Marin Chinese Cultural Association

Special thanks to Marin local elected officials and special guests and other supporting organizations, including Friends of China Camp, Asian American Alliance of Marin, for joining us this year to help celebrate the Chinese New Year of Dragon with us.

We appreciate your support to our Chinese community and culture.

Another successful celebration on the books. Over 300 MCCA members and friends gathered to celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Dargon in San Rafael. Great food, Great performances and Great people. Thanks everyone for coming and supporting this SOLD OUT event.

Thank you our MCCA Lion Dance Team

Lunar New Year celebration in San Anselmo Marin Chinese Cultural Association performs Lion Dances for Lunar New Year in San Anselmo.

It’s the Year of the Dragon, and people can expect a lot of good fortune — but only if they’re harnessing the animal’s most important quality: compassion.

Lunar New Year — which includes Chinese New Year, Seollal in Korea, Tet in Vietnam and more — will begin Feb. 10, kicking off more than two weeks of festivities, customs and plenty of feasts. It celebrates the arrival of spring and the start of a fresh year based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar.

The year’s dragon sign is, more specifically, a wood dragon. The element of wood is seen in Daoist tradition as a return to the natural state of being, which in the dragon’s case, points to a return to kindness. And Confucian thought interprets wood as a symbol of unlimited potential.

Read more: nbcnews.app.link/IC6jqfBqQGb

We are looking for members/volunteers to help setup, serve food and clean up at the annual MCCA Chinese New Year Celebration Dinner on Saturday, Feb 17th.

If you are interested, please either fill out the form on the right or email us at [email protected].

Volunteer Opportunities | MCCA We are looking for members/volunteers to help setup, serve food and clean up at the annual MCCA Chinese New Year Celebration Dinner on Saturday, Feb 17th. 

Discover Lunar New Year in San Francisco! Starting on Saturday, February 10th, 2024, it’s the Year of the Dragon 🐉✨ Immerse yourself in the festivities with lion dances, performances, and lively events featuring music and acrobatics, culminating in a spectacular parade. To help you celebrate, the APA Heritage Foundation has compiled an event guide for you: 🐉✨Visit apasf.org

The MCCA board is proud to announce our annual Scholarship Awards program. We now offer up to three (3) separate $1,000 scholarships to our members.

We welcome all of our student members to apply for either or both of these scholarships (application deadline is Friday, February 9th, 2024).

Awards will be presented at our annual MCCA Chinese New Year Banquet on Saturday, February 17th, 2024.

For more information, visit https://www.mcca.blog/scholarships or contact MCCA Scholarship Committee chair Amy Jonak at [email protected] or (415) 378-7760.

It’s time for one of our most popular annual events—a visit from a team of exciting Chinese Lion Dancers. Watch the Youth Lion Dance Team from the Marin Chinese Cultural Association perform traditional dances in spectacular garments and giant masks. Other events for all ages will include kite-making, an origami workshop (make your own paper boat!), and lessons in the classic Chinese game of mahjong. Note that Lion Dances begin promptly at 11 a.m. Don’t be late or you’ll miss the fun!

Date: Saturday, August 19
Time: 10 a.m. - noon (dances at 11 a.m.)
Location: China Camp Point parking lot

Parking space is limited.

Photo: Lion dancers by Sheila Coll

The Chinese in Wine Country A Lecture By John McCormick

SONOMA, Calif. — On Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 7 PM, Sonoma Petaluma Parks, Inc. (SPParks) will host John McCormick in observance of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Chinese laborers were once the backbone of Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Chinese workers played a critical role in the founding of Buena Vista Winery in the 1850s. Throughout the late 1800s, they were the major labor force in the vineyards, wineries, quicksilver mines, hop farms, leather tanneries and laundries and carved out neighborhoods in local towns. These contributions did little to deter discrimination, and Anti-Chinese Leagues sprang up to harass and intimidate immigrants like Chan Wah Jack, who ran the successful Sang Lung store in Napa’s Chinatown. In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act hastened the decline of Chinese populations, and these once vibrant communities disappeared while the industries they helped to foster flourished. Their story has been virtually lost over the years. Join author John McCormick as he uncovers the forgotten contributions of the Chinese people in California’s most famous wine regions.

John McCormick grew up in Napa and is descended from five generations of Napa Valley residents. He received his bachelor’s in engineering from the University of California–Berkeley and his master’s in history from Harvard University. After a career in technology in Silicon Valley, he and his wife now own a small business in Lafayette, California. He recently published the book, Chinese in Napa Valley, the Forgotten Community that Built Wine Country.

The Lecture begins at 7 PM in the Sonoma Mission Chapel, 114 East Spain Street, Sonoma. Admission at the door is $10 for the general public, $5 for SPParks members, free for docents and parks staff. California State Parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact Sonoma State Historic Park at (707) 938-9547.

The MCCA board is proud to announce our annual Scholarship Awards program. We now offer two separate $1,000 scholarships to our members.

Eligibility:

MCCA scholarships are offered to MCCA members only. Priority will be given to entering college freshmen, but—based on each year's applicant pool—awards may be granted to high-school seniors or college upperclassmen as determined by the selection committee.

Scholarship Descriptions:

• Rodney Chin Memorial Scholarship. Co-sponsored by Yet Wah Restaurant, this scholarship is awarded to a well-qualified high school or college student who demonstrates "an interest in and commitment to Chinese/Asian culture."

• The May Lee Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to a well-qualified high school or college student who demonstrates "a commitment to community and community service."

Application forms with eligibility guidelines for both scholarships can be found here: https://www.mcca.blog/scholarships

We welcome all of our student members to apply for either or both of these scholarships (application extended deadline is Friday, January 27th, 2023).

Awards will be presented at our annual MCCA Chinese New Year Banquet on Sunday, February 5th, 2023.

For more info, visit https://www.mcca.blog/scholarships

Scholarships | MCCA The MCCA board is proud to announce our annual Scholarship Awards program. We now offer two separate $1,000 scholarships to our members.

Ring in the Year of the Rabbit with fun festivities, culinary delights, and cultural performances during the Lunar New Year Celebration in Thrive City. Join a multicultural celebration filled with wishes for health, luck, and prosperity throughout the new year! Event is on January 21 5PM-7PM with doors opening at 4PM. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lunar-new-year-celebration-tickets-503668003557

You'll see special performances by LionDance Me, Nguyen Dance Company, and Korean Culture Center Urisawe Drum Performance and meet the local artist that designed the Rabbit Statue! Get a photo with the rabbit statue and enter the photo contest using , play with the rabbits in the petting zoo, engage in the arts & crafts tables, request zodiac animals from the balloon artists and enjoy the festive decorations for the 'gram!

【灣區走走】時光倒流-帶您走進一百多年前灣區的華人蝦寮!

China Camp State Park featured on KTSF Television’s @灣區走走

https://www.ktsf.com/2022/11/04/baw110422/

The Annual Harvest Moon Festival was a big success. We had a good turnout despite the rain.

Thank you Marin Y for welcoming our members and new neighbors by hosting the this year's celebration. The facility provided us the much needed shelter under the unexpected storm. We could not have done it with you. Thank you Andrew Ward and the Y staff for all the support.

Thanks Marin Y of YMCA of San Francisco for hosting us for our annual Harvest Moon Featival. This event won’t be possible without your support.

Join us this Sunday, September 18th, for Marin Chinese Cultural Association (MCCA)’s Harvest Moon Festival. We are excited and happy to be hosting this community event! Bring your family and friends to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and stay for activities such as pickleball, mahjong game, pool and much more. We're open until 4pm on Sunday. To RSVP, visit MCCA website: https://www.mcca.blog/event-details/mcca-harvest-moon-festival-at-the-marin-ymca

Way to go MCCA Lion Dancers! Kicking off the first return of in-person Heritage Day at China Camp State Park

Traditions celebrated at Heritage Day festival in San Rafael The Heritage Day Festival at China Camp State Park in San Rafael on Saturday included dancing, a life-size replica of a shrimp-fishing junk, mahjong and more. Kids got to build their own boat and l…

On Monday, President Biden signed into law H.R. 3525, a landmark bill that establishes a commission to study the potential creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture.

The history of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders inspires and unites us all. With this legislation, we are one step closer to creating a physical space where AA and NHPIs can see themselves recognized as part of the American story – and where our shared past is taught as it really happened, so that future generations can learn from our nation’s best and darkest moments.

Watch the full White House signing ceremony here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mOwA52EhnKg&feature=youtu.be

President Biden Signs Into Law H.R. 3525 President Biden and Vice President Harris Deliver Remarks at the Signing Ceremony for H.R. 3525, the “Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a Nationa...

MAY 15TH EVENT, 2-4 PM

LUCAS VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Discover how kung fu films came to America and kicked off a craze that would earn millions at the box office, send TV ratings soaring, sell thousands of video tapes, influence the birth of hip hop, reshape the style of action we see in movies today, and introduce America to some of the biggest non-white stars to ever hit motion picture screens.

Wednesday, April 27, 2022
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Online via Zoom
To register for this event visit
https://marinlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/623b8e20ab82c32f00ff2608

Meet Grady Hendrix and Chris Poggiali, authors of These Fists Break Bricks: How Kung Fu Movies Swept America and Changed the World Kung fu movies kicked off a craze that would earn millions at the box office, send TV ratings soaring, sell hundreds of thousands of video tapes, influence the birth of hip hop, reshape the style of action we see in movies today, and introduce America to some of the biggest non-white stars to ever h...

Thank you Mary Sackett for joining our board for lunch, receiving an update from us about our upcoming programs and activities, but most importantly learning about our food and culture. We enjoyed having you with us.

https://www.marinij.com/2022/02/11/angel-island-museum-explores-dark-storied-history-of-west-coast-immigration/

Angel Island museum explores complicated history A new center tells both the dark and uplifting stories of the former immigration station in San Francisco Bay.

Check this out.

5 things to do this week in Marin and beyond Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day or not, here are 5 fun things to do this weekend.