Photo Credit: City of Sonoma. Representing AAPIC are Co-Chair Elizabeth Escalante (holding the Proclamation) and Phyllis Tajii, member of Board of Directors (far right). Mayor Jack Ding, holding the Proclamation with Elizabeth, is a member and strong supporter of AAPIC.
On May 18, 2022 at the City of Sonoma council meeting, an AAPI Heritage Month proclamation was adopted to acknowledge the contribution of the Asian community to the development of the City of Sonoma particularly in its wine industry. Several members of AAPIC contributed to the draft, and in our research, we uncovered a lot of history about the role the Asian community played. We thank Mayor Jack Ding for helping make this happen. Jack is the first Chinese American serving the city, and now as the mayor. We also acknowledge the invaluable wealth of information provided by Sonoma State University 2015 Master thesis written by Gordon C. Phillips (1929-2018)-The Chinese in Sonoma County, California, 1900-1930: The Aftermath of Exclusion.
In his address to the Sonoma City Council as the newly elected Mayor in December 2021, Jack Ding said, “[Sonoma] was built over 180 years ago, but what many people don’t know is that during the early development time 25% of Sonoma’s population were Chinese laborers.
“They were forgotten for many years and were not highlighted in our history because of racism and the Chinese Exclusion Act. But they lived here, worked here, and died here. Sadly, you cannot find any graves simply because they were not white and Christian. They were not allowed to be buried in the cemetery.”
“Still, they were great builders of Sonoma, we see their vineyards, wine cellars and walls allover our community. Very few had English names; you will see the same name on the Census, listed for all of the Chinese immigrants. It says: John Chinaman, John Chinaman, John Chinaman …”
“Today, Sonoma is a great city with inclusiveness and love and is making history again! I am a first-generation immigrant and also the first Chinese American serving the City of Sonoma. I fully understand both challenges and contributions of all our community-people whose families have been here for generations and newcomers who just settled down here.
“We are blessed to live and work here in Sonoma. It’s our responsibility to protect Sonoma and make sure that someday in the future, when we pass it on to our younger generation, the city of Sonoma will be stronger, more vibrant and still beautiful.”
In honor of the AAPI Heritage Month in the month of May, the City of Sonoma and Mayor Jack Ding have accepted AAPIC’s request to present a proclamation to highlight the contribution of the AAPI community at its City Council meeting.
See a copy of the Proclamation and attachment.