What we’re about
As a Chinese kid growing up in Fresno, I always felt out of place. When I was in elementary and middle school, my dad would sometimes take my family to attend these Chinese Bow Wing Hong dinners. He told me that it was like a club for Taishanese people where men and women would get together to celebrate and/or commiserate about life in the US.
I would like to revive that sense of community here in the Bay Area. I would like to start a club for Taishanese people in the Bay Area where we can meet together and talk about what its like to be Chinese in America. My interests are Internal martial arts, reading Asian Literature, walking, discussing current events, keeping current with news, etc. Topics for discussion include: Impact of AI on people’s lives, autonomous driving, history, US China relations, and how they impact Taishanese, how to cope with racism, and mental health.
Some background about myself. My parents immigrated here from China with only an elementary school education and eventually opened a restaurant in Fresno. I spent my child and teen years working at the restaurant but yearned for something more. Against the odds, I graduated from CSU Fresno, Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Accounting in 1984 and I passed the CPA test right out of college. Despite my accomplishments, I was only able to find a suitable job 2 years later in the federal government in Mountain View. I would not be hired in the current environment.
I am looking to build a community of friends who wish to discuss what is happening to our country and where we fit in. Basically; a club to make friends and connections. I am also willing to share my knowledge of internal martial arts, if there is a need. Given the increase in crime and attacks on Asian Americans, I feel this is important as I was attacked last year in NYC on public transit while on vacation and had to defend myself and my daughter. I am hoping to meet with people in person and hopefully create a community and maybe we can network with other groups with similar interests. I hope to hear from my fellow Taishanese. I am a Sze Yup (Four County Village) person.
