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Chinese Association of West Michigan:Promoting Chinese HeritageChinese immigrants who are concerned about how to keeptheir heritage while living in West Michigan find themselvespleasantly surprised when they find a vibrant Chinese communityin West Michigan that thrives through the auspices of the ChineseAssociation of West Michigan (CAWM).Formally founded in 1991, CAWM is a social and cultural organizationof approximately 600 individual members, mostly living in theGreater Grand Rapids region which includes Grand Rapids, Holland,Muskegon, Allegan, and Grand Haven. Its main goals are to enhancemutual support and cohesiveness within the Chinese community,promote appreciation for Chinese culture and heritage, and fosterdiversity and mutual understanding between and among different ethniccommunities and society at large. Most of its current members are ofChinese origin who work in the professions such as manufacturing,higher education, information technologies, biotech research institutions, international trade industries, etc.In its relatively short history, CAWM is proud of its accomplishments, which include a wide variety of projects and activitiesthat advance its mission. CAWM organizes recreational and social activities, conducts information sessions on relevant issues,and helps families and individuals deal with harsh situations on an ad hoc basis. Among CAWM’s key projects is its Chineselanguage school. Currently, the language school has over ten classes with an enrollment of more than 100 students, rangingbetween four year olds to working adults, including engineers, lawyers, and professors.For the past five years, CAWM has been organizing an annual Chinese New Year Celebration Party which includes a twohourshow featuring Chinese folk dances, musical presentations, theatrical sketches and ethnic costume shows. Through thisannual event, CAWM promotes cultural awareness and appreciation for Chinese heritage within the mainstream society.Doing business in MichiganBeyond showcasing Chinese performing arts, CAWM also reaches out to the local government, other communityorganizations and society at large by participating in various community activities, such as the Adopt-A-Highwayprogram (where CAWM members volunteer to maintain a portion of a particular highway) and the Grand Rapids ArtsFestival (which features six performance stages, food booths offering ethnic delights of all kinds, singers, dancers,thespians, visual artists, and performers from all over West Michigan).With the continuous growing business activities between China and the U.S., CAWM is adjusting its organization and dailyactivities to offer different kinds of help for Michigan business, such as consulting on Chinese culture issues, helping businesscommunications and hosting business groups from China.In a myriad of ways, CAWM showcases Chinese heritage, values and culture. Its history highlights the characteristic ofdedication and determination of every Chinese person. As CAWM continues to grow in size, its leaders continue to runand innovate its projects. In the process, CAWM has created in West Michigan a Chinese community based on respect,camaraderie and a sincere desire to care for each and every member of the community. Further information is available onCAWM’s website, http://www.wmchineseassociation.org.43