March 3, 2022 by USHCA Executive Director, Min Fan
I was fortunate to be among the generation of Chinese who grew up untouched by war or hunger. My grandparents who vanished in the bombings of WWII and the famine in the 50’s are only fuzzy memories kept in black and white pictures.
As we witness the lives of millions of people in Ukraine and Russia upended overnight by the geopolitical calculations of a few, what is coming into sharper focus for me, as a Chinese American, is the fragility of peace and the essential need of it between the U.S. and China today. When our international community cannot stop quarreling, when different perspectives cannot find ways to communicate, armed conflict becomes the only option, and it is the average citizens who would pay the ultimate price.
At this time of great loss, anxiety, and uncertainty, despair is not an option. What can we do? 勿以善小而不为–this Chinese maxim says it well – doing what is good no matter how small it is. And the small thing that we at USHCA choose to do is to promote peace and understanding through our programs around agriculture collaboration and cultural appreciations.
Let’s all call upon the better angels of our nature and give peace a chance.
The U.S. Heartland China Association is a 501(C)3 bipartisan organization that is dedicated to building stronger ties between the 20 states in the heartland region of the United States and the People’s Republic of China. USHCA’s efforts are concentrated on building trust among government officials, business leaders, and educational and community interests in the U.S. and in China.