SFCCC in Oakland works to preserve Chinese language and culture

OAKLAND, Calif. —

For more than 70 years, the Shoong Family Chinese Cultural Center (SFCCC) in Oakland has been teaching Cantonese and Mandarin to Bay Area school kids.

When the school first opened its doors, the students were mostly the children of Chinese immigrants in the Bay Area. In its more recent history, the classes have become more diverse, with families of all backgrounds wanting their children to be immersed in Chinese language and culture.

"Apart from learning Chinese words, we teach them Chinese culture," said kindergarten teacher Joyce Li, who has been teaching at the school for more than a decade.

Classes are offered from kindergarten through high school as an after-school program. Some students have been attending the school for a decade. Emerose Chu, now a ninth-grader