[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 27 (Monday, March 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E284]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN RECOGNITION OF THE BROOKLYN CHINESE-AMERICAN ASSOCIATION'S TWELFTH 
                              ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 13, 2000

  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Brooklyn 
Chinese-American Association (BCA) in honor of its Twelfth Anniversary.
  An ancient Chinese proverb states: ``If you want 1 year of 
prosperity, grow grain. If you want 10 years of prosperity, grow trees. 
If you want 100 years of prosperity, grow people'' Twelve years ago, 
the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association did just that. The 
Association started out as a small, social services agency with a 
mission to provide assistance to the growing Asian-American community 
in Sunset Park, Borough Park and Bay Ridge sections of Brooklyn.
  Since then, the Asian-American community has seen tremendous growth 
and recent estimates show that more than 200,000 people of Asian 
descent now live throughout the borough. As a result, Sunset Park and 
its surrounding neighborhoods are commonly known as ``Brooklyn 
Chinatown.''
  BCA has expanded throughout the years to meet the growing need of 
Asian-Americans by providing day care and senior centers, with a main 
community center and ten other service sites in Sunset Park, Borough 
Park, Bay Ridge, Sheepshead Bay and Bensonhurst.
  Through its programs and services, BCA provides assistance to more 
than 800 individuals a day. Stepping into a new Millennium and its 
thirteenth year of community services, offering a wide array of new 
programs including comprehensive bilingual social services and other 
programs to meet the growing challenges in this new century.
  What started out as a small agency has flourished into the largest 
community-based, multi-human services community development 
organization, providing assistance to Asian-Americans throughout the 
borough of Brooklyn as well as other parts of the city.
  I congratulate BCA on its Twelfth Anniversary and wish the 
Association continued prosperity as it offers members of the Asian-
American community guidance today, tomorrow and into the future.

                          ____________________