| MACCO: celebrating Chinese culture, voicing common issues By Laura Salinger |
| MACCO president Jianming "Jim" Lin said MACCO evolved from discussions among a group of community activists who wished to create a forum and gathering place for Madison area Chinese. Lin has been in charge of the organization since its inception and was elected president in Sept. 2004. "A group of Chinese from different sectors of the community came together to form MACCO," Lin said. "We wanted an organization to represent the Chinese community in the city. We try to have a united organization to coordinate activities in the community." Lin moved from Shanghai to attend graduate school at Marquette University in Milwaukee. He has a master's degree in computer science. Lin has been living in Madison for 12 years and works as a computer consultant. He has a wife and two children. While Lin considers himself an American, he believes strongly in holding on to Chinese culture and tradition in his household. MACCO plays a major role in helping families do just that. One of MACCO's biggest programs is the Madison Chinese Language School (MCLS). MCLS offers 24 courses and enrolls around 80 students ranging in age from young children to adults. Classes include reading, writing, and conversation in the Chinese language; Chinese culture and history; Chinese folk dance; and martial arts. Lin said that one of the main objectives of MCLS is to keep the Chinese language alive for the many youth who are too often favoring the English language over Chinese, so much so that they often lose their ability to speak or write the language. "The most important factor is for the family to be able to converse in Chinese," Lin said. "Children spend most of their time in school and they only speak English at school. We want our kids to continue to speak and write in Chinese." MACCO also provides a gathering place for Madison's Chinese community to come together in celebration. They coordinate annual traditional holiday celebrations including a Lantern Festival and Moon Festival. "During the holidays, lots of families are away from their native home," Lin said. "These events help them feel the holiday atmosphere." MACCO estimates that holiday celebrations often draw around 400 to 500 attendants. They often feature cultural entertainment, authentic Chinese food, ballroom dance, karaoke singing, and children's games. |
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| Dressed in traditional Chinese clothes in Celebrate Madison 2004 |
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| For three years, the Madison Area Chinese Community Organization (MACCO) has been an integral force in the Madison community as an organization that draws together members of Dane County's Chinese population. MACCO estimates that there is approximately 5,000 Chinese currently living in Madison and surrounding areas. Of these, around 80 families are members of MACCO, an organization that seeks to celebrate Chinese culture and act as a voice for the Chinese in political and social issues that affect their population. |
| MACCO describes the Chinese working community in and around Madison as having mostly advanced degrees with a large portion working in higher education or as professionals in areas like science, technology, and engineering. Most of the community members, MACCO says, are in the early to mid stages of their careers and have families. |
| MACCO dance group participated in Vietnamese holiday celebration |
| MACCO was established in 2002 to serve this community. They set forth goals that include providing a forum to discuss the political and economic welfare of Madison area Chinese; facilitating communication between the Chinese community and government policy makers; promoting cultural, educational, and business exchanges between China and the city of Madison; enhancing relationships between the Chinese community and other communities in Madison; and improving the quality of life for Madison area Chinese by offering educational, cultural, economic, and recreational programs. |
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| This year, MACCO is organizing "China Day," an all-day event that will feature everything Chinese. The date is tentatively set for the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and possible locations include the Library Mall, the McClain Facility on the UW-Madison campus, or MATC. Events will include a series of seminars on China, Chinese food vendors, cultural exhibitions, and entertainment. An evening gala will showcase both Chinese and non-Chinese professional performers. Lin is quick to point out that China Day is for everyone, not just Madison-area Chinese. "China Day is not just for the Chinese people, but also for people in other communities," he said. "It is to share the Chinese culture with everyone. The idea is for people to get together and communicate with each other." Aside from holiday celebrations, MACCO also hosts a monthly seminar which features a number of different topics ranging from academic to cultural. Topics in the past have included stem cell research, the China population theory, Chinese calligraphy, hormone discovery, and lessons on how to achieve a healthier and happier life. MACCO's social clubs include a MACCO dance group, a bi-weekly bridge club, and a weekly Chinese chorus consisting of about 30 members. MACCO has made many inroads in providing a place for Madison area Chinese to come together and celebrate or discuss issues pertinent to the community. Yet, as members assert, the organization is still young and the group continuously seeks support in helping better serve the Chinese community in the greater Madison area. For more information about MACCO, visit their Web site at www.madisonchinese.org. |
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| MACCO dance group performed in Chinese New Year celebration, 2005 |
| 2004 Moon Festival celebration |
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