June/July 2010 - Coulee Region Women's Magazine

NONPROFITSharing a HeritageLACA teaches the community about its Chinese neighbors.by Kristy WalzContributed PhotoSChinese music, art and culture are celebrated during the Chinese New Year party held by the La Crosse Area Chinese Association.The group aims to maintain the traditions of the local Chinese community while educating others about their culture.Wen Jiang’s English teacher in China namedher “Wendy” before she left for school in thesouthern United States in 1995. In 2001, aftershe had completed her master’s degree, Wendymarried Holmen native Troy Clemment, and they began thinkingabout moving “back home” to the La Crosse area. She soonlearned that one of Troy’s Holmen High School classmates had alsomarried a woman from China, and they were already living in theLa Crosse area. “(They) bought tickets for us for the 2007 ChineseNew Year celebration party” put on by the La Crosse Area ChineseAssociation, she recalls. “At that party, I met most of the Chinesepeople in this community. The Chinese community here is not big,but everyone is very friendly and helpful.”In 2008, Wendy Clemment and her family arrived inLa Crosse. Now president of the La Crosse Area ChineseAssociation (LACA), she credits the group with helping herintegrate into the community.For Chinese Americans new to the La Crosse area, LACA isa resource for transitioning into the community that helps themcope with culture shock and overcome a potential language barrier.There are frequent association activities, such as shopping trips andoutdoor activities, and celebrations of traditional festivals like theMoon Festival and Chinese New Year.Celebrating traditions“Chinese New Year is our most important celebration of theyear,” says Clemment. “Our families get together and have a bigbanquet and exchange gifts. It’s as important to the Chinese asChristmas is to Americans, and it feels like home if we can gettogether to celebrate.”Haxia Lan has organized the Chinese New Year celebrationin the past and says that being a part of the association simplymakes her life richer. “It gives me opportunities to observe Chineseholidays in addition to American ones, eat Chinese home-cookedfood in addition to American food, and have a few friends whospeak, act and think Chinese in addition to my American friends.”Involving the communityLACA is a nonprofit organization of multicultural professionals,residents and volunteers of the greater La Crosse community.Membership is open to anyone, and events are open to the public.Celebration and preservation of Chinese heritage and culture in theLa Crosse area may have led to the birth of the organization, buttheir efforts extend across the globe.For example, in 2008, the association, along with theAmerican Red Cross Scenic Bluffs Chapter, organized a fundraiserfor victims of the Sichuan, China, earthquake. The group set upa tent in front of the La Crosse Center and offered egg rolls asthanks for donations.LACA member Angela Schlicht says, “We receivedoverwhelming support from the La Crosse community. Theyhelped us raised over $40,000, which was sent to American RedCross–China. We’re forever grateful (for) the generosity of (the)La Crosse community. It gave us a new appreciation of wherewe live. It is overwhelming to see so many strangers in thiscommunity offer their kindness to humanity.“We are proud of and celebrate our heritage and are willingto share our culture with those who wish to learn about it,” shecontinues. “We promote mutual understanding and respectbetween cultures and hope to contribute the best of it to society.” DKristy Walz is a professional development specialist from Holmen, Wis.She is happy to be a part of Coulee Region Women and to contributeto this issue.42 JUNE/JULY 2010 www.crwmagazine.com