If you want to see what true community resilience looks like, you only need to look at the Chinese Mutual Aid Association (CMAA).
Forty-five years ago, a group of Chinese ethnic refugees from Southeast Asia joined hands to provide mutual aid to newly arrived immigrants in Chicago. The community recently gathered to celebrate this milestone at the 2026 Voice and Vision Gala. While the theme for the night was "Building Our Future," the event ultimately centered on the people and partnerships shaping that future in real time.
Stories of Impact in Motion
The 2026 Duc Huang Founder's Award for Immigrant Success went to Tuan Huynh, founder of VietFive.
Born in Vietnam and raised in the Midwest, Huynh built a career as an award-winning Creative Director before turning toward entrepreneurship. Through VietFive, he connects his family’s coffee farm in Vietnam directly to communities in Chicago, creating a business that is both personal and community-driven. Alongside his wife Anna, he also leads programs that open employment pathways for justice-impacted individuals and people with disabilities. His work reflects a broader idea that success is not only about achievement, but about creating access for others.
Investing in the Community
The systemic support of local organizations was also heavily celebrated. The 2026 Visionary of the Year Award was jointly presented to the Asian Giving Circle and The Chicago Community Trust.
Their partnership addresses a long-standing gap in philanthropic funding for AAPI communities. In the early 2000s, less than 0.4% of national funding reached these groups. In response, leaders came together to form the Asian Giving Circle, creating a more intentional and community-led approach to giving. Since then, the Circle has granted over $1.12 million to 62 AAPI-serving nonprofits. The Chicago Community Trust has remained a steady partner to CMAA over the years, supporting programs from youth development initiatives in the 1990s to rapid response funding during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Similarly, the 2026 Outstanding Community Partner Award was presented to the Chinatown Parking Corp., an organization that has quietly supported the economic life of Chicago’s Chinatown since 1984.
Its mission goes beyond operations. By working with the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, it ensures that proceeds from its parking facilities are funneled back into the community. These funds help sustain local businesses, tourism, and organizations like CMAA, reinforcing a cycle of reinvestment that benefits the neighborhood as a whole.
A Shared Purpose for the Future
Throughout the evening, the energy in the room reflected more than celebration. A vibrant Lotus Dance performance and an enthusiastic donation rally brought people together in a shared sense of purpose. The spirit of mutual aid was not only acknowledged but actively practiced.
Looking ahead, CMAA is building on that momentum with plans for a new center in Uptown and a Pan Asian Center in Skokie in collaboration with partner agencies. These efforts point to a future that continues to expand access, support, and opportunity for the communities they serve.
Forty-five years after its founding, CMAA remains rooted in the same values that started it all. The Voice and Vision Gala offered a moment to recognize that legacy while making one thing clear: The work of building community is ongoing, and it is being carried forward by those willing to invest in others.
For those who want to look more closely, the full 2026 CMAA Annual Gala Program offers a deeper view into the people, partnerships, and programs shaping what comes next.
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