C.A.C.A.

in the Beginning

Though that prophesy appeared in the Daily Alta California on May 12, 1852, Chinese immigrants were slow in achieving such expectations. The inevitable economic adjustments in an unsettled new world, as well as old world conservatism contributed to the apparent lack of progress. By the end of the 19th century, the Chinese, who had been brought to this country in great numbers as cheap labor to help build the railroads, later became this country's scapegoats when poor economic conditions and high unemployment became prevalent. Public opinion became openly prejudiced against Chinese, so much so that in denying a Chinese the right to testify in court against a white person, the California Supreme Court stated that the Chinese were "a race of people whom nature has marked as inferior, and who are incapable of progress or intellectual development beyond a certain point;" and to allow them to testify would "admit them to all equal rights of citizenship, and we might as soon see them at the polls, in the jury box, upon the bench, and in our legislative halls. (People v. Hall, (1854)4 Cal. 339, 405)

Formation of New Organization

Against this backdrop, a small group of young Chinese Americans, born and raised in the United States, assembled in San Francisco and decided that they would have to take matters into their own hands if they were going to combat this sentiment and accelerate the process of assimilation. They found that they not only had to fight the hostile public opinion against their Chinese ancestry, but they also had to overcome the skepticism of their own elders who felt that these young upstarts were becoming too Americanized and were forgetting the ideals of the old country. Despite this opposition, this group of Chinese Americans believed in the importance of their American birth and felt that they nevertheless had a role to play in shaping this country. They were not easily discouraged and believed that, in the final analysis, they could be judged on the basis of their own actions and achievements. The Chinese American community needed leaders with their background and their crusading spirit to actively participate in and partake of the advantages of American ideals, traditions, and institutions.

Thus, the fraternal order of the Native Sons of the Golden State came into existence in San Francisco. First incorporated in the State of California by Chun Dick in 1895, the group was later reorganized in 1904 by Walter U. Lum, Joseph K. Lum, and Ng Gunn. By 1912, other Chinese Americans in communities outside of San Francisco learned of the organization and wanted to form local chapters. Oakland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles soon became the nucleus of the Grand Parlor. One year later, units in Fresno and San Diego were added, making it a statewide organization.

New Charter

Membership in the organization was at first confined to Chinese males born within the State of California, but as more and more requests came to establish branches elsewhere, it became apparent that a complete reorganization was necessary. The name,'"Native Sons of the Golden State," no longer adequately described the national organization that was planned, so a new charter was taken out in 1915 under the name, the "Chinese American Citizens Alliance." The Grand Lodge became the highest governing body of the Alliance with its officers elected duing each biennial convention. Local lodges in San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego, Fresno, Portland, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Boston each had their own board of officers and associates. In addition, each local lodge annually chose a Grand Representative to serve in a Liaison capacity between their own lodge and the Grand Lodge.

By 1920, the building housing the National HeadQuarters at 1044 Stockton Street in San Francisco was completed. The grand opening celebration on August 10th of that year brought into full realization the plans conceived in Los Angeles in 1914, perfected in San Francisco in 1915, and carried out in Oakland in 1917.

In later years, other lodges were opened in San Antonio, Houston, Albuquerque, Tucson, Phoenix, Sunnyvale (now renamed Peninsula Lodge), Washington DC, New York, and Sacramento. From that small group of men in San Francisco, the Alliance became a national organization. In 1977, another milestone in membership was achieved when women were admitted as members for the first time. Since then, a number of women have been elected to hold office in local lodges, including the office of president. By the national convention in Houston in 1993, the numbers of male and female presidents of regional lodges were almost equal. In 1997, at the convention in Phoenix, Nancy Ann Gee was elected as the first woman to hold the office of National Grand President .
 

CACA Mission Statement

Cardinal Principles

The Cardinal Principles upon which the Alliance was founded are

No members are permitted to use provincial, clannish, Tong or political pressure against one another." Every local chapter has dedicated itself to civic pride, community service, and good citizenship''.

Fighting For Civil Rights

Throughout its history, the Alliance has vigorously fought against every attempt in this country to disfranchise citizens of Chinese ancestry, whether by segregating Chinese children in the public schools, or by applying regulations discriminatorily against Chinese businesses. Many community projects, such as the San Francisco Chinatown Playground and a Chinatown police substation, have been due to the efforts and influence of Alliance members. Efforts in San Francisco Chinatown have been particularly strong . and have included the following: the Mei Lun Yuen Housing project, the Chinese Recreational Center, the Ping Yuen Housing project, the Gateway to Chinatown project at Grant Avenue and Bush Street, the Chinese Hospital, the North East Medical Services, and the Chinatown branch of the Employment Service. Working with parents to fight the forced busing of Chinese American children in San Francisco, the Chinese American Citizens Alliance was able to get the school district to finally address their concerns and work more closely with the Chinatown community.

The Alliance has been instrumental in getting many unfair laws changed. It spearheaded the fight against the inhumane separation of American citizens from their wives brought on by the immigration Act of 1924. The Chinese American Citizens Alliance successfully campaigned in 1936 for partial alleviation of this hardship. Walter U. Lum, Kenneth Y. Fung, and Peter Wong of San Francisco Lodge, George Pong of Detroit Lodge, Peter Soo-Hoo and Y. C. Hong of Los Angeles Lodge, W. L. Sun of Portland Lodge, and many other officers repeatedly appeared before immigration Committees during various sessions of Congress to plead their cause. On August 9, 1946, the matter was successfully concluded with the passage of a law granting nonquota status to Chinese wives of American citizens.

A provision of the Judd Bill, H.R. 199, attempted to eliminate this nonquota status for Chinese wives, but through the efforts of the officers of the Alliance, the unfair provisions were deleted from the final version passed by the House on March 1, 1949. The introduction of the Kilgore-Langer Bill, S. B.1860, on May 13, 1949, represented the continuing efforts on the part of the Alliance to safeguard the rights and privileges of American citizens. During the 81st Congress, Albert Chow and William Jack Chow, commissioned by the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association to work on immigration legislation with Grand President Henry Lem and Y. C. Hong, appeared before the Senate Subcommittee on the Judiciary. On October 15, 1952, Alliance members appeared before President Harry Truman's Commission on Immigration and Naturalization to protest the unfair provisions of the Walter-McCarran Act and the arbitrary enforcement of that law by the American Consular officials in Hong Kong.

Social and Community Activities

On a less serious note, the Chinese American Citizens Alliance also hosts many fun activities. Each local lodge has its own activities within its respective community, including weekend socials, athletic tournaments, picnics, beauty contests, fashion shows, and other events enjoyed by members and the community at large. Initially began because Chinese Americans were racially excluded from attending other social gatherings, the dances, pageants, and other activities hosted by the various local lodges evolved to be among the top social events in their community. Lodges also support senior citizens and the needy in their communities by hosting luncheons, sponsoring fundraisers, and providing other programs for and on their behalf. In some communities, such as Phoenix and Washington D.C., the local lodge and their membership have helped build senior centers and community housing.

Activities for Youth and Education

As part of its educational endeavors, the Alliance for many years supported the American Cooks Training Program. The graduates of this program were often hired by prestigious hotel restaurants. To foster and promote the educational and intellectual accomplishments of Chinese American youth, a yearly National Essay Contest is held for high school students of Chinese descent. The Walter U. Lum Scholarship (named for one of the Alliance's founders) is a $2,000.00 award given biennially to a deserving college or university student of Chinese descent. In recent years, a second scholarship has been added for high school students. In connection with the celebrations during its centennial year, the Alliance sponsored an art contest. In what is now an annual event, the Alliance sponsors the Asian American Students in Action (A.S.I.A.) conference for Chinese and Asian American college students to come together to discuss issues of importance to the Asian American community and to develop their leadership potential. Besides these national programs, many local lodges also sponsor their own scholarships, oratorical contests, youth clubs, sports teams, and other activities for the youth in their communities. Portland Lodge, for example, has had a youth basketball program in place for over 25 years. In fact, the first students in the program have now become the coaches and leaders for a new generation of young players.