CAAM History
Chinese American Association of Minnesota (CAAM) is the oldest and largest Chinese American community organization in Minnesota. Tracing its history to the Chinese American Club gatherings at Nankin Cafe dating back to the 1930s, CAAM was founded by Nankin Cafe’s owner, Walter James, in 1951 and incorporated with his help in 1967 by a group of visionary individuals.
Founding Members of CAAM
Di Chen – Research Scientist at Honeywell Research
David S Lo – Research Scientist at Univac
Weiming Lu – Minneapolis City Planner
Fred Hsiao – Employed by Madsen Construction Company at the time.
Jie Chang Soong – Civil Engineering Professor at the University of Minnesota
Shaohsiung Huang – Chair of the Minnesota Chinese Students’ Association
The Evolution of the Chinese Community in the Twin Cities
The transformation of Chinese immigrant organizations in the Twin Cities has been profoundly influenced by successive waves of new migrants and evolving generations of student migrants. Pre-World War II, the community’s organizational landscape was dominated by kinship and merchant associations. However, post-war, with an influx of students and student-turned migrants, the focus shifted towards student and professional networks.
In 1965, amidst this shift, CAAM was conceived. Its founding members, predominantly professionals or student leaders, sought to bridge the divide between the burgeoning professional community and local business owners. They actively engaged local entrepreneurs to foster a collaborative environment. By 1967, CAAM held its first formal membership meeting, with the organization officially adopting its name in 1971. Stanley Chong, a local businessman, was elected as the first president.
Despite initial unity, differing interests soon emerged. The business community focused on commercial success, whereas professionals were inclined towards educational, career, and cultural development. This divergence led to the business faction breaking away in the early 1970s to establish the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
The continuous influx of students from Taiwan and Hong Kong further enriched the community, leading to the formation of organizations like the Chinese American Association of Professionals and Academics in Minnesota (CAAPAM) in 1992, focusing on professional and cultural enrichment.
Post-1978, with increased migration from mainland China, the number of organizations within the Chinese community in Minnesota exploded, reaching over forty by 2008. These included diverse groups like dance and language schools, community newspapers, professional societies, and cultural heritage foundations, reflecting a shift from traditional kinship or business-based organizations to those centered around professional development and social networks.
Former Leaders
Chinese American Association of Minnesota
President
Di Chen(1965-1967), Stanley Chong (1967-1968), David Fong (1969-70), Ben Liu (1971-1972), Jack Huie (1973-74), Ken Lau (1975), John Huang (1976), Lincoln Ong (1977), Peaki Tan (1978), Jacqueline Yue (1980), Louisa Eng (1981), Charles Lee (1982), Sam Hwang (1983), Daniel Chang (1984), Orapat Tan (1985), John Lee (1986), Chung-Lin Hsu (1987), Kirk Hwang (1988), Huang-Joung Chen (1989), Yu-Ching Lo (1990), Dick Wen (1991), Stone Yu (1992), Addie Ng (1993), Vickie Gee-Treft (1994-1995), Julie Lee (1996), Albert Chang (1997-1998), Kaimay Yeun Terry (1999-2000), Rick Luk (2001), Li-Chun Chen (2002), Vincent Mar (2003-2004), Mingjen Chen (2005–2006), Vincent Mar (2007–2008), Mingjen Chen (2009–2015), Bingwen Yan (2016-2018), Connie Ledford (2018-2019), Ping Wang (2019 – present)
Chinese Language School
Chair
I-Fan Cheng (1975- ), … Ji-Ren Hsu (1987-1988), Hsin-Hsin Chou (1988-1989), Chia-Chih Lee (1990-1991), Hsiao-Fan Chen (1991-1992), Chin-Chuan Lee (1992-1993), Yin-Yu Lu (1993-1994), David Wang (1994-1995), J C Hsung (1995-1996), Nelson Fei (1996-1997), Wendy Tai (1997-1998), Yuan-Ming Tang (1998-1999), Dah-Ren Chen (1999-2000), Alexander Tsuei (2000-2001), Simon Chan (2001-2002), Ta-Chuan Wang (2002-2004). Hsiao-Fan Chen (2004-2005), Mark Chu (2005–2006), Jason Chen (2006– )
Principal
John C Huang (1975), T C Lee (1975-1976), Jacob Lin (1976-1977), Tina Wu (1977-1979), Cathy Ouyang (1979-1981), Richard Cheng (1981-1983), C S Chow (1983-1985), Susan Ho (1985-1987), Heather Skogerboe (1987-1989), Cecelia (Lili Chen)Schreiber (1989-1991), Yu-Ching Lo (1991-1993), Hsin-Hsin Chou (1993-1994), Sue Lin (1994-1996), Syvia Hang (1996-1997), Ji-Han Tu (1998-2005), Joshph Lin (2005 – 2006), Fang-Wen Yeh (2006 – )
Chinese Dance Theater
Chair
Hsiaio-Ping Ouyang (1992-1993), Chia-Chih Lee (1993-1995), Grace Wang (1995-1996), Hwai-Chyi Kuei (1996-1998), Catalina Yang (1998-1999), Richard Wen (1999-2001), Kaimay Yuen Terry (2001-2004), Wendy Tai (2007-2010), Bea Rothweiler (2011-current)
Artistic Director
Tian-Jiang Cui (1992-1993), Pei Shen (1993-2005), Lili Teng(2005-)
Managing Director
Jocelyn Kuo (1994-1996), Yu-Ching Lo (1996-1997), Marcus Young (1997-2004), Lili Pan(2004-2008)
If you know someone whose name should be included, please email his/her name, position, and years of service to [email protected]
KaiMay Terry’s Review Speech at the 50th Anniversary of CAAM (St. Paul, March 4, 2018) (Please click here to watch the Youtube video)
Gallery of CAAM in the Past 50 Years
(Edited by Charles Lee)
