Chinese Community Club-sponsored basketball team jacket

The Chinese Community Club was an idea conceived by a group of Chinatown business men and community leaders who wanted to support youth activities in the area. The group was officially started in May 1945, with one of its main goals to raise $300,000 in five years in order to erect a community and recreation center in Chinatown. The club’s membership and sponsored activities were limited to men only, and it is unclear whether this policy ever changed as the organization grew. The club went on to sponsor many of the teams that were active through the Church of All Nations. They began sponsoring the “Chinatown Midgets” basketball team after they won the Police Athletic League NYC Midget Championship tournament in 1945, which followed the team’s 25-game winning streak.