AIISF Newsletter / November 2021

A Message From AIISF’s Executive Director

November brings the opportunity for us to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Month as well as to express thanks and gratitude.

The former US Immigration Station sits on the ancestral lands of the Coast Miwok. In my experiences, I’ve noticed that similar to Asian American and Pacific Island communities, Native American communities’ data and histories are also often missing from textbooks, reports, and policies. Here is one resource that I found informative to my own learning.

As we are in the final months of 2021 and the start of our end-of-year campaign, I am also celebrating my 2-year anniversary with AIISF. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside AIISF’s board and staff, and to follow in the footsteps of so many community leaders. I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to meet many of you online, via email, and in person over this past year (as COVID-19 restrictions started lifting). Thank you for sharing your support, stories, and suggestions!

Over the next few months, we have some exciting things in the works.

  • First, I am very excited to announce that the Angel Island Immigration Museum will finally be opening to the public on January 22, 2022. Stay tuned for more details about the ribbon-cutting ceremony which will include in-person and online components.

  • Second, we are kicking off our Pathways to Immigration project which focuses on renovating and updating the site’s outdoor terraces. We’ll be holding a series of focus groups (see more details about our first focus group below) to get your input.

  • Third, we recently opened a new permanent exhibit entitled Taken From Their Families: Japanese American Incarceration on Angel Island During World War II. Over the next year, we’ll be working with Angel Island State Park, CyArk, and Densho to develop a 3D-virtual exhibit similar to this one.

But in order to continue our work, we need your support. With everything happening around us, I hope that you agree that it's even more important now to remember Angel Island. Please consider contributing to our Giving Tuesday fundraiser or end-of-year campaign this year.

With deep gratitude and appreciation,

Edward Tepporn
AIISF Executive Director

Win Free Airline Tickets with Southwest!

This year, we are asking everyone to "Remember Angel Island" as you choose which organization(s) you want to support for Giving Tuesday on 11/30 and at the end of 2021.

If you give $100 or more to our annual campaign, you will be entered in a drawing for TWO domestic roundtrip tickets with Southwest Airlines. Click here to make an end-of-year donation to AIISF.

The person whose Facebook fundraiser raises the most funds for AIISF through 12/31 will receive FOUR domestic roundtrip tickets! Click here to start your Facebook fundraiser today!

Visit www.aiisf.org/remember for more info about how you can support AIISF.

Pathways to Immigration Focus Group

Focus Group
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Pacific
Register here

We’ll be holding the first of a series of focus groups to collect community input on some important renovations to the outdoor terraces on the site.

During the last major renovation in 2009, outdoor terraces were created that outlined the structural footprint of the former Administration Building that burned down in 1940. While the original master plan called for the terraces to be paved over, these areas were covered instead with decomposed granite due to budget considerations. These small rocks, however, are damaging the Detention Barrack Museum’s stairwell and floors.

AIISF is partnering with Angel Island State Park on this new Pathways to Immigration project which will pave over these 3 terraces. This will also provide new opportunities for exhibit panels and for families to have their names recognized on the site.

Taken From Their Families Virtual Exhibition

Taken From Their Families reveals this lesser-known history of Angel Island. The exhibit explores the events and policies that led to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and presents the stories of 24 individuals whose lives were forever changed after December 7, 1941. Learn what happened as their families attempted to reunite with their loved ones and discover firsthand accounts from those who were held on Angel Island.

The virtual exhibit is based on the permanent exhibit installed on Angel Island. While nothing can fully replicate visiting the site in person, this virtual exhibit provides an opportunity to learn about this important-to-remember chapter in the site’s history and our nation’s history.

Angel Island Holiday Hours

November and December are great months to visit Angel Island! The park is open throughout the holidays, with ferry service running from San Francisco and Tiburon.

The operating hours for the Detention Barracks Museum:

  • Wednesday-Friday 11:00 am - 2:30 pm

  • Saturday-Sunday 11:00 am - 3:30 pm

  • CLOSED Monday - Tuesday, grounds open

Angel Island and the U.S. Immigration Station will be CLOSED the following days:

  • Thursday, November 25 (Thanksgiving)

  • Friday, December 24 (Christmas Eve)

  • Saturday, December 25 (Christmas)

  • Saturday, January 1 (New Year's Day)

To start planning your trip to Angel Island, we invite you to visit our website!

Upcoming Events

Carved In Silence by Felicia Lowe
Wednesday, November 17th, 6 – 7:30pm
Register here

During United Against Hate Week, MARIN UNITED AGAINST HATE invites you to view the award-winning documentary, Carved in Silence. Following the screening, veteran filmmaker, Felicia Lowe and Ed Tepporn, the Executive Director of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, will take questions and talk about the soon to be open Angel Island Immigration Museum.

 
Russell Nauman