I am for the Association, the Association is for me (I)

By Shuli Xia (CAPA-BC)

In the recent past, I summarized the work of the CAPA-BC in four parts, and in the final part, I reported the financial situation of last year. I also put forward some ideas to ensure the long-term development of the community. That is, as Chinese immigrants in this new homeland, we must focus on building a strong community. We need to foster a community culture where those with financial means contribute financially, and those with strengths contribute in various capacities to community development. One of our association's key focuses is expanding our paid membership. This year's goal is to double the number of paid members, aiming for one hundred.

Being engaged in organizing within the Chinese community in the long term comes with significant burdens. The first burden stems from our background in a top-down political system. In China, all directives, laws, regulations, and systems come down from higher authorities. Some non-governmental organizations also follow orders from above, and individuals find it challenging to make a significant impact. Therefore, in the United States, many choose to remain oblivious to external affairs and focus solely on their studies in prestigious universities.

The democratic system in the United States operates from the grassroots level, allowing everyone the opportunity to express their voice. Whether in public schools or local government, you can dress formally, cite references in council chambers, and have your words contribute to the final decision. Of course, this is an ideal state, but at least, in terms of the ability to voice opinions, the United States is very different from China.

The current political environment in the United States is vastly different from when I first arrived over twenty years ago. Presently, there is significant division among the American people, with sharp polarization between left and right, increased racial tensions, and widening wealth gaps. This contrasts starkly with the image of the democratic and free country that we imagined during our student days. However, during a conversation with my American boss, he said, "American politics has been chaotic since the 1960s, with a few years of prosperity in between due to the dividends of high technology." In other words, what we are currently experiencing is the norm of American politics, highlighting the necessity for us Chinese to organize.

Due to the accustomed top-down political system in China, Chinese immigrants in the United States have not yet recognized the importance of grassroots and community organizations. How important is community organization? To put it bluntly, when negotiating for resources with the government, they recognize only organized entities, not individuals. If I hadn't contacted the director of the County Immigrant Affairs Office in the form of an organization last time, they wouldn't have arranged a community dialogue, and I wouldn't have collected the beneficial information and resources for everyone a few days ago.

The second burden of organizing as Chinese comes from our smaller population. In American society, various ethnicities and groups exist, but resources are limited. People compete for resources using the law of the jungle—those who cry get the milk. Whoever has the louder voice has a higher chance of obtaining resources. Although there are not many Chinese, we are still more numerous than certain groups like LGBTQ. They have created such a significant impact in the United States. While having a small population, it is even more necessary for us to contribute financially and actively organize. Individually, each person of an ethnic group may be formidable, but without a decent organization, when compared to other ethnic groups, it's like a sturdy hardwood chopstick versus a bamboo chopstick—there is a high probability of defeat.

The third burden for Chinese organizing is financial management. Whether from domestic or foreign news, we have heard and seen too much corruption. Although many Chinese people agree with the concept of organizing, when it comes to money matters, many hesitate. From the beginning of my involvement in CAPA-BC, I have stated that we should use this association as a "social experiment" to see if we can establish a democratic, united, efficient, and supervised system. Our financial statements from last year are public, and the association's finances are something I became aware of after taking over. We also have an auditing department. In addition to this, there are two bottom lines to reassure everyone. First, our association is registered in the United States, complying with U.S. tax and financial regulations. Second, considering the amount of work, both in quantity and quality, from the registration of the association until now, if I were to charge on an hourly basis, all the association's assets wouldn't be enough for me alone, not to mention the many other volunteers. Who would labor so hard, go through so much trouble, just for a small gain?!

Since choosing to live in the United States, it is essential to understand the rules of the game here and make adjustments accordingly. My vision is for Chinese people to develop a habit: regardless of whether we stay in a place for a long or short time, we should unite, come together to form a large organization, cultivate a group of individuals with political wisdom and organizational skills. These individuals can represent our community in places with Chinese people, such as schools and companies, deal with relevant departments, and protect the interests of Chinese people. In times of need, everyone supports each other. At the same time, the operation of this large organization requires the support of everyone in the community! (To be continued)

Click to join CAPA-BC: Link (One year $50, two years $100, membership calculation from 1/1-12/31 or from 7/1-6/30 (next year). Membership benefits are listed in the table and in previous articles.

Donation for Community Building:

Member Eligibility: Adults who are at least 18 years old and are residents of the Greater Baltimore area, MD, including Baltimore County, Baltimore City, and surrounding counties (Harford, Carroll, Anne Arundel, Cecil, etc.), are eligible to become members of CAPA-BC by registering with CAPA-BC and by agreeing to abide by CAPA-BC Bylaws and other official rules.
Benefits	Voting Member* 1-Year 2-Year Lifetime	General Member
Voting Rights	Yes	No
Officer Eligibility	Yes	No
Service hour	Yes	Yes
Awards	Yes	No
Classes	Discount	No discount
Selected Programs	Receive the highest priority	May be considered
Selected Seminars	Free	With a minimal fee
Webpage Forum	Yes	No
* Note: We accept credit cards and Paypal for the membership fee. If you are going to pay by check or Zelle, please use the general member button and fill out the registration form. Please write a check payable to CAPA-Baltimore. For Zelle information, please contact capabaltimore2023@gmail.com. Once we receive your payment, we will manually upgrade you to a voting member.