Introduction to the Henan Association of America

The Henan Association of America was formally established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in December, 2016. 

Chinese civilization originated in the Yellow River Basin of the Central Plains. Henan Province, one of the oldest provinces in China, represents the epitome of China’s rich cultural history and civilization. Henan is also the most populous province in China.  Beginning with the Reform and Opening-Up Policy of the 1980s, a large number of Henan people came to the United States to start businesses, work, study and live. Among them are entrepreneurs, scholars, doctors and lawyers who have been successful in the United States for decades, as well as newcomers facing difficulties in communicating and adapting to a foreign culture and language.  Henan people have, however, lacked a platform to communicate with and help each other, and to promote the culture of Henan and expand on cultural and educational exchange between China and the United States. 

The Henan Association of America has been officially registered in the United States as a non-profit organization 501(c), designed to provide support for Henan people in the United States, and a place where families can talk with and provide assistance to each other.  The Association aims to provide an essential platform to help newcomers to the United States, and to develop better ties between the United States and Henan.  

More specifically, the purposes of the Henan Association of America are the: establishment of a network of Henan fellows in the United States; distribution of the resources of successful Henan fellows to help students and new immigrants; provision of advice to and from Henan fellows on daily life and business; protection of the legitimate commercial and civil rights of Henan fellows; building of a platform that promotes exchanges between China and the United States in all aspects; development of opportunities for Henan fellows to come to the United States for employment and education; support of education in remote areas of Henan; and, the building of an international platform for young people in Henan, to provide a wide range of communication and other opportunities.

At present, the Henan Association of America has the following Departments: 

1. Public Relations Department: management of the registration of Association members;    liaison with other associations and related organizations. 

2. Activity Planning Department: planning and coordinating Association parties and   festivals.  

3. Sino-US Relations Department: development of direct business and cultural exchanges between the United States and Henan Province.  

4. Mutual Support Department: providing assistance to newcomers to the United States. 

5. Fundraising and Finance Department: responsible for fund-raising (including foreign)    and Association financial affairs, the maintenance of open and transparent Association   financial records, and the distribution of funds as most needed.  

6. Website and Social Media Department: maintenance of the Association’s website and other media.  

7. Department of Culture and Art: providing a platform for artist group from Henan to come   to the United States; establishing entertainment groups for Henan fellows. 

8. Youth Exchange Department: development of youth programs and opportunities between  the United States and China.  

9. Henan Chamber of Commerce in the U.S.: promotion of Henan enterprises and the   businesses of Henan fellows in the United States.    

The Association held its first council meeting on January 14th, 2017. The board elected Mandy Hu as the Association’s first President, Qunbin Xiong and Xiangyi Zhao as Vice President, Tongfei Qi as Secretary General, Xindy Yu as Treasurer, and Dr. Song Li as honorary President. The Executive Directors were determined as: Liping Wang, Fuyong Du, Jianying Liu, Min Zheng, Changfa Yang and Xinkai Kong. The Association named Daniel Conneen, Esq., an American attorney, as the Association’s special legal counsel.   

The Henan Association of America is located at 906 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, Chinatown, Philadelphia. The Association’s phone number is 215-755-6035, and the official email address is info@hnus.org.  The Association’s Wechat Group is “Henan Association of America”. The website is www.hnus.org. Fellows are welcome to register and leave a messages. We hope we can thrive together in the United States.    

All Chinese people have the same roots.  We belong to the same history and share the same culture. We hope the Henan Association of America provides a beautiful platform for the assistance and development of Henan fellows in the United States.  

Appendix: Heads of Departments 

1. Public Relations Department:  Fuyong Du & Jianying Liu 

2. Activity Planning Department:  Qunbin Xiong & Changfa Yang 

3. Sino-US Relations Department:  Xiaodan Wang & Min Zheng 

4. Mutual Support Department:  Liping Wang & Yi Cheng 

5. Fundraising and Finance Department:  Xindy Yu & Jiangge Xing 

6. Website and Social Media Department:  Tongfei Qi & Xinkai Kong 

7. Department of Culture and Art:  Yuhua Liu, Yun Huang & Lanping Li 

8. Youth Exchange Department:  Liya Yu & Xuanhao Liu 

9. Henan Chamber of Commerce in the U.S.: Xiangyi Zhao & Xindy Yu