In 1962, Cathay Bank opened for business with the mission of providing financial services to the growing but underserved Chinese-American community in the greater Los Angeles area, thus becoming the first Chinese-American bank in Southern California.  Recognizing that the community it served was part of a more diverse one, Cathay Bank adopted the motto "An Open Door for All."  Its rapid expansion was fueled by successive waves of immigration, burgeoning trade between America and Asia, and the economic development of the surrounding community.

Vision
At Cathay Bank, we strive to be the premier financial partner to our customers in our market segment, and to assist our customers in reaching their financial goals and dreams.
Mission
Cathay Bank’s mission is to be a bank with an open door; to be responsive to the financial needs of our community; to offer excellent services with competitive pricing; to provide a challenging and rewarding work environment that fosters employee dedication and development; and to maximize the return for the shareholders of our holding company.
Values
Integrity in everything we do
At Cathay Bank, we live and act with integrity every single day. Integrity is acting on what is right regardless of the outcome or return.  We believe a culture of integrity builds trust and deepens relationships with our customers, employees, and shareholders.

 Strategic, effective leadership that inspires
Cathay Bank has thrived for five decades because of our employees and our leadership.  We believe in creating a culture of strategic, effective leadership that inspires everyone around us so we can continue to be a world‐class visionary company that attracts, inspires, and retains the best.
 
Exceptional employees drive our success
Exceptional employees are our most important asset.  They solve problems; exceed job expectations; work collaboratively; have a passion for our customers and our business; think and act creatively and innovatively; inspire others; and act with integrity every single day.  We not only seek to continue hiring high‐caliber employees, but also to develop and grow our colleagues to become exceptional employees.
 
Extraordinary service to our customers
Without our customers, we wouldn’t exist.  But we don’t believe in just providing customer service; we believe in providing extraordinary customer service.  We seek to create an experience that not only makes customers return, but also inspires them to be advocates of Cathay Bank to the next generation and beyond.