COMMUNITY HEROES
COMMUNITY HEROES
By Gerrye Wong April 28, 2019
ANGEL ISLAND IMMIGRATION STATION FOUNDATION celebrated 25 Groundbreaking years with its recent 2019 benefit dinner titled “IMMIGRANT DREAMS – HERO VOICES” at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero in San Francisco. Four Asian American leaders in the community were spotlighted that night for their advocacy and work in bringing Asian American immigrant stories and accomplishments to the history of America today. Honored that evening by AIISf were Dennis Wu, Committee of 100 Board member, for the Lifetime Achievement Award, Thuy Vu for Community Leadership Award, Vijay Amritraj for his work in Philanthropy, and Joe and Eliz Chan for the Spirit of Angel Island Award.
California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, serving a MC for the evening’s festivities, opened the program citing her own immigrant history and proclaiming the importance the Angel Island Foundation has played in preserving and presenting Asian American history. She introduced AIISf Board President Buck Gee, who shared with the over 350 patron audience the group’s history when 25 years ago, the Foundation published its plan to restore the immigration station and establish a museum to tell the story of the exclusion etched on the station’s walls and the journal of all immigrants crossing the Pacific to reach America.
Gee credited the dedication of Board Members throughout this quarter century who helped raise over $40M with the support of Bay Area leaders in Congress, the California Legislature, the California State Parks, and just as importantly, the support of people, who like those in attendance tonight, gave their hearts and dollars and energies to this cause.
Honorees spoke eloquently of their own immigrant dreams and hero voices when they came on stage to receive their awards. Joe and Eliz Chan, docents who have devoted 4 months annually for the past 10 years to lead tours of the barrack building and the immigration station before hundreds of visitors, young schoolchildren and seniors, spoke of finding their own forefathers villages on a China Roots trip program recently, and how maintaining important historical places like Angel Island Immigration station can help to explain Chinese American history to younger generations to come. I was especially pleased to be able to introduce them to the audience and , have their volunteer spirit commemorated with the first annual Spirit of Angel Island award. AIISF needs more dedicated volunteers like the Chans. If anyone is interested in doing this service, contact the AIISF office.
Emmy winning journalist Thuy Vu was introduced by fellow TV journalist Jan Yanehiro, who came with her own entourage of Vu supporters from the news field, Lloyd LaCuesta and Mona Lisa Yunchengco, and Emerald Yeh. Thuy told of fleeing Saigon, Vietnam, with her family and immigrating at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 after suffering difficult times in two refugee camps. Long a familiar face on Bay Area TV screens, her special series on the devastation legacy of Agent Orange sprayed during the Vietnam Wars netted nine regional and national awards.
Former tennis great, Vijay Amitraj was well remembered for his many golf titles, having been Asia’s No. 1 player for 14 years. Recognized for his leadership, Vijay was given the special honor of carrying the Olympic Torch at the 1988 Seoul Games. He was the only Indian tennis player to address the United Nations Special Committee against apartheid in South America and recently Vijay launched the Vijay Amritraj Foundation in the US to serve some of the most needy causes in India. He was presented the Immigrant Heritage Award by Gala co-chair Vish Mishra.
After being introduced by Co Chair Claudine Cheng, Dennis Wu spoke of immigrating from the Philippines and the difficulties his family withstood in coming to America and his own challenges in adjusting to an American life. A well respected civic leader, he was the first person of color elected as President of the Commonwealth Club of America, and the President of the Cal Business Alumni Association. His many friends from the countless associations and boards he Is active in were there to herald his leadership and well deserved Lifetime Achievement Award.
Twenty five years of existence has been a rough road for the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation since its site preservation report was approved by the California State Parks back in 1994. Its timeline has been from 1997 when the AIISF was awarded the National Historic Landmark status by the National Register of Historic Places to 2005 when the Angel Island Immigration Station Hospital Preservation and Restoration Act was signed by President Bush, authorizing up to $15 million for rehabilitation of the Hospital and interpretive exhibits in the Barracks. In 2009 the rehabilitated Immigration Station barracks and grounds were reopened after completing a $15M restoration with over 1500 people attending the ceremony on a blustery rainy day that never dampened everyone’s enthusiasm of celebrating the opening. In 2011-2012 a memorial wall project consisting of over 300 plaques honoring immigrant ancestors was unveiled and dedicated.
Almost seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, AIISF Board members Paul Chin, John Cu, Darlene Chiu Bryant, Rosemarie Nahm, Henry Der, Heather Fong, Richard Lui, Nobuko Cleary, Natalie Huen, Sonny Lulla and Dien Yuen are looking forward to the completion of rehabilitation work on the Hospital building and establishment of exhibits will be completed ready for opening day in Year 2020.
Recently retired Board members Larry Low, Katherine toy, Anne Chen and myself were there to cheer the proceedings and know with pride the hard work done by them to ensure Angel Island’s goal were being met each year of their tenure. Dedicated sponsors, energetic Fund a Need donors, and excitable auction bidders all joined together to help AIISF raise almost $240K to reach its annual goals to continue to educate visitors on the dim history of discriminatory practices against immigrants through its scholarship program to provide local underprivileged students the opportunity to visit the Immigration Station to learn more about immigration history.
Thanks to AIISF Board Chairman Buck Gee, my fellow co chairs Claudine Cheng and Vish Mishra, in addition to staffers Russell Nauman and Laurie Earp for their leadership which was responsible for the success of this 25th anniversary celebration. For more information on going on a tour of the immigration station or contributing to its mission contact, www.angelisland.org. or call 415 658 7691
THE LITTLE MERMAID
All too often we forget community heroes right in our own area, and when I went to see the San Francisco Ballet’s recent offering, THE LITTLE MERMAID, I was enthralled with the beautiful grace and talent of its principal ballerina YUAN YUAN TAN. The audience at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House seemed mesmerized by her performance, and rushed to a standing ovation at the completion of her magnificent performance.
As the anguished forlorn mermaid who yearned to be a human to follow her love for the Prince she rescued from drowning, Yuan Yuan’s arm movements and adept footwork made the character come alive and she stole the show with her captivating portrayal of the heartbroken mermaid. Born and trained in Shanghai before joining the San Francisco Ballet in the mid-1990s, Yuan Yuan has been a shining example of the supreme artist and everyone in San Francisco should be proud to have such an accomplished Chinese artistic performer in our midst.
When once asked what had been her proudest moment as a dancer, I recall her answering, “I started my career as a ballet student in Shanghai, so when the SF Ballet brought me back there and Beijing for my 20th Anniversary with the Company, it seemed like I had come full circle to be performing again on this momentous occasion in my home country.” I remember interviewing the young Yuan Yuan Tan when she first arrived here and even then appreciating her modest demeanor of not realizing what an outstanding dancer she was then and has even improved through the years. Congratulations Yuan Yuan on being the most realistic charismatic mermaid ever.
HIGH SCHOOL HEROES REWARDS
The SOUTH BAY CHINESE SERVICE CLUB once again honored Chinese American students from Alameda County with monetary recognition and scholarship grants recently at the Mayflower Restaurant in Union City. President Joe Woo and Scholarship Chairman Randy Sabado presented awards to 21 high school seniors along with Keynote speaker Dion Lim and Platinum Sponsors Fremont Bank Foundation, Citizens for Better Community and Pearl Gunsell.
Listening to each student speak about their background, families, destination and career goals is always inspiring and we should be proud of how accomplished so many of these young Chinese Americans are today. Returning home happy campers with scholarship grants in hand were: Sheri Chang, Vivienne Chang, Zachary Chang, Aaron Chen, Jeffrey Chen, Jeffrey Chin, Michelle Huang, Tzu Yuang Hung, Malia Jiang, Jonathan Ko, Sophie Lam, Kyle Leon, Elijah Lin, Joyann Lu, Ulysses Ng, Emily Sanada, Andrew Wang, Bethany Woo, Edward Yang, Grace Yi and Meiqi Zhang. Congratulations all.
Dion Lim told of her own immigrant story growing up and advised the teens to never give up on their dreams or desires. She recounted growing up in a white society in the midwest where it seemed daunting for a young Chinese girl wanted to break into television. Imagine being the only Asian face on the screens when she worked in Springfield, Mass to Kansas City, Charlotte, N.C., and Tampa Bay. She admitted she was discouraged many times by the treatment she received but persevered and is happy to be an anchor reporter for ABC7/KGO-TV in San Francisco, the first Asian American woman to ever hold a full-time anchor position in each television market she has anchored in.
It was interesting to note that of the scholarship recipients this year, 10 were males, 11 females. Their average GPA was weighted 4.57 and total volunteer hours among them all were amazing 8,515 hours. Three students were National Merit Finalists, 7 AP scholars, 7 had perfect 4.0 unweighted GPA, 5 had Presidential Service Awards and 3 had received Scholar Athlete Awards.
Their variety of majors ranged from Applied Mathematics to Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Graphic Design, Marine Biology, Nursing and Statistics. Thanks to many of the members’ sponsorships and numerous Memorial Scholarship Funds of past members, this South Bay Chinese Service Club Scholarship Program continues to grow to serve support to the young people of their community.
FLOWER DRUM SONG DANCED IN JOYFULLY TO PALO ALTO
Hoots and howls and uproarious applause continued throughout the opening night performance of FLOWER DRUM SONG at the Lucie Stern Theater in Palo Alto this weekend. PALO ALTO PLAYERS presented the David Henry Hwang adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, and its updated version was a great production with local performers.
As one might remember, Flower Drum Song was set in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the 1950s. With the new Hwang rewrite this is now a story of immigrant adjustment after fleeing Communist China, as so many, even today, face a life of discrimination, prejudice and non-acceptance. But the show keeps the old familiar songs and although there is a message within, one still finds much to enjoy and laugh at with its clever dialogue.
A very young Homestead High School senior from Sunnyvale, Emily Song, is charming with a sweetly lyrical voice as the innocent young immigrant thrown into a confusing world in San Francisco’s Chinatown. I liked seeing Bryan Pangilinan’s personality change from the old fashioned opera star father Wang to the modern happy performer singing in his newly formed nightclub, a flashback to the scene of San Francisco’s 1950s popular clubs which featured the first Asian female performers to appear before American audiences.
I salute Palo Alto Players for always holding open auditions to enable local talent to appear in its productions. Alex Hsu’s choreography was precise, fun and snappy, with his dancers in one scene in take-out carton costume especially lively. Director Lily Tung Crystal did a great job directing the 20 member cast of talented Asian American performers who all looked like one big family having the time of their lives on stage. They all did a great job with catchy dialogue and fast moving set changes and musical numbers.
Although this is a remake of an oldie with a Chinese story background, Palo Alto Players and Managing Director Elizabeth Santana saw it as an opportunity to partner with a local non-profit organization, the CHINESE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL PROJECT, for this Asian themed production. As the original co- founder of this CHCP group, it was gratifying to be a part of this collaboration between two non-profits , and even more so, when I could see the lobby audience members enjoying the CHCP Exhibit “PIONEERING THE VALLEY” which tells of the immigration history and progress of the Chinese American community from its beginnings in the mid 1800s to the present.
Many expressed surprise at this lengthy history of the Chinese pioneers who had served in the agricultural industries up and down the peninsula, and said reading of accomplishments, both in all professions and the political scene, of its subsequent generations was very informative and interesting. It was a win-win for Palo Alto Players and the CHCP to be able to show a bit of Chinese American history to further educate and entertain its Flower Drum Song audiences. CHCP Board members will be on hand at each performance to further explain its activities, goals and mission of preserving Chinese American history, as well as give information to invite patrons to come for a tour of its Museum of Chinese American History located in History San Jose park.
Following on stage curtain calls, one of the performers thanked the audience for their exuberant response, and announced they could show their support through boxes in the lobby for welcomed donations. Ushers holding donation boxes and I were deeply grateful for opening night patrons who showed their support to PA Players and CHCP by dropping kind donations into the box, which will be shared between the two non-profit organizations.
FLOWER DRUM SONG plays until May 12, so for an enjoyable evening of song and dance in a spectacularly new show, go online at www.paplayers.org or call 650 329 0891. Hurry and get your tickets to enjoy a treat night of theater in Palo Alto.
Great discounts for seniors, educators, patrons under 30 and military.
