Derek Ma 馬樹榮
Derek Ma [馬樹榮] was born Canton, China and grew up in Hong Kong. After immigrating to the U.S., he first lived in San Francisco before moving to Los Angeles in 1971. As a young adult, he worked as a technician in a sewing factory, later opening his own sewing factory together with his wife Daisy Ma in 1977. He became the president of the Chinese Garment Contractors Association in 1986, advocating for Chinese garment workers’ rights. He subsequently joined the Ma Family Association as their president and served as the association’s delegate to the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. In 1993, he became one of the youngest ever presidents of CCBA. As president, he supported Chinese American businesses during 1992 Los Angeles Riots and raised funds to support families affected by the Northridge Earthquake in 1994. He was also involved with fundraising efforts for the renovation of the Chinese school.
Derek Ma was interviewed by Susan Dickson and Suellen Cheng on June 12, 2024.
Philosophy of Community Service
Derek Ma: We come for the American Dream, so we make money, we work hard to save money and buy property and open business. And that’s what I did and had success. But we are living in U.S.A. We must go by the rules and pay back because, like CACA or CCBA [Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association], a lot of organizations, they help the new immigrant. So that’s how we get benefits. That’s how we have today. So, I feel I need to pay back. We have to do a lot of charity. So for the mainstream, they can understand us. They can believe in us. And you concern them, they will concern us. So that’s how we get benefits. So today’s day, we have lot of immigrants become elected officials, and they can be our voice, and we have to support them.
Timestamp: [00:03:10]
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Derek Ma: CCBA is at that time is the highest organization, on top of 27 organizations. They are higher. And then under them, they have Chinese school and they have the cemetery and welfare council. That’s many things. I so respect the seniors and they did a lot for the community and build a center for today so we can follow their step and do the right thing.
Timestamp: [00:06:42]
Community Support in Times of Crisis
Derek Ma: If you want to be a real leader, anything happens in the U.S.A. or the world, you have to stand up and do something. Get something done or say something. Minimum is to say something. For example, when the [1992 Los Angeles] riot come, a lot of markets got burned down. So I organized some work, and went to go visit them. Try to ask them. And I asked the government to help them. I [got] every department to come to Chinatown, come to CCBA, and help them. Help them, how to fill out the form, how to get the funding, how to get the work done.
Timestamp: [00:29:09]
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Suellen Cheng: Why did you think people trust the CCBA?
Derek Ma: Because they have a 135 year history and we have a building here, we have a cemetery here, we have a Chinese school here. And we always do things right. Positive. So they believe in us and I remember in 1975 when the Vietnamese come and the government wanted us to stand out, stand up, come out to help those…Vietnamese people. To bring them out from the camp and to support them. The government will pay the money and we do it. So that’s how they believe in CCBA. See, the government believes in us, of course, everybody’s believing in us…They will come to CCBA to ask for our input. So that means, we are like a small city hall for them.
Timestamp: [00:35:25]
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Derek Ma: Besides that, every year, so much things going on. So CCBA president, you have to be on top and look over everything. It doesn’t mean you have to do something, you must do something. No, but you must understand, and maybe you can do something. So, right now, the virus COVID-19 come, and we don’t have masks. So we have to find a way to look for the masks and donate to the police department, hospital, or government people. So that’s what we do. That’s why you are a leader. If you are leader that do nothing, people don’t like you. So that’s what we do. And then also, if Taiwan or China, if they need help, we also do the same thing, to help them. We can not go, “You from China, we don’t care about you” or “You from Taiwan, we don’t care about you.” No, it’s not—we are in the U.S.A., of course. First, U.S.A., and then we help them. That’s what we do.
Timestamp: [00:39:54]
Welfare and Immigration Services
Derek Ma: At the time a lot of new immigrants, they move to Chinatown and they don’t have techniques and so they have to learn from nothing, and that’s our job. Try to help them to look for a job or one time we asked for—applied funding from the city of L.A. And we help the Chinese cook. We teach them how to cook. And then we get funding and pay them because they don’t have techniques. But they get paid to learn how to cook. So that’s what we do from the beginning. And then later on, because the people are the new immigrants, mostly in San Gabriel Valley. And so we have to do different thing or we do—when I was president I held a meeting to ask the government people, like, what do you say—yī mín gōng [移民公, immigration services]—the Immigration Department, they came with some presentation. And tell them what’s the new code, new law, you can apply. Or if you get stuck, how to get it done. Something like that. And then also we have a senior class, and have the lawyer come to tell them how to fight for their rights and how to get help. So that’s what we do. And today, every president does different things.
Timestamp: [00:51:33]
Role of Women in the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association
Derek Ma: Yes. Women, today is so different than before. Before women kept their mouths closed, and now today’s day, women work hard and they also are department head. They have the knowledge. So we have to believe in them. We have to let them do what they can to help. And so CCBA now has a woman and can really do something. I’m hoping that women can do more.
Derek Ma: Today a lot of people joined the Women’s Club, and now they can do a lot more stuff and help their community, and help the CCBA, yes.
Timestamp: [01:01:59]
Evolution of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association
Derek Ma: I just asked some American-born, “Hey, why don’t you become a CCBA president?” Because we need some change. Because we all are Cantonese speaking, maybe today’s day, we need people who can speak English. So hopefully we can have more new people, American-born people, and English-speaking and they can be involved.
Timestamp: [01:04:34]
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Derek Ma: We need to have people have open mind. To let them come in. Just like American people, they are open and there is some Chinese advocates can join us.
Timestamp: [01:18:30]