I will like to share a great example that how Hakka Taiwanese can do to preserve our own Hakka culture and language.
This is the 6
th year in a row...our Hakka friends have presented
2.28 Commemorative Concert to our local community. The idea is to get our Hakka friends to team up and offer our service., and also to create a stage for ourselves.
In the past, Hakka is so used to cry for opportunity...or for the support and help... Every time we have culture events in our community, very naturally, our reaction, might turn around to Taiwan to ask for the fund or hep from "客委會" -- with that special advantage, Hakka got spoiled. The
SARS in 2004 gave all of us a big lesson... We thought, maybe it is time, to have our own team to stay put - do it ourselves locally...We are not asking 客委會 to support, we are working all by our own efforts and with our own fund raising...
First, we convinced
Hakka Toastmasters Meeting group (客語生活座談會) to dedicate our volunteer-ship and take actions for supporting Hakka cultural events. Later, we get in to lead our community for the annual "L.A. River Clean-Up" and also strong involvement in Taiwanese American Heritage Week celebration... We are so proud of our volunteer team - with great leadership and responsive job assignments.
We then encouraged
Sam-Gup-Shui Studio (三合水工作坊) to compose new Hakka music. We have the first Hakka 2.28 Song that premiered in Capital Hill after the Ceremony of Marching for Taiwan in 2007. And this Hakka 2.28 Song become an official song to be praised in many 2.28 gatherings all over the World in Hakka. "The Unreachable Stars' is another Hakka Song...that touched many peoples' hearts... Lynn Huang, our young and talented composer, has continuously brought good pieces of Hakka music...and later she teams up with two other Hakka talented musicians, Jen Chan and Yvonne Wang,
Rhapsody Trio (狂想三重奏), continuously have our Hakka music to be explored.
We have formed
Taiwan Elite Alliance (優社), an officially licensed
NPO... so we can have fund raising to support our programs and events for our community.
Hakka Taiwanese should not always only stay within our own circle. Sure, it is is important to associate with our Hakka friends. We thought that could be key joos for
THA, local chapter to work on. Nowadays, it is very popular to see several organizations of 客家同鄉會 co-existing in same major Metro city. We don't need to make another one (and another one) to serve our Hakka friends... Actually, we thought we can work with these established organizations closely to carry out our ultimate goal - as simple as
HAPA-
NA's goal:
客家人介台灣路.
Have our good production with "Hakka Accent" (not necessary the whole program to be in Hakka, but at least to have important part of Hakka ingredients.) Present it to all audience, not only targeted to Hakka. Therefore, in our production, we always have subtitles of English as the first language, since we reside here, and we always hope our next generations can also participate in our events...plus we don't want our local American friends to feel they are left out...We can also have
Han-ji subtitle...if necessary with the Pin-
Ying for Hakka Lyrics... Include all audience in an event of all kinds should be our key to success. Always get a big screen with well produced PPS...this is so important...not only in overseas...should also be done in Taiwan for Hakka friends to present any event.
Have our own fund raising with Tax benefit for donors...with our own volunteer crews...and bring the events to main stage...it is all about a good team-work.
This year,
2.28 - 65th Commemorative Concert on 2/28/2012 at Arcadia Presbyterian Church...exactly just like a production of our dream team:
These musicians are all Hakka or in-law of Hakka...including the Soprano, Hui-
Ju Chen, from DC. The Video production by
LATWTV (Samuel Lee), Photographer (
Shih-Hung Lo), PPS controller (Ivan Huang) and Volunteer Captain (Yuan-
Hsiang Peng) are die-hard Hakka Taiwanese. Funny thing, we even have our dinner box to be ordered from Hakka restaurant.
Yet... our audience are from all sorts of backgrounds, not to be limited in our Hakka circle. We are most proud of this year's production: to invite TA2 true leaders: Dr.
HoChie Tsai to be the keynote and Julie
Chao to reflect her own perception of 2.28 since her
TACL camp... We did try to pass our torch to TA2...and thing is moving well.
I am not bluffing...to carry out a mission with action...need many hearts and efforts. I do hope our HAPA-NA members in each local community, can develop your core-team, pool up the talents, and have to meet-up at least monthly, or periodically... Hakka Toastmasters Meeting's leadership training - and practice our oral Hakka. Hakka 3 line Poems is another great way of practicing our written Hakka. Start small but be patient and persistent, it will eventually grow and reaching out. L.A. Hakka Toastmasters Meeting Group (
www.Sam-Gup-Shui.blogspot.com) is continuously having its 134th monthly meeting.
WWW.Hakka3linePoem.blogspot.com is also marching towards its 3rd year.
Let us roll-up and get yourself in action.
Sincerely,
Thomas
3/7/2012 @ Los Angeles
