A Message From AIISF’s Executive Director

I hope that everyone had a productive and reflective Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Thank you to everyone who supported our Dumplings & Drinks, Sushi & Sake, and Give In May fundraising campaigns. In particular, thank you to all of our sponsors and to our food and beverage partners Dumpling Time, Brown Estate, Omakase, and Den Sake Brewery!

This May was one of our busiest in recent history. We hosted, presented, and co-facilitated numerous educational sessions during the month. Thank you to the Advancement Project, Angel Island State Park; ArtsEd4All; Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center; Chinese American Heritage Foundation; Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health; International Coalition of Sites of Conscience; Last Hoisan Poets and Del Sol Quartet; Lowe’s; Migration Museums Network; National Arab American Museum; National Park Service; Newark Optimist Club; Richard Lui; the Quiet Before coalition; Sausalito Library; South Coast Air Quality Management District; Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Club; Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation; Tenement Museum; White House Office of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders; and the Wing Luke Museum.

We are also thankful for the numerous news stories that included Angel Island and/or AIISF (you can read and watch some of these below).

As we transition to June, we have the opportunity to celebrate National Immigrant Heritage Month as well as Pride. We hope that you’ll join us later this week for the 1882 Foundation’s Symposium, and stay tuned for additional programs and events later this month!

Edward Tepporn
AIISF Executive Director

"I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2021 as National Immigrant Heritage Month. I call upon the people of the United States to learn more about the history of immigrant communities throughout the generations following our Nation’s founding and to observe this month with appropriate programming and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth."

Read the full proclamation here.

Angel Island in the News

From Google Arts & Culture launching a new Asian American and Pacific Islander hub on their platform to numerous news articles, Angel Island's history received both local and national attention during Asian Pacific Heritage Month.

We invite you to revisit many of these stories online. Below you'll find nine news highlights from the month of May!

Upcoming Events

Symposium VIII: Reimagine Museums for Community Well-Being, Connection, and Learning
June 3 - 5, 2021 / Online
Click here for tickets

Joined by the nation’s leading practitioners and educators in Museums, Historic Preservation, and Asian American Studies, the 1882 Foundation's Symposium VIII aims to strengthen collaborations and networks among practitioners and calls for public engagement in future program development.

Session 1, June 3, 2021, 8 pm - 10 pm (PT)
“How Do Museums Best Serve Communities” will introduce a “community-centric” approach in museum program development, dedicating to developing a sense of connectedness and belonging among communities.

Session 2, June 4, 2021, 8 pm - 10 pm (PT)
“Innovative Practices in Museums and beyond for Commemoration and Healing” will discuss the innovative designs, education, research, and outreach that put the concept of “community-centric” engagement into practice. AIISF will be serving as moderator and panelist for this session.

Session 3, June 5, 2021, 4 pm - 7:30 pm (PT)
“Building Consciousness through Asian American Studies Education” will introduce some of the best strategies and programs being developed in Asian American Studies Education.

Author Spotlight with Dr. Charles Egan
Thursday, June 17, 2021, 5 pm - 6 pm (PT) / Online
Register here

The Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation will be hosting an evening with San Francisco State University professor Charles Egan as we discuss his new book Voices of Angel Island: Inscriptions and Immigrant Poetry, 1910-1945.

For the past twenty years, Dr. Egan has been instrumental in researching and translating the historic poetry of Angel Island. In his latest book, he provides insight into many inscriptions left behind by Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and South Asian immigrants, including those made by prisoners of war and interned Japanese Americans during World War II.

World Refugee Day 2021
Sunday, June 20, 2021 / National
Learn more

The shared experience of COVID-19 has shown us that we only succeed if we stand together. We have all had to do our part to keep each other safe and despite the challenges, refugees and displaced people have stepped up.

Given the chance, refugees will continue to contribute to a stronger, safer, and more vibrant world. This year, we call for greater inclusion of refugees in health systems, schools, and sport. Only by working together can we recover from the pandemic.

Together we heal, learn and shine.

Hakone Gardens and Executive Order 9066 Exhibit
April 2021 - December 2021 / Saratoga, CA

Hakone Foundation is proud to present a new exhibition, “Hakone Gardens and Executive Order 9066” at the Cultural Exchange Center. The exhibit features an untold story of Hakone’s long-time gardener, James Sasaki, and his American-born family, imprisoned in Topaz, Utah Internment Camp during WWII.

The exhibit is produced by Ann Waltonsmith and Connie Young Yu who are co-authors of the new book, Hakone Estate and Gardens.