tickets:      https://tickets.mvcpa.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=459

A New Play By Steve “Spike” Wong

Premieres August 2022

at Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts – SecondStage

After his WWII service as a bombardier, a young Chinese American man must come to terms with tragedy on his last mission before he can fully return home. His Chinese family obligations clash with his search for a path to his future, but the way forward depends on a secret.

Inspired by the playwright’s father, Captain Ernest Wong of the US Army Air Force in World War II, this is the story of his return home to a small town in California in 1944. With its focus on Chinese American culture, immigration, and military service during wartime, the play is a unique blend of drama and comedy.

This performance is 2 hours and 15 minutes long with one 15 minute intermission.
Friday, August 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 28 at 3 p.m.
Thursday, September 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, September 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 3 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, September 4 at 3 p.m.

SecondStage | General Admission | $30 Adults
$26 Seniors (62 & Above), Students (21 & Under)
Ticket price includes $2 Facility Use Fee
Other fees, depending on method of purchase, may apply
Everyone regardless of age must have a ticket, no lap passes are available for this performance

tickets:      https://tickets.mvcpa.com/

Please visit our website if you’d like further information on the play! We are at www.soaringdragon.net.

Written and Directed by Steve “Spike” Wong
Produced by Joan Van Antwerp
Original music by James Francisco, Ph.D

Golden Spike National Historical Park

Saturday, June 25, 2022

10:00 am – 1:30 pm

For more information  https://spike150.org/legacy/

Dear Friends,

On behalf of the Commemoration Committee, we invite you to join us as a community partner for a series of commemorative events to highlight the resilience of our communities and affirm our solidarity with all people who are fighting for inclusion, not exclusion. You may help us by signing on as a community partner, sharing, and encouraging your members to attend our events. If you would like to be a community partner, please send your logo to Eddie Wong eddieoak@att.net. To be included in the print poster, please send in logos by 4/23. May 6, 2022 marks the 140th anniversary of the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, the nation’s first law to single out an ethnic group as undesirable and ineligible for U.S. citizenship. In the decades that followed, this exclusion was expanded to cover most countries across Asia and the Pacific. The Act was repealed only in 1943, finally ending 61 years of official discrimination. But did its effects ever truly leave us? Today, we are experiencing a dismaying rise in violent attacks on Asian Americans. We cannot afford to stay silent; we must instead stand together to stop the hateful legacy of this Act that our community continues to face.

We have planned the following events:

Friday, May 6 at 10:30 a.m.  on Angel Island – SF Bay Area community leaders will lay a memorial wreath at the Chinese Immigrant Monument at the Angel Island Immigration Station. Participants will also place the remaining pieces of a 140-candle display for the “Lighting the Darkness” exhibit in the Detention Barracks. 

Friday, May 6 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture  – “Off the Grid” opens at 5pm, at 8pm filmmaker Felicia Lowe and visual installation artist Ben Wood will present “Exclusion/Inclusion,”  a site based video projection on the walls of Fort Mason’s building B, and onto the windows of the Guard House showing a series of videos about Angel Island Immigration Station. 

Saturday, May 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – San Francisco Chinatown.   “Standing Strong: 140 Years After the Chinese Exclusion Act,” a program at the Chinese Culture Center.  Two short films by Felicia Lowe: What’s Your Real Name? and Carved in Silence, will be followed by remarks on current immigration issues by USF law professor Bill Hing, and reflections by community and youth leaders addressing the need for solidarity amid the continued rise of anti-Asian hate. 

The program concludes with artists Summer Mei Ling Lee’s and Stephan Xie’s  “In Honor of Our Belonging,” a procession and remembrance of survivors of anti-Asian hate. Priests from the Taoist Lotus Institute will perform a blessing ritual while the names of 140 people whose lives were impacted by the Chinese Exclusion Act are read by members of our community and those standing in solidarity with us.  Participants will then walk on the pedestrian bridge into Portsmouth Square where incense and photos will be placed at a community altar. For those interested in signing up for the procession, or bringing photo for the altar, please contact jenny@cccsf.us

June and July 2022. Dates and location TBD.  As part of the community program “The Conversation from Vincent Chin to George Floyd” in June, a 90-minute youth-centered workshop entitled “A River’s Journey: Diaspora, Othering and Statehood” will be offered. The workshop contextualizes U.S. immigration policy as it pertains to our own immigration histories. The emergent wave of anti-API hatred has historical and material roots, and the practical and political need for community solidarity across ethnic and racial lines will be highlighted.

Additionally, in July an event focused on creative expression will take place, offering youth the opportunity to create artwork, murals, and skits in celebration of multicultural solidarity.

Supporters/Partners can also make a donation to underwrite activities with a tax-deductible gift. All tax-deductible contributions may be made out to Chinese for Affirmative Action, 17 Walter U Lum Place, San Francisco, CA 94108. Please indicate that the donation is for the Commemoration Committee.

Sincerely,

The Commemoration Committee
eddieoak@att.net/jenny@cccsf.us

On Saturday, April 23@10:00 a.m. PDT, we are honored to host Ambassador Elena Wachong (Costa Rica), who will provide a talk focused on the global barriers to finding Chinese diaspora family roots for non-Chinese speakers.  Ambassador Wachong will be joined by discussant, Dr. Lai Sai Acon (University of Costa Rica).  Dr. Judith Rubenstein (Granite Hills Press) will offer a special introduction, and Dr. Bob Stein will moderate.  Please register to attend@https://SDSU.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwoce2upj8oEtMQaSjpbygDJYMXPvpaJP9U On Saturday, May 7@10 a.m. PDT, we are excited to welcome Tiffany Chin, two-time bronze medalist at the World Figure Skating Championship.  Tiffany will be accompanied by San Diego City Council Director of Communications, Chris Chan, who will moderate the conversation.  Please register to attend@https://sdsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsfu6ppzgrEtMWAXr_E0IK82eFiwg5LoI0  On Saturday, May 21@10:00 a.m. PDT, we will be pleased to welcome Dr. Yong Ming Li, a Licensed Physician and Acupuncturist, Herbalist, board-certified Pathologist and Dermatopathologist, who has been practicing, teaching and doing research on traditional Chinese medicine for more than 25 years.  In anticipation of the May 27th opening of our exhibition, ACUPUNCTURE – 50 YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES, Dr. Li will speak on the domestic history of the practice, recalling stories in relation to the effort to make this healing art legally supported in different states.  You may register to attend @https://SDSU.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvduioqTstHNQagILMiTsp5EAbvZTMRitF.  The San Diego Chinese Historical Museum is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizationTax ID # 33-0179740

Contact: sarah@walkingcinema.org

The California Migration Museum is a new initiative that plans to build an immersive experience bringing together stories across California’s migration history. We are currently working on a virtual, augmented reality-enhanced historical walking tour of SF Chinatown that will pivot around the story of the 1906 earthquake and its aftermath. We’re looking for:

1. Descendants who can trace their ancestors back to those days, especially if their ancestors were involved with the reconstruction of Chinatown.
2. We’re also looking for descendants who grew up with a mother or grandmother who lived through the earthquake.

Skylight Gallery Exhibit Area – 6th Fl

Main Library

100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-557-4400

info@sfpl.org

Photographer Li Ju travelled the entire route of the Transcontinental Railroad seven times to chronicle the historic achievement of uniting the United States from East to West with the construction of the railroad.

In this 30-panel exhibition, Li Ju places his contemporary photos next to the historic photos to show the tremendous accomplishments of the largely anonymous 12,000–20,000 Chinese workers who built the railroad.

Special event: Film and panel discussion on the Chinese and the Transcontinental Railroad. March 12, 11:00 a.m., Main Library, Koret Auditorium.

San Francisco Offers Formal Apology to Chinese Immigrants for Past Wrongs, Racism

On Wednesday, February 2, 2022, the City of San Francisco Board of Supervisors announced a resolution offering a formal apology to Chinese immigrants and their descendants over past atrocities. In a landmark unanimous vote, the resolution introduced by Supervisor Matt Haney in part-nership with former SFUD students was approved by the board’s Budget and Finance Committee. San Francisco became the fourth city in the state of California to offer a formal apology, following the cities of Antioch, Los Angeles, and San Jose. 

The resolution cited numerous instances of racism against the Chinese community dating back to the 19th century, including SFUSD’s closure of Chinese schools between 1870-1885. It also apologizes for the three-day riot in 1877 that targeted the Chinese community: four people died and dozens of Chinese-owned laundries were destroyed or looted.

In addition, the resolution’s chief sponsor, Supervisor Haney, acknow-ledged current ongoing racism and violence against the Chinese and AAPI communities amid the COVID-19 pandemic and pledges budget investments in support of the greater Bay Area AAPI community. The resolution apologizes on behalf of the board and the city for “systemic and structural discrimination” and targeted acts of violence.

San Francisco Supervisor Gordon Mar, who is of Chinese descent stated, “As a city that values inclusion and equity, facing our past mistakes head on is an important step towards healing, safety, and justice.”

In support and partnership of this resolution, CHSA held press conference along with Supervisor Haney, members of the API Council, and former students Wednesday morning outside the CHSA museum on Joice Street. The an-nouncement and ceremony took place with members of the community on hand. 

“You’ll find in the resolution that there are many different atrocities that we thought would never happen in this city,” said Drew Min, student at the University of California, Berkeley, and one of the Chinese American youth who co-wrote the bill. “We have to never forget, so we can continue to correct mistakes to make sure the same is not committed.”

“An apology is not enough unless it’s met with real action and budget solutions that will truly benefit the community,” Justin Hoover, executive director of CHSA, said in a statement.

The Budget and Appropriations Committee will hold budget hearings in the coming months to determine investments into the AAPI community.

Another cross post from Trish Hackett Nicola, who wrote:

There is an article from the New Yorker online. 28 Jan 2022 on legers with photos and biographical information of Chinese living in Downieville, CA about 1890-1930.

“The Dark Purpose Behind a Town Constable’s Journal” by Michael Luo ^{The Article link}

Presented by the California Historical Society: January 28, 2022 to June 25, 2022

More information here

THE CALIFORNIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 678 MISSION STREET, SAN FRANCISCO CA, 94105 Open Thursday – Saturday, 12:00pm – 5:30pm

In its new exhibition Chinese Pioneers: Power and Politics in Exclusion Era Photographs, the California Historical Society explores the Chinese immigrant experience during the years of the Chinese Exclusion Act. The exhibition sheds light on the history of Sinophobia and resonates with broader questions about immigration, citizenship, and border control currently being debated.

In the United States during the Exclusion Era years, depictions of Chinese people ranged from deeply derogatory to highly exoticized. The Chinese Pioneers exhibition examines the visual record of how mainstream culture influenced, aligned with, and/or diverged from politics and state actions.

Photography played a potent role in Chinese people’s interactions with the dominant culture and in the government’s fledgling systems of registration, identification, and surveillance. Chinese Pioneers presents photographs—both studio photography and fine-art photos—alongside illustrated newspapers, paintings, and ephemera from the California Historical Society’s collections.

The exhibition is drawn exclusively from the California Historical Society’s deep collections of topical material. On view are rare items, such as one of the earliest known records of Chinese immigration to California, certificates of residence for Chinese laborers (1894–1897), and a one-of-a-kind photo album compiled by a Sierra County justice of the peace who was tracking Chinese residents. Less rare but equally powerful items in the collection include formal portraits of Chinese men and women taken in photographic studios, some operated by Chinese photographers; illustrated newspapers; a painting of a Chinese woman; photographs of Chinese workers; and works by art photographers Arnold Genthe and Laura Adams Armer.

The richness of these collections presents a compelling visual history that dovetails with the social, political, and judicial disenfranchisement of Chinese Californians, as well as moments of Chinese agency and resilience.

Marisa Louie Lee shared this post on Grant Din’s forum chineseamericanfamilyhistory ^link that might be useful to members of BACGG. Here is her repost:

Hi all,
For those of you interested in Chinese Canadian immigration, Grant asked me to share about the Registers of Chinese Immigration to Canada, 1885–1949. These are held by Library Archives Canada and document “all immigrants of Chinese origin arriving in Canada between 1885 and 1949.”
You may have heard that these are being newly indexed on FamilySearch, but they were previously indexed as part of a project from the University of British Columbia, and the index is hosted at Library Archives Canada. 
The index data is also available as a spreadsheet, which has the amazing addition of analysis and “mapping” of the place of birth fields in the register. What resulted is being able to search the spreadsheet by a village name in Chinese characters for two of the counties in Guangdong Province, the place of origin for many pre-WWII Chinese immigrants. 
As an example, I searched my great-grandfather’s village and found a handful of immigrants to Canada who also came from his village. Interestingly, their 雷 surname was primarily Romanized as LOY rather than my LOUIE.
Have you found any of your Chinese Canadian relatives or ancestors in the registers? Feel free to share!
Marisa

Below provided by: Chinese Historical Society of America

As we all continue to navigate the challenges surrounding the health and safety circumstances currently affecting our community, the nation, and the world at large, CHSA has respectfully delayed the opening of our upcoming We Are Bruce Lee exhibition. Amid these ever-changing times, know that the health and comfort of our community is of the utmost priority and importance to CHSA, and we are carefully monitoring and adapting to the relevant guidelines in order to determine a new exact grand opening date.

We will get there. 

As Bruce himself said, “Be Water, My Friend.” We are looking forward to sharing with you We Are Bruce Lee in early 2022.

Please stay tuned for more information as we announce updates to the exhibition and other programming and content. To learn more about or support this exhibition, check out We Are Bruce Lee and follow CHSA.

In the meantime, pre-sale tickets will be made available soon, with CHSA members receiving first priority. For more information on how to become a member, to help sustain our museum’s work, please visit CHSA.org.

From Grant Din, grant@tonaidin.net

I just got this from fellow genealogist Renee Carl last week. “NARA just dropped a press release announcing that the 1950 Census will be powered with an AI/ML/OCR name search.” Renee was involved in a beta test and was seriously impressed with this Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning/Optical Character Recognition technology. I encourage you to read the NARA release she links to. It sounds like this technology will allow you to search for names right from the time the census is released on April 1, 2022, but in case you can’t find who you are looking for, there are actually other ways.

When the 1940 census results were released in 2012, the volunteers at Family Search,  the paid indexers at Ancestry and other people took about 4-6 months to index the records, so this technology could save us many months of waiting. In case you can’t find your family through this name search right away, you can also search through Enumeration Districts (E.D.s), which are smaller segments of a community and not too difficult to look at block by block.

There are ways to figure out ahead of time which E.D.s your family members may have lived in so you can look in them as soon as the census is released on April 1. I just attended a webinar by Thomas MacEntee and he had two handouts he encouraged us to share (please attribute them to him if you pass them along). One is full of great information and links (ignore where he says the 2022 release date is two years away!) and the other is a spreadsheet you can use to input your family’s (or whomever you are researching) information in an organized fashion, which he describes in the informational handout.
If you know or can figure out where the person you’re researching lived (there are many directories online, or you can use correspondence or ask someone who was alive then), you can use an amazing tool developed by Steve Morse (developer of the Intel 8086 chip!). Go here:https://stevemorse.org/census/unified.html and click on 1950 in the pull-down menu at the top of the page. Then pull down the appropriate information to find out which enumeration districts correspond with the address you’re looking for.

It also works for rural areas. For example, a lot of people have roots in the Sacramento River Delta – towns like Isleton, Walnut Grove, Locke, Courtland, etc. You can select Sacramento County, then under city, choose “Other.” I typed in “Courtland,” and got 34-119, which includes ” GEORGIANA JUDICIAL TOWNSHIP (TRACT SC-136) BOUNDED BY (N) COUNTY LINE, JUDICIAL TOWNSHIP LINE; (E) JUDICIAL TOWNSHIP LINE; (S) LAUREL LN; (W) SACRAMENTO RIVER, COUNTY LINE, AND SHOULD CONTAIN LAMBERT, VORDEN, COURTLAND.”

That’s just one example. This information should help you find family members when the 1950 census is released on April 1, 2022! Please post if you have other ideas or if I have some incorrect information.

Watch the recorded videos of the September 30, 2021 Chinese American WWII Veterans Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Watch the presentation of the National Chinese American WWII Veterans Congressional Gold Medal Presentation on Facebook by clicking the button below. Note there is a 28 minute delay at the beginning of the video.

When the title page appears click the area between WWII and Veterans to start the video.

At the bottom of the video move the slider to 28:55.

Watch the Gala speaking program on Facebook by clicking the button below.

Share the events with your friends and family. Don’t forget to tag @AARPAAPI when sharing.

Sponsored By:

The Chinese American WWII Veterans Recognition Project is a program of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance (C.A.C.A.), a 501(c)8, and the National Chinese American Citizens Alliance Community Involvement Fund, a 501(c)3. Together we are spearheading a national campaign to identify, honor and recognize the efforts and accomplishments of all Chinese Americans who served in the United States Armed Services in World War II. For more information contact cgminfo@caww2.org.

VENG Group | C.A.C.A. C.I.F., Washington, DC 20035

In mid-July, a member of the Bay Area Chinese Genealogy Group (BACGG) contacted Dr. Jason Lau to make arrangements for a docent tour of China Camp State Park.  Half of the eight were first time visitors. Martin Lowenstein, FOCC executive director, welcomed the group at the café. The slightly breezy August afternoon visit included a tour of the former Chinese fishing village by Ed Lai. His presentation included the history of Miwok, Spanish, and Chinese inhabitants. His tour began with a walk out on the pier to see the replica of a Chinese fishing junk, museum, and shrimp processing equipment. Back at the cafe, volunteer, Ernie Stanton, shared details about the Quans, the last family to run the café, and pointed out photos from when the village was used as a set for a John Wayne film, Blood Alley.

Naturalist, Jerry Coe, led the group on a nature hike on the Turtle Back Loop. He discussed the history of the pre-colonial Miwok who lived in harmony with the land. Jerry patiently helped members of the group learn to identify different flora. They all tasted pickle weed, a source of salt, from the marshland.

Members of the group joined FOCC and also made donations. An article about China Camp State Park will be posted on the BACGG website later this month.

“China Camp State Park is a 1,514-acre park nestled along the shoreline of San Pablo Bay in San Rafael, California. The park boasts panoramic views, lush oak woodlands, and over 100 acres of protected tidal salt marsh. Whether you’re a hiker or mountain biker, a history buff, or a beach lover, you’ll have an unforgettable day at China Camp.

Visit China Camp’s historic shrimping village and beach area. The village is the perfect place to bring friends and family for a fun day trip. Visit the museum to learn more about China Camp’s fascinating history. Stop by the historic cafe on weekends for snacks and cold drinks. The site features first-come, first-served picnic areas with tables, drinking water, bathrooms, and an outdoor shower.

Learn more about the Chinese shrimp fishing in San Francisco Bay: watch a video by Chinese Whispers: Bay Chronicles.

http://chinese-whispers.org/bay-chronicles/

Friends of China Camp (FOCC) is the community-based nonprofit organization that keeps China Camp State Park open. Since 2012, FOCC has been the sole operator and manager of the park. The organization, largely run by volunteers, is responsible for covering all expenses related to keeping the park open. Find out how you can become a member, and help keep China Camp open and thriving for all.

Friends of China Camp (FOCC) is committed to keeping China Camp State Park open and thriving for our community. To learn more about China Camp, plan a day trip, or camping trip visit the FOCC website at https://friendsofchinacamp.org

https://whttps://www.rootstech.org/rootstech-connect-2021-registration?lang=engww.rootstech.org/?lang=eng

Join the world’s largest family celebration for free to unlock your family’s history and learn how to preserve the stories of your life.

25 – 27 FEBRUARY, 2021

Introducing RootsTech Connect: A Free Online Conference Experience

For the first time ever, the world’s largest family celebration event will be entirely virtual and completely free. Get ready to celebrate shared connections with people from around the world. Connect with friends, your family, your past, and your heritage and homelands—all from the comfort of your home and in your browser.

Celebrity Keynote Speakers

Keynotes are a huge part of RootsTech events. They deliver messages of inspiration and hope. Stay tuned for the full lineup of keynote speakers to be announced soon.

Virtual Marketplace

The virtual Marketplace will be the perfect place to see the latest innovations, interact with companies from around the world, and find answers and resources to aid you in your work. Plus, get real-time help via video or live chat!

Cultural Activities

Celebrate the world’s cultures with activities such as homeland cooking demonstrations, yoga, and music from around the world. These experiences will be available throughout the online event and on demand.

Connect with Family from Anywhere

Finding cousins and interacting with other attendees is an important part of the RootsTech model. Enjoy exclusive opportunities to chat with other attendees through various messaging boards, social media interactions, and video chats.