The annual Southern California Chinese School Association (SCCCS) Spring Academic Competition was held on April 21 (Sunday) at Arcadia High School, with nearly 500 students from 31 schools participating in poetry recitation, storytelling, and speech competitions. The atmosphere at the event, with almost a thousand parents accompanying their children, resembled that of university entrance exams, giving the sense of a high-stakes academic challenge.
SCCCS President Che Qingyu introduced that participants ranged in age from 5 to 18 years old. In addition to students from member schools of the association, there were also bilingual students from several public and private elementary schools like Northrup and Shelyn. The competitions took place in two sessions from 9 a.m. to noon. The day before (Saturday), a presentation competition was held online, and following on from the success of last year, the “Taiwan Chinese Language Learning Center (TCML) Adult Joke Competition” was continued, with participants competing by uploading recorded videos.
Under the meticulous organization of the directors Li Meiru, Yan Lüxin, and the general coordinator Principal Chen Qiongfeng, the participating students at all levels smoothly completed the competition. Fang Qiongyi, who was recently appointed as Vice Director of the Los Angeles Overseas Chinese Education Center at the beginning of this year, was deeply impressed by the lively academic competition with 500 participants overseas and nearly a thousand people cheering in the exam room. She also felt the responsibility and commitment of the association in promoting Chinese language learning and preserving culture. Mayor John Wu of the City of San Gabriel and his wife also accompanied their daughter, who can speak four languages, to the competition.
Most of the participating students from bilingual schools are not of Chinese descent. After five or six years of study, their Chinese proficiency has reached an intermediate level or above, enabling them to participate in storytelling or speech competition categories. This year’s speech topic was “Learning Chinese/Chinese Schools,” allowing students to share their own experiences.
The competition results will be announced in the coming days, and the award ceremony is scheduled to take place on May 19 at the Los Angeles Overseas Chinese Education Center.