The 15th National Convention and Chinese Education Conference

Asian American Association of Boston Representative Tammy Tsikar Delivers Remarks

The 15th Chinese School Association in the United States (CSAUS) National Convention concluded successfully, bringing together educators, administrators, and community leaders committed to advancing Chinese language education across the country.

As one of the conference sponsors, the Asian American Association of Boston was invited to participate in this important national gathering. During the event, Secretary General Gan Kewei actively introduced and promoted the “Boston Asian American Festival,” drawing significant interest and attention from attendees nationwide.

Tammy Tsikar, Deputy Secretary General of the Asian American Association of Boston and Vice Principal of the Cambridge Chinese School, participated throughout the conference and delivered remarks during a featured roundtable forum. In her address, Vice Principal Tsikar

noted that Chinese language education in the United States has developed over more than 150 years. She emphasized that the Greater Boston area, with its distinctive academic resources and social environment, has consistently played an important role in this historical progress.

She further outlined several key advantages that position Greater Boston as a strong driver of Chinese language education:

• The concentration of world-renowned universities that foster a rich academic atmosphere
• The continued growth of the Chinese American population, along with increasing interest in learning Chinese among diverse communities
• A relatively open and inclusive policy and social environment
• The empowering role of technological advancement and digital tools in enhancing teaching models

At the same time, Vice Principal Tsikar offered an objective assessment of current challenges facing Chinese language education, including a shortage of qualified teachers, the need to strengthen students’ long-term learning motivation, and uncertainties in long-term planning arising from changes in the international environment.

In response to these challenges, she proposed a multi-faceted path forward, including expansion of curriculum systems, strengthening of teaching capacity, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and deeper integration with community services. These coordinated efforts, she noted, will enhance the professionalism and social impact of Chinese language education and support Greater Boston’s progress toward becoming a model region for Chinese language education in the United States.

During the conference, Secretary General Gan Kewei and Deputy Secretary General Tammy Tsikar also met with Conference Co-Chair Chen Weiping and Secretary General Li Zhu to formally introduce the “Boston Asian American Festival.” They warmly invited Chinese schools from across the country to participate, with the shared goal of promoting deeper collaboration between Chinese language education and community cultural exchange.

Author: Tammy Tsikar (AAAB Deputy Secretary-General)