2006 Events

Second Open House

October 15, 2006

On October 15, 2006 CHF held its second annual open house. We welcomed many loyal members as well as interested newcomers. In addition to the many delectable hors douververs, members enjoyed the tea tasting presented by TeaSource of St. Paul. Owner Bill Waddington was a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide to the many varieties of teas he brought with him. Younger members were particularly drawn in by his animated anecdotes about his frequent collecting trips to China.

The photo displays and press notices of our second yearâ€(tm)s activities also drew much interest. Hearing grant recipients describing the wide-ranging natures of their works added to the scope and significance of our Foundationâ€(tm)s grant making. Mrcus Young spoke about his painting at the Walker Art Center, and Evelyn Lee spoke about the increasingly popular Dragon Festival at Lake Phalen in St. Paul. Playwright Jeany Park spoke about her upcoming play, 100 Menâ€(tm)s Wife, at the History Theatre. Dr. Eric Weitz and Dr. Christopher Issett (in Chinese) from the History Department at the University of Minnesota spoke about the importance and long-term impact of the newly created CHF Fellowship in WWII in East Asia.

To cap off a full afternoon, we launched our new program, Chinese Minnesotan of Note, and announced our first honoree, dancer and choreographer Shen Pei. Shen spoke movingly about her 12 years in Minnesota, what it had meant to her artistically, and the new frontiers she is looking forward to in retirement.

See photo gallery...

 

Second Annual Members' Meeting

February 9, 2006

The second annual members' meeting was held on the 12th day of the Chinese New Year of 4703 at The Minneapolis Foundation.

A surprise afternoon snowstorm snarled traffic coming into downtown Minneapolis and derailed the plans of several members who had planned on attending. Emmett Carson, president of The Minneapolis Foundation, welcomed the 10 stalwart members who had braved the storm and arrived safe and sound. He congratulated us on having finished a strong inaugural year and, after treating himself to several gingko nuts, wished us an equally long and productive life. Ming Tchou, our own founder, pronounced her satisfaction on our progress, and looked forward to the continuing process of evaluating the past and chartering our course for the future.

Among the grant awards given over the last 14 months, the most notable was the establishment of an endowed graduate fellowship at the University of Minnesota to study the history of WWII in China. Housed in the History Department, recipients of this fellowship will study the history leading up to the War, the War itself, and its effects after 1945.

New initiatives in the coming year will include the beginning of a compilation of Chinese Minnesotans of Note, Philanthropy among the Second Generation, and the needs of Chinese adoptees in the state. Please watch these pages for more information and announcements.

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Travel Asia: Asian Pacific Heritage Month Celebration at Brookdale Library, May 13, 2006

Our Foundation's peripatetic calligraphy team joined in the celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month at the Brookdale Library on the afternoon of May 13. Organized by Nong Lee, Hmong Outreach Liaison of the Library, the celebration included cultural exhibits, craft demonstrations, and music and dance performances. Our volunteers offered free translations and calligraphy of Chinese names to many interested participants. In two short hours we did 65 names! Everyone had a wonderful time!

See photo gallery...