Chinatown: OrganizationsCCBA

The entrance to the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association Chinese Community Center Inc.

We interviewed Mr. Johnson Lee, a secretary who has been with the organization for a year and a half. The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) was founded 125 years ago in 1883 and its role was to serve and uphold the interests of Chinatown residents. At that time, there were only a few thousand Chinese immigrants residing within Chinatown and most of them came to this country to look for better opportunities. The CCBA helped these immigrants get jobs and aided them in the process of opening up stores and running businesses. Even in the 1950’s when an influx of Chinese immigrants settled in Chinatown as a result of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act, CCBA sought to help these new arrivals find jobs.

As time passed, CCBA’s functions expanded and it started serving a greater role in helping its constituents. CCBA is politically unaffiliated and some of its functions include providing social services, preserving Chinese culture, and addressing Chinese-American issues. In addition to this, the CCBA sponsors education and it does so by maintaining a Chinese school and day care center within its premises. Since the CCBA is privately funded (its only sources of income include a Chinese school and day center and rent from four store fronts that are in the same building) for matters such as employment, job training, and housing, they refer their clients to bigger federally funded organizations such as the Chinese Planning Council and Asian Americans for Equality. Lastly, this vital organization works with federal and city governments to provide many kinds of opportunities to Chinese residents. The organization also serves the needs of tourists and restaurant owners.

Before September 11th, CCBA was doing fairly well in serving the Chinese community. When garment factories in Chinatown closed down due to high maintenance costs and moved overseas to Mexico, the CCBA helped refer jobless women to available jobs in the home care industry. The Aftermath of September 11th caused many workers to lose their jobs and many of them were not able to access the CCBA due to heavy traffic and roadblocks. As a result, the CCBA worked with the city government to free those roadblocks and although there was some success, the courts refuse to allow citizens complete access around Chinatown for some time. In addition, this organization did its best to provide the unemployed with new jobs, even if that meant referral to other organizations. To this day, the organization still upholds its duties in the service of Chinatown residents and definitely works to make Chinatown a better community for all.