New York state assemblyman and chairman of the Elderly Committee of the State Assembly, Kim Doo-sik, has allocated $15,000 to the Flushing Library for community projects such as Mandarin storytelling for children, tai chi, and yoga classes. A check presentation ceremony was held on May 3 for this purpose.
Kim Doo-sik emphasized the importance of children as the future and libraries as nurturing spaces for their healthy growth. He praised the Flushing Library as the best library in America and highlighted the significance of bilingual programs for children. Reflecting on his own experience participating in bilingual programs during his childhood, Kim expressed his pride in allocating funds for such initiatives. He stated that the community needs more projects like these to support children’s healthy development and meet the demand from parents for bilingual education.
The director of the Flushing Library, Sun Yang, expressed gratitude towards Assemblyman Kim Doo-sik for the allocated funds. She stated that the funds will be utilized for necessary community projects, including bilingual education programs like “Mandarin Storytime with Bilingual Birdies” for children under five. With the additional funds, the library plans to introduce more interactive “Pop-Ups” books suitable for young readers, which are often costly but highly popular among parents in the bilingual program. The bilingual program, held every Friday at 11 a.m. in the Children’s Reading Room, does not require pre-registration and welcomes parents and children to participate directly.
“Mandarin Storytime with Bilingual Birdies” combines education with entertainment, featuring bilingual teachers from Bilingual Birdies who engage children in learning through play. The program allows children to experience the “bilingual magic” through music, games, puppet shows, and bubble dances. The program takes place every Friday morning at 11 a.m. in the Children’s Reading Room at the Flushing Library.
Among the participants of the bilingual program are both Chinese and non-Chinese children. Lynn, a Chinese parent, brings her 15-month-old daughter to the program. She expressed her concern about her daughter not being able to speak Chinese in the future, despite being born in the U.S. Lynn highlighted the importance of bilingual development, mentioning that many second-generation Chinese Americans (ABC) may understand but struggle to speak, write, or read Chinese. She emphasized the significance of starting early language learning to ensure her daughter’s comprehensive language skills in the future.