Amy Wu

Opinion | Chinese culture has the power to unite – even in the US

The multigenerational and multi-ethnic student body of a Chinese language centre in upstate New York shows that interest in Chinese culture remains strong in the US

At a time when hate crimes against Asian-Americans are on the rise, such centres not only preserve cultural heritage but also offer hope

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Pedestrians cross 10th Street in the Chinatown neighbourhood of Philadelphia, in July 2022. Photo: AP

Amy Wu

Published: 3:30am, 15 Apr 2023Updated: 4:21am, 15 Apr 2023

Over the past few months, I’ve become an expert in making wontons, among other Chinese dishes. It was rather serendipitous that I discovered the Mid-Hudson Chinese Language Centre here in upstate New York, roughly 120km (75 miles) north of New York City, in a place where most of the population is white. The language centre also offers cooking and art classes, such as lantern making and traditional drumming.

I became immersed in the centre earlier this year, after a friend forwarded me an invite for a Lunar New Year gathering with the promise of delicious food. So, I rang in the Year of the Rabbit with well over 100 attendees, many of them families enrolled in Chinese language schools and all of them members of the community of those interested in Chinese culture.

I was particularly impressed by the children and youth who entertained us with dragon dances, tanggu drums and xiangsheng (crosstalk) skits. A mini orchestra of American-born Chinese teenagers played Teresa Teng’s classic “The Moon Represents My Heart” with stringed instruments. I swiftly signed up for the cooking classes where I joined a motley crew of students who shared a common passion for acquiring or retaining Chinese culture.

Young performers in tiger masks carry flags down Market Street as part of the annual Lunar New Year parade in San Francisco’s famed Chinatown neighbourhood on February 19, 2022. Photo: Reuters

The classes attracted retirees, Chinese cuisine enthusiasts, and the spouses of Chinese and Chinese-Americans who wanted to learn conversational Mandarin. It pulled in American-born Chinese like myself who were desperate not to relinquish our already limited vocabulary and connection with our roots. The centre was an unofficial hub for parents who did not want their children to lose their link to their family history.

The diversity of the student body – multigenerational and multi-ethnic – speaks volumes about the strong interest in Chinese culture.

To be sure, the network of Chinese language schools across the country plays a critical role in cultural preservation. The Chinese School Association in the United States has more than 300 member schools across 41 states.

These schools help preserve the heritage passed down by our ancestors – rituals, music, festivals, recipes, language – giving us a chance to celebrate our past and tap into our personal histories.