AIISF Newsletter / February 2022
A Message From AIISF’s Executive Director
Are we truly already 1 month into 2022? All of us at AIISF would like to wish you and yours a happy Lunar New Year and a happy Chinese New Year! While no firecrackers are allowed on Angel Island, we did start this year off with a bang as we opened the new Angel Island Immigration Museum. You can watch the recording on our YouTube channel. Initially, this FREE museum will be open to the public on weekends only.
If you haven’t had a chance to visit Angel Island recently, then another reason to visit is the Taken From Their Families exhibit which focuses on the stories of some of the 700 Japanese and Japanese Americans who were temporarily detained on Angel Island during World War II. February 19th might be an especially meaningful day to visit as this is the annual Day of Remembrance commemorating the signing of Executive Order 9066 which authorized the forced incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans.
February is also the time of year when we celebrate Black History Month. Check out the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s website here. Their theme this year highlights Black contributions to Western medicine and addressing health disparities.
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important for us all to continue to take steps to protect ourselves, our families, and our communities. Visit www.covidtests.gov to order your free at-home COVID-19 tests. Every home is eligible to order 4 free tests.
Wishing you health and prosperity!
Edward Tepporn
AIISF Executive Director
Plan Your Visit to Angel Island
Start planning your next trip to the Angel Island Immigration Station. Explore two museums and 14.3-acres of outdoor exhibits in heart of San Francisco Bay. CLICK HERE
March Program: Angel Island and A-Files
Angel Island and A-Files: How to Research and Access
AIISF's Zoom Program with Jeanie Low
March 8, 2022 | 5 pm PST / 8 pm EST
Free via Zoom
Register Here
Jeanie will help you determine whether you should file a FOIA request with USCIS and/or search NARA to receive a copy of an Angel Island and/or an A-File for your family.
About Jeanie Low
Jeanie is a member of Save Our National Archives (SONA), which successfully advocated that A-Files be designated a permanent historic collection. Since 1993, she has given over 40 genealogical presentations on researching Chinese Americans. Her parents immigrated through Angel Island with “paper names. They underwent the “Confession Program” to clear their status and reclaimed their family name. She is the author of China Connection: Finding Ancestral Roots for Chinese in America. She is also a fiber artist.
Careers with AIISF
WE ARE CURRENTLY HIRING FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS
Administrative Coordinator | Program Manager
DEADLINE: February 18, 2022, or until filled
Partner Events
OACC 2022 Asian Pacific New Year Celebration
February 5 - April 16, 2022 | Free
In recognition of the diversity of new year’s festivities across the Asian Pacific region, OACC presents a hybrid celebration of Asian Pacific New Year traditions featuring in-person and virtual content for audiences of all ages during February and April 2022.