ABOUT THE EVENT

We are the oldest Chinese organization in Georgia and the first Asian organization in the state to receive a historical marker from the Georgia Historical Society (GHS). An accurate telling of Augusta’s history would be incomplete without considering the many ways the Chinese community has enriched the local area.

The dedication ceremony will be on Friday, May 19, 2023, at 11 a.m. at 548 Walker St, Augusta, GA 30901. Livestream will be available on our Facebook page.

If you are a CCBA member, check your email for RSVP instructions. 

If you’re not a member and have not received a formal invitation in the mail/email, RSVP with Eventbrite by May 10, 2023.

If May 19 is not a good day for you…..

The CCBA is showcasing a smaller history exhibit with a timeline and photos available to the public to view at the following libraries:

• Augusta-Richmond County Library from April 28–May 31, 2023
• Augusta University Reese Library (Summerville Campus) from April 6–23, 2023
• Augusta University Greenblatt Library (Health Sciences Campus) from April 24–May 15, 2023

AGENDA of the DEDICATION CEREMONY

Attendees are encouraged to pick up a survey at the check-in table and turn it in at the end of their visit.

We will start the ceremony with speeches from distinguished guests, such as Carla Wong McMillian, the first Chinese-American Supreme Court Justice for Georgia, Breana James, Marker Manager of GHS, and Dr. Ray Rufo, the first Chinese-American to graduate dental school in Georgia, and Jasmine Sims, Chief of Staff, City of Augusta Mayor’s Office.

After the speeches, we will celebrate with a traditional performance and drums/cymbals on the street. 

Then, we will welcome all the guests into our building for refreshments and a pictorial history exhibition of the CCBA.

CCBA will continue its mission and celebrate Chinese culture, art, traditions, and history with a focus on promoting unity and friendship throughout the community.

HISTORY

The Chinese community in Augusta traces its history back to 1873 when Chinese laborers helped extend the construction of Augusta’s canal system. With the canals so integral to Augusta’s industries, this means that the Chinese community, from its very beginning, has been critical to Augusta. Through the intervening years after the end of the Chinese Exclusion Act, with the opening of Chinese-owned businesses, the arrival of shop owners’ wives and families, and the 1927 establishment of the CCBA, the Chinese have played an important role in shaping Augusta’s history. The Chinese Community quickly became a family-oriented group full of high-achieving business owners.

 

In particular, many Chinese families opened successful groceries, restaurants, and laundry establishments in predominately African-American neighborhoods during the Jim Crow era to provide goods and services to whom white-owned businesses refused to serve. This dynamic is crucial to understanding the social and economic forces among minority and discriminated groups in Augusta and, more generally, within the Jim Crow South. This is just one area of study that shows how Chinese Americans have added to the cultural diversity of Augusta and the southeast. Chinese-Augustans fought in World War II and were among some of the first racial minorities at the Medical College of Georgia. Today, they are deeply embedded in the cultural and charitable life of the city.

The CCBA of Augusta Timeline Brochure

BEHIND THE SCENES 

In late 2020, Corey Rogers, former GHS marker committee chair, reached out to the president of CCBA, Gary Tom, and pitched the idea to apply to GHS for a historical marker in anticipation of the organization’s 100th anniversary in 2027.

The CCBA’s youngest board member, Si-Long Chen, initiated a grant proposal on behalf of the CCBA seeking funding for the marker, dedication ceremony, Chinese history presentation, and exhibit. In March of 2022, the Porter Fleming Foundation awarded the CCBA a grant of $6,500 to fund the project.

Gary Tom applied for a state-approved historical marker in the summer of 2022. On August 5th, 2022, the GHS approved CCBA’s application for a historical marker on “Augusta Chinese and the Augusta Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association.”

The event committee was formed to organize the event logistics and public relations. The committee chair, board member, board member Travis Tom, has worked tirelessly on designing the Chinese history display and curating the exhibition layout.