Town brings Chinese-Americans together

Richard Tedesco

Last Monday morning, more than 30 senior citizens of the Chinese-American community in North Hempstead gathered in a second floor activity room at the Michael J. Tully Park Aquatic Center to hear Chinese songs sung by volunteer performers and to play Mah Jong, socialize and have lunch together.

It was the first meeting of Joy Fu, a four-week pilot program for Chinese-American senior citizens, co-sponsored by the Town of North Hempstead, the non-profit Rays Foundation for seniors and the Chinese-American Association of North Hempstead.

“I think it’s a wonderful program. It’s long overdue,” said Lana Ohoy, co-president of the Chinese-American Association of North Hempstead.

Teresa Louie, past co-president of CAANH, came up with the concept after visiting a similar program for elderly Indian-Americans at Clinton G. Martin Park. Louie approached Kimberly Corcoran, commissioner of community services for the Town of North Hempstead, and said the town immediately consented to giving the program a test run. The idea, Louie said, is to bring seniors who are frequently isolated in their households together to commune with each other, make friends and perhaps engage in other town activities.

Over the next few weeks, the seniors will be practicing Tai Chi, doing arts and crafts, and playing Mah Jong. On June 27, musicians from Herricks High School will perform a recital program for them.

Based on the initial response, Louie said she hopes the program will move uninterrupted from its current pilot stage to become a regular activity group at Tully Park

“It’s a great turnout. I wasn’t expecting this,” Louie said.

The Chinese-American Association of North Hempstead spread the word with flyers it sent to its members, and to members of the Organization of Chinese Americans and sending e-mails to the Chinese Center of Long Island, Louie said.

“I think it’s very good,” said Lau Suen, one of the Chinese seniors in attendance.

The language barrier for many elderly south Asian North Hempstead residents is an impediment to them participating in many town programs.

That’s what prompted Jonai Singh, co-president and trustee of the Rays Foundation, to work with other members of the Indian-American community and the Town of North Hempstead to create the weekly program at Clinton G. Martin for Indian-American seniors two years ago. That program currently draws more than 100 Indian-American senior citizens each week for yoga, board games, lunch and friendly interaction.

“We saw that seniors living with their families were isolated because of the language barrier,” Singh said. “We are committed to the cause of seniors.”

The Rays Foundation short-term goal is to brighten the lives of senior citizens in Herricks and North Hempstead, eventually expanding into other areas.

It’s about outreach. No one deserves isolation,” said Singh, “Everyone deserves the right to celebrate life.”

Last Monday morning, there was a celebrative atmosphere in the second floor activity room in the Michael J. Tully, as the Chinese-American seniors gathered there were visibly pleased to hear songs in their native Mandarin and Cantonese languages, and interact with members of their ethnic community who they’d never met before.

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