ABOUT CISANI

FOUNDERS MESSAGE:

In 1979 the Chinese American Service League (CASL) had just been established in Chicago. Meeting with Po and Charles and starting CISANI was very exciting. I was delighted that so many established organizations across the world were willing to share their information and methods on serving their communities. Initially I was looking for CISANI to focus on networking . Charles wanted a focus on participation, and Po wanted a focus on organization. What we found was that CISANI did all these things, and more.

There were so many questions, and CISANI helped provide answers. At annual conferences since CISANI's inception, we have shared our program ideas, we have learned more about the needs of Chinese Immigrants across the world, and we have stayed in contact and continued our dialogue. We have much to learn from each other.

Develeoping comaraderie and friendship with your peers across the country and across the world in invaluable. The friendships allow us to focus on our own agencies while still learning from others. CISANI allows for these relationships to grow, providing a place to learn and share. Each year I look forward to the next CISANI Conference whre I renew old friendships, make new ones, and learn new skills and ways to meet community needs.

I would like to thank my fellow co-founders for their vision, creative ideas, and willingness to share their knowledge, resources, and time. They have lit a torch that all CISANI members have carried throughout the past 25 years. I thank each of the host agencies of each annual conference for their hard work and spirit of sharing.