Chinese Outreach Marks 50 Years: Preserving the Voice of Chinese American Life Through Changing Times

LAPost / Los Angeles, CA (December 23, 2025) — The Chinese Outreach , founding organization of North America’s first Chinese-language radio program “Today’s Good News,” recently celebrated its 50th anniversary at the Arcadia Community Center. The event was filled to capacity, drawing more than 200 Chinese community leaders from politics, business, education, media, and cultural organizations, along with former members, volunteers, and loyal listeners. Amid laughter, applause, and shared memories, attendees revisited the Society’s development and witnessed how the Chinese American media landscape has grown from scarcity to thriving diversity over the past five decades.

Chinese Outreach Celebrates 50th Anniversary in Arcadia

The program was an instant success. Many early immigrants recall that “nearly every family in Chinatown listened.” The show covered community news, legal and medical advice, job opportunities, cultural stories, and everyday knowledge. Warm and useful, it became both a guide and emotional support for Chinese immigrants navigating a new land.

As its popularity grew, Chinese Outreach expanded production, launching multiple programs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and beyond, including Starry Night Trio, Good News Express, and Rainbow Beneath the Sky. These programs, rooted in real-life stories and community voices, accompanied generations of Chinese Americans through education, entrepreneurship, and integration into local society.

(The earliest “Today’s Good News” programs were recorded in the garage pictured.)

(Chinese Outreach launched the drama series “Gold Mountain Stories” in the 1980s, depicting immigrant life.)

Beyond radio, the Chinese Outreach entered television production in the late 1980s and early 1990s with Gold Mountain Stories, a series highlighting the real challenges faced by immigrants — cultural differences, intergenerational relationships, career struggles, and family life. The program received recognition from federal representatives and became a highlight in Chinese-language television of its era.

Over the decades, Chinese Outreach also organized numerous beloved community events, including the “Threads of Love” Mother’s Day celebration (co-hosted with World Journal for over 30 consecutive years), the widely toured Good News Night stage performances across the West Coast and Canada, popular gardening workshops and farmers’ markets, and the recent “Have a Cup of Afternoon Tea” wellness lecture series. These events not only enriched cultural life but also built mutual-support networks for new immigrants.

(The Good News Night touring stage play “Aunt Peach”)

In the 21st century, as media technology evolved rapidly, Chinese Outreach embraced digital transformation — from early blogs and podcasts to social media and YouTube programming. Shows such as Life Express, Farming with Heart, and Melody Reflections now reach younger audiences with interviews, life advice, financial and health programs, and community documentaries, becoming a key source of local information for overseas Chinese.

The Chinese Outreach has also ventured into short film production, releasing works such as Patchwork, Homebound, and Spring Light, which have received awards at multiple international film festivals — bringing authentic stories of Chinese American life to global audiences.

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《旋律心语》节目

《农本多勤》节目

Standing at this 50-year milestone, Chinese Outreach President Wang Jianshan expressed deep gratitude. Over half a century, she said, Good News Society has witnessed the growth of Chinese Americans and supported the community through many critical eras. From the early days of scarce Chinese media to today’s abundance, the Society has remained committed to serving the public and rooting itself in the community.

“Chinese Outreach stands here today not because of resources, but because of countless volunteers, listeners, and supporters,” she said. “Some people have come to record programs every week for over twenty years; some have volunteered quietly for more than a decade; some grew from young listeners into parents and passed the programs on to the next generation. They are the reason Good News continues.”

From a two-hour radio slot to a comprehensive platform spanning radio, television, digital media, and cultural events, the Society now looks toward the future. Plans include strengthening short-form and cross-platform content, expanding services in mental health, senior care, education, and immigrant support, and building a youth media training platform to inspire the next generation to serve the Chinese community.

Alhambra’s first Chinese American school board member, Sophie Wong, presented an award to Chinese Outreach on behalf of California State Treasurer Fiona Ma in recognition of its decades of community service.

Fifty years is not an end — it is a new beginning. From 1975 to 2025, from cassette tapes to 5G livestreaming, from handwritten scripts to AI editing, Chinese Outreach has accompanied generations of Chinese Americans in growth, perseverance, and belonging. Looking forward to the next fifty years, it aims to remain a bridge between Chinese communities and the world, continuing to deliver “good news” wherever it is needed.

Half a century of Good News — and its voice continues to resonate.