Our History
In the early 1970s, a group of Chinese Americans in the Indianapolis area met once a month for lunch to share their everyday experiences and provide support to each other. As this regular luncheon continued to grow in popularity, it became evident that there was a need for a cultural organization to provide greater structure to facilitate regular activities.
In November 1973, the founding members established the Indianapolis Association of Chinese Americans, Inc. (IACA) as a registered not-for-profit in the state of Indiana. The group was later renamed in 1999 as the Indiana Association of Chinese Americans, Inc., to broaden membership to include people from across the state.
IACA is managed by volunteers, whose efforts are coordinated and led by an all-volunteer Governing Council.
In November 1973, the founding members established the Indianapolis Association of Chinese Americans, Inc. (IACA) as a registered not-for-profit in the state of Indiana. The group was later renamed in 1999 as the Indiana Association of Chinese Americans, Inc., to broaden membership to include people from across the state.
IACA is managed by volunteers, whose efforts are coordinated and led by an all-volunteer Governing Council.
Members
IACA membership is open to any current or former resident of Indiana who is at least 18 years old.
Our members, who span all walks of life, include Hoosiers who are both of Chinese and non-Chinese descent, both immigrant and U.S.-born. All we ask is that our members have an interest in celebrating Chinese culture and are willing to help promote this cultural awareness in the Indianapolis community.
Membership is free and requires submitting a brief application to IACA for approval, which is available on the Contact page.
Our members, who span all walks of life, include Hoosiers who are both of Chinese and non-Chinese descent, both immigrant and U.S.-born. All we ask is that our members have an interest in celebrating Chinese culture and are willing to help promote this cultural awareness in the Indianapolis community.
Membership is free and requires submitting a brief application to IACA for approval, which is available on the Contact page.
Activities
IACA focuses on organizing celebrations of Chinese culture and traditions within the state of Indiana, with the intention of keeping alive our heritage and freely sharing it with the wider community, to both Chinese and non-Chinese Americans. This includes organizing celebrations around traditional Chinese holidays such as Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival and Lunar New Year, as well as actively promoting traditional Chinese visual arts, music, and performing arts.
In particular, IACA’s Lion Dance Team is well-recognized throughout the state of Indiana and receives requests throughout the year to perform at a variety of cultural and civic functions, including the Indy 500 Parade, the CarmelFest Independence Day parade, and the Indy International Festival. Supported by the City of Carmel Arts Grant Award (2018 – present), the team welcomes anyone regardless of ethnicity, age, gender or experience to join as regular or ad hoc team members.
IACA also organizes activities for members to get involved in our local community. This includes civic service opportunities such as volunteering for city clean-up initiatives, outdoor recreational opportunities such as hiking in various state parks, IMPD summit meetings, philanthropic and charitable activities, and community cultural and educational programs in partnership with area universities, libraries and museums.
IACA activities are open to all members and invited guests. Most are free of charge to participate, with the exception of the Chinese New Year Banquet. For details on any of these, please contact iacachinese@gmail.com.
In particular, IACA’s Lion Dance Team is well-recognized throughout the state of Indiana and receives requests throughout the year to perform at a variety of cultural and civic functions, including the Indy 500 Parade, the CarmelFest Independence Day parade, and the Indy International Festival. Supported by the City of Carmel Arts Grant Award (2018 – present), the team welcomes anyone regardless of ethnicity, age, gender or experience to join as regular or ad hoc team members.
IACA also organizes activities for members to get involved in our local community. This includes civic service opportunities such as volunteering for city clean-up initiatives, outdoor recreational opportunities such as hiking in various state parks, IMPD summit meetings, philanthropic and charitable activities, and community cultural and educational programs in partnership with area universities, libraries and museums.
IACA activities are open to all members and invited guests. Most are free of charge to participate, with the exception of the Chinese New Year Banquet. For details on any of these, please contact iacachinese@gmail.com.
Our Partners
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IACA takes pride in the large number of partnerships that we have forged with local and statewide community, civic, educational, and arts organizations. We value and enjoy working together with others in fulfilling our common civic missions. Some of the organizations that we currently collaborate with are listed here.
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