Chinese Americans From Around the Nation: 2024 UCA Convention

By JRC Reporters: Kenneth Shue, Sophie Huang and Angie Shen

From June 28th to 29th of 2024, student leaders from CAPA-MC’s THRIVE, SEEDS, and Growing & Giving clubs attended the 2024 Chinese Americans Convention hosted by the United Chinese Americans (UCA) at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington DC.

This year’s conference, themed “Embracing the New Civil Rights Movement,” attracted nearly 700 participants from across the United States. The event showcased the strength and voice of the Chinese American community and united their hopes and confidence for the future.

           We shared our clubs’ goals and achievements with other Chinese American students passionate about civic engagement within the community.

            Through this convention, we were not only able to recognize the hard work our Asian American peers put into their projects, but we also gained the opportunity to connect with them. Our stand neighbor, iHub at Dice, hailing from New Jersey, emphasized the importance of youth storytelling and social justice. They expressed interest in our Growing and Giving Club’s Zero Hero plastic film recycling initiative, as well as the endeavors of our Special Education Equal Development Society (SEEDS). This experience opened doors to potential interstate collaboration opportunities, for which we are profoundly grateful.

The THRIVE Healthy Living Club co-hosted a “show and tell” event to demonstrate activities that promote overall well-being by fostering resilience and healthy living practices. This event emphasized the importance of youth mental health and leadership. We also learned about other impactful mental health projects, such as the BOBA (Building Our Bonds Authentically) Project, an online program aimed at understanding the experiences of Asian American teens (12-18 years). These initiatives highlighted the importance of working together to create brighter tomorrows for our families and thriving AAPI communities.

Additionally, we gained insights into research and data gaps from The Mental Health Summit, which focused on improving mental health services for the Chinese American community. The National Youth Conference further explored ways to maintain and renew culture, heritage, and identity in America, discussing experiences in a multigenerational and multiracial democratic nation.

            For us, the UCA convention was truly inspiring. A plethora of creative ideas and steps towards change, all visualized and encapsulated within a single hotel. The many innovative perspectives highlighted the importance of this gathering, and we are hopeful to see even greater and larger convocations in future years.

CAPA-MC 蒙郡华裔家长联合会参加2024年全美华人峰会

JRC记者：Kenneth Shue, Sophie Huang, Angie Shen

2024年6月28日至29日，来自CAPA-MC的THRIVE、SEEDS和Growing & Giving俱乐部的学生义工们参加了在华盛顿特区的Omni Shoreham酒店举办的全美华人联合会（UCA）2024年全美华人峰会。今年的会议主题为“拥抱新民权运动”，吸引了来自全美近700名与会者。此次活动展示了华人社区的力量和声音，并凝聚了他们对未来的希望和信心。

我们与其他热衷于社区公民参与的华裔学生分享了我们俱乐部的目标和成就。通过这次大会，我们不仅认识到亚裔同龄人对他们项目的辛勤付出，还获得了与他们联系的机会。来自新泽西州的iHub at Dice在我们的展位旁边，他们强调了青少年讲故事和社会正义的重要性。他们对我们“Growing and Giving Club”的零废塑料薄膜回收计划以及我们“特殊教育平等发展协会（SEEDS）”的努力表现出了兴趣。THRIVE健康生活俱乐部联合参加了一场“展示与交流”活动，以展示促进整体健康的活动，通过培养复原力和健康生活实践来强调青少年心理健康和领导力的重要性。我们还了解到其他有影响力的心理健康项目，例如“BOBA（Building Our Bonds Authentically）项目”，这是一个旨在了解12至18岁亚裔美国青少年经历的在线项目。这些倡议强调了共同努力为我们的家庭和繁荣的亚裔社区创造更加繁荣明天的重要性。这次经历为我们打开了州际合作的潜在机会，我们对此深表感激。

此外，我们还从心理健康峰会上了解到研究和数据方面的差距，该峰会重点关注改善华裔美国人社区的心理健康服务。全国青年会议进一步探讨了在美国保持和更新文化、遗产和身份的方法，讨论了在多代和多种族民主国家中的经验。

对我们来说，UCA大会确实令人振奋。无数的创意和变革步骤，所有这些都在一个美丽的酒店中得以展现和实现。许多创新的视角凸显了这次聚会的重要性，我们期待在未来看到更好更大规模的大会。