As the South Coast Chinese Cultural Association and Irvine Chinese School near their 50th anniversary, a special editorial team is collecting reflections from former presidents and principals to preserve this half-century journey.
Mitzi Fu (1976-82, 1983-84 ICS Founding Principal)
I was born in Daegu, Korea, under Japanese rule. At that time, only Japanese children or those from prestigious families were eligible to attend Japanese schools.
Fortunately, my siblings and I were able to enroll, and though we received an education, we grew increasingly distant from Chinese culture.
My father, quite indignant over this, often felt there ought to be a school where we could learn our mother tongue.
His determination finally bore fruit in 1944 when he founded a Chinese school, providing Korean-Chinese families with a place to preserve their heritage.
Humble Start｜Steady Steps
In June 1950, the Korean War broke out, and our family hastily relocated to Taiwan. I attended Taipei Second Girls’ High School, graduated from National Taiwan University, and later pursued further studies in the U.S.
In 1973, our family settled in College Park, Irvine. Once we were settled, I began searching for a nearby Chinese school so my children could stay connected to their cultural roots.
Eventually, I found one in Huntington Beach, and from then on, rain or shine, driving my two children to weekend Chinese school became a family routine.
When friends learned about it, they asked me to carpool their kids as well. Soon, my car could no longer hold all the students.
One Sunday afternoon in the summer of 1976, while the children played at the park and the adults chatted, we discussed the inconvenience of commuting.
The idea of starting our own Chinese school came up and it received immediate unanimous approval. In August, I was elected as the first principal.
Teacher Deng handled both Chinese language and accounting, while Teacher Wei taught Chinese and music.
The curriculum consisted of two hours of Chinese lessons and one hour of electives, including music, dance, martial arts, and flag semaphore. I also invited a few old friends to teach dance.
Students, invited by the Irvine Unified School District, performed at various elementary schools to introduce Chinese culture.
One Heart｜One Light
Having previously assisted the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) with matters related to international students and taught middle schoolers from Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, I was familiar with the staff at College Park.
When I asked to borrow classrooms, they readily agreed and offered three portable classrooms.
I still remember when an IUSD administrator asked me, "What’s your school’s budget?" I laughed and said, "Not a single cent!" He was stunned.
"How do you run a school without funding?" I replied, "We rely entirely on volunteers!"
At the start, we had fewer than 30 students divided into three classes. Three teachers each donated $20, and we rushed to Kmart’s Blue Light Special to stock up on school supplies.
I also asked students to bring old newspapers from home, which my family and I bundled up to sell for extra funds.
The children’s hands and faces were smudged with ink like little “painted masks,” and to encourage them, I bought ice cream as a treat.
For textbooks, we were fortunate to receive free materials from the Overseas Community Affairs Council of Taiwan, for which we were ever grateful.
Bold Ideas｜Shared Strength
In February 1977, five months after opening, we held our first Lunar New Year celebration.
Mustering my courage, I invited city officials, school board members, principals, and teachers.
They came partly out of curiosity, partly for amusement. To their surprise, our students and parents delivered an outstanding performance.
The dance costumes were hand-sewn by mothers, the flower drums were made from empty oatmeal canisters, and the dumbbells were crafted by my husband using doorknobs.
As a gift to the host school, my husband selected a fine wooden plank, inscribed it with the phrase "Education Without Discrimination" (有教無類), and painstakingly explained its meaning.
At ICS’s first Lunar New Year’s Celebration in February 1977, students performed “Feng-Yang Flower Drums”
in costumes sewn by ICS mothers, and played on drums made with oatmeal canisters.
That day, a city council member took the stage and said, "If every Sunday, Irvine’s teenagers were willing to give up sleeping in, surfing, or shopping to attend cultural classes, Irvine would have no youth problems.
" His heartfelt words moved me deeply and became a motto I would use to inspire our students.
Roots Grow｜Community Glows
In competitions hosted by the Chinese School Association—speech, recitation, calligraphy—Irvine Chinese School students consistently returned with honors, thanks to the hard work of parents and teachers.
During sports meets, our entire school wore matching blue-on-yellow T-shirts, and the little cheerleaders’ outfits and pom-poms were handmade by mothers burning the midnight oil.
Later, other Chinese schools followed suit, adopting their own uniforms.
Shortly after the school’s founding in 1976, I proposed establishing the South Coast Chinese Cultural Association to promote Chinese culture alongside the school.
In October 1985, the ICS team first took part in the sports meet hosted by the Southern California Council of Chinese Schools.
In the fall of 1987, seeing parents singing together, I suggested forming the "Irvine Chinese Chorus" under Melody Chen’s leadership—today, their voices resonate across California.
In 1989, Susie Chu and some others felt seniors should also have a regular gathering place, leading to the creation of the "Irvine Evergreen Chinese Senior Association," which now has over a thousand members and serves as a vital platform for elders.
Legacy Lives｜Future Shines
As enrollment grew year after year, we moved from College Park to Rancho Middle School, then to University High School, at one point utilizing 40 classrooms.
During my seven years as principal, I worked hard each year to find visionary and capable successors to ensure the school’s continued growth.
SCCCA Board Chair Dee Donn (L), ICS Principal Phen Cheng, and ICS Founding Principal Mitzi Fu presented a Chinese painting to IUSD.
Assistant Superintendent Ron Upton and University High School Principal Robert Bruce represented the District in receiving it.
In 2005, thanks to the united efforts of the overseas Chinese community and the generous support of Mr.David Sun, we finally acquired a permanent campus.
Today, as the Chinese School marks half a century, I am deeply grateful to every principal, teacher, administrator, parent, and student who has contributed to the remarkable success of the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center and Irvine Chinese School.
Let’s keep moving forward! Here's to creating the next legendary fifty years!!