The Chinese Association of Iowa was founded in 1987 in Des Moines, Iowa. David Lee was one of the co-founders and the first president.
Based on the 2000 national census, there were 2,432,585 Chinese in United States (48% increase from 1,645,472 in 1990), 6,161 in Iowa (39% increase from 4,442 in 1990), 979 in the greater Des Moines area (78% increase from 549 in 1990), 1,595 in Ames (62% increase from 983 in 1990) and 1,630 in Iowa City (11% increase from 1,469 in 1990).
The Chinese Association of Iowa is a community-based, member-focused, and non-profit organization. CAI represents te business, economic and community development of Iowa`s young, strong and influential Chinese American community. CAI has made great strides in representing Chinese American. It aims to promote cultural diversity and enrichment in the local community. The purpose of the organization includes, but is not limited to the following:
To create an awareness, to inform, to educate, to support, to promote, and to advocate on issues of vital interest to the Chinese Americans in the state of Iowa.
To encourage participation, to provide a forum for involvement, to empower the Chinese Americans in the cultural, economic and social processes, and to exercise their rights by participating in domestic processes.
To represent the Chinese American population in their common causes and to ensure Chinese American representation in the social, cultural and economic life of Iowa.
To share and enjoy the commonality of experiences and to identify and celebrate the differences among Chinese Americans.
To recognize, foster, and nurture outstanding achievements and contributions of Chinese Americans.
www.iowachinese.org - 45304 - The Chinese Association of Iowa
