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.
Roots Planted, Home Found
Thirty-five years ago, my husband was appointed as a Semiconductor Design Engineer by the Department of Defense, prompting our family’s move from the eastern U.S. to California.
Our children were young, at a crucial age for language acquisition and values formation. Our top priority was to find a Chinese educational environment, which led us to the Irvine Chinese School (ICS).
From then on, our Sundays started early. While the children were in class, learning language and culture, my husband and I dedicated our time to volunteer work.
For over twenty years, more than two-thirds of our weekends revolved around ICS. It was no longer just a school—it had become the heart of our family life and our spiritual home.
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SCCCA board member Ivy Huang and members of the Second Generation Association participated in the 2007 Taiwan Lantern Festival
Duty Shouldered, Students Centered
In 1998, I was recommended by ICS to serve as Vice Principal, working alongside the newly appointed Principal, Shi-Yun Chung.
At that time, ICS had grown to include over 20 Chinese language classes, serving more than 600 families and hundreds of children, supported by a team of passionate teachers and parents.
Though the title was “Vice Principal,” the role encompassed countless tasks: scheduling classes, organizing activities, communicating with families, and even guiding high school students through the pressures of college preparation.
As my office work continued to intensify, I knew I couldn’t take on the full responsibility of the principal’s role. Instead, I chose to remain in a supporting position, assisting with school operations and helping shape educational and administrative policies.
One of the most valuable lessons from those three years was realizing that Chinese education depends not only on teachers but also on strong collaboration between home and school.
I often organized student gatherings to better understand their needs and perspectives on college readiness. I also arranged sessions where graduates returned to share their experiences.
Years later, parents would still approach me to express their gratitude. It was in those moments that I truly understood the meaning and impact of volunteer work.
Those three years were not only a meaningful chapter in my own life—they were also a time of growth for both the students and the community.
Watching our children mature in such a nurturing environment felt like witnessing the steady, comforting presence of Chinese education itself, like a lullaby guiding them forward.
Observing the learning dynamics of senior ICS students and actively engaging with them (photo taken on Jan 17, 1999)
Dreams Built, Community United
Another meaningful period of my volunteer work began with the founding of the South Coast Chinese Cultural Association and Cultural Center.
After years of planning and fundraising, an $8 million educational building was completed in 2005. I was honored to be selected as one of the nine members of the Cultural Center’s first Board of Trustees—a role I held for two years and three months.
Establishing the Cultural Center was both a milestone and a major challenge. While the building was impressive from the outside, the interior was an empty shell.
More than twenty classrooms still needed furnishing, a thousand students were set to enroll, and the new semester was only four months away.
With limited time and resources, the Board met every Thursday evening, often until 11:00 p.m. We had to purchase everything—blinds, chalkboards, projectors, bookshelves, podiums, and chairs.
Thanks to a generous donation from Joseph Y. Ko, we were able to furnish the classrooms. Even the sports arena required special attention, with wooden flooring that had to be installed and occasionally dismantled for events like the Lunar New Year fundraising soirée.
Trustees, their families, parent volunteers, and students all pitched in. Behind every activity was the hard work and dedication of these unsung heroes.
In 2006, we transformed the newly finished sports arena into an elegant banquet hall for our first Lunar New Year fundraising soirée.
The event drew around 300 guests and not only raised essential funds but also strengthened the community’s collective spirit. The Cultural Center was no longer just a building—it had become a home for everyone.
Beginning in 2006, I also started inviting alumni back to serve as volunteers. They took on roles as MCs, assisted with outdoor activities, and helped showcase traditional lanterns sent from Taiwan for the Lantern Festival.
They even hosted a visiting Taiwan folk traditions group. We were not only working for our own generation—we were creating a path for the next.
My two years and three months as a trustee marked my second major “report card” in volunteer service. It was a period of picking up the baton and passing it on—a time of building something from nothing and seeing a shared dream become reality.
SCCCA board member Ivy Huang (right) and ICS alumna Kathy Huang kicked off the Lunar New Year fundraiser at the new Cultural Center’s gymnasium on April 1, 2006.
Legacy Lives, Roots Grow
Reflecting on the past fifty years, I see that the growth of ICS and the Cultural Center represents more than just educational progress—it reflects the history of a community growing and maturing together.
I witnessed the school take its first steps in borrowed classrooms and eventually secure a building of its own. All of this was made possible by the selfless dedication of generations of volunteers who worked together to build a strong foundation.
In the past thirteen years, former Principal Yulan Chung and her team have worked tirelessly to guide students forward, creating a vibrant, cross-generational educational community.
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Minister of Overseas Community Affairs Council Fu-mei Chang & Director General Wu-lien Wei of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles touring the Cultural Center on 9/16/2005
This is not just the history of a school—it is a shared life story, one that belongs to all of us who share this cultural heritage.
Today, our two children are married with families of their own. Yet I am certain that the cultural roots and values they gained at ICS will always remain a precious part of their lives.
That is the greatest reward for our generation of parent volunteers. Every effort we made was to plant cultural seeds in this new soil, so that those who follow will always remember who they are and where they came from.
As the school prepares to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary, my heart is filled with gratitude and pride: gratitude for every quiet contribution from volunteers, teachers, and parents who helped pave this path of cultural transmission, and pride that my husband, Michael, and I have left our own footprints along the way.
Looking ahead, I am confident that this sense of responsibility will be carried forward by the next generation. The Irvine Chinese School is not only a place for language learning—it is an enduring home, a legacy to be cherished by generations to come.(Brilliant Fifty XXI)
Read More：
Thirty Years at ICS Memories Still Vivid Shi-yun Chung (Former ICS Principal, 1998–2000)
Reflections on the 50th Anniversary Joan Chien (SCCCA Former Board Chair 1996-98 ）
Building on the Past Opening a New Chapter Peter Liu ( ICS Former Principal 1995-96)
Some Remarks on the 50th Anniversary of ICS. Bin Yang ( ICS Former Principal 1992-94 )
Looking Back on My Year as ICS Principal. Ping Deng Yow ( ICS Former Principal 1988-89 )
An Affinity for the Irvine Chinese School. Ann Hwu ( ICS Former Principal 1987-88)
Building Bridges Across Generations and Cultures. Susie Chu ( SCCCA Board Chair 1988-89)
From Parent to Principal : My ICS Story. Hedy Ho（ Former ICS Principal 1986-87 )
United We Strive · United We Rise. Don Niu ( Former SCCCA board chair 1986-87 )
ICS Memories That Still Shine. Phen Cheng (1984-85 ICS Principal)
Reflections of a School Janitor. JJ Lee (SCCCA Board Chair 1979-1980 )
A Journey from One Dream to a Community Legacy Mitzi Fu (1976-82, 1983-84 ICS Founding Principal)