A day of remembrance

Traditional dim sum celebration honors a cultural bridge-builder

There, at Jesse Wong's Kitchen in Hunt Valley Towne Center, the conversation flowed fast and free, like the tea passed from person to person in glass pots. They spoke of trade possibilities between the U.S. and China, education partnerships between Baltimore and Xiamen, and of Calvin Chin's selflessness.

Evelyn Garland remembers when she came to Baltimore from China a few years ago to earn her master's degree from Johns Hopkins. She got caught up in a problem with a landlord and said the Chins helped her navigate the situation.

Jim Zhang outlined progress on a new partnership between Baltimore and Xiamen schools. Zhang teaches Chinese at Polytechnic Institute. He recently traveled to Xiamen on the sister city program's behalf.

In a globalized world, such relationships are necessary both socially and economically, said Renee Samuels, director of the Mayor's Office of International and Immigrant Affairs.

Glancing around the room at the diverse gathering, she said, "You see black people and white people and Asian people." It's the sort of group Calvin Chin would have assembled himself.

"He's not here physically," his wife said. "But he's here spiritually."