Oregon Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Assoc. reflects on history while looking towards the future
PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - From the first Chinese immigrants in the 1850’s to the thousands that live in Oregon today, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association has been there offering a guiding hand.
“For long time, we are the spokesperson for the community,” explained CCBA President, Victor Leo.
According to the Oregon CCBA website, the CCBA was formed in the late 19th century to assist Chinese individuals in their struggle with discrimination in employment, business, and citizenship, especially in the years following the implementation of the Chinese Exclusion Act.
CCBA Vice President, Neil Lee, recounted a few instances in Oregon history, where the Chinese community really needed to lean on the help of the CCBA. Including Oregon City in 1886, when a mob of 40 men forcibly expelled Chinese workers, driving them onto a steamboat and shipping them to Portland. And about a month later in Mt. Tabor, a group of men rounded up Chinese workers at gun point, “they marched them down to Chinatown, and said ‘Don’t come back!’” said Lee.
“All we could do was help them, get them acclimated, get new work for them, get them a place to stay.”
During that time, the CCBA Headquarters on NW Davis St. housed people on the fourth floor, with little rooms partitioned off, until the CCBA was able to get them into new housing.
In the last 50 years, the CCBA has been more focused on cultural preservation and promotion, acting as the brains behind several things that have become a part of Portland, such as the China Town Gateway and the Rose Festival dragon boat races.
“The China Town gate was created in 1986 to commemorate the 135 years of contributions by the Chinese Community to the City of Portland,” shared CCBA Board Member, Marcus Lee.
Where the gate was made, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, became one of Portland’s Sister Cities, and that relationship is the reason behind the annual Dragon Boat Race at the Portland Rose Festival.
Today CCBA runs its Chinese Language School, the Chinese Cemetery, and the CCBA History Museum. The museum resides on the fourth floor of the historic CCBA building. An all-volunteer effort, it doesn’t operate on set hours, but by appointment only. If you would like to visit the museum, you are asked to reach out ahead of time.
“The stories need to be passed down otherwise the history is going to be forgotten and to me that is the importance of the museum,” said Marcus Lee. “Not only to share the contributions of the Chinese community over the decades but also to illustrate to the future generations why they need to respect and honor those that came before them because of the hurdles they’ve had to overcome so that the road is a little smoother than it used to be.”
The Chinese Language School, established in 1901, was at one point the only place the children of Chinese Immigrants could receive an education, now it’s where students from all walks of life study and learn Chinese – Mandarin and Cantonese. Historically run out of the CCBA building, it has been relocated to the second floor of Mt. Scott Hall within the campus of Portland Community College.
Looking towards the future, the leaders of the CCBA say it will continue for another few hundred years, changing with the times and needs of the community.
Lunar New Year
On Saturday, Feb. 28, you can join the CCBA for the Annual Chinese New Year Cultural Fair.
The event held in partnership with the Portland Times and Portland Art and Culture Center will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Oregon Convention Center.
There will be dozens of food, cultural, and artisan booths, as well as a full line up of live stage performances including dragon dances and martial arts demonstrations.
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