Editor’s Note:
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.
Cultural Express launches the “Brilliant Fifty” series, featuring selected essays that illuminate the people and stories that shaped our community.
Nelson Mar (left) with his son Andrew Mar and wife Sarah Mar at the SCCCA Trustee Event, 2025.
Grassroots Beginnings, Volunteer-Driven
My involvement with Irvine Chinese School began in 1977, and I served as the President of the South Coast Chinese Cultural Association from 1982 to 1983. At that time, the Chinese school only offered half-day Chinese classes on Sunday mornings. All positions within the school—from the principal to the cleaning staff—were filled by parent volunteers on a part-time basis; there were no full-time personnel.
Borrowed Spaces, Fundraising Beginnings
After 1996, the Irvine school district significantly increased the fees for renting high school classrooms, forcing the school to start fundraising with the plan of constructing its own building. After years of effort, the Chinese school finally moved into the newly built South Coast Chinese Cultural Center in mid-June 2005.
Volunteers Led, Systems Lagged
For many years, the school had relied on a group of dedicated parents who volunteered their spare time for service; it was not run by a professional team. However, once we possessed a school property spanning 40,000 square feet, a series of unprecedented challenges emerged: How could we effectively utilize the vacant time from Monday to Friday? How could we develop stable financial resources to cover the substantial expenses—such as electricity, gas, staff salaries, and property taxes?
These problems grew increasingly severe, yet solutions remained elusive. By 2007, the directors of the cultural association were not only unable to effectively address these issues but also became embroiled in internal disputes that led to legal battles, paralyzing the entire cultural center. Eventually, the court ruled that all incumbent directors had to step down, and a new board of directors was to be re-elected. This turmoil became the most significant crisis ever faced by the cultural association and the Chinese school since its founding.
Called to Serve, Shouldering Again
Consequently, we, the long-time supporters of the Chinese school, stepped forward once again. I participated in the board election and was elected Vice President, responsible for daily operational matters, while Mr. Andrew Yen served as President.
When I assumed the role of Vice President in 2007, I discovered that the cultural association was operating with a monthly deficit of twenty thousand dollars. To resolve this predicament, we approached it from two angles: On one hand, the cultural association and the Chinese school needed to appoint a dedicated and professionally competent leader; on the other hand, the cultural association had to become self-reliant and could no longer depend on public donations to sustain its operations.
Professional Leadership, Institutional Foundations
Fortunately, with the support of a dedicated individual, we hired a CEO to manage the cultural center. She also served as the school principal, handling teacher appointments and student academic affairs, addressing various challenges with professional expertise. The first CEO was Dr. Shufen Chen. After two years of effort and adjustments, by the time my term ended and I stepped down, the cultural center and the Chinese school were on a path of stable development.
Mission Unchanged, Horizons Ahead
Throughout these long years, we endured countless twists and turns, ultimately realizing the cultural center we had once dreamed of and fulfilling our original intent of educating future generations and preserving Chinese culture. Now, with the gradually increasing Chinese American population in Irvine, our future is full of hope. The participation and efforts over these years are truly worthy of our heartfelt congratulations—the Chinese American community has achieved great success over the years.
(Brilliant Fifty IV)