Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA): The first Chinese association

           (Headquarters of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in San Francisco)

The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (also known as the CCBA) is a historical association for Chinese Americans, and an essential piece of the history of Asian Americans. The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association was first established in San Francisco, California in 1882. During the late 1800s, the Chinese population was on the rise and San Francisco city had the largest Chinese population in the States. CCBA created an organization to accommodate the needs of the Chinese immigrants. In the early stages of CCBA, the members consisted of mostly men. In the beginning, they also separated into different associations based on origin, districts, and villages.  

(The Officer of the Six Companies)

The CCBA consisted of six major companies that were the most influential within the Chinese community: Sam Yup Company, Yeong Wo Company, Kong Chow Company, Ning Yung Company, Hop Wo Company, and Yan Wo Company. The six companies understood their influence over the Chinese community and thus created the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association to provide services and guidance within the Chinese community. The association was set to encourage other Chinese immigrants to live a better life. During this period, lack of jobs led to financial desperation, so the Chinese women often resorted to prostitution. 

The CCBA made an attempt to decrease the percentage of Chinese prostitutes by providing job trainings, and it also attempted to stop the increasing numbers of Chinese immigrations because of the malevolence that the Chinese people faced in America. In 1880, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association was established in Chinatown, New York City. The association is, to this day, still the oldest active community in Chinatown. The CCBA continues to serve the Chinese community not only financially by providing different job trainings and supporting local businesses and residents, but also by providing social services, encouraging Chinese tradition and cultures, connecting Chinese immigrants with other social groups, and advocating for certain issues that effect the Chinese population. New York City’s CCBA contributed not only to Chinese Americans, but also to other Asian American communities by promoting the Chinese cultures to the general American society. As Chinese immigrants spread throughout the States, the demand for more Chinese organizations grew. Thus, the CCBA also spread throughout the States; in 1892 an organization was established in Seattle, Washington. Today there are 26 CCBAs located throughout the cities of not only United States, but also Canada. 

Posted by: Mary Hungju Chen