旅美游子的中文熱

今年5月，在春雨潤物、百花爭艷的傍晚，來自大紐約地區三個州的400多名華人歡聚在新澤西州北部的帝國酒家，慶祝一個值得自豪的日子——美國華夏中文學校十周年校慶。

在白手起家中起步

十年前，隨著中國的改革開放，越來越多的中國大陸學生留美創業，其中有不少人攜兒帶女來美國定居。面對孩子們的成長，學中文成了一樁難事。當時只有少數的周末中文學校，那是由臺灣同胞主辦的，教的是注音符號和繁體字。許多孩子不愿學，成人也嫌難。能否為自己的孩子們開辦一所學拼音和簡體字的中文學校?武小英、蔡斐斐、張雪珊、陳小平等幾個人談及此事志同道合，一拍即合。他們為中文學校取名華夏，即炎黃子孫華夏人之意，旨在弘揚中華文化。

學校創建初期，常常入不敷出，于是朋友們八仙過海，各顯神通。有的回北京自掏腰包從國務院僑辦那兒買來了中國語文教材贈予華夏；有的借到了校舍；一道道困難被克服之后，華夏中文學校終于正式成立，由武小英擔當校長。

建校初期，只有50名學生報名，老師才7人。但是當地華人聽說有這樣一所教簡體字的中文學校，消息一傳十，十傳百，開學當天又有25名學生報名，到學期結束時已經有學生105名。到了秋季班開學，學生人數已經翻倍到220人，其中不少人驅車上百公里送孩子上中文學校，因而要求增設分校的呼聲很高。華夏為順應形勢，于第二年同時開辦了兩所分校，學生人數一下子增加到700多。經過10年時間，美國華夏中文學校已經成功開設了15所，在校學生人數超過5000名，在編教師450名，成了海外發展最快，學生最多的中文學校。

旅美精英傳播中華文化

華夏中文學校屬非經營性組織，其宗旨為弘揚中華文化，促使中華文化融入美國多元文化并為其做出貢獻。學校自建校初期就制定了規章制度，校務人員以義務奉獻為主，由家長理事會監督，校長由民主選舉產生，實行隔年輪換制，華夏中文學校招聘教師由校務人員對應聘者進行面試。學校經常舉辦各種類型的教師培訓班和專家講座，以不斷地提高教師水平。中國留美人員中人才濟濟，許多人有博士，碩士學位，他們工作都很忙，但是他們放棄休息時間來到中文學校教中文。華夏中文學校的成功也促進了美國人學中文的熱潮，目前美國已經把中文正式列入中學生的第二外語，不少華人居住比較集中的中學，已經安排中文課程，并指定中文為學校學生的外語選修課程。美國教育考試中心也為中文測試增設了考題，華裔子弟們可以堂而皇之地用中文參試。隨著祖國國際地位的不斷提高，東方巨龍擎天而立，于是許多外國人加入了學中文的行列。

“到這里有回家的感覺”

以前華人家庭在美國的生活是緊張而單調的，自從附近有了中文學校以后，華人家庭常常在周末舉家出動，在送孩子上中文學校的同時，大人們也可以在學校會會老朋友，結交新朋友，家長們還自發地組織起各種興趣班：愛好唱歌的參加合唱團亮嗓子；成人舞蹈班不僅鍛煉了身體，還學會了中國傳統的民族舞；男士們組成的籃球、排球、足球隊除了練球外，還與其他分校進行對抗賽；對投資有興趣的人們聚集一堂探討房地產或股票的投資問題；特別閑暇的人在這里還可以摸麻將、打撲克或找個對手下圍棋象棋；那些閑不住的人可以去上繪畫班學國畫，也可以上工藝班。中文學校還經常舉辦各種講座，如如何幫孩子進入美國頂尖大學、如何管理自己的退休基金、工作面試的技巧、怎樣在美國做生意等等。許多留美人士說，到這里有回家的感覺。幾年前，新州華人王延萍，因為醫療手術失敗，做了手腳截肢手術，成了終生殘疾。華夏中文學校不僅自動發起了捐款，還有許多人主動報名去輪流看護她、照顧她。去年年底，東南亞發生了世紀海嘯，華夏的孩子們學著大人，把自己平時積攢的零用錢都掏出來了，不久，華夏中文學校將14700多元海嘯捐款轉交國際紅十字會。

明星大腕與華夏游子心相連

如今的華夏已經不再是單純的中文學校，它那豐富多彩的活動像磁鐵一樣吸引著每一個華人家庭。春天有春游，夏天有夏令營，秋天有賞楓活動，冬天還組織滑雪。華夏中文學校還有自己的校刊《華夏園》以及網站和網頁；華夏通訊錄更是深入到眾多的華人家庭；華夏的《小語世界》則由孩子們自己組稿，自己編輯。華夏經常為孩子們組織各種知識競賽，如“查字典比賽”、“場景對話比賽”等。華夏每年還舉辦全校運動會，運動項目有田徑、球類、武術、射箭、拔河等，屆時總有上千人到場，氣氛熱烈，場面火爆。特別是一年一度的“華夏之夜”，那是華夏人的重大節日，洋溢著濃濃的年味。美國華人中藏龍臥虎，國家級的文藝精英不乏其人，隨便一湊就是一臺高質量的晚會。華夏的孩子們稚嫩的小臉在舞臺上笑開了花；華夏的媽媽時裝表演隊隊員們個個身材姣好，她們穿著典雅的旗袍，走著貓步，變著隊列，羨煞老美們；臺上高亢激昂的傳統京劇，引起了臺下票友們的強烈共鳴；熱烈的紅綢舞踏著鼓點，優美的孔雀舞開屏爭艷；“夕陽紅老年合唱團”的銀發族前輩們在上海交響樂團退休指揮家的指揮下，發揮出意想不到的最佳混聲合唱效果；這個龐大的數百人的團體，團長由原中國東方歌舞團著名女高音歌唱家鄭緒嵐的哥哥鄭緒岫擔任；孩子們的集體功夫更是個個如猛虎下山，更有雜技、相聲、小品等精彩表演，令人目不暇接。除了華夏人自己的表演，每年的“華夏之夜”必定還邀請中國大陸知名度很高的明星來獻藝。華夏曾邀請到王昆、鄭緒嵐、郭達、姜昆、才旦卓瑪、黃鶯、郭頌等著名藝人與華夏人同臺演出。今年的當紅歌星韓紅、沙寶亮在北京中央電視臺的春節晚會演出后，沒來得及洗凈鉛華就登機赴美，出現在華夏之夜的舞臺上高歌數曲，與熱情到沸點的華夏人共度良宵。

10th Anniversary of Huaxia Chinese School

By Qin Feng， our special reporter in United States

In this May， some 500 Chinese met at the Empire Restaurant in the northern New Jersey in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Huaxia Chinese School.

As China gradually opened up to the outside world， more and more Chinese students came to the United States. Many brought their families over and made homes in the new land. At that time， there were a few weekend Chinese schools sponsored by people from Taiwan. These schools offered courses in the Chinese in the ancient form and the phonetic notation system using symbols， which the Chinese kids found impossible. Their parents also balked. Some parents met and tried to find a solution to the problem. Why not set up a school where the simplified Chinese could be taught for children?

A Chinese school came into being bearing the name Huaxia， an ancient term for China. In the initial period， the school couldn誸 make the ends meet. Parents and friends helped. Some bought textbooks out of their own pockets from the overseas affairs office of the State Council back home， and donated them to the school. Some managed to find classrooms for the school free of charge.

Before the first term started， there were 50 pupils enrolled and 7 teachers engaged. When the local residents of Chinese origin heard of the school， the news spread. On the day the new term started official， 25 more students signed up. When the first semester came to end， there were 105 pupils. A right-wing man from Taiwan wrote a story in a local Chinese newspaper blaming the Chinese school for wanting to promote the simplified Chinese in America. The detractor’s story turned out to be a plus for local residents of Chinese origin. More parents sent their kids to the school. When the autumn semester started， there were 220 students. Some parents even drove their kids more than 100 miles to the weekend language course. There were calls for branch schools. So in the second year， two branches were founded. And the student population grew to 1，000. After 10 years， now Huaxia Chinese School has 10 branch schools with 5，000 students and 450 teachers across America. It is the fastest growing Chinese school overseas.

The school is a non-profit organization for the purpose of making contribution to the assimilation of the Chinese culture into the American culture.Most teachers and other staff workers are volunteers. The school board is composed of parents and supervises the school administration. The principal is elected by voters every two years. The school decides whom to employ as teachers. It also holds lectures and forums to enhance the teachers?quality. There are many qualified teaching talents to work as volunteers. Though they are busy they always manage to find time to teach at Huaxia. Thanks partly to the achievements of the Huaxia Chinese School， Chinese has been officially chosen as a foreign language for middle school students in the United States.

Huaxia provides opportunities for the local Chinese families to form closer ties. When a Huaxia school appears in a neighborhood， Chinese families meet when their kids study in classrooms. Parents make friends and form clubs for entertainments and recreations. There are organized activities for enthusiasts for singing and dancing， and sports. Parents meet to play pokers and mahjong， or play chess. Investors meet to do homework together on stocks and securities. Huaxia also offers lectures for parents on important subjects: how to help kids get into the best American universities， how to manage the pension， how to do well in job interviews， and how to start business in America.

Huaxia Chinese School today is more than a language training organization. It brings the Chinese communities together. In addition to a large number of after-class activities for children around the year， Huaxia holds an annual gala in celebration of the Chinese culture. It is a big occasion for the local Chinese community. It’s easy to attract the talented Chinese and former celebrities to appear. Huaxia also invites celebrated performers from China to the gala.

(Translated by David)