Tang Xiaoxian: Recalling the preparations for the Tempe Chinese School

Tang Xiaoxian: Reminiscing the preparations for the Tempe Chinese School. After the reform and opening up in mainland China, the number of overseas students and immigrants of all types in the United States has increased year by year, giving Arizona...

Tang Xiaoxian: Recalling the preparations for the establishment of the Tempe Chinese School. After mainland China implemented reform and opening up, the number of overseas students and immigrants in the United States increased year by year, adding new strength to the Chinese community in the greater Phoenix area of ​​Arizona. In the mid-1990s, I talked with Mr. Pang Bangcheng and Mr. Ji Liangjun about the possibility of establishing a Jiangsu hometown association to carry out social activities, given that there are many people from Jiangsu. They were very in favor of it. As a result, the Association of Jiangsu Provincials, the first new immigrant organization in Arizona, was formally established in 1994. At the same time, the first board of directors was formed, consisting of seven people including Pang Bangcheng (president), Ji Liangjun (vice president), Tang Xiaoxuan (Tang Xiaoxian, secretary-general), Yu Xiaoguang, Jiang Xinmin, Cheng Yan, and Cao Yi. The Jiangsu Association is registered as a non-profit organization with the state government. At the first council meeting, it was unanimously agreed that we should do good things and do practical things for the Chinese compatriots. Cheng Yan and others pointed out that the children of international students from mainland China who have reached school age are in urgent need of a Chinese school that teaches Chinese pinyin, Mandarin, and simplified Chinese characters, so that the children can have the opportunity to learn Chinese from an early age. The board of directors decided to establish a Chinese school and appointed me to be responsible for it. Ji Liangjun proposed that the school be named Tempe Chinese School because at that time, most of the international students and their families at the state university lived in Tempe, and everyone agreed. At that time, we started from scratch and faced four major problems and one unknown: namely, class venues, funding, teachers, teaching materials, and how many students would sign up. I contacted the City of Tempe and found the Edna Vihel Activity Center, which offers free community events next to the Tempe Public Library. I went to contact him, decided on the venue for the opening ceremony, and agreed to borrow the classroom for one semester. Classes are held every Saturday morning, but there are several times when the classroom has been arranged, so I have to find a classroom at the state university MU temporarily. At that time, almost all international students had to work-study and had limited income. Therefore, in the first semester of the Tempe Chinese School, the tuition fee for each student was only twenty US dollars. We posted an advertisement for Chinese school teachers on the bulletin board of the Chinese Noodle Factory in the Chinese Supermarket. Ms. Guo Suxing, who was visiting relatives from Shanghai, applied for the job. After Pang Bangcheng and I visited, we decided to hire Teacher Guo as the first teacher of the school. In the process of organizing the Chinese school, the Jiangsu Association also received strong support from the Chinese Students and Scholars Association of Arizona State University. An enthusiastic person from Taiwan, Mr. Zhang Fangji, approached Mr. Ding Zonghao, the president of the association at that time, and expressed his hope to open a Chinese school with a mainland background and provide teaching materials. Mr. Ding quickly introduced Mr. Zhang to us and we welcome his participation. I went to various apartment groups to interview people studying abroad in mainland China, to learn about their children and write down their phone numbers. A total of about 20 to 30 children will come to school. After more than half a year of preparations, on a Saturday in the fall of 1995, the Tempe Chinese School held its opening ceremony in a Community Room of the Edna Vihel Activity Center. I served as the principal. In addition to teachers and students, parents, Jiangsu Association members, and state university students, people from the community who care about the school also came to warmly congratulate and make generous donations. As soon as the brief opening ceremony ended, Teacher Guo taught the children. Local Chinese newspapers have reported on the establishment of Tempe Chinese School. The domestic publication "Jianghai Overseas Chinese" (now known as "Chinese Times") published the article "The birth of a Chinese school in Arizona, USA" in the 11th issue in 1995. The author was signed by Tang Xiaoxuan. Soon, Teacher Guo's family visit period ended and he returned to Shanghai. At the same time, the number of students increased, and classes were divided into classes. Teachers Lu Ping and Li Hang were also hired to teach at the school. The Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Los Angeles once sent directors to the school to visit teachers, students and parents, and allocated sponsorship funds. While I was using the free classroom in this activity center to attend classes, I received letters from the person in charge of the center more than once, complaining that some parents spoke loudly and some students were in poor order, which affected others. I communicated with everyone in a timely manner to draw your attention. However, some habits are hard to break. Unfortunately, before the end of the semester, I received a written notice from the Edna Vihel Activity Center. Due to the above reasons, I refused to lend the classroom to the Tempe Chinese School next semester. During the winter vacation, we borrowed a vacant Sunday school classroom on Saturdays at the University Presbyterian Church at the southwest corner of the intersection of College and Alameda roads in Tempe. We continued classes here after the winter vacation, but we had to pay a low rent. When Tempe Chinese School was founded, the Jiangsu Association Council acted as the school board of directors. As the school continues to expand and the situation continues to change, a management organization with parent representatives as the main body is needed to determine the school's direction, textbook selection, curriculum and other specific issues. Therefore, the Jiangsu Association complied with the situation and ended the management of the school. I also said goodbye to the teachers, students, and parents, and left the school. Mr. Chen Pu became the second principal of Tempe Chinese School. Tempe Chinese School has now been renamed Hope Chinese School. Email: wm-tang@hotmail.com