The Hakka Association of Northern California held its annual summer barbecue event on August 25th (last Sunday) at Serra Park in Sunnyvale, attracting over 150 fellow villagers who enthusiastically participated.
The president of the Hakka Association of Northern California, Lu Yuzhen, stated that the association has a history of 43 years since its establishment in 1981. There are approximately four to five hundred families in the Bay Area who are our members.
The purpose of the association is to connect and serve fellow villagers, allowing the Hakka culture, cuisine, dramas, songs, folk songs, and other traditional cultural elements to be passed down overseas, providing overseas Hakka descendants with the opportunity to understand their own culture.
She also mentioned that the association organizes Mother’s Day activities, voluntary services, midsummer barbecues, and annual meetings every year. During the events, everyone handcrafts delicacies, stage Hakka dances and operas, inviting all Hakka villagers in the greater Bay Area to participate and make everyone feel like they have returned to their own home.
Deputy Director Zhu Yongchang of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco and Director Zhuang Yashu of the Chinese Cultural and Educational Center of the Greater Bay Area both attended the event. Zhu Yongchang expressed that Hakka people can be found all over the world, wherever there are Chinese people.
Hakka people are known for their diligence and upward mobility, placing great emphasis on education, which has made them a solid force in society, nurturing numerous talents.
In the South Bay region, Hakka villagers actively participate in overseas Chinese affairs, becoming important pillars of the overseas Chinese community. We are very grateful for their support of our office and the activities of the cultural and educational center, which has provided us with great assistance.
Director Zhuang Yashu stated that under President Lu Yuzhen’s leadership, the Hakka Association of Northern California has successfully united fellow villagers and passed down Hakka culture overseas.
The spirit of perseverance of the Hakka people is a symbol of the Taiwanese spirit. We express our deep gratitude for the support and assistance of the Hakka Association in overseas Chinese affairs. She also took this opportunity to urge everyone to enthusiastically apply for the i Overseas Chinese Card to enjoy global benefits and services.
The event site was filled with a rich Hakka atmosphere, with food being the highlight for the villagers. The diverse barbecue menu offered not only flavorful grilled dishes but also lettuce salads, cold noodles, Zhajiangmian (noodles with fried bean sauce), corn, tea eggs, garlic bread, Hakka fried rice noodles, mango pudding, and special vegetarian options, allowing villagers to reminisce the taste of their hometown.
Furthermore, the Hakka Association of Northern California carefully prepared shaved ice with toppings like red beans, mung beans, grass jelly, Aiyu jelly, as well as watermelon and other fruits, allowing everyone to feel cool and refreshed on a scorching summer day. ◇