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.
As SCCCA/ICS celebrates its 50th anniversary, I am grateful for the opportunity to share my personal reflections and hopes for its future.
My perspective is shaped by multiple roles : As a former parent of ICS students, a past SCCCA board member and president, the husband of Peggy Pao (former ICS vice principal), and a current annual donor.
In short, my family has contributed to SCCCA/ICS’s success in the past, and we remain committed to supporting its future.
With this letter, I hope to inspire broader community engagement and financial support to ensure SCCCA/ICS thrives for the next 50 years.
Kenneth Pao (Left) & Jim Chou at SCCCA 1992 fundraising soirée
United Support · Shared Future
My goal is to urge fellow retirees to support SCCCA/ICS in two critical ways :
1) Strengthening Volunteer Networks: Helping solidify SCCCA/ICS’s roots by fostering volunteer-led initiatives.
2) Building Financial Sustainability : Establishing structured annual donation programs to secure long-term funding for its members and community programs.
Standing at the Irvine Chinese School at 9 Roosevelt, I feel immense pride in SCCCA/ICS’s journey—from humble beginnings in borrowed schoolrooms to today’s thriving cultural hub.
The Chinese Cultural Center, its partnerships with UCI, the City of Irvine, Segerstrom Center, and the Pacific Symphony, and its countless community programs are testaments to five decades of dedication by Orange County’s Chinese community. This legacy must continue and expand.
Giving Forward · Legacy Endures
My wife Peggy and I have deep ties to SCCCA/ICS. Our two daughters studied Chinese at ICS in the 1990s; I served on the SCCCA board, and Peggy as ICS vice principal.
Since retiring (2012 and 2014, respectively), we’ve stayed involved through affiliated organizations and began making annual donations.
Now, I hope to rally others to join us in ensuring SCCCA/ICS’s future through participation and philanthropy.
As SCCCA/ICS marks its 50th year, our baby boomer generation—the oldest now in their 80s, the youngest nearing 60—must address an urgent need : generational succession.
Founding members and early supporters are fading away, making it imperative to pass the torch of community leadership and financial stewardship.
As retirees, we have the time and resources to launch this initiative, ensuring SCCCA/ICS remains vibrant for decades to come.
Learning Forward · Building Continuity
To achieve this, we might look to :
- The ICS Parent Teacher Association (PTA) : A historic model that fostered unparalleled community engagement.
- Jewish Community Centers: Their organizational and funding structures could offer valuable insights for sustaining cultural programs.
Before our generation steps aside, let us unite to establish a "generational succession" plan—one that recruits new leaders, expands participation, and secures recurring donations. The time to act is now. (Brilliant Fifty XV)