Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver facts for kids

The Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver (CBA) is an important group for Chinese Canadians in Vancouver. It acts like a main organization that connects many different Chinese groups in the city. For a long time in the early 1900s, the CBA was seen as the most important organization in Vancouver Chinatown. Some even said it was like the "government of Chinatown" because of its influence.

History of the CBA

The CBA was started in 1896 by six people: Wong Soon King, Lee Kee, Shum Moon, Yip Sang, Leong Suey, and Chow Tong. Ten years later, in 1906, the CBA officially became a non-profit organization. This meant it was set up to help people, not to make money.

The CBA had its own building in Chinatown, which was built in 1907. More buildings for the association opened in the 1910s and 1920s. Over time, more Chinese people moved to Vancouver. Because of this, another big Chinese organization, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association from Victoria, moved to Vancouver in the 1930s.

After 1949, for a while, the CBA supported the Republic of China, which had moved to Taiwan. In 1962, the CBA changed how it was run. It started including representatives from almost every other Chinese association in Vancouver Chinatown on its main committee. This happened because Chinese people were becoming more accepted in wider society. Also, new immigrants were not as connected to the older Chinatown groups.

By the 1970s, the CBA lost some of its influence. In 1979, another group called the Chinese Benevolent Association of Canada separated from it. However, around the 1980s, the CBA became closer to the People's Republic of China. By 2014, the CBA had regained some of its importance. In 1991, the CBA's president thought the group had about 10,000 members. However, it was hard to know the exact number because of how people could join.

In 2023, the CBA placed some advertisements that supported the Hong Kong national security law. This led some people to say that the CBA had become a strong supporter of some of Beijing's policies. Some experts have also suggested that the CBA is an example of a group that has been influenced by the "United Front." The "United Front" is a group that tries to build support for the Chinese government outside of China.

What the CBA Does

The CBA has done many things to help the Chinese community in Vancouver.

• Education: As of 1964, it ran a school where children could learn the Cantonese language.
• Support Services: It offered legal advice to people who needed it.
• Community Events: The CBA helped Chinese people take part in public events.
• Welfare Programs: It set up programs to help people in need.
• Public Voice: The association often made public statements. These statements were meant to share the views of the entire Chinese community.

In the past, before Chinese Canadians received fair treatment in Canadian courts, the CBA sometimes acted like a court itself. It helped resolve problems for Chinese people.

More recently, the CBA has taken public stances on political issues.

• During the 2014 Hong Kong protests and the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, the CBA placed ads in local newspapers. These ads supported the Chinese Communist Party's view and were critical of the protesters.
• In September 2019, the CBA held a big party to celebrate the founding of the People's Republic of China.
• In July 2020, the CBA officially supported the Hong Kong national security law. This law was seen as controversial by many.
• During the 2021 Canadian federal election, the CBA hosted an event to support a candidate from the Liberal Party.
• In response to a visit by Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in 2022, the CBA signed a letter. This letter was published in a newspaper and spoke against the visit. It also showed support for Chinese unification, which means Taiwan becoming part of China.

Groups the CBA Represents

The CBA connects many different Chinese organizations in Vancouver. Some of the groups it represents include:

• The Chinese Cultural Centre (CCC)
• The Chinese Freemasons
• The Chinatown Merchants Association
• S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

As of 1991, the CBA represented 48 other groups in the community.

See also

• Chinese Benevolent Association
• Chinatown, Vancouver
• Chinese Canadians in Greater Vancouver
• History of Chinese immigration to Canada
• Chinese head tax in Canada
• Royal Commission on Chinese Immigration (1885)
• Chinese Immigration Act of 1885
• Vancouver anti-Chinese riots, 1886
• Chinese Immigration Act, 1923
• Anti-Oriental riots (Vancouver)