By Paul Jeng

In a society with no real culture and in a country in which English is the primary language, how is it possible for American born Chinese children to maintain their cultural identity? Sure, their parents teach Chinese to them and celebrate Chinese holidays with them, but how do they come into contact with real Chinese teaching and other Chinese people? The answer is Chinese School. Many districts already have Chinese schools. They are a way for parents to volunteer to teach their and other children Chinese proverbs, words, and history. My Chinese school, Thousand Oaks Chinese School, is a great place to learn about my culture and to make new friends.

Chinese school is actually run quite like a regular school. We meet on Saturdays from 9:15 AM to 12:30 PM at Thousand Oaks High School. The classes are divided into three periods. The first two periods are from 9:15 to 11:25 with a fifteen-minute break in between. These periods are basically one class taught by one teacher. In this class, students learn Chinese words out of a book and are assigned homework to be turned in the following week. The last class is the best part. Third period is an elective class in which you choose from a wide variety of fun cultural classes like origami, Chinese painting, ping-pong, ASB and much more. These great activities have made Chinese school a very popular choice for Chinese parents to educate their children.

Though Chinese school is mostly about education, it has its fun programs too. My Chinese school has a great amount of contests held annually such as pumpkin carving, costume, and lantern making contests. It also has an orchestra and "Chinese history competition team." We even have an annual track meet in which all the students come together to compete against rival Chinese schools in a great battle of track and field. Even little kids join in the fun in the "Parent Child race." But all of these fun activities cannot compare with the New Year’s festival. Each February the Chinese school holds a gigantic show in the Civic Arts Plaza, which consists of many little shows and dances made by each individual grade level. There are plays, dances, poem readings, orchestral performances, and singing. The three-hour event comes together after months of practicing and days of preparation. Each and every person in the Chinese school, including the parents and teachers, looks forward to the New Year’s Festival.

Chinese school is a great place to be. Chinese American children can learn about their past and present. Parents can talk with Chinese friends and become teachers. The fun activities and classes ensure that a Saturday at Chinese school is never dull.