If you don't respect us, you'd better expect us!

Chenyang Rickard

​(Editor's note:  ChenYang Rickard served as the president of ACA from 2021 to 2023. She attended the UCA Convention in Washington, D.C., representing  ACA. Below is a memo she wrote after attending the convention.​ ) 

"If you don't respect us, you'd better expect us." Texas State Representative Gene Wu's powerful speech strongly resonated with more than 600 attendees from 34 states at the 4th Chinese Americans National Convention. Hosted by the United Chinese Americans (UCA), the four-day event in Washington, D.C., brought together delegates, including many youth representatives, to address pressing issues and advocate for the rights and interests of the Chinese American community.

The convention began with "Congressional Day," where delegates visited congressional representatives to discuss key issues such as restrictions on Chinese real estate purchases in the U.S., the inclusion of Chinese American history in U.S. education, and easing scholar visa restrictions. 
Many notable congressional leaders attended the Convention: included Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-6), Congressman Ted Lieu (CA-33), and Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-8).
The Alliance of Chinese Americans, San Diego, sent three delegates: board member Chenyang Rickard and two youth delegates, Katelyn Wong and Lia Zheng, both graduates of ACA's civic internship program. ACA was one of the organizations invited by UCA to showcase its achievements in community services and civic engagement. Chenyang's speech on the internship program was well-received, garnering positive feedback. As youth delegates and excellent spokespersons for the future generation, Lia and Katelyn were interviewed by SinoVision TV. 
In an article that Katelye published to reflect her experience at the Convention, she wrote: "I felt a fiery hope that as the younger generation, we could and should use our voice to abolish barriers barring us from truly belonging in this country," 
The convention concluded with over 300 attendees participating in the "Walk for Civil Rights," honoring the 60th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The walk spanned from the WWII Memorial to the MLK Memorial, ending at the Lincoln Memorial. 
The next convention is scheduled to be held in Las Vegas in 2026.