>Zhang Zhaohong: The History and Character Stories of the Overseas Chinese Community in Phoenix City, United States "Preface 2"

Zhang Zhaohong: The History and Character Stories of the Overseas Chinese Community in Phoenix City, United States "Preface 2" Getting out of the vast road …

Walking out of the vast road

>Lv Baohua

I was in a foreign country, and I read Mr. Zhang Zhaohong's article on the history of Chinese people in Phoenix City and realistic cultural concepts with reverence. Every page I turned, every paragraph of text, and even every word, my heart was shaking, and there were also things that were difficult to express. I feel deeply that the Chinese people in the past walked a road full of vicissitudes; today the Chinese people are happy and harmonious with family members, and my mood has also changed from heavy to joyful and fortunate. With a sense of mission, Mr. Zhang painstakingly followed the footsteps of the old overseas Chinese and kept looking for old books and newspapers, but the records were extremely limited. During the visit, I found that there were a lot of deeds scattered among the people. The deeds of the Chinese were like pearls scattered in the desert, so I picked them up one by one to form a history book that combines words and pictures. He is a dedicated person, and he dedicates these works to the Chinese society here. I particularly admire his dedication! I can only express my respect to the overseas Chinese in a few words! In the turbulent Chinese society a hundred years ago, it was difficult for the people to make a living and survive. Groups of Chinese people bid farewell to their relatives and friends, stayed away from their hometowns, and broke into the wilderness and desert of the American West to survive and make a home. At that time, without recognizing the value of the Chinese people and excluding China, the Chinese people, who had been struggling for a long time, found ways to save themselves. Based on the clan system, we implemented mutual help and protected personal and economic interests, and established organizations such as "Deng Gaomi Office", "Yu Fengcaitang", "Huang Clan Association", "Longgang Office", "Chinese Business Association", and later the "Fei Ni Overseas Chinese Federation". These groups have distinct family characteristics. After being tempered by the country of long-term residence, they are the prelude to the development of the family into society, breaking the boundaries between independent individuals and families, and becoming a group of the Chinese society as a whole. The Chinese in Phoenix City have grown from 200 people in the early days to 100,000 today. They came here with Confucianism under the desert, hot and unfavorable natural conditions, and the gap between countries. They continue to absorb Western multiculturalism. Under the influence of Chinese and Western cultures, they have always regarded themselves as belonging to the nation, the country and the world. Their understanding of "sharing blessings and sharing hardships" does not simplify "doing good" and "doing good deeds". The overseas Chinese living in Phoenix, USA, have integrated the word "kindness" into the noble sentiment of taking responsibility for others, and have become the spiritual pillar of participating in social activities. Chinese people all over the world are the same. They have dual tasks, not only to create survival wealth for themselves, but also to create wealth for the people of the host country, so they need to create a good social environment for themselves. The Chinese community in Phoenix City, under the leadership of veteran overseas Chinese, has spared no effort in donating money and providing full support. After years of hard work, it has achieved several major goals and achieved achievements created by several generations: Few are educated. Successors are an indispensable and important condition for career development. To cultivate talents, we must first focus on education. Old overseas Chinese focus on the establishment of Chinese schools, teacher training, fund raising, school building selection, and determining educational policies based on the actual overseas situation. Children receive "bilingual" education from an early age. This is Phoenix's educational talent advantage. Have something to support you in old age. Caring for the elderly is not only a family matter, overseas Chinese communities also shoulder this burden together with families. The construction of "Kang Ning Building" and "Kangle Building" tells the overseas Chinese to spend their old age with peace of mind, and in the future they will gradually achieve the goal of being provided for, having a place to live, having fun, and having medical care. Let the elderly be healthy physically and mentally and enjoy human rights and dignity. People enjoy themselves. Most of the older generation of overseas Chinese have a history of bitter tears. In order to be happy, several generations of them came out of the desert wasteland after long-term struggle. Today in Greater Phoenix, old and new overseas Chinese, or Chinese from anywhere in the world, work hard to tolerate each other and live in harmony with each other. Use various festival forms to spread joyful songs, laughter, and heartfelt messages. The Spring Festival is celebrated from New Year's Eve to March of the following year. There are large, medium and small scales, making the New Year a prosperous one. There are as many traditional Chinese festivals as there are celebrations, and the National Day is also celebrated with great grandeur. In ordinary times, overseas Chinese leaders of associations call for activities such as tourism, photography, beauty pageants, lectures, visits, conferences, etc., with voluntary options, voluntary sponsorship, voluntary participation, and self-entertainment. Most people in the overseas Chinese community in Phoenix, whether organizers or participants, do not seek any benefits from various activities. "Voluntary obligation" is their highest principle. This established social custom is the spiritual pillar of career development. The deceased are at peace. The establishment of the Overseas Chinese Cemetery in Phoenix City is a symbol of the living's longing and respect for the deceased, allowing the deceased to rest in peace in the heavens; at the same time, it tells the living to remember their achievements and inherit the spirit of their predecessors. New and old overseas Chinese in Phoenix donated part of the money they earned through years of hard work to people affected by disasters at home and abroad; part of it was used to build our common home. The spirit of the Chinese overseas Chinese in Greater Phoenix will be passed down forever!

Beijing Lu Baohua April 24, 2011 in Phoenix City (Mr. Lu Baohua, a writer living in the United States in Beijing, is a former veteran cadre of the Ministry of Culture of China. He is a member of the Photographers Association, a member of the Collectors Association, and a member of the Chinese Folk Artists Association)

Mr. Lu Baohua (left) and Mr. Yu Wenjin took a photo