech that the establishment of the Chinese Historical Association not only aroused strong responses from the local Chinese community, but also received warm praise and congratulatory letters from overseas Chinese. The establishment of the Alberta Chinese Historical Association is a major event and a good thing for the overseas Chinese community. Chinese history always needs someone to develop it, someone to record it and someone to pass it on. This is a heavy historical burden and a humanistic responsibility. He believed that with the concerted efforts of everyone, the association would not disappoint. Secretary-General Yu Minxin is full of confidence in the work of the association. Now he is translating the third volume of the "Pearl of the Desert" series on the century-old history of Chinese in Alberta written by Zhang Zhaohong. The content in the book records the deeds of outstanding Chinese in the history of Alberta. He believes that the content is very weighty and meaningful. He has reviewed many historical documents and strives to respect and translate the original texts so that new books in Chinese and English can be introduced to readers this year, and also allow Chinese Americans and mainstream society to see the contribution of Chinese ancestors to the history of Alberta. Ruan Aiming, the director of the association, has been helping Chinese students in every possible way for decades and has become a good story in the Chinese community. She has put forward constructive suggestions for the development of the association. Public Relations Director Xu Qiang hopes that while adhering to the work of Chinese history, the association can also serve as a cooperation platform for Chinese cultural and artistic exchanges, promote the positive role of Chinese culture in the multicultural society of the United States, and enhance the social status of Chinese in the United States. The Chinese advocate the idea of ​​harmony, which increasingly makes the American people realize that only by living in harmony can common development be achieved. Directors Liang Yueyuan, Huang Lilong, Xie Chengyan and Chen Lijun expressed their views on the association's information resource sharing, fund management and operation, media promotion and interaction, domestic and overseas liaison and exchanges with fraternal societies, and organizing Chinese history lectures and theme activities. At the meeting, everyone spoke freely, offered ideas and suggestions, and the atmosphere was lively. They were full of confidence in the development of the association and deeply felt the great responsibility. The Arizona Chinese Historical Association believes that retrieving the forgotten Chinese history and discovering the Chinese contributions to American society has a long way to go and requires the support and participation of more people, because only by understanding the past can we have a better future. (Written by Chen Lijun, photographed by Xie Chengyan)

Back row of photos from right: President Zhang Zhaohong, Vice President Tang Xiaoxian, Secretary General Yu Minxin, Public Relations Xu Qiang. Front row from right: Secretary Chen Lijun, Auditor Liang Yueyuan, Conference Affairs Ruan Aiming, Overseas Liaison Huang Lilong, Internet Network Xie Chengyan, (Financial Yang Ping was absent due to something else.)