The mission of the Chinese Youth Initiative is to develop youth leadership in the Chinese American community.  We strive to accomplish this goal by cultivating awareness about the issues facing Chinese Americans and providing youth with experience in grassroots community organizing.

About the Chinese Youth Initiative

For over ten years, CYI has brought together Chinese American youth from all over the Boston area.  This Chinatown-based program sponsored by the Chinese Progressive Association includes both a Summer Internship and a Year-Round program that aim to build youth involvement in the community.

CYI was started with the notion that, if given guidance, the opportunity, and evidence that they can make a different, many youth want to better understand society and to create a positive change in their community.  The goal of the Chinese Youth Initiative is to develop the organizing skills, leadership capacity, and community awareness of Chinese American youth so that they can contribute to improving the community’s condition.

Past projects have included:

• organizing a Chinatown Recreation Day to publicize the need for community space in Chinatown;
• developing and conducting a campaign to increase community access to the new Chinatown YMCA;
• conducting a survey of Asian youth needs and interests;
• initiating a community-wide campaign to bring back a Chinatown branch of the Boston Public Library back to Chinatown;
• working with the Chinese Progressive Association to increase voter registration among the Chinatown residents;
• organizing "Fresh Off the Vote", a youth forum on voting and civic participation; and
• producing and directing "Chinatown Through Our Eyes... Young Voices", a teen documentary that explores the many issues facing Chinatown and its residents from a youth perspective.  (We would love to screen our video for your group!  To organize a film screening for your school or club, please contact the CYI Youth Coordinator.)

Summer Internship

This seven week paid summer internship gives high school students the opportunity to get involved in the Chinatown community.  The first half of the program focuses on educating the interns on both the history of Boston's Chinatown and the current issues facing the community today.  Through a series of workshops, discussions, videos, guest speakers, and field trips, youth develop leadership skills and explore their identities as Chinese Americans.  During the final weeks of the program, the youth apply what they have learned to create a final group project that will impact the Chinatown community. 

Year-Round Program

CYI's year-round program is available for anyone looking to become an active member in the Chinatown community.  Volunteering their time, youth develop organizational and leadership skills through various projects in Chinatown.

Currently, a major campaign that CYI youth are involved with is the Chinatown Library Campaign!  -- a campaign to bring a branch of the Boston Public Library back to Chinatown.  Come join us!  We meet at the CPA office on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month at 4:30pm.  For more information, please contact the CYI Youth Coordinator.  Also, feel free to check out our webpage for more details. 

CYI Walking Tours

CYI also conducts political, historical tours of Chinatown for groups who are interested in learning more about Chinatown.  Please contact the CYI Youth Coordinator if you would like to schedule a tour for your group.

For more information about the Chinese Youth Initiative, contact:

Lawrence Joe

CPA Youth Coordinator

Phone: (617) 357-4499

Email: youthcoordinator@cpaboston.org.