>Pearl in the Desert | History of Chinese in Arizona, United States (Seventy-four) Original historical books and publications 8. Overseas Chinese Women's Association

Arizona Chinese Historical Association Zhang Zhaohong 8. Overseas Chinese Women's Association In the "Special Issue to Commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Phoenix Chinese Seniors Association", there is an article about "Overseas...

Arizona Chinese Historical Association Zhang Zhaohong

8. Overseas Chinese Women's Association

In the "Special Issue Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Phoenix Chinese Seniors Association", there is information about the "Overseas Chinese Women's Association".

> Fang Huixian narrates: In 1983, the Senior Citizens Association opened a school focusing on Cantonese: the "Chinese Literature and Art Society", allowing Chinese children to have the opportunity to learn Chinese culture. The mothers who brought their children to school at that time were all immigrants from Guangdong who had applied to settle in the United States through relatives in the United States. Their average age was about thirty years old, and their children were all school-age students. Their parents were eager for their children to have the opportunity to learn Chinese, so they worked tirelessly to bring their children to class every Sunday.

While waiting for their children to finish class, mothers naturally communicated with each other, exchanging the hardships and experiences of life after immigrating to the United States, and telling each other in detail. This is when the "Overseas Chinese Women's Association" was born. At that time, the school had seven volunteer teachers, including Huang Shulian, Pei Xiayun, Fang Huixian, etc., who divided the students into classes based on their Chinese proficiency. There are also various recreational activities after school, such as Chinese folk dance classes, lion dance teams... I am a music educator and enjoy singing and choreographing folk dances. Students have been invited to perform in various parts of the community, parents sewed dance costumes, and students put on fancy costumes to perform on stage. During a period when there was a lack of programs representing Chinese culture, the students' performances were very popular, and students and parents participated excitedly.

I remember that one year, the Senior Citizens Association held an outdoor Lunar New Year event, renting the city government's mobile stage and sound equipment. Many dignitaries came to celebrate, set up food stalls, and used calligraphy brushes to write Chinese names for Chinese and American people, etc. Members and students performed different programs on the stage, which was very exciting and entertaining. This Spring Festival event was the first of its kind for Chinese to host an outdoor event. In the future, other groups will follow suit and hold it, and the Senior Citizens Association is always proud of it.

Overseas Chinese Women's Association devotes itself to serving overseas Chinese communities and dedicating itself to public welfare. Every year, a charity sale is held to raise funds, selling spring rolls, rice dumplings, rice cakes, moon cakes, etc., which is very popular among overseas Chinese. The funds raised cannot be used for other purposes, and all funds are used for public welfare. The association has long been concerned about the Feini Chinese Elderly Association. During every festive season, it pays tribute to the elderly by giving gifts or food. At the same time, he presided over the Chinese school, took charge of all school affairs, taught overseas Chinese, and benefited the overseas Chinese children and nephews. All these efforts and efforts for public welfare are in line with the purpose of "respecting the elderly and supporting the young" stated when the association was established.

Fang Huixian is the founder of Feini Chinese School and has served as the principal for eight years. She ran an English evening class for Chinese adults. During the school's run, all six classrooms were sometimes full, and she helped a large number of new immigrants. Many members of the Women's Association have worked as teachers in Chinese schools. The Women's Association has raised funds and food for school activities over the years, and awarded prizes and scholarships to students with excellent academic performance. In order to raise funds, in addition to charity sales of traditional Chinese delicacies, they also spread Chinese culture to different ethnic groups and schools, including Chinese culture lectures, food lectures, ethnic dances, Tai Chi, lion dance performances, etc.

The funds to establish Feini Chinese School were raised by the Overseas Chinese Federation. Overseas Chinese groups and people from the overseas Chinese community donated generously, and a total of more than 71,900 yuan was obtained. Among them, the group that donated the most was the Overseas Chinese Women's Association. Because it hosted the school, the Chinese Senior Citizens Association was finally qualified to apply for a tax-free license as a non-profit organization.

The reason for the success of the Overseas Chinese Women's Association has something to do with Fang Huixian, who served as the chairman of the Overseas Chinese Federation for six terms and the nine-term Women's Association. Fang Huixian joined the overseas Chinese community in 1976, served as the chairman of the Desert Jade Youth Association in 1979, and founded the "Overseas Chinese Women's Association" in 1983. They have participated in many activities. In the first episode of "Pearl of the Desert", Yu Wenjin, a senior overseas Chinese leader, commented on them:

The members of this group are smart, young and dignified, youthful and lively, full of vigor, and multi-talented. They are good at singing and dancing. They have done a great job in the activities held by the overseas Chinese community and have won praise from the majority of overseas Chinese. Especially this group of overseas girls, when they wear pink uniforms, they are uniform, beautiful and beautiful, and they feel like the icing on the cake. Performances of singing, dancing, comedy, etc. are rich and exciting, bringing a happy atmosphere to the overseas Chinese community from time to time. Every time the association performs, it is praised by the masses. These praises reflected the good evaluation of the association by the overseas Chinese. Among the activities of the overseas Chinese groups in the city at that time, the association indeed appeared to be "leading the way". The Overseas Chinese Women's Association has added a lot of bright colors to the cultural life of our overseas Chinese community, and is a lively and lovely "pistachio" in the community.

A few years ago, the Overseas Chinese Women's Association decided to dissolve its organization. They did not leave any books of their own group, and Fang Huixian’s article became the historical record of the association.

The Arizona Chinese Historical Association has preserved more than ten videos of the activities of the Overseas Chinese Women's Association. Their enthusiastic public welfare activities and lively image will remain in the memory of the Chinese in Phoenix, and they have also set a good example for Chinese women.

>Fang Huixian

Chinese women are enthusiastic about public welfare activities

, adding a lot of bright colors to the cultural life of overseas Chinese communities