CAAC is a volunteer-run nonprofit that helps Chinese American families in Cambridge connect, celebrate their heritage, and share it with their neighbors.
Our mission
CAAC empowers Chinese American families to thrive in Cambridge by championing AAPI voices, celebrating cultural heritage, and weaving inclusive communities through advocacy, education, and joyful shared experiences.
Who we are
The Chinese American Association of Cambridge (CAAC) is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, registered in July 2021. About 400 families from Cambridge, Somerville, Belmont, Arlington and nearby towns are part of our network. We serve Chinese American families and connect them with other communities, to build understanding of AAPI culture and a more inclusive Cambridge.
What we do
Celebrate culture
Every winter we host a Lunar New Year celebration at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (CRLS), with a culture fair, stage performances and free treats to take home. We have held it in person at CRLS every year since 2023, and welcomed the Year of the Horse in February 2026. We also organize a Mid-Autumn Festival party, the Chasing the Dream dance showcase, and the International Heritage Fashion Art Show.
Support schools and readers
Our AAPI Book Drive buys new books by Asian American and Pacific Islander authors for school libraries in Cambridge and Somerville. Over five drives since 2021 we have raised more than $37,000 and donated about 2,600 books, working with the Cambridge Public Schools library department. See the results year by year. In 2021 we also launched the Chinese Restaurant Free Library, which placed more than 3,000 Chinese books in restaurants across the region.
Move and serve together
The Cambridge Community Dragon Boat Team trains every summer on the Charles River and races at the Boston Dragon Boat Festival, with free training seats for youth. CAAC volunteers also pack meals at the Greater Boston Food Bank. In October 2026, 14 of us helped pack 360 cases of family meal boxes, about 10,440 pounds of food.
Share our heritage
We bring Chinese culture to our neighbors through presentations at senior apartments, booths at community festivals such as the Rindge Summer Fest, and meetups and classes at The Foundry in Kendall Square. In 2025 we also hosted a youth art exhibition at The Foundry with Pi Art.
Milestones
- March 27, 2021: we organized a rally to Stop Asian Hate at Harvard Square.
- 2021: CAAC registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in July. Our first AAPI Book Drive delivered 955 books to 33 schools, and we launched the Chinese Restaurant Free Library.
- 2023: our Lunar New Year celebration began at CRLS, and has returned every year since.
- 2025: the Cambridge Community Dragon Boat Team made its debut at the 46th Boston Dragon Boat Festival.
- 2026: we celebrated the 5th AAPI Book Drive with Cambridge Public Schools at the Baldwin School, received an Eversource Community Grant for the dragon boat team, and presented the 4th Chasing the Dream dance showcase and the 2nd International Heritage Fashion Art Show.
Our supporters
Our main grant support comes from the Cambridge Community Foundation (CCF), the Mass Cultural Council and Cambridge Arts. We are deeply grateful to all three.
Eversource supported our dragon boat team with a 2026 Community Grant.
Thank you also to MIT, Splice Realty – Park Hou Group, Sumiao Hunan Kitchen, UCA Community Foundation and the many other sponsors and individual donors who make our book drives possible, and to partners including the Cambridge Public Schools library department, The Foundry, the Somerville Asian Family Network and the Greater Boston Food Bank.
Join us
Everything we do is powered by volunteers and donations. There is a place for you, whether you have an hour or a season.
Organization details
- Name: Chinese American Association of Cambridge, Inc.
- EIN: 87-1396154 (501(c)(3) non-profit)
- Address: 253 1/2 Broadway Unit 1, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Email: cambridgecaac@gmail.com