A Word from our founder….

Dear Friends,

October 11, 2000

As President and Founder of the Chinese American Cultural Bridge Center, I welcome your visit to our site. Many people have asked me why I started the CACBC- perhaps this introduction will help answer that question.

I have lived in the United States for about twelve years, becoming an American citizen eight years ago. Before that, I was born and grew up in China. There, I worked as a music teacher and musician for about 16 years, before immigrating to the U.S. I played the violin and my main instrument, the Erhu, a two-stringed ancient Chinese musical instrument.

Every year, my colleagues and I organized numerous performances to celebrate the Chinese New Year, concerts and rehearsals. I would work out the detailed programs, MC and manage the stage during competitions. I still remember my earlier years in teaching, during China’s Cultural Revolution. While leading my music ensemble, I was dreaming about what it would be like to play on the other side of the globe.

I found out the answer in 1989, when I came to the United States. Three years later I received my Master’s in Arts. From the first month I stepped on this continent, I began playing my instrument in local schools, universities and cultural centers, as a way to introduce Chinese culture and arts. Every year I visited many schools to present my assembly program of self-designed Chinese music and a hands-on Chinese cultural dance presentation. I called it “West Meets East.” All the assemblies and performances earned me a reputation as a Music Ambassador from China. I began to play my Erhu with the Chicago and Milwaukee Symphonies, earning a fellowship from the Illinois Arts Council. It was an incredible feeling to walk into a room of strangers and, after performing, to walk out a beloved friend. My dream of playing on the other side of the globe had come to fruition.

Throughout my years in the U.S., I have made many friends amongst my new countrymen and women. One thing they share in common is they always want to know more about China – things that just a sightseeing tour could never offer. I have also met many American musicians who shared my own dream: they too wanted to perform on the opposite side of the world!

I knew I could help make those dreams come true and that is why I began the American Music Ambassador Cultural Exchange Tour, with its main purpose being to lead groups through the real China, with not only officially arranged sightseeing, but with tailor-made itineraries to fit every group’s needs.

It gives me such satisfaction to see the excitement of my native Chinese friends the first time they see a live performance played by an American Orchestra or Jazz band. It’s so exciting to see our American Cultural Ambassadors and our Chinese friends meeting face-to-face, trying to overcome their language and cultural barriers. I’m very pleased to be at the helm of a cultural exchange program bringing western and eastern cultures together and broadening their perspectives about each other’s lives.

Sincerely,
Qiu Min Ji