Summer 2022
Asian Cultural Experience - Issue No. 5
Asian Cultural Experience (ACE) sends out its newsletter seasonally (spring, summer, fall, winter). You can read this in your email or click on the heading to go to the main site and view older issues. You may also receive occasional shorter bulletins regarding special events.
Dear Friends:
We at ACE are now enjoying a rest after our first in-person Asian Festival since the pandemic began.
Thanks to the Filipino Community of Salinas Valley for kicking off the event with ceremony, food, lectures, tours, and performances.
We didn’t quite know what to expect this year—but it was very successful, with record orders of Asian food and visitors.
To all who participated, from Mayor Kimbley Craig, Supervisor Luis Alejo, Council Member Osornio—to ACE partners, members, volunteers, faculty, and service-learning students from CSUMB and York School: Thank you for your crucial support. It means so much to us to participate with you and to feel that we are all part of this growing neighborhood.
AAPI HERITAGE MONTH
The Asian Festival at the end of April is always a great start to AAPI Heritage Month (May). The following updates on AAPI Heritage month are brought to you by ACE Board member Herb Wong:
Walk of Remembrance
As part of AAPI Heritage Month, the Walk of Remembrance was held on Saturday May 14, 2022, in Pacific Grove. It was marked with the reading of an Apology from Pacific Grove City Council to the Chinese Fishing Village residents and their descendants for the burning of the village in 1906. Pacific Grove is in a select group of cities and municipalities that have acknowledged their past actions and are creating more inclusive communities.
The Pacific Grove Natural History Museum offered workshops, lectures, and forums to educate the public about the issues. The Walk began at the museum, led by Chinese Lion dancers and Randy Sabado (husband of Gerry Low-Sabado), to the ocean and along the trail to the Hopkins Marine Station.
Gerry Low-Sabado, a community activist and founder/organizer of the Walk of Remembrance, passed away in 2021. She would have been happy to know that her decades of effort brought change; she would say, “Change with kindness.”
U.S. Navy Ship Named after Filipino Petty Officer Second Class Telesforo Trinidad
On May 19, the United States Navy and Secretary of the Navy announced the naming of a Burke-class destroyer ship after Petty Officer Second Class Telesforo Trinidad, a Medal of Honor recipient for valor, loyalty, selfless sacrifice, and courageous service to the United States. The CACA (Chinese American Citizens’ Alliance) submitted a National Resolution supporting documentation naming the Naval ship in honor of the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Petty Officer Telesforo Trinidad was awarded the Medal for extraordinary heroism above and beyond the call of duty in saving the lives of his fellow shipmates aboard USS San Diego (CG-6) in the Gulf of California on January 21, 1915. He suffered burns on his face and other injuries during his heroic act to save the lives of fellow sailors; by these actions he showed unwavering service and commitment to the ship and his shipmates above self. Petty Officer Trinidad is the only Asian American U.S. Navy sailor and first Filipino American to receive the United States Congressional Medal of Honor for heroism and service. His valor speaks for thousands like him who swore to defend the nation.
H. R. 3525
ACE and its partner, the Chinese American Citizens’ Alliance, celebrate the Bill Enrollment Ceremony for H.R. 3525, to initiate a commission to study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act. The bill passed the House and Senate with bi-partisan support and is on its way to President Biden's desk to be signed into law.
2022 Joint CACA/CAS Scholarship Luncheon
Each year the Chinese American Citizen Alliance (CACA) and the Chinese Association (CAS) offer scholarships to graduating high school seniors from the Chinese community. Scholarship awardees were selected based on academic excellence and service to the community at large as well as the Chinese community. A luncheon was held at Smalley’s Roundup Restaurant on Sunday, May 22, 2022, with Board members of each organization along with graduates and their parents.
CACA/CAS scholarship:
Janice He
Jason Han
Louie Family scholarship:
Janice He
Jean Hurd/Asian art:
Jason Khan
All of our high school graduates will be leaving in the Spring for college.
GRANT AWARDS
We are happy to announce that ACE was awarded two grants during May!
We received a Community Impact Grant from the Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC), which will allow us to hire two staff members for our ACE office in Chinatown, a Programs Manager, and a Content/Grant Writer.
We also received an Arts & Cultural Impact Grant from the Arts Council for Monterey County, which will enable us to collect short (1-3 page) memoirs, narrative observations, and images from individuals and families who have had strong ties, memories, and associations with Salinas Chinatown, over the decades (including the present), and to publish these stories in book form. We will put out a call for submissions later this summer.
Thank you to the Community Foundation for Monterey County and the Arts Council for Monterey County for your encouragement and support!
CONGRATULATIONS
We congratulate ACE Board member Jason Agpaoa on his graduation from the CAUSE Leadership Institute as a 2022 CLI fellow! The Institute chooses participants with strong leadership abilities, public service, and community involvement. We’re proud of Jason and his work for the Chinatown community.
JOIN ACE
If you are not already a member of ACE, please JOIN! We also welcome volunteers to become part of our community. Check out our VOLUNTEER page and let us know how you’d like to help. We are planning to hold a Member Day event later this year, where we can all get to know each other and plan future Chinatown projects.