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Author Erin Masako Wilkins’ new book, Asian American Herbalism: Traditional and Modern Healing Practices for Everyday Wellness brings her knowledge to your home. 

By Jen Hyde

Erin Masako Wilkins’ path to becoming an herbalist began while she was studying Japanese acupuncture in Berkeley. She soon realized that herbalism was a profound component of this discipline and quickly fell in love with their healing powers. The more she learned about herbalism, the more Erin realized that many medicinal herbs grow abundantly in the San Francisco Bay Area. Herbs such as chrysanthemum, mugwort, rose, and various mints became essential ingredients in her practice. After school, she was eager to bring her knowledge to her community.

At first, herbal workshops served as a platform for sharing knowledge and breaking down barriers to herbal medicine. Erin believes that herbalism is not just about healing the body but also about reconnecting with cultural traditions and the earth. She often highlights the concept of “food as medicine” and encourages participants to explore their own cultural connections to herbs and food, fostering a sense of belonging and pride in one’s heritage.

Erin’s workshops have attracted a diverse community, a testament to her dedication to inclusivity and the power of online platforms during the pandemic. Her online presence has allowed her to reach a broader audience, leading to greater Asian representation in her classes and workshops, and eventually a book deal.

Her new book, Asian American Herbalism: Traditional and Modern Healing Practices for Everyday Wellness, explores the intersection of Asian American identity, herbalism, and cultural connections to the land. The book provides guidance for those seeking to incorporate herbalism into their lives both for wellness and cultural connection. It is one part recipe book, one part memoir as Erin delves into her family’s history, their experiences during World War II, and their role as farm laborers in Sonoma County to provide a framework.

Erin’s grandfather, Hiroshi Yamamoto, was a second-generation American from Ukiah. His family fled to Utah to escape Japanese incarceration during WWII. Hiroshi later fought in the war, and afterward moved his family to Sacramento. Erin’s mother moved the family back to Santa Rosa while Erin was in high school, a move which Erin attributes as the catalyst for her calling.

As a mixed-race individual, Erin’s journey to finding her heritage and identity has been a nuanced exploration. Before the pandemic, Erin called her business East West herbalism, a name that placed her cultural experiences side by side. This is a method of identifying oneself that is common among mixed Asians for whom preserving family histories is a crucial part of our identity formation. For us, cultural reclamation is deeply personal. Asian American Herbalism is a term Erin created for herself. Her self-realization not only aligns with her identity but also serves as a source of inspiration in the pages of her new book.

Join us on Friday, October 20th at 7 pm to launch Erin’s book: Asian American Herbalism: Traditional and Modern Healing Practices for Everyday Wellness at Copperfield Books in Petaluma! Reserve a free ticket here. Order your copy of the book at Copperfield’s Books online.

Jen Hyde is the author of Hua Shi Hua,华诗画 [Drawings & Poems from China]. She lives in Sonoma County with her family.

To apply for a membership of RECA (Redwood Empire Chinese Association), please contact RECA Secretary Judy Cheung by emailing her here.

 

All RECA Members, Family, and Friends,

You are invited to join us for the 2023 RECA Autumn Moon Festival Potluck Social on Saturday, September 30, 5:00 p.m. until dark at RECA Center, 3455 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95407. Just show up, no need to register.

In addition to our usual food, fun and entertainment, we will have a special eye-painting ceremony for our two new lions purchased with funds from the CAB Grant and for our new dragon purchased with funds from our Diversity Grant from the Arts and Cultural Grant of Northern Sonoma County. Once the eyes are painted, our lions and dragon will be able to see and will perform for us for the first time. Don’t miss this fun and excitement. We will also have our Adult Cultural Dancers, RECA Adult Chorus, Wu Academy Martial Arts, and more acts of excellent RECA talent.

Be sure to bring a jacket for when the sun goes down and it gets chilly. See you there with your entire family of all ages and generations!

**** To join RECA Membership and receive RECA Newsletter, please email RECA Secretary Judy Cheung.

Upcoming Regular Meetings

RECA Board Meeting

Every other month on the 3rd Wednesday, 7:00-9:00 p.m., RECA Center. All interested members are welcome to join us in planning and carrying out RECA business and community involvement. Be part of RECA’s less advertised activities. Be on committees where you can meet civic leaders. Be a special guest to invitation-only events to which RECA is invited. Enjoy special snacks brought to share by traveling board members. Share your talents, contacts, and knowledge. We meet every other month on the 3rd Wednesday at 7:00 at our Center unless otherwise announced. Our next meetings are scheduled on October 18 and December 20. To receive information to attend, please contact a board member: President Nancy Wang 707-576-0533, Youth Group Leaders Jong & Lorraine Mira 707-364-5327,

Vice President and RECA Chorus: David Chung, 707-340-6045, Recording Secretary: Judy Cheung, 707-528-0912 or any board member listed on the front page of this newsletter, or email Judy Cheung.

RECA YOUTH GROUP: 

Usually each 1st Friday, 6:00-8:30 PM, RECA Center. Youth Group focuses on Chinese and Asian cultural issues and situations. We begin with a lion or dragon dance rehearsal, have a light meal, then a topic of discussion. We end the meeting with some fun and games. If you are a teenager and would like to join us, please contact our YG Leaders, Lorraine and Jong Mira

Our next meeting will be Friday, September 8. 6:00 lion dance practice. 6:45 ice cream social. Please contact the Mira Family for specific information and to be sure they count you when they buy the ice cream.

RECA LION & DRAGON DANCERS Practice:

Each Youth Group Practice and meeting is usually on the 1st Friday at 6:00-6:45 plus special rehearsals before performing. Performances are community-wide. Please contact Lorraine and Jong Mira for rehearsal information. You do not have to belong to the Youth Group to be a lion or dragon dancer. We have junior and senior (elementary school and high school or older) lions. To be a dragon dancer, you must be big enough to hold the pole and keep up when the dragon runs. Less tall and less energetic participants can be Happy Buddha dancers or percussionists with cymbals and gong, or general support person to carry, drive, etc. There is always something for everyone to do.

Next performances: Sept. 30 RECA Moon Festival, RECA Center; Oct. 7 Alzheimer walk, Sonoma State University; Dec. 2 RECA Christmas Party at Santa Rosa Vets Building.

RECA ADULT CULTURAL DANCERS: 

Practice each Wednesday, 3:30-5:30 p.m. At Snoopy’s Ice Arena Studio. Leader is Lisa Gardener. These adults learned cultural dance in China. To join, they hope you already know the basics of Chinese cultural dance. Rehearsals are conducted primarily in Mandarin. They practice weekly and perform throughout greater Sonoma County and beyond. Their performances include senior homes, all levels of schools, private parties, business parties, special dinner events, and many more exciting venues.

RECA ADULT CHORUS:

Tuesdays 7:00-9:00 p.m. at our RECA Center. Please email David Chung or Lisa Gardner for more info in case the time has changed for this month. The Chorus recently performed at the Sonoma County Fair and will perform at RECA’s Autumn Moon Festival on September 30, our December Christmas Party at the Santa Rosa Vet’s Building on December 2, and many additional community events.

RECA SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE: 

At least two $500 scholarships are given each year to high school seniors who live in Sonoma County and are of Asian descent or who are members of RECA. Applications may be obtained on our website or from public and most private school counselors. 2024 applications may be turned in starting February 2024. Interviews are planned for May 2024. The interview committee will be assigned in March or April.

For 2023, our recipients were:

• Elizabeth (Ellie) Mira, RECA, Maria Carrillo High;
• Katrina Gong, RECA, Maria Carrillo High;
• Melanie Raymond, non-member, Maria Carrillo High;
• Andrew Simmalaychanh, non-member, Windsor High;
• Rijan Chapagain, non-member, Sonoma Valley High.

Funds for these scholarships come from the RECA Scholarship Fund and from generous donors. This year’s donors were The Lok Family and David Chung in memory of his brother Steven.

RECA CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

August 19: Skyhawk Neighborhood Meeting in soccer field near Austin Creek School. RECA Lions perform.

September 9: Grand Opening of the Sonoma County Stories exhibit at the Sonoma County Museum. RECA is a contributor and has been closely involved. Nancy Wang is on the board of directors.

September 19: Building Bridges Between Communities, Congregation Shomrei Torah, Nancy Wang is featured speaker

September 23: South Park Day & Night Festival, RECA will have an info booth and lion dancers in Martin Luther King Park, 1671 Hendley St., Santa Rosa, near the fairgrounds. Begins at 2:00 pm. All day fun, free movie at night.

**September 30: RECA Autumn Moon Festival, RECA Center. Setup 3:00, begins 5:00, entertainment 7:00. Everyone is invited. Bring food to share, family, friends and a jacket for when the sun goes down.

October 7: Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Sonoma State University, RECA Lions & Cultural Dancers perform. *October 18: RECA Board Meeting RECA Center, 7:00. Please contact Nancy Wang or Judy Cheung for more info. All interested members are welcome.

October 21: Finding History Day, Finley Center, Sonoma County Historical Heritage Society exhibition. RECA will have an information booth and is a sponsor.

October 21: Building Bridges Between Communities, Congregation Shomrei Torah, RECA Youth Group member Kevin Zhai is a featured speaker.

November 5: Building Bridges Between Communities, Congregation Shomrei Torah, RECA has an info table POSTPONED TO JANUARY 2024. November 11: Asian American Pacific Island Coalition of North Bay Annual Meeting. 

**December 2: RECA Christmas Party: Santa Rosa Vet’s Memorial Building Dining Room (east side parking), Setup 4:00, begins 5:00, entertainment 6:30. Everyone is invited. Please bring food to share, family and friends.

*December 20: RECA Board Meeting RECA Center, 7:00. Please contact Nancy Wang or Judy Cheung for more info. All interested members are welcome.

Date TBA: RECA Youth Group to help paint street art at intersection of 2nd & D Streets with artist Judy Kennedy with funds granted by Santa Rosa CAB (Community Advisory Board.)

2024

January 19: Finley Park Chinese New Year Celebration, Program presented by RECA.February 3: Sonoma County Children’s Museum Chinese New Year Celebration, RECA is invited to perform.

February 16: Oakmont Senior Singles performance of lions, dancers, and chorus

February 17: Healdsburg Chinese New Year Celebration, RECA is invited to perform. RECA YG to help paint street art at intersection of 2nd & D Streets with artist Judy Kennedy with funds granted by Santa Rosa CAB (Community Advisory Board.)

January 19: Finley Park Chinese New Year Celebration, Program presented by RECA.

February 3: Sonoma County Children’s Museum Chinese New Year Celebration, RECA is invited to perform.

February 16: Oakmont Senior Singles performance of lions, dancers and chorus

February 17: Healdsburg Chinese New Year Celebration, RECA is invited to perform.

By Katrin Ciaffa, 10,000 Degrees Regional Director for Sonoma and Napa Counties.

For students who identify as AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander), people often assume that they have the financial resources and know-how to access, persist, and succeed in college. But that’s not always the case. There are a lot of misconceptions about AAPI students, Jin Choi told NBC Bay Area recently. Choi is Asian American and the director of scholarships at 10,000 Degrees, a leading, equity-focused scholarship provider and college success nonprofit in California.

We Are Not A Homogenous Group

“A lot of people think we are this homogenous group, that all of us graduate college, that all of us have engineering jobs… but of course, that’s not true,” Jin said. “There are over 60 different Asian nationalities and cultures in the Bay Area, and they all have their unique, different college outcomes … for instance, if you look at the Hmong community, the Vietnamese community, the Cambodian community, many are living under the federal poverty guidelines. They need as much help as any other community out there.”

Jin Choi, 10,000 Degrees Director of Scholarships, with Samuele Esperon, recipient of the Filipino American National Historical Society scholarship in 2017. Samuele graduated from UCLA in 2020.

Eighteen percent of 10,000 Degrees scholarship recipients identify as AAPI. Last year, they awarded nearly 600 AAPI students $788,000 in renewable, need-based scholarships. 10,000 Degrees has several scholarships specifically dedicated to AAPI students, including the Nas Scholarship for students of Indian descent, and the Asian Scholarship Fund for students who have one parent of Asian descent, are graduating seniors from Sonoma, Marin, Napa, or Contra Costa high schools, and are planning to enroll in college fulltime. All of 10,000 Degrees’ scholarships are need-based and renewable until baccalaureate attainment.

Through a potent combination of scholarships plus comprehensive support, 10,000 Degrees annually helps over 12,000 high school and college students from low-income backgrounds get to and through college so they can realize their full potential and positively impact their communities and the world.

Juliana Z.

Like 10,000 Degrees scholarship recipient Juliana Z., the daughter of Chinese immigrants, who hopes to give back to her community. “Growing up, those around me, including my immigrant parents, worked two to three blue-collared jobs, struggling with language barriers impacting their job security,” Juliana recalled. “My passion for languages stems from my realization that I could use this knowledge to advocate for others.

“I hope to use my language skills as the foundation of my work to further immigrant advocacy”

Juliana Z.

Juliana graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco in 2021 and is now attending UC Berkeley. She is determined to make a difference for other Asian immigrants.

“As a Chinese-American female, often underrepresented in today’s political stage, I strive to use my voice to help voice the needs and concerns of Asian Americans on the national policy agenda to combat the dominant model minority narrative,” Juliana said. “I aim to advocate for the provision of interpretive services to help the diverse population of Asian immigrants in their dealings with public/private agencies on a local, state, and national level. I seek to change our educational institutions to teach about multiculturalism and the histories, cultures, and contributions of Asian Americans.”

Amanda Doan

“I’m proud to say that I will be one of the first in my family to attain a college degree. I feel grateful that I am in a position where I can pursue my boldest dream of graduating without any debt during my undergraduate career, and I can assure that 10,000 Degrees, its staff and the various scholarship donors generosity will never be forgotten. Thank you for your investment in the youth!”

Amanda Doan, wearing a traditional Vietnamese Ao Dai to honor her Vietnamese heritage as a first-generation college student; Yerba Buena High School, Santa Clara 2018, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2023.

100% of 10,000 Degrees students come from low-income backgrounds, 93% are from communities of color, and 92% will be the first in their family to attend college. 10,000 Degrees also provides extensive support to undocumented students, including scholarships.

Hy L.

Hy L. is a 10,000 Degrees scholarship recipient from Sonoma County who graduated from Piner High School in Santa Rosa in 2022 and is now majoring in mechanical engineering at UCLA. “My family and I immigrated from Vietnam in 2010, and being able to make my parents proud after all the hard work they’ve put in makes me very happy,” Hy said. “My parents always assured me that money wouldn’t be an issue, that we can take out loans and make it work, especially since engineering is a stable career. But I definitely wanted to seek out opportunities where they existed if it could ease the burden on our family. I am incredibly grateful for this scholarship and its easing of not only our financial burden but my mental burden as well.”

10,000 Degrees services include college and financial aid counseling, near-peer coaching, financial aid management, and career and graduate school support for students and alumni. Unlike most other college success organizations, there is no GPA requirement to participate in their programs. Their Fellows, near-peer coaches who are recent college graduates and often alum of 10,000 Degrees, are embedded in high school and college campuses to help students navigate life both on and off-campus and throughout their college success journey. With this innovative support model, 10,000 Degrees achieves unmatched success rates: Over 80% of 10,000 Degrees four-year college students earn bachelor’s degrees. 10,000 Degrees community college students transfer to and graduate from four-year colleges at a rate that’s three times the national average. 10,000 Degrees students also graduate with 88% less student loan debt than the national average.

Eight Bay Area Counties Served

10,000 Degrees programs reach students and families in eight Bay Area counties – Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Lake, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara – and partner with 41 high schools, 56 community colleges, and 170 four-year colleges and universities across the nation.

Application Period

The 10,000 Degrees scholarship application period coincides with the FAFSA® (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and California Dream Act (for undocumented students) application periods, which will be opening at the end of the 2023 calendar year. 10,000 Degrees’ team provides extensive support with all financial aid applications and always strives to work closely with each student’s family.

Please check 10,000 Degrees’ website at 10000degrees.org for more information. 10,000 Degrees strongly encourages all AAPI students with financial needs to apply and take advantage of this life-changing, free resource.

Questions? Please contact:

• Katrin Ciafffa, Regional Director for Sonoma and Napa County: katrin.ciaffa@10000degrees.org
• Jin Choi, Director of Scholarships: jchoi@10000degrees.org

By the 6th graders at Strawberry Elementary School in Santa Rosa, CA

Liz Larew, a member of Sonoma County United in Kindness Project, wrote to AAPIC dated February 20, 2023.

“The 6th graders at Strawberry Elementary School in Sonoma County, CA, have been at the forefront of spreading acts of kindness, inclusivity, equality, and friendship at their school. Based on information their teacher, Mrs. Forgy, brought to them from Sonoma County United in Kindness Project, these young ones wrote their own Declaration of Unity, modeling and promoting the kind of humanity and leadership the world desperately needs.

To effectively cultivate a culture of respect, fairness, compassion, responsible leadership and inclusivity, active participation by all members of the community is required. If you have a child or a grandchild attending school, or have connections within the school system, please work with teachers or schools to promote tenets of this United in Kindness declaration written by students.

Schools are where the next socially responsible persons and humanistic leaders are made—contributing towards a better future for all!”

Read Strawberry Elementary School students’ Declaration of Unity (continue or click button to a different page in the Cloud for people to access and download).

We are United in Kindness

Mrs. Forgy’s Sixth Grade Class of 2023

Strawberry Elementary School

In order to achieve unity and kindness in our community...

We support…

• Freedom of choice
• Kindness toward those with challenges or disabilities
• Kindness to people of different ethnicities, religions or beliefs
• Being kind, even when people are not looking
• Different loves
• Respecting others and their differences
• Being honest and responsible, and proving you are these things throughactions
• Looking at things you don’t like with a different perspective
• Being positive or being quiet
• Giving people second chances
• Considering the source of bullying

We have no room for and will not tolerate (nor stand by)…

• Violent words or actions
• Insults
• Bullying
• Racism
• Cyberbullying
• Hurtful pranks
• Sexist talk or ideas
• Gossip/rumors
• Hurtful judgment of others
• Insulting peoples’ beliefs, backgrounds, or interests
• Eavesdropping

The Lunar New Year is an important and joyous occasion for our Asian community. January 22 was the first New Year day of the Lunar calendar this year. This is the time when families and friends gather to celebrate culture, enjoy delicious traditional food, and share well wishes for a brighter year to come. Just in Santa Rosa, there were more than a dozen Lunar New Year celebrations planned and scheduled by the Redwood Chinese Association and Sonoma County Vietnamese Association all around town. They worked in coordination with cities, libraries, museums, and a number of businesses in an effort to share their culture and joy with the larger community. The city councils of the cities of Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park offered proclamations to honor the contribution of the diverse Asian community in their cities.

The horror of the mass shootings in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay in California on the first two days of the Lunar New Year shook us all to the core, particularly the Asian community. What happened? Why?

It was in this traumatized state of shock and grief that I attended the Rohnert Park City Council meeting on behalf of AAPIC to receive the Lunar New Year proclamation the day after the Half Moon Bay shooting. I spoke from my heart. I would like to share my thoughts with you here.

Grace Cheung-Schulman

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grace Cheung-Schulman, Co-Chair, AAPI Coalition of North Bay
Remarks on the Lunar New Year proclamation on Tuesday, Jan 24, 2023
at the Rohnert Park City Council Meeting

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mayor Rodriguez and Council members, thank you for inviting me to represent AAPI Coalition of North Bay to your City Council meeting to receive the proclamation in honor of the Lunar New Year celebration.
A year ago, I was at this same city council meeting to receive the Lunar New Year proclamation via Zoom in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. At that time, I spoke about how I, myself, and a group of residents of Sonoma County, concerned about the prevalent anti-Asian violence, decided to come together to form the AAPI coalition. 

Fast forward one year, AAPIC is now a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit. Our mission remains the same – to celebrate culture, empower community, and promote positive change in the AAPI community.

But the series of gun violence in the last 3 days, in my mind, have completely changed the urgency and core focus of these words.

To borrow a line from the popular Pogo comic strip from Earth Day 1971, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” It is no longer sufficient for us just to look out for enemies attacking us from outside. Our enemy is us – it is our inability to look out for our own people.

As minorities, the various Asian and Pacific Islander communities are strong and well-known for taking good care of their own.

The events from the last 3 days told us that keeping just to ourselves no longer works. 

Who is hurting? Who is not being heard? Who needs help? Where do we get help? 

A lot more needs to be done.

Firstly, and most urgently, the various AAPI communities need to come together to share information and resources to help each other. Because we are diverse in languages and cultures, small in number, and geographically scattered, we need to work together more closely as one community.

Secondly, we must have more sensible gun control laws. Growing up in Hong Kong as a teenager, occasionally I heard the horrific news about some “crazy guy” running down the street with a big cleaver knife attacking people. At most, one or two people would be hurt. But in the United States today, with guns and assault rifles which were designed to kill enemies in the battlefield, the death toll can be many times more.

Lastly, we need better access to mental health services. Mental health stigma affects all ethnicities, cultures, and nationalities, but Asian Americans may be more impacted than most. We need to work closely with mental health service organizations to improve outreach and access for our AAPI community.

Thank you for giving me this space to express what I believe are some very important steps we must take to prevent similar incidents here in Sonoma County. We want to stand in solidarity with all people and allies to right injustices.

I, myself, and my fellow community members within the AAPI Coalition pledge to work with government agencies, nonprofits, community groups, and allies to make it a better New Year to come.

Download a PDF version of the remarks here.

Proclamation Image

Proclamation Photo

On January 25, 2022, the City of Rohnert Park invited our two Co-Chairs Grace Cheung-Schulman and Elizabeth Escalante to attend a virtual meeting of the City Council to celebrate

February 1, 2022 as Lunar New Year in the City of Rohnert Park. A proclamation document was

presented to AAPIC and signed by Rohnert Park Mayor Jackie Elward. A video of the ceremony is available HERE.

• The proclamation started at 1:48 mins into the video.
• Co-Chair GraceCheung-Schulman’s speech starts at 7:46 mins.
• Co-Chair Elizabeth Escalante’s remarks start at 10:48 mins.
• Azy Heydon representing the Redwood Empire Chinese Association spoke at 14:42 mins.

Miss Congeniality–1965 San Francisco Chinatown Pageant

I first met Felicia Lowe at the AAAM Retreat back in October 2021. Since then, I worked with her closely in our AAPI Film Series Committee planning and selecting films to show at our Film Series. I know that she is an award-winning independent filmmaker and have made several films including “Carved in Silence“, and that she is well known in the Chinese American community for her contributions and tireless work in preserving Chinese American history on film.

However, it is a little known fact that she also competed in the 1965 Miss Chinatown USA pageant, an amazing story that she is gracious enough to share with us all. I’d like to acknowledge Ben SB’s post on Facebook Chinese North American History Network that alerted me to this story. 

Felicia in her own words:

As I dusted off the box of mementos from the 1965 Miss Chinatown U.S.A. Pageant, memories of the whirlwind couple of weeks spent in San Francisco as a contestant came alive again. It was a lifetime ago! I was 19 years old, a junior at San Jose State, majoring in journalism. Inside the box was my badge number, Miss Congeniality sash, program book, and the tattered remnants of the scrape book I had put together. The photos and yellowed newspaper articles documented visits to family associations, photo spreads with politicians, modelling fashions, the Pageant at the Masonic Auditorium (including a shot of me singing), the Coronation Ceremony, and of course, the New Year’s Parade. The coverage was non-stop, our images appeared in both the Chinese and mainstream press. The experience was exhausting and exhilarating. I enjoyed meeting my fellow contestants who came from different parts of the country. It was the first time I’d met Chinese American girls with a southern drawl, and a Philly accent. There was also lots of laughter to get us through each day’s grueling schedule. We bonded as a group and were happy for everyone’s success. It never felt competitive to me.

My new found friends voted me Miss Congeniality, which took me by surprise (far left in the photo). Revisiting the experience now 57 years later, I realize it had a greater impact on my 19 year old self than I had previously understood. I gained a greater respect and broader perspective about the Chinese community, its leadership, pride in being Chinese in America, being American. It laid the ground work for my future career in media and the subjects I would cover.

My then interest in journalism had morphed into broadcast journalism which I found more dynamic and could reach larger audiences. I moved to New York to study film and television production, while working on the children’s program, “The Electric Company.” Upon completion of a Broadcast Journalism Program at Columbia University, I was

hired as a news writer at KNBC-TV in Los Angeles. I moved back to San Francisco to work at KGO-TV, becoming its first Asian female reporter. I also hosted the public affairs program, “Perspectives” and co-hosted two live broadcasts of the Chinese New Year’s Parade with David Louie. I learned a great deal working in breaking news, but I was eager to tell longer stories and the opportunity arrived with an offer to work on the PBS series, “Turnabout” as a field producer. The work prepared me well to make my first documentary in 1979, “China: Land of My Father” in which I went to China to meet my father’s mother for the first time.

The overwhelming positive response to seeing “our Roots story” inspired me to make other documentaries. “Carved in Silence” reveals the stories of Chinese immigrants detained at Angel Island Immigration Station during the Chinese Exclusion era and the poetry carved into the walls. For KQED, I produced “Chinatown” for their Neighborhood series, and “Chinese Couplets” traces my mother’s journey from China to America as a paper daughter. All my documentaries have been broadcast on PBS and used in classrooms across the country. I’m gratified that I’ve been able to share what I have learned about our unique histories and common humanity through my films.

I’m even more pleased that work I’ve been a part of through the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation these past 40 years has resulted in the preservation and restoration of the Immigration Station, a National Historic Landmark.

I’ll end with a short clip from “Chinese Couplets.” It’d been a long, long time since I last stood on that stage in the Masonic Auditorium! Click here to watch the clip.

For information about Felicia and all her films, please visit her website at https://www.lowedownproductions.com. Also, several of her films are available on Kanopy.com which is accessible for free through your library card at the Sonoma County Library.

to the young asian girl
who is struggling with how
to process your pain right now

i want to tell you that it’s okay
that the anger or hurt you may feel
is valid and that you deserve
to be acknowledged and seen.

to the young Asian girl
who wants to speak up
but finds that your voice
gets lodged in your throat,
and you feel as though
you can’t breathe.

i am sorry.
i am sorry for the pain you are in right now
and i know that you hate crying
but it’s okay if you have to.

crying will not make you weak
and you will not be playing
into that sick stereotype of a
submissive asian woman.

so allow yourself to feel,
to scream,
to rant.
allow yourself to heal
because you deserve it.

to the young asian girl
who feels fetishized
and sexualized,

you are human.
you serve to feel safe in your own skin

and I’m sorry that that sense of security was stolen from you
but know that you can take it back
because you are stronger
than what you may think
right now.

to the young asian girl
who feels ignored,
who feels like people
won’t listen to your warnings
or protests unless
someone gets hurt or ends up
murdered,

your voice matters,
it always has and always will
and people will eventually
be forced to listen to what you
have to say
so do not silence yourself
for the comfort of others.

to the young asian girl
who knows that this type of violence
isn’t new,

who knows the history of yellow peril,
the model minority myth,
the chinese exclusion act,
and the countless other times
asian bodies have been brutalized
and beaten throughout history

please stay strong.
it may feel like you want to give up,
that people will forever choose to
stay ignorant
but in that case,
please put yourself first.

It is not your job
to educate others on
your pain or your history.

you are not a resource.
you are a human being and deserve
to be treated as such.

to the young asian girl
who feels exhausted,
and drained,
and can’t help but feel like,
you’re drowning
in the news of the daily
hate crimes you see online,

it is okay to unplug.
to log off.
to return to yourself
and find peace with your loved ones.

to the young asian girl
writing this poem
as a form of healing
and processing,

know that you are loved.
that you are appreciated.
that you are not a model minority.
or a scapegoat.
or a fetish.

know that feeling pain doesn’t make
you weak.
know that you are allowed to rest
and heal for however long you need.

Natalie Nong is a Youth Fellow at AAAM (Asian American Alliance of Marin) and an incoming freshman at San Jose State where she will be majoring in Animation/Illustration. She creates artwork and writes poetry that explores and discusses her identity as a Vietnamese-American woman. Her goal as an artist is to create a more positive and inclusive representation of Vietnamese perspectives through storytelling.

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.

Huffpost Personal, by Stacey Fargnoli

“As a child, I assumed my Koreanness just fell away like a snake shedding its skin. I thought, ‘That must be what happens when you’re adopted.'”

“Growing up, I never thought about being adopted. It’s something that happened a long time ago and explains why I don’t look like my white parents, but that’s about it. It’s the missing piece of the puzzle that puts others at ease. It’s the fact I have stashed in my back pocket for those group icebreakers.”

My ethnicity was nothing more than a parlor trick until March 16, 2021, when news of six Asian American women gunned down in Atlanta pierced through my veneer of indifference. I knew about the increase in violence against Asian Americans in recent years, but this time, the fear tore into the heart of my being. It forced me to look at my own Asianness and the reality that I am a target of hatred toward Asian Americans whether I feel like a “real Asian” or not. Read more.