01/01/2025, Five Chinese-American elected officials in the Bay Area communicated face-to-face with Chinese-American teenagers and talked about social responsibility and citizenship. About 60 high school students, parents, community members and leaders, and five Chinese-American officials gathered at a restaurant in Newark, East Bay, to have a dialogue and exchange on topics such as political participation, public services, and cultural roots that are of concern to the Chinese community.
Union City Vice Mayor Yaoming Wang encouraged Chinese children to master the Chinese language. If they can give speeches in Chinese when they enter the political arena in the future, it will have far-reaching significance in promoting Chinese culture.
Sonoma City Councilor Junhui Ding recounted the contribution of Chinese workers in Sonoma to the construction of wineries 150 years ago and the neglected history.
Fremont City Councilor Yajing Zhang encouraged young people to start with small things within their capabilities and not to engage in public services for the sake of the spotlight. “When you do something useful for the community, you will be recognized by the public.” She said that the Chinese are role models for the community, but the introverted characteristics of the culture sometimes restrict the enthusiasm for expression and interaction. There should be more mutual praise, support, and help, so that the Chinese community can have greater influence.
Mayor of Cupertino Liangfang Zhao pointed out the importance of voting in a democratic society. “Only when everyone speaks together we can gain rights and strength.” She emphasized that the political differences in the United States are serious now. In elections at all levels, especially local elections, the difference between victory and defeat is often only a few dozen or a few votes, so the Chinese vote is very important. She called on the Chinese to actively participate in the democratic process and promote the essence of Chinese culture to the world.
The elected city councilman of Milpitas William Lam used his experience as a candidate to encourage young people to contribute to society. He ran for office out of concern for community safety and was considered a long shot, but he was never discouraged.
Bryan Chen, student president of the Youth Horizons Cultural Connection Association (YHCCA) spoke about his visit to Hubei, China, last year as a result of his participation in the “China in the Eyes of America – American Young People Telling Stories of Hubei with Cameras and Paintbrushes” event, which deepened his knowledge and understanding of Chinese history and culture. This Christmas they went to Mexico to donate to poor primary schools and realized the importance of social responsibility.
Some of YHCCA members joined this event.
Report of this event:
Youth Horizon 