Movement Workshop: Interwoven Stories of Culture, Belonging, and Change, Facilitated by Ishami Dance Company
2024-05-11 11:00 - 12:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
movement workshop: Interwoven Stories of Culture, Belonging, and Change
A workshop designed for anyone who is curious, open and willing to explore movement. This is not a technique or choreography class, it is rooted in improvisation, movement meditation and sharing energy with fellow movers. All ages and abilities are welcome.
Limited spots available!
This program is co-presented by the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, ARTogether, and World Arts West.

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ABOUT ISHAMI DANCE COMPANY

Ishami is an Award-nominated South Asian Contemporary dance company who combine elements of South Asian Classical and Folk dance forms with Western dance forms, treading the line between traditional and modern. Ishami was founded by Amit Patel & Ishika Seth to spark conversations through art. After four sold-out shows in the Bay Area, they toured their original production “Pehchaan,” to New York earlier this year. Ishami’s mission is to explore, unite and amplify the diverse voices, stories and histories of the South Asian diaspora and dismantle social and cultural constructs. They aspire to show the beauty, depth and immense range of South Asian Contemporary movement locally and across the globe.

Premiere Short Film Documentaries From Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra’s 2018 Performance with Angela Davis and Janice Mirikitani Followed by a Live Performance
2024-05-17 19:00 - 20:30
Premiere Short Film Documentaries From Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra’s 2018 Performance with Angela Davis and Janice Mirikitani Followed by a Live Performance
Join us for a screening of two short films of Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra performance in 2018, Go For Broke! and Down By The Riverside, featuring Janice Mirikitani and Angela Davis. Followed by a live performance by Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra and Voices Of A Dream.
This event is part of OACC’s ongoing initiative to support, highlight, and cultivate Black and Asian solidarity within our Oakland and greater Bay Area communities.
Go for Broke! is dedicated to the courageous Japanese American men and women who served and died for their country in World War II while their families were imprisoned. In this film, Janice Mirikitani shares her mother’s memories of their incarceration and her own testimony. “Go for Broke” was the motto of these brave soldiers in their fight to defend democracy.
Down By The Riverside – Requiem for a King commemorates Dr. Martin Luther King’s life and work, and the 50th anniversary of his assassination. Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra premiered Down By The Riverside at the 2018 San Francisco International Arts Festival. Featuring spoken word by Dr. Angela Davis, the documentary includes Spirituals and Gospel songs performed by Voices Of A Dream.

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ABOUT ANTHONY BROWN

Composer, percussionist, ethnomusicologist, Guggenheim and Ford Fellow, Smithsonian Associate Scholar, and GRAMMY® nominee Dr. Anthony Brown has collaborated with Max Roach, Cecil Taylor, Pharoah Sanders, Zakir Hussain, Steve Lacy, Anthony Davis, and the San Francisco Symphony. Dr. Brown holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in music (ethnomusicology) from UC Berkeley and a Master of Music degree in jazz performance from Rutgers University. He is currently Artistic Director of Fifth Stream Music and the internationally acclaimed Asian American Orchestra.
fifthstreammusic.org

ABOUT ANTHONY BROWN’S ASIAN AMERICAN ORCHESTRA

In the global community of the 21st century, Anthony Brown’s Orchestra presents music that blends the sonorities and improvisational approaches of the jazz tradition with Asian musical instruments and sensibilities. In 1997, leaders of San Francisco’s Asian American creative music movement founded the Asian American Jazz Orchestra (AAJO), under the auspices of a San Francisco-based, federally funded multimedia consortium project to provide education nationally about the Japanese American internment experiences of World War II. The AAJO featured critically acclaimed musicians Anthony Brown, Jon Jang, Mark Izu, Hafez Modirzadeh and Francis Wong, as well as other San Francisco Bay Area jazz and world music artists, many of whom possessed fluency on a variety of traditional Asian instruments.

"Searching for Kapwa" Film Screening and Discussion
2024-06-22 13:00 - 15:00
Searching for Kapwa Film Screening and Discussion
Saturday, June 22, 2024 | 1 PM – 3 PM
Inspired by the pre-colonial Filipino value kapwa, or shared identity, Searching for Kapwa is a feature-length film that follows filmmaker Larry D. Lariosa’s quest to understand his ancestral roots and find his place in the arc of history. As a child of immigrants and a queer brown person living in polarized America, Larry’s journey unpacks the complicated history of the Philippines, and its lasting impact on the diaspora.
Ultimately, the film is a densely layered exploration into what it is to be American, and the legacy of the generations we all carry within us. Searching for Kapwa was featured in the 2022 United States Asian America Festival, awarded the Kinship Award at the 2023 DisOrient Asian American Film Festival, and was the Centerpiece feature at the 2023 San Diego Filipino Film Festival.
Searching for Kapwa will be preceded by an 8-minute comedy short, “Operation Prutas”, by writer/filmmaker Ara Chawdhury.
You can learn more about this film at www.searchingforkapwa.com

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ABOUT ALCHEMY & TWINE PRODUCTIONS

Larry D. Lariosa is a first generation Filipino-American with a 24-year career as a mental health therapist. He is also an accomplished songwriter and musician.
Terrence Marcotte is a Nurse Practitioner in public health and has a background in visual arts and design.
Together as Alchemy & Twine Productions, their mission is to create compelling art in service of social justice. By sharing untold stories and connecting the dots between past and present, they seek to create change and empower communities. Larry and Terry live in Oakland with their 3 chihuahuas. This is their first feature length film.

BomBay to the Bay: a Garba Dance Festival
2024-08-03 17:00 - 21:30
Saturday, August 3, 2024 | 5 PM – 9:30 PM

*ONLINE REGISTRATION IS CLOSED
Join us on August 3, 2024, 5 PM – 9:30 PM, at BomBay to the Bay: A Garba Dance Festival featuring live music by Bay Area garba legends Madhvi and Asim Mehta, a dance lesson, community dancing, and artists to explore! Garba is a Gujarati indigenous and folk dance practiced by all ages to live drumming, singing, and instrumentals during joyous celebrations.
Arrive at 5 PM for a short garba class dressed in your own cultural finery. This multiracial, multireligious, and multiethnic garba festival supports an Oakland-style expansive vision of solidarity and joy, so get ready to dance Bay to Bay, across the world! This event is co-hosted by Reetu Mody and OACC and sponsored by the Activate Oakland Event Sponsorship Program.
While this event is free, registration is required.

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Live Music and Performance By:

We’ll be welcoming Bay Area garba legends Madhvi and Asim Mehta alongside their percussionist and live dhol player, Parimal Zaveri. Madhvi and Asim are bringing raas-garba music with a flair to BomBay to the Bay!
Website: http://www.kampmusic.com/bio.htm
EVENT Q&A
Dress Code:
Dress up to dance! Feel free to wear South Asian, traditional Gujarati, attire from your heritage, or anything that is colorful, slightly formal, and easy to move in. All global attire is welcome and we encourage everyone to participate fully in the dancing and opportunity to dress up.
For Gujarati garba celebrations, people often wear elements of traditional Gujarati attire including a chaniya choli (a long wide skirt with a crop top and scarf) and/or kediyu or kafni pajama (a gathered long sleeve shirt and pants). Traditional clothes for garba are colorful, embroidered, mirrored, and often have cowrie shells on them. In the dance space people will take their shoes off to honor the feminine divinity/goddesses. If you are able to take your shoes off (we know that different accommodations require people to wear shoes), we suggest you take them off.
Garba is one of the many circle folk dance traditions that exist all over the world and all those heritages are welcome to join together here. If there is a piece of attire from your cultural background you would love to wear- this is the place for it!
What should I do if I want to wear shoes?
Because there will be many barefoot dancers, please wear indoor shoes.
What if I don’t know how to do the dance?
You’ll learn! Like all folk dance traditions, everyone does the dance together from ages 1-100. You’ll move in your own style and the steps are easy to pick up. The point is to experience the exhilaration and the joy of moving together, not to look exactly the same. If you need a break, there will be chairs to watch other dancers and there are artists to visit both in the auditorium and the adjoining artist room.
Who should I bring?
Everyone is welcome! This is a space committed to liberation for all people all of the world and is explicitly about joy in a multiracial, multireligious, and multiethnic folk dance space.
What should I bring?
Bring shoes you are comfortable taking off (if you are able to), a water bottle, and dandiya sticks (two Gujarati dancing sticks) if you have them.
What if I am not South Asian, can I still attend?
Yes! Everyone is welcome. And if you have South Asian clothing that you want to rock as a non-South Asian, this is an event you are welcome to do so at. Just bring your love and respect!
Is garba a spiritual practice?
Like many folk dances, garba is connected to spirituality. Gujarati garba dance is connected to indigenous and tribal practices and Hinduism. Many people of different religious backgrounds, including Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, and Christianity, also practice culturally in Gujarat. At this garba, we will be honoring the feminine divine, which will be symbolized by a matke/matlo (a pot) in the center of the room.
What if I want to donate at your event?
This event is completely free to attend! We will be accepting Venmo and Zelle donations, which will be given to Palestine Legal and Middle East Children’s Alliance. Each group provides support for Palestinians in different ways, with Palestine Legal using the judicial system and Middle East Children’s Alliance providing direct support on the ground in Gaza.
Why did you want to host this event?
Reetu Mody grew up with garba as one of her childhood’s most joyful and inclusive practices. As a resident of Oakland, she wanted to create an event that uplifts how Oakland as a city continues to enable cultural artistry, acceptance and inclusion of immigrants, sanctuary, mutual aid, joy, and care for all communities. At this event, we want to create a small space of belonging for all. This event seeks to embody equity, global liberation, anti-caste, anti-Islamophobia, pro-LGBTQ2IA, pro-immigration, and pro-neighborhood practices. For us, this means caring, living, and celebrating together. Feel free to read more with this KQED article, too.
Why can’t I register online anymore?
If we have reached our maximum registration capacity, you can no longer register online. We will allow people into the event on a first-come, first-served basis at the beginning of the garba. We will prioritize those who registered online as we near capacity throughout the night. If you did not register online, you may have to wait in line.
Will there be food?
Please note that there will NOT be food at the garba, but Renaissance Plaza and the surrounding neighborhood have several restaurants.

Celebrating Our HeART-filled Heritage: Hālau O Keikiali’i in Performance
2024-09-07 13:00 - 16:30
Saturday, September 7, 2024 | 1 PM – 4 PM
Join us on Saturday, September 7, 2024, from 1 PM – 4 PM at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center for an unforgettable afternoon of vibrant Hawaiian arts and culture. Featuring performances by Halau o Keikiali’i (ancient and modern Hula), Hawaiian music artists Kumu Hula Kawika Alfiche on `ukulele and Steven Kanahe Espaniola on Hawaiian slack key guitar and falsetto, and many Hawaiian arts and crafts vendors.
Don’t miss this celebration of Hawaiian culture, tradition, and community!
OACC’s “Celebrating Our HeART-filled Heritage” Asian American & Pacific Islander performing arts series will provide a platform for local Asian and Asian Pacific Islander culturally relevant artists that inspire intergenerational and cross-cultural exchange.

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About the Performers

Hālau O Keikiali’i‘s primary focus is on cultural traditions, including hula kahiko (ancient dance), hula `auana (modern dance), oli (chant), mele (traditional songs), himeni (modern songs), nā mea hula (arts, crafts, implements), lole hula (hula attire), ‘ōlelo (language), and mo’olelo (stories).
Following tradition, they share what they learn with different communities so that others too can benefit from a better understanding and appreciation of Hawaiian culture. It is within the stories told in the mele, and its morals and values, that people can truly be enriched in their personal lives.
Hālau O Keikiali’i hopes to reach people far and wide, touching everyone who may or may not be exposed to the Hawaiian culture and sharing with them in this spirit.

Kumu Hula Kawika Alfiche is the Kumu Hula (Master teacher) for Hālau o Keikiali’i, is the Director for the Kaululehua Hawaiian Cultural Center in South San Francisco, and has been teaching hula and Hawaiian cultural arts for over 25 years. With a mission to preserve and perpetuate all things Hawaiian, Kawika spends his life learning, teaching, and sharing his culture through the hula and cultural arts, and continues to teach throughout the globe.

Raised in Aliamanu, Hawai’i and now residing in the California Bay Area, Steven Kanahe Espaniola is a self taught multi-instrumentalist Hawaiian artist specializing in Ki Ho’alu (Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar), ‘Ukulele, Upright Bass, and Leo Ki’e Ki’e (Traditional Hawaiian falsetto). Of Hawaiian, Filipino, Chinese and Spanish descent, his ethnicity is as diverse as his unique sound which preserves the integrity of the traditional with a flourish of the modern.

"Simone" Book Release & Reading
2024-09-22 13:00 - 14:30
Sunday, September 22, 2024 | 1 PM – 2:30 PM
Join us for the release of Simone, an exciting new picture book, with words by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen and art by illustrator Minnie Phan. Simone is an unforgettable story of a Vietnamese American girl whose life is transformed by a wildfire.
Arrive at 12 PM for a children’s coloring activity led by Minnie Phan, followed by a reading, live drawing, Q&A, and book signing starting at 1 PM.
Viet and Minnie hope Simone inspires a generation to pick up a pencil, to create daringly, and to dream fiercely a new vision for a more collective, collaborative, and compassionate future.
This event is co-sponsored by Eastwind Books of Berkeley.

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Meet the Creators of Simone

Viet Thanh Nguyen (author of Simone)’s debut novel, The Sympathizer, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, is a New York Times bestseller and is now an HBO TV series directed by Park Chan-wook. He is the editor of The Displaced: Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives and the Library of America volume for Maxine Hong Kingston and he co-authored Chicken of the Sea, a children’s book, with his then six-year-old son, Ellison. His most recent books are The Committed, the sequel to The Sympathizer, and his second children’s book, Simone, illustrated by Minnie Phan.

Minnie Phan (illustrator of Simone) is a Vietnamese American illustrator and designer creating visual communications that spark delight. Her debut picture book was The Yellow Áo Dài, written by Hanh Bui. Minnie’s work also includes animation and comics, and she has created art for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Public Library, and a 250-square-foot mural for Google among others. Her most recent children’s book publication is Simone, written by Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen.

A Short Film Screening and Book Reading Exploring Cambodian & Queer Identity with Jean-Baptiste Phou
2024-09-27 18:00 - 20:00
“My Mother’s Tongue”/ “Coming Out of My Skin”

A Short Film Screening and Book Reading Exploring Cambodian & Queer Identity with Jean-Baptiste Phou

Friday, September 27, 2024 | 6 PM | FREE

Join us for a special screening and book reading of recent works by Jean-Baptiste Phou, a writer and multidisciplinary artist born in Paris to Chinese-Cambodian parents:
“My Mother’s Tongue”, is a short film that tells the story of a mother and son who don’t share a language, her being born in Cambodia and him in France. They have difficulties communicating until something unlocks when she suddenly falls very ill.
“Coming Out of My Skin”, is a compelling memoir of a gay Asian man living in a white world that deftly aspires for a reconciliation that can empower people of sexual and racial minorities to inhabit their bodies joyfully.
A discussion will follow the screening and reading facilitated by CERI board member, Mory Chhom.
This event is co-presented with the Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants (CERI).

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Meet the Speakers

Photo by Annie Gozard
Jean-Baptiste Phou is a writer and multidisciplinary artist born in France to Chinese-Cambodian parents. As an actor, he has performed in plays, musicals, and films. He has also written, directed, and produced his own plays, including ‘Cambodia, Here I Am’ and ‘l’Anarchiste’, the latter adapted from Soth Polin’s novel. He is also the author of ‘Coming Out of My Skin’ (Seagull, 2023) and ‘80 mots du Cambodge’ (l’Asiathèque, 2024). In addition to theater and writing, he explores other mediums such as sound, image, and performance. His work tackles issues around identity, migration, and minority experiences.

Mory Chhom (she/her) is a 1.5-generation Cambodian American born in a refugee camp in Thailand and raised in Modesto, California. She has dedicated the last 20 years of her career to achieving health equity for refugees and immigrants. Currently, she is the Director of Population-Focused Prevention Early Intervention at RAMS.

Speed Weave Loom Mending
2024-09-29 13:00 - 15:00
Speed Weave Loom Mending

Sunday Sept. 29, 2024 |
1 PM – 3 PM

2024 年 9 月 29 日星期日下午 1 点至下午 3 点

Bring a clothing item that needs repair to this mending class to experience the joy of quickly repairing a sock or knitted clothing using a speed weave loom, needle and thread. No experience necessary. Attendees only need to bring their well loved clothing item. Cantonese or Mandarin interpreter can be arranged upon request. Registration required with a $10 hold fee, funds returned when you show up for the class.
This workshop is supported by Stop Waste. Stop Waste helps Alameda County’s businesses, residents, and schools waste less, recycle properly, and use water, energy, and other resources efficiently. They’re a public agency governed by the Alameda County Waste Management Authority, the Alameda County Source Reduction and Recycling Board, and the Energy Council. For more information, please visit Stop Waste’s website: https://www.stopwaste.org/about-stopwaste
您有没有那双袜子或衬衫您舍不得丟的？您可以带来您仍然喜欢的旧袜子来参加这个修补班！您将体验到使用高速织布机、针和线快速修补袜子的乐趣。无需经验，参加者只需携带需要修理的袜子就可以。请打电话或前来安排粤语或普通话翻译。需要报名。登记时需要付＄十元。当你们参 加这 课堂时，这十元是会返还给你们。

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"Background Artist: The Life and Work of Tyrus Wong." A Book Reading and Conversation with Author Karen Fang
2024-10-11 18:30 - 20:00
Background Artist: The Life and Work of Tyrus Wong

A Book Reading and Conversation with Author Karen Fang

Friday, October 11, 2024 | 6:30 PM | FREE
You might not know the name Tyrus Wong, but you probably know some of the images he created, including scenes from the beloved Disney classic, Bambi. Yet, when he came to this country as a child, Tyrus spent a month alone at Angel Island. How did he go on to have a long and prosperous career drawing animation cels, storyboards, and greeting cards that shaped the American imagination?
This reading and book launch shares the inspiring story of Tyrus Wong’s remarkable 106-year life, from the paintings and fine art prints he made working for Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration, to the unique handmade kites he designed and flew on the Santa Monica beach. Showing how Tyrus found American communities that nurtured his artistic talent, author Karen Fang will cover everything from Tyrus Wong’s work as a studio sketch artist for Warner Bros. to the best-selling Christmas cards he designed for Hallmark and other greeting card companies.
Join us for the launch of Background Artist: The Life and Work of Tyrus Wong, to celebrate a multi-talented Asian American artist and pioneer.
Q&A and discussion will be facilitated by Le Tang, a Lead Story Artist at Pixar Animation Studios.

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Meet the Author

Karen Fang is a film scholar and visual culture critic who writes and speaks for museums and film festivals around the world. Known for previous books about Hong Kong cinema and nineteenth-century British interest in exotic objects, Karen often writes about the intersection of Eastern and Western aesthetics. Her work has appeared in Smithsonian Magazine, Hyperallergic, Nikkei Asia, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. She is also a prominent contributor to The Engines of Our Ingenuity, a long-running, widely distributed public radio series about science and innovation, where  her episodes always focus on the visual arts. A Sunday painter, Karen’s favorite media are watercolor and pen and ink.
Meet the Discussion Facilitator

Le Tang is a Vietnamese-American artist and storyteller, with over 18 years in the animation industry. He started his career in animation at Lucasfilm Animation as a Story Artist, and from there moved onto such studios as Nickelodeon, Dreamworks, and Disney. He is currently at Pixar Animation Studios as a Lead Story Artist, having worked on such films as Toy Story 4, Onward, Elemental, and Inside Out 2.

The March Fong Eu Story: An Authorized Biography of an Unauthorized Woman. Book Talk with Author Tim Vandehey and Editor Pattie Fong.
2025-01-18 13:00 - 14:30
The March Fong Eu Story: An Authorized Biography of an Unauthorized Woman

Book Talk with Author Tim Vandehey and Editor Pattie Fong
Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025 | 1 PM | FREE
Join us for the release of The March Fong Eu Story: An Authorized Biography of an Unauthorized Woman, a biography celebrating the life of Asian American pioneer, political icon, and California’s Secretary of State, March Fong Eu.
March Fong Eu was the first woman and Chinese American in many arenas. She was head of a UCSF division, the Alameda County Board of Education, the California State Assembly, and the California Secretary of State. With deep roots in Alameda County, Eu rose from being born in the back of a Hanford hand laundry to non-English-speaking parents to serving as a United States Ambassador. This program will include individuals sharing memories of Eu’s passions and work.

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Meet the Speakers

Tim Vandehey, author of The March Fong Eu Story: An Authorized Biography of an Unauthorized Woman, is a native Californian, New York Times bestselling ghostwriter, and editor. He is also the co-author of Swipe: Why We Don’t Finish What We Start. Today, he lives in Kansas City, Missouri, with his wife, daughters, and an inappropriate number of beagles.

Pattie Fong, editor of The March Fong Eu Story: An Authorized Biography of an Unauthorized Woman, a retired deputy district attorney, is a niece of March Fong Eu, who, as a kid, spent summers in the Capitol “going to work” with Auntie March, accompanied her to the 1972 Democratic convention (Clinton’s first nomination), traveled with her and Henry Eu on their first trip to Micronesia for the ambassadorship and all the events and dinners in between. Fong is the book’s final editor.

Lunar New Year x Black History Month 2025: Celebrating Asian & African-American Solidarity
2025-02-01 11:00 - 16:00
Lunar New Year x Black History Month 2025: Celebrating Asian & African-American Solidarity
Saturday, February 1, 2025
11 AM – 4 PM
FREE

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Join us on Saturday, February 1, 2025, as we partner with the Malonga Arts Residents Association (MARA), Eastwind Books of Berkeley, Marcus Books, and the Alameda County National Council of Negro Women for the Oakland Asian Cultural Center’s third annual Lunar New Year x Black History Month Community Celebration.
We are so excited to welcome our community back for another celebration of Asian and African-American solidarity through art, music, and dance, including an incredible lineup of Black and Asian martial artists, musicians, and dance groups, including Dimensions Dance Theater, Destiny Arts Center, Amihan, the Great Wall Youth Orchestra, and others.
In addition to a full day of performances, we are bringing back:
A local vendors’ marketplace
Children’s Zone with Eastwind Books of Berkeley and Marcus Books
An exhibition on Black and Asian solidarity
This event is part of OACC’s ongoing Open E.A.R.S. for Change initiative, which started in 2020 to build stronger relationships among local APIA and Black communities.
This event is funded by the CA State Grant for Stop the Hate (CDSS), the Zellerbach Family Foundation, and the City of Oakland’s Cultural Funding Program, and sponsored by Dr. Raymond L. Eng.
Getting to OACC:
There is an underground parking lot below the Pacific Renaissance Plaza. There are two entrances to the parking lot; one located on Franklin & the other on Webster. Parking is $3 per hour. To get to our suite, take the elevator to the 2nd floor. OACC is the first suite on the left when you leave the elevator.
The area has multiple bus lines, and we are within walking distance of 12th Street BART and Lake Merritt BART station.
There are also a few other parking lots nearby:
Aki Parking
435 8th St (4-minute walk to OACC)
$3 an hour, $10 for the day
East Bay Parking
726 Harrison St, Chinatown (8 minute walk to OACC)
$4 an hour
Douglas Parking Lot #475
420 Washington St Old Oakland (13-minute walk to OACC)
$4 an hour
PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Program Emcee

Miko Lee
Miko Lee is an activist, storyteller, and educator. She believes in the power of stories to amplify voices. Miko is the Director of Programs for Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality and is the lead producer of APEX Express on KPFA Radio, focused on AAPI activists and artists. She is also on the National Advisory Committee of Teaching Artists Guild. Miko’s career has been rooted in the nonprofit world, first as a theater actor, director and writer and then as an artistic director and an arts education leader.
Performer Spotlights

Photo by Edward Miller Photography
Dimensions Dance Theater (DDT)

Under the artistic leadership of co-founder Deborah Vaughan, Dimensions Dance Theater is one of the oldest contemporary dance companies in the U.S. At 52 years old, DDT has become widely recognized for its presentation of traditional dances and contemporary choreography drawn from African, Jazz, and Modern dance idioms. The diversity and inclusiveness of DDT’s repertoire are unique to the company and have contributed greatly to its reputation for innovative dynamism.

Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company (DAYPC)
Based in Oakland, California, the Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company (DAYPC) is a diverse group of teens collaborating with professional artists to create dynamic, original dance and theater productions.

Cal VSA Lion Dance
Cal VSA Lion Dance, founded in 2012 through the Vietnamese Student Association’s Culture Show, is UC Berkeley’s one and only student-run lion dance team. Earnestly serving the local Bay Area for the past 11 years, they’ve developed a tight-knit team of students and alumni connected by culture, passion, and camaraderie.

Photo by William Lee
Carla Service Dance-A-Vision Entertainment Group
Carla Service is a performer, choreographer, teacher, booking agent, and, for over thirty years, a mentor to Oakland youth. She helps them find empowerment through dance.
Carla’s Dance-A-Vision school is about more than steps, technique, choreography, and performance; it’s about positive relationships, fostering communication, and building confidence and self-reliance.

Voices Of A Dream (VOAD)
VOICES OF A DREAM (VOAD) stands as one of today’s most compelling a cappella ensembles, masterfully preserving and reimagining the profound legacy of African American spirituals under the dynamic leadership of Amikaeyla Gaston. VOAD creates an immersive tapestry of sound that honors the African American spiritual tradition while speaking powerfully to contemporary audiences. Their performances offer more than music – they provide a transformative journey through history, heritage, and healing.
Singers include Amikaeyla Gaston, Amber McZeal, Karen A. Smith, Elizabeth Sayre, and Rashida Oji.

The Great Wall Youth Orchestra
The Great Wall Youth Orchestra is part of the Purple Silk Music Education Foundation. They are an Oakland-based, non-profit organization that supports music education for youth. Their mission is to give students in their community the chance to learn from professional musicians, perform in public, and become skilled musicians themselves. Their program includes lessons from performing artists, teaching music theory, playing in a Chinese orchestra, and performing in the Bay Area and beyond.

Kkirikkiri
Kkirikkiri is a community-based Samulnori group. Samulnori is a performance practice based on traditional percussion music from farming communities in Korea. In addition to Samulnori, Kkiikkiri is dedicated to learning, sharing, and celebrating other Korean and Korean-American traditions and culture.

Amihan
Amihan (translates to harvest wind) is a self-taught poet, producer, and musician born & raised in San Francisco, reppin the Excelsior district. She was named after the peasant women’s organization based in the countryside of the Philippines. Rooted in their struggle for land and freedom, Amihan’s music fuses hip-hop & rnb flows with chants of the people.

Toishan Benevolent Association
The Toishan Benevolent Association has served the greater Bay Area community for the last 22 years with different cultural programs. They promote Chinese ethnic culture in different forms of performances: lion’s dance, dragon dance, traditional art dance, tai chi demonstration, kung fu demonstration, and youth kung fu.

VSCK Filipino Martial Arts
VSCK Filipino Martial Arts was created by the late and great ancestor, Maestro Sonny Umpad. The VSCK Global Oakland chapter is led by Guro Jay Jasper Pugao, a direct student of Maestro Sonny. Jay has been teaching and working with youth in the Oakland community, the greater Bay Area, nationally, and internationally since 2003, integrating martial arts for empowerment, culture, wellness, restorative justice, situational awareness, and self-defense.

"The Camps America Built" - Honoring Day of Remembrance 2025
2025-02-20 18:30 - 20:30
The Camps America Built – Honoring Day of Remembrance 2025

Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025
6:30 PM
FREE
Join us for the unveiling of The Camps America Built, an immersive portrait project exploring the resilience of Japanese Americans who were incarcerated in camps during WWII. Since 2022, photographer and National Geographic Explorer Haruka Sakaguchi has traveled to all 10 camps and photographed over 80 Japanese Americans as they made pilgrimages to their former camps to reflect on this dark chapter in U.S. history.
This special event will feature a live presentation introducing the project and a screening of the short documentary Loyal American (2025, 9 min.)—directed by Haruka and produced by National Geographic Society’s Impact Story Lab. A Q&A with Sakaguchi and the film’s protagonist will follow the screening.
This event is co-presented by the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and the National Geographic Society.
In addition to an in-person event, we will be live-streaming this event. To receive the Zoom link, please register for this event and click the live stream option. We will email you the live stream link the week of the event.
*This event was formally titled “Campu: An American Story,” but it remains the same program despite the title change. We apologize for any confusion.

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Meet the Speakers

Haruka Sakaguchi (b. 1990) is a Japanese documentary photographer based outside of New York City. She was born in Osaka, Japan and immigrated to the U.S. with her parents when she was three months old. Haruka’s documentary work focuses on cultural identity and intergenerational trauma. Her clients include The New York Times, National Geographic, Time Magazine, ProPublica, The New Yorker, Smithsonian Magazine, BBC News, Bloomberg Businessweek, NPR, Newsweek and The Washington Post among other publications.

Henry Kaku’s (sansei) entire family was deported and sent to Japan after WWII. Although they were born in California, his family lost their U.S. Citizenship during this time. It was not until 1956 that Henry became a U.S. Citizen at 8 years old, and his family returned to California.
Henry is now the Speakers Bureau Chair for the Sonoma County Japanese American Citizens League (JACL).

"The Memory of Taste": Book Release Event with Chef Tu David Phu
2025-03-01 14:00 - 15:30
The Memory of Taste Book Release Event with Chef Tu David Phu

Saturday, March 1, 2025 | 2 PM | FREE
Join us for a heartfelt community event as Chef Tu David Phu returns to Oakland, the place where his culinary journey began. In partnership with the Oakland Public Library and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Chef Tu David Phu will celebrate the release of his new book, The Memory of Taste, with an insightful panel discussion centered around diasporic communities and their food, facilitated by Bryant Terry. Followed by a raffle with exciting prizes, including five copies of The Memory of Taste.
This event is a tribute to the vibrant Oakland community and its profound impact on Chef Tu David Phu’s life and career. Let’s come together to celebrate food, culture, and community in the heart of Oakland. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to connect with a local culinary icon and take home a piece of his culinary artistry.
Purchase your copy of The Memory of Taste signed by Chef Tu David Phu and have a chance to meet him in person.
Eastwind Books of Berkeley will be selling copies of The Memory of Taste at this event, and the Oakland Public Library will have copies available to check out.
This event is co-presented by the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and the Oakland Public Library.

Register

Meet Chef Tu David Phu

Chef Tu David Phu, a San Francisco Chronicle Rising Star Chef, embodies a culinary narrative deeply inspired by his heritage and the resilient spirit of his refugee parents. His journey from his mother’s Oakland garden to the pinnacle of culinary acclaim is a testament to his profound connection to his Vietnamese roots and culinary expertise. A two-time TEDx speaker and Top Chef alumnus, Chef Phu’s prowess extends beyond the kitchen to impactful storytelling, notably through his Emmy-nominated PBS film Bloodline. His forthcoming cookbook, The Memory of Taste, is eagerly anticipated as a homage to his family’s legacy, promising a collection of recipes and stories celebrating his birthright and culinary innovation.
Meet Bryant Terry

*Photo by Carlos Chavarria
Bryant Terry is a multidisciplinary artist, James Beard Award-winning chef, publisher, and author. His work is rooted in ancestral inspiration and encourages people to pursue a more healthful, just, and sustainable world. He has authored five highly acclaimed cookbooks, San Francisco Magazine recognized him as one of the 11 Smartest People in the Bay Area Food Scene and by Fast Company as one of “9 People Who Are Changing the Future of Food.” Regarding his food justice activism, Terry’s mentor Alice Waters says, ‘Bryant Terry knows that good food should be an everyday right and not a privilege.’ From 2015 to 2022, he served as the inaugural Chef-in-Residence at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, where he curated innovative public programming blending food, farming, health, activism, art, and culture.
