Dear Chamber Members,

On April 22, the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce celebrated our 24th annual Spring Banquet. The joyful and successful event was held at Legendary Palace and was well attended by close to 300 people, including government officials, civic leaders, Chamber members, and guests. The Chamber is pleased to have the opportunity to acknowledge Shoong Family Chinese Cultural Center, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, and Gateway Bank. Their community participation and contributions have made Oakland Chinatown a better community for all of us.

As your new President, I welcome you all to celebrate our 24th year of the Chamber’s involvement in Chinatown. Each year, Chinatown expands and grows stronger. The Chamber is proud to be part of the community’s growth and is able to undertake initiatives to promote Chinatown’s small businesses. We are fortunate to have a very dedicated and actively involved Board actively that dedicates time and expertise to serve the Chinatown community. The Chamber is also very fortunate to have our very capable executive director, Jennie Ong. With only one support staffer, Jennie has done an incredible job to carry out our day-to-day duties and special projects. I don’t know how she does it, but she certainly makes the Board proud.

To my fellow Board members, I am grateful for your dedication. Your volunteering spirit to better our community is commendable. I want to take this opportunity to thank Francis Lan, our outgoing President, for his contributions in serving the Chamber Board for the past eight years. As a small business owner in Chinatown, you have provided the Board with many perspectives on Chinatown’s needs and issues. We look forward to your continued involvement with the Chamber.

The importance of volunteering community services has been echoed by President Obama in his signing of the National Service Bill. The President asks Americans to volunteer as a way to give back to the country. To quote the President, "All that's required on your part is a willingness to make a difference. That's the beauty of it; everybody can do it." It is a noble calling. The Chinatown Chamber Board has made such a commitment for the past 24 years. We are very grateful to the Board members before us and to their vision that community volunteerism indeed makes a difference. They have set a good example for us to follow.

Oakland Chinatown is our community. It consists of thriving small businesses. It’s a place to live, to bring your children to get an education at the outstanding Lincoln Elementary school, one of the few public schools that received a distinguished Great School rating of 9 out of 10. Chinatown has many churches and temples and quality health services, including Asian Health Services, which has professionals who speak eight Asian languages. It has Family Bridges, which helps low-to moderate-income Asian immigrants, seniors, and people with limited English language skills to lead self-sufficient, independent lives. These community activities do not happen by accident. I am sure that there are many community members before us who volunteered countless hours to make it happen. I am certain that many of you are doing that now. I am confident that many more people from our future generations will volunteer for their community because they will want to make a difference.

Chinatown is a very unique place. It is a community. It is not the same as a Ranch 99 shopping mall. Journalist Bill Wong wrote in his column that he was once attracted by the convenience of a Ranch 99 mall. After several months patronizing it, he came back to Oakland Chinatown to shop and dine, and more important, to see his friends and enjoy the livelihood of the community that he grew up with. I hope more of us will follow Bill Wong’s lead to come visit your community. I hope you will tell your relatives and friends that it is wonderful to visit Oakland Chinatown.

Today, Chinatown faces many challenges. In this tough economic time our small business owners are hurting. On top of that, Oakland has an image problem. Many will not patronize Oakland Chinatown, perceiving it as unsafe. The Chamber is doing our part to make Chinatown a better place for businesses. Each year, the Chamber organizes the Chinese Lunar New Year Bazaar and Streetfest in the summer, attracting thousands of people to Oakland Chinatown. The Chamber is working on a new program, the Summer Night Market, to attract more people to patronize Chinatown in the evening. We are also working with the City to request more walking police officers to enhance neighborhood safety. The Chamber cannot do it all and we need your support. Together, I am confident that we can build a better community for all of us. I wish you all happiness, health and prosperity.

Sugi Loni, OCCC President