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The Institute of Chinese Culture
The front face of ICC.
Introduction |
The Institute of Chinese Culture (ICC) was incorporated in Texas in 1970 as a non-profit educational institution and is Houston's first Chinese language school. Their mission is to enhance the appreciation of the Chinese language and culture through their Chinese-language school and a variety of community activities throughout the year.
Sherry's Thoughts |
My first memory of ICC isn’t a memory at all, but rather, a feeling – one that is enveloped in hazy happiness and unadulterated contentment. There’s a term in Chinese, 幸福 (xingfu), that describes ICC. It represents an amalgamation of positive feelings wrapped up in contentment and satisfaction. This term is written across every face at the Institute of Chinese Culture, smiling at each other as if they were family instead of classmates, bathed in the comfort that is each other.
On a section of the uniform white walls of the cafeteria, there is a mural of the twelve zodiac animals. I observed the painting of it last summer. A group of college and high school students had gathered and decided that something needed to be put on the empty walls to make the space less stifling. After hours of careful brainstorming and preparation, a projector showing the original picture and buckets of blue paint were being hauled into the cafeteria. Every day for two weeks, these students stood on ladders and kneeled on the floor for hours to complete the mural. When I jokingly mentioned to one of them about the time and effort put into simple decoration, she simply shrugged and replied, “I want to make this place look nice.”
That student later returned during the school year as a teacher. Even after graduating from Chinese school and busy with university studies, she still finds ways to integrate herself into the ICC culture that she couldn’t bear to leave behind for good. This, as I have come to find, is a trend – an alum who shares the same sentiment donated a thousand dollars to the school, and a student’s parent was drawn to ICC’s environment and became a teacher.
One such parent related to me how she came to the States as a college student with no friends and little English. The beginnings were bitter and difficult, but the community around her was kind. She said that she sees this openness in ICC as well. Although it was only her child's first year at ICC, she was inclined to participate and help out as much as she could. This sentiment isn’t limited to just parents, as even teachers strongly encourage their own children to participate in classes at ICC – and many do, attracted by the simple happiness that covers the Institute.
Similarly, one such student describes how his experiences at ICC have shaped his view of identity. Although his parents don’t speak Chinese well, he is determined to become fluent. After a few years of classes, he is delighted to be able to communicate with his grandparents and hold conversations when he travels to Taiwan with his family. Among all of the languages he has tried to learn, he finds Chinese the most fitting, and he finds ICC to be the best place to study his mother tongue.
There was a sort of magnetizing force to the Institute that affected me deeply, both through the lens of a long-time volunteer and non-profit partner. Even when the people around me were strangers, I couldn’t help but smile as they told their heartwarming stories and became immersed in the boundless and infectious warmth that is the environment at the Institute of Chinese Culture. Here is where people, regardless of background, have found their community; here is where genuine 幸福 presides.
Khushi's Thoughts |
Although a simple truth, it still fascinates me how one is capable of experiencing so many things at once. The smell of fresh, warm Asian food was inviting to my senses, an almost tangible, surreal feeling…
And though I could pick up only a few fragments of Chinese, as soon as I stepped inside, the mere sound of conversation filled the room, and I could feel a tight embrace, a wave of community, splash onto me. It may have been only five or ten seconds since I entered the halls of an unfamiliar setting, but I had already felt a sense of belonging, as if I was one of these students, just coming back on a regular Saturday…to a second home.
In many cases, entering a new cultural setting is an intimidating experience for many, including myself. Initially, it felt unfamiliar and out of place to be an outsider in a culturally homogeneous community, leaving me with a burning question in my mind: “Am I wrong to be doing this?” In spite of these conflicting thoughts, I was surprised to notice the number of people of other backgrounds who attended the ICC graduation. It dawned on me that love, gratitude, and acceptance serve as the common threads that unite us, transcending our cultural disparities. As phrased by some of the people I met: “It helps if we become less ignorant about other cultures and understand that we’re all equals….we’re all human. Opening our horizons to new cultures makes us more aware of our surroundings…and we should be welcoming to those around us.” The pieces finally click: Our own ignorance is what destroys and burns the bridges that connect us, and the urge to overcome such social hurdles must persevere and emerge victorious to our own delusions.
Watching the kids go up on stage made my brain run like a broken record player: replaying the same nostalgic memories. It reminded me of the chaos at my own temple during graduation days… the aunties rushing to the front of the room to snap pictures; the teachers exhausted after another long year; and the kids running carefree, hoping to spend one last time with friends before the summer. Though the orderly ceremony at ICC wasn’t like the one at my Sunday home, I realize how similar they both are, when people come together to rejoice in the passing of old memories and embrace the new ones yet to come. It’s not engrained in defined, distinct cultures…and that is the beauty of it. Watching these people come together, from diverse ages and backgrounds, filled my heart with a surge of warmth and solace, being able to see how even in the face of challenges arising from assimilating into a foreign community, generations and generations of people have developed what were once small buildings into hearths of hope…hope that these cultures will slowly, yet inevitably, gain acceptance within the greater community.
Although my time at ICC was brief, a mere two hours, I found myself immersed in their vibrant cultural community. It was an experience that left an indelible mark on my heart, fueled by the unwavering dedication of the individuals around me to learn and embrace the Chinese language. ICC was like a conduit, connecting people of diverse backgrounds, all driven by a shared passion for embracing culture, language, and traditions. It transcended the environment I was accustomed to, a divide created by social norms. But here at ICC, it was a haven where cultural exchange thrived and where language became a bridge, connecting people across borders and dissolving barriers that may have otherwise seemed insurmountable. With these experiences, I now carry a renewed appreciation for the power of language as a catalyst for unity, and a spark has now lit up within me, igniting a lifelong commitment to embracing diverse cultures and fostering meaningful connections.
Alex's Thoughts |
The ICC. Three letters that have changed numerous lives around the world. Not the International Cricket Council nor the International Criminal Court, but a much less known organization known as the Institute of Chinese Culture. It is the beacon of hope in a world plagued with cultural isolation and discrimination.
As an American born Chinese, the Chinese culture will always stick to me; however, inside ICC I feel brand new, like someone who is new to this culture. I’ve noticed that I still had a lot to learn about my own culture that I hadn’t even known about. This eagerness or urge to learn Chinese culture is what makes the ICC community so connected.
Our recent trip to the ICC covered their graduation ceremony, which was a pleasure to watch due to the encouragement that everyone provides for each other. Even though it was an East Asian culture that we were celebrating, lots of other cultures and regions around the world had either come to learn the culture or watch and celebrate the achievements. This opened up a much more interesting perspective of the ICC. It’s a stark reminder that life has no boundaries and that even cultures from around the world can find peace and harmony together. One major issue in my eyes is the cultural gap or separation around the world. The world holds more than 3800 cultures, and most of these cultures living in the same area have had violence amongst themselves. Cultures are a way of life, not something that should destroy it. After all, no matter how sophisticated we are, we all boil down to the same base; human beings. We should all come together as one while still holding different beliefs but not allowing beliefs to distinguish us as superior or have hatred against others.The ICC exemplifies this very well; it encourages all people to come and learn the Chinese culture to become more interconnected with each other.
Although we've talked and praised a lot about Chinese culture, it is important to note that this interconnectedness could come with learning other cultures as well. Knowing different languages or cultures allows one to fill the cultural gap in their life. For example, one of the people I interviewed during my visit had said that learning the Chinese language has allowed her to meet new friends by interest in Chinese drama or movie films. She also said that her friend, who doesn’t know Chinese, is very interested in Chinese drama films, and that she provides as a translator for her. The ICC is local and is located in Houston which is a very diverse city, where change in the world’s view on rivaling cultures can be dismantled little by little.