Oakland Asian Cultural Center

#IMREADY Movement Conference
2019-09-20 10:00 - 18:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | CA
The #ImReady Movement raises visibility around self-identified AAPI women and our experiences with #MeToo, racial discrimination, war, immigration, and more. It also celebrates the leadership and power of AAPI women in Education, Business, Technology, and Politics. At the conferences, we bring together AAPI women leaders and our supporters to learn from one another, tell our stories, and to highlight our diverse leadership stories.
Visit the official conference website for full details!

Sofa Secret Series
2019-09-29 17:00 - 19:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
In conjunction with the Filipino-American history exhibit “Building Community in Action”, OACC will host a series of Sunday evening story-sharing and conversations. Join eyewitnesses and bring your curiosity about history in the making. Topics will entice and reveal untold reflections.
September 29th: Marcos and the 1972 US Anti Martial Law Movement
October 13th: Third World Strikes at SF State and UC Berkeley
October 27th: Identity Formation over the Decades, to P, F, or X
Co-sponsored by Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Filipino Advocates for Justice,
SF FANHS Bay Area Consortium, and UC Berkeley PAA Alumni Chapter.

Transgressions on Humanity: Walls, Border Detentions & Prisons
2019-10-01 - 2019-12-31 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Class conscious photographers capture scenes from the U.S.-Mexico border, San Quentin prison life, SF International Airport protests against the Muslim ban and more. Featured photographers: Brooke Anderson, David Bacon, Richard Bermack, Charisse Domingo, Najib Joe Hakim, Stacey Johnson, RJ Lozada, Jean Melesaine, Abraham Menor, Ronald Orlando, and Leopoldo Peña.
Co-presented by East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation, Eastside Arts Alliance, Guild Freelancers, National Network of Immigrant & Refugee Rights, and Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity.

Qigong Workshop - A Journey to a Brand-new Self
2019-10-13 14:00 - 17:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
A 3-hour intensive lesson to experience the miraculous power of Qi
Qigong, combining movements, breathing techniques, and meditation, is a holistic approach to the coordination of the body, mind and spirit.
The key to long-term health lies in enhancing the qi circulation to purify the external form and internal energy. Regular practice allows one to be relaxed and stable, thus leading to world peace.

Presenters: Qigong Instructors of US Meimen Culture Center,Guided by Lee Feng San Shifu
Sponsored by: Chinese Women’s Association of America Foundation in conjunction with U.S. Meimen Culture Center

For more info contact: Sabine Wen/ Piggy Wu 626-616-8087 你甩了嗎？
台灣氣功大師李鳳山師父，特派親傳弟子北加傳愛
現代人生活忙碌，導致壓力大、憂鬱多、過勞、過胖、失眠、身心失調、甚至罹患癌症…
來自台灣的國際養生氣功大師李鳳山師父，從多年武、醫、道之所學，精煉出一招簡單易學、老少咸宜、可天天鍛鍊的「平甩」運動。「平甩」是台灣TVBS電視台觀眾票選養生法第一名，簡單有效，持久練習，不但能夠強身健體，還能脫胎換骨，不可思議！目前已傳80多個國家，創造無數的健康奇蹟！
梅門李鳳山師父特派資深教練親到美國加州開班，內容包括
動功：功法鍛鍊淨化身心
靜功：靜坐調和氣沉丹田
養生：觀念心法啟發潛能
歡迎親自體驗一探究竟，開啟您人生的新”氣”機！更歡迎全家一起來，一起甩出健康、幸福！

【梅門平甩修練】
春季調養=肝膽相照=運氣鍛鍊=身心舒暢

OACC Movie Nights: The Fall of the I-Hotel
2019-10-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Join us for a free screening of Curtis Choy’s 1983 documentary, “The Fall of the I-Hotel.”
After the Manongs labored to build America, their San Francisco Manilatown community is wiped out by urban renewal, and 50 old-timers are forcibly evicted from the International Hotel when it is slated for demolition in 1981. The film documents destruction of the last block of Manilatown on Kearny Street.
Narrated by late poet Al Robles, “The Fall of the I-Hotel” tells the story of dozens of seniors displaced by 300 cops in the dead of night, and the overall impacts of urban renewal.
Running time: 58 min.
Co-presented by Oakland Asian Cultural Center and
Oakland Public Library.
$3-5 is a suggested donation

Body, Mind, Spirit: Asian Family's Challenges and Outlook
2019-10-19 12:00 - 16:30 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
What can we do about the challenges of immigration loss, culture shock and assimilation, family structure adjustment, inter-generational communication challenges, and youth mental health? Join us with your families to listen to a speech and a panel discussion to understand the current challenges and opportunities faced by immigration families today. Interactive workshops, resource booths, and cultural activities will help parents and children/teens to better understand emotional health and how to engage in these conversations across generations. The event will be held in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Vietnamese. We look forward to seeing you there!
Schedule
1:00-2:30PM – Speech, skit, discussion
2:45-4:00PM – Workshops breakout sessions: 1) Self care for healthy families, 2) Parenting and intergenerational communication, 3) Mental Health 101 for families
Co-presented by the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and Asian Health Services.

North American Pilipinx Authors Re-Imagine Philippine Myths
2019-10-26 14:00 - 16:30 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Let your mind expand with stories inspired by Philippine folklore, recovered from colonization and re-imagined in the diaspora.
Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly reads from her new young adult novel, Lalani of the Distant Sea, about a girl who leaves her island for a journey across the sea to a magical island with strange creatures. Yves Lamson debuts his novel Bodies of Water, about a lineage of Filipina women and healers who speak with water. Award-winning poet Barbara Jane Reyes, reads her poetry of mythic retellings in her collections, DIWATA, and the monstrous feminine Aswang in To Love As Aswang. Renee Macalino Rutledge will share her novel, The Hour of Daydreams, which delves into issues of marriage and identity while interpreting the way legends are born and stories passed on from one generation to the next. Reno Ursal will share his paranormal story Enlightenment of a Filipino-American student whose friendship with a Danang—a Filipino vampire—leads her into the underworld.
Join us for a conversation about the ways myth seeps into contemporary life, complicating clear divisions between the pre-colonial past and present.

Celebrating Community in Action
2019-11-01 00:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we unfortunately will be canceling “Celebrating Community in Action” this Friday, November 1st at OACC. We are incredibly grateful for the positive support from all the local community organizations and individuals who have helped make this year’s Filipino American History exhibit, “Building Community in Action” and ancillary programs possible. Special thanks to Terry Bautista, our exhibition curator, for her tireless work in organizing the volunteers and partners for this exhibit. In lieu of canceling this Friday’s event, we are extending the current exhibit for one more week — ending on Sunday, November 10. Thank you for your continued support for OACC and other local community organizations.

Free Kidney Disease Screening
2019-11-03 10:00 - 16:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
The Kidney Disease Screening & Awareness Program (KDSAP) will be hosting a free kidney disease screening at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center! The screening is open to the public and no health insurance or appointment is required!
Free services provided: UCSF doctor consultation, blood pressure check, blood glucose check, Body Mass Index/Waist-Hip-Ratio test, urine testing, and health wellness information.
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a silent disease affecting your kidneys. If not identified early, your kidneys could reach an irreversible loss of function, eventually leading to kidney failure and potentially death.
KDSAP is a student-run organization at UC Berkeley that partners with local physicians and communities to host free health screenings and awareness events across the Bay Area.
ADA Accessible and ASUC Sponsored.
Co-sponsored by Oakland Asian Cultural Center and UC Berkeley KDSAP.

The Sweetest Fruits: A Reading & Conversation with Monique Truong and Soleil Ho
2019-11-03 18:30 - 20:30 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Join us for the Oakland launch of The Sweetest Fruits, featuring Monique Truong. She will be in conversation with Soleil Ho, restaurant critic at The San Francisco Chronicle.
Monique Truong’s highly anticpated new novel, The Sweetest Fruits, is a retelling of the life of Lafcadio Hearn through the eyes of three women: his Greek mother, the African American woman who was his lover and supporter and the Japanese woman who became his wife and literary collaborator. Lafcadio Hearn, a 19th Century writer best known for his interpretations of Japanese folk tales and customs for Western audiences, is still revered for his role as one of the first Westerners to try to convey his appreciation and knowledge about Japan. The Sweetest Fruits, written with careful attention to historical accounts, provides a new way of looking at and connecting with this important and beloved writer.
Monique Truong is the author of three novels — The Book of Salt; Bitter in the Mouth; and now, The Sweetest Fruits, and her work has been published in fifteen countries. Her awards and honors include the PEN/Robert Bingham Fellowship, the New York Public Library Young Lions Award, The Asian American Literary Award, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Rosenthal Family Foundation Award.
Soleil Ho is The San Francisco Chronicle’s restaurant critic and the co-founder of the podcast Racist Sandwich. She is a food, culture, and travel writer who has been working in the restaurant industry for more than a decade. She is the co-writer of MEAL, a graphic novel on culinary mentorship, queer romance, and eating insects.
Co-presented by Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Eastwind Books of Berkeley, and the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network (DVAN).

OACC Movie Nights: The Farewell
2019-11-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
In this funny, uplifting tale based on an actual lie, Chinese-born, U.S.-raised Billi (Awkwafina) reluctantly returns to Changchun to find that, although the whole family knows their beloved matriarch, Nai-Nai, has been given mere weeks to live, everyone has decided not to tell Nai Nai herself. To assure her happiness, they gather under the joyful guise of an expedited wedding, uniting family members scattered among new homes abroad.
As Billi navigates a minefield of family expectations and proprieties, she finds there’s a lot to celebrate: a chance to rediscover the country she left as a child, her grandmother’s wondrous spirit, and the ties that keep on binding even when so much goes unspoken.
Starring Awkwafina, Diana Lin, Lu Hong, Tzi Ma, Zhao Shuzhen, and Jiang Yongbo. Written and directed by Lulu Wang.
Co-presented by Oakland Asian Cultural Center and the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM).
Text: OACC is helping collect canned food donations for Alameda County Community Food Bank this season.
Donate at least one eligible canned good at OACC Movie Nights: The Farewell screening on Friday, November 15th and receive a complimentary Cracker Jacks snack box to enjoy with the movie (while supplies last)! Eligible canned goods: canned meats, canned fish, low-sodium soups and stews, nuts, beans, brown rice, quinoa, peanut butter, whole grain cereal.

Manga, Comics & Illustration with Oliver Chin and Chris Sasaki
2019-11-17 15:30 - 17:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Two new books introduce the world of Japanese animation and manga, and the life of illustrator Tyrus Wong, to young readers. Don’t miss this event with two local animation and art directors!
Anime and manga have never been more popular. How did iconic characters like Totoro or Pokemon become Japanese pop culture and attract a worldwide following? And how did Tyrus Wong, a Chinese American immigrant, bring Disney’s Bambi to life?
Join us for an event celebrating two new books that introduce the world of Japanese animation and manga, and the life of the artist Tyrus Wong to young readers. San Francisco-based writer Oliver Chin, a co-author of The Discovery of Anime and Manga, will share his book about a time traveling panda named Dao who transports two young companions to the early days of anime and manga in Japan. Oakland-based illustrator Chris Sasaki will share his storyboards from a new picture-book biography Paper Song: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist, written by Julie Leung.
Oliver Chin is a comic book veteran and the co-author of The Discovery of Anime and Manga, a picture book about how anime and manga came to be. Co-authored by Phil Amara and illustrator Juan Calle, the book is the third in the Asian Hall of Fame series. He is the author of over 15 books, including the popular annual children’s book series Tales from the Chinese Zodiac. He presents at schools, libraries, and museums nationwide and teaches artists of all ages how to create their own comic books.
Co-presented by Oakland Asian Cultural Center and Eastwind Books of Berkeley.

Family Sacrifices: Book Talk with Dr. Russell Jeung
2019-11-17 18:00 - 20:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
The first book based on national survey data on Asian American religious practices, Family Sacrifices is a seminal text on the fastest-growing racial group in the United States.
Fifty-two percent of Chinese Americans report having no religious affiliation, making them the least religiously- identified ethnic group in the United States. Family Sacrifices reveals that Chinese Americans employ familism, not religion, as the primary narrative by which they find meaning, identity, and belonging.
Dr. Russell M. Jeung is Chair and Professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University. The author of books and articles on Asian Americans, religion, and race, he’s a community activist and church leader in East Oakland, CA. Dr. Jeung’s memoir, At Home in Exile, shares his family’s six generations in the US and his life with refugees.
Seanan S. Fong is a writer and Unitarian Universalist minister with a focus on serving the spiritual needs of Asian Americans. He holds a BA in philosophy from Stanford University and an MDiv from Harvard Divinity School. He also works as a product designer and conflict resolution professional in San Francisco.

Co-sponsored by Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Eastwind Books of Berkeley, and San Francisco State University Asian American Studies Department.

Transgressions on Humanity Reception
2019-11-20 18:00 - 20:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
A reception celebrating the photographers who contributed works to the “Transgression on Humanity” exhibition. This is your opportunity to hear from the artists and learn more about conscious photography.

OACC Friendsgiving
2019-11-22 17:30 - 20:30 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
In the spirit of sharing and community, join the Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC) for a Friendsgiving Potluck! This event is free and open to the public. Bring your friends, family, and a dish to share at OACC for some fun and games including arts and crafts activities, mahjong games, and much more!
We also invite you to bring canned food or a toy for our holiday giving drive.

Calligraphies in Conversation: Wisdom of the East
2019-11-23 - 2020-01-31 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Curated by Arash Shirinbab
NOTE: A GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign is currently running to support this exhibition. Deadline is November 25th. Click here to view the full details and consider donating today!
“Calligraphies in Conversation” intends to bring diverse communities of the Bay Area together to share their culture and stories through the art of writing and calligraphy. In a diverse region such as the Bay Area, there are ever more and more communities who wish to explore the way another culture thinks, speaks, prays, reads, and writes. This multicultural exhibition explores how the word of wisdom is expressed via the art of calligraphy through the Asia continent, from Far East to Central Asia, South Asia, and Near East.
Opening Reception: November 23, 2019, 6 – 8 p.m.
Featuring calligraphy demos with master calligraphers
Free and Open to the Public
Participating Artists: Arash Shirinbab & Forrest Lesch Middelton, Debra Self, Ema Kubo, Feng Jin, Kristian Kabuay, Liza Dalby, Mok Kam Cheung, Pamela Rickard, Ronald Y. Nakasone, and Rutu Palav.
For more information about the exhibition, visit www.calligraphies.org or contact calligraphies.conversation@gmail.com

Body, Mind, Spirit: Healing Through Martial Arts
2019-11-23 14:00 - 16:30 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Three masters of Wushu “Chinese Martial Arts”—Sifu Bryant Fong, Sifu Johnny Jang, and Sifu Steven Chan—will discuss how Wushu nourishes the mind, body and spirit in terms of Traditional Chinese Medicine. They will demonstrate internal and external styles in clear terms so that you can decide which forms may suit you. These three masters have generously shared their love of Wushu with generations of students. Learn from them how the correct body form, intention, and natural movement can improve your health.
Featuring thrilling demonstrations by members of the nationally-ranked Cal Wushu Team and San Francisco TaiChi group practitioners.
Sifu Bryant Fong, head coach of the UC Berkeley Wushu program and founder of the Cal Chinese Martial Arts Tournament, has immersed himself in traditional Chinese martial arts beginning in the 1980’s. He will describe the health benefits of different styles and how he has chosen the forms he practices today.
Sifu Johnny Jang has taught Wing Chun and a wide range of internal forms, including weapons, in the Bay Area since the 1980’s. He was national TaiChi champion in the late 1980’s. Like Sifu Fong, he has traveled extensively in. China to learn directly from traditional masters.
Sifu Steve Chan has distilled his longtime practice of Bagua and Chen TaiChi into the essence of Wushu, that is, the gathering and circulation of life force through the body. His practice is focused on the very basics of Dai Xinyiquan, Che Xingyiquan and Chen Taijiquan – almost exclusively on basic physical health and strength training from collecting and circulating qi in basic moving exercises (neigong). He will present “Neigong: A direct path to training strength and vitality from Chinese internal martial arts. ”

Martial Arts for Health — Seminar with Instruction

Here is the final program for this Saturday’s event. In addition to lectures and demonstrations of martial arts, the masters will offer instruction to the audience so that you can take your knowledge home.

2:05 Introduction to Yang Style Taichi
2:15 Steve Chan

How martial arts training enables you to improve your life force
Audience instruction: Harnessing energy through intention
2:45 Sifu Bryant Fong
The various forms of martial arts and how you may benefit regardless of your age
Wushu demonstration by members of the Cal Martial Arts team
3:30 Sifu Johnny Jang
Water Boxing — a form that synthesizes the principles of martial arts by integrating four disciplines
Yang sword demonstration
Audience instruction: Eight Pieces of Brocade

Co-presented by Oakland Asian Cultural Center, UC Martial Arts Program, and Cal Wushu Team.

Closed for Thanksgiving
2019-11-28 00:00 - 2019-12-01 23:59 | CA

Wherever There's A Fight: 10th Anniversary Reading
2019-12-06 18:30 - 20:30 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Come celebrate the 10th Anniversary Edition of Wherever There’s a Fight, Elaine Elinson and Stan Yogi’s sweeping story of the social movements and activists who have changed California and made ripples beyond.
Elaine Elinson was the communications director of the ACLU of Northern California and editor of the ACLU News for more than two decades. She is a coauthor of Development Debacle: The World Bank in the Philippines, which was banned by the Marcos regime.
Stan Yogi is the coauthor, with Laura Atkins, of the children’s book Fred Korematsu Speaks Up. He managed development programs for the ACLU of Northern California for fourteen years and is the coeditor of two books, Highway 99: A Literary Journey through California’s Great Central Valley and Asian American Literature: An Annotated Bibliography.

Everybody, Everybody: A community dance workshop
2019-12-06 19:00 - 20:30 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
An intergenerational celebration of the moving body. All ages, all bodies, all levels are invited to experiment with everyday, pedestrian movement as dance, exploring the notion that we are already always dancing. Inspired by house, jazz, modern, hip-hop, and West African dance styles, we’ll practice responding to rhythm and sound with smooth grooves and big freedom. For beginning to experienced movers, we’re movin with joy – with the collective goal of embodying our most playful, expressive selves in our lives, on and off the dance floor.
The workshop comprises a series of exercises/prompts/games that facilitate individual exploration of movement, as well as judgment-free open floor movement.
Join the Everybody, Everybody WhatsApp group here.
Reach out to Alexx at alexxtemena@gmail.com with questions.

The Southeast Asian Diaspora
2019-12-20 18:30 - 20:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Join us for a reading that brings together the work of Laotian poet and dancer Krysada Phounsiri and Cambodian writer Sieu Sean Do.
Krysada Phounsiri’s debut book of poetry, Dance Among Elephants, is at turns intimate and interrogative, interested in unpacking the many layers of his family’s journey from Laos to the United States and around the world. Phounsiri is a Lao American professional dancer who has performed with the acclaimed group Jabbawockeez in Las Vegas, award winning poet, engineer, and avid photographer.
Sieu Sean Do’s memoir, A Cloak of Good Fortune, traces his coming of age from the idyllic, peaceful years of childhood in rural Cambodia through his family’s forced exile by the Khmer Rouge. Sieu Sean was born in 1963 and grew up in Kampong Speu, a rural town about fifty kilometers outside Phnom Penh.
Co-presented by Oakland Asian Cultural Center and Eastwind Books of Berkeley.

Closed for Holidays
2019-12-24 00:00 - 2020-01-01 23:59 | CA

OACC Movie Nights: Nailed It!
2020-01-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
In virtually every city, state and strip mall across the U.S., women get their nails done in salons likely owned by Vietnamese entrepreneurs. How did this community come to dominate an $8 billion nail economy? “Nailed It” takes viewers from Los Angeles to the Bronx to meet the diverse people and relationships behind this booming and enigmatic trade. The documentary premiered on PBS in May 2019, and is the highest streamed film of the America Reframed series. Uncover the real history of the Vietnamese nail salon!
After the screening, stay for a special Q&A session with filmmaker Adele Free Pham.
This event is free with a $3-5 suggested donation. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
This event is co-sponsored by Oakland Asian Cultural Center and Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network (DVAN).

Chicken of the Sea: A Children's Book Reading
2020-01-19 14:00 - 15:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Enjoy a live reading by the authors of Chicken of the Sea, a collaborative children’s book from Viet Thanh Nguyen and Thi Bui, and their children Ellison Nguyen and Hien Bui-Stafford.
A band of intrepid chickens leave behind the boredom of farm life, joining the crew of the pirate ship Pitiless to seek fortune and glory on the high seas. Led by a grizzled captain into the territory of the Dog Knights, they soon learn what it means to be courageous, merciful, and not seasick quite so much of the time.
A whimsical and unexpected adventure tale, Chicken of the Sea originated in the five-year-old mind of Ellison Nguyen, son of Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen; father and son committed the story to the page, then enlisted the artistic talents of Caldecott Honor winner Thi Bui and her thirteen-year-old son, Hien Bui-Stafford, to illustrate it. This unique collaboration between two generations of artists and storytellers invites you aboard for adventure, even if you’re chicken. Maybe especially if you’re chicken.
Co-sponsored by Oakland Asian Cultural Center and Eastwind Books of Berkeley.

Quiz For Cause to Benefit the Oakland Asian Cultural Center
2020-01-28 19:30 - 21:30 | Paulista Brazilian Kitchen and Taproom, 4239 Park Boulevard, Oakland, CA, 94602, United States
Join the Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC) for a night of trivia with Geeks Who Drink “Quiz for a Cause”! For a small suggested entry fee of $5, you can join the evening’s quiz. The winning team will get a prize and the rest will go to helping OACC continue to serve our community through free and low-cost arts and cultural programming. We want to continue making our programs accessible and empower diverse voices in our community including refugees, immigrants, and communities of color around urgent social justice issues that aim to connect different generations, cultures, and identities.
Participant Info:

Suggested $5 per person entry. The winning team will receive $5 for each team that donated! Our typical per person donation is $5.00. Each participant on a team is asked to contribute $5.00. A team consists of as few as 1 participant and can be up to 6 players. $5 per team is added into the pot for the cash prize offered to the first place team at the end of the night.

Important note:

A team is only eligible for the cash prize if a) they win 1st place, and b) the entire team contributed to the fundraising effort.

The Art of Survival: Enduring the Turmoil of Tule Lake
2020-01-31 - 2020-03-01 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
This exhibit explores the experiences and events at Tule Lake, the only Japanese American Segregation Center of WWII. The traveling exhibition probes the complexity of this unique Japanese American confinement site, which was located in Newell, CA.
Art of Survival is being supported in part by a Preservation of Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
Further support provided by The Oregon Community Foundation, Fred W. Fields Fund; Klamath Tourism Grant; Klamath Arts Council Grant; and generous donations by Denshō Digital Archives, Japanese American Museum of San Jose, Tule Lake Committee members Jimi Yamaichi and Hiroshi Shimizu, and Hiroshi Watanabe. This traveling exhibition was made in cooperation with the Tule Lake Unit of WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument, Lava Beds National Monument, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Exhibition content provided by Exhibit Envoy (www.exhibitenvoy.org).

Creative Mornings
2020-01-31 08:30 - 10:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
OACC is excited to host CreativeMornings! The event is free and RSVP tickets become available Monday, January 27th.
This month’s theme is Roots. We’ll have chef Tu David Phu speaking at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center on Jan. 31st. Join us for free breakfast, free coffee and tea, and—of course—stimulating discussion that’ll start your 2020 off right!
CreativeMornings is the world’s largest face-to-face creative community — a global breakfast lecture series serving local creative communities in over 200 cities. For more information, visit: www.creativemornings.com.

Lunar New Year 2020
2020-02-02 11:00 - 15:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
OACC is celebrating the Year of the Rat with live performances and fun activities for the whole family in the heart of Oakland Chinatown! Enjoy our Youth Showcase featuring students performing guzheng (Chinese zither), various Chinese dances and more. Join interactive workshops on Japanese taiko drumming, relaxing Taichi exercises, and children’s story time with a free book giveaway!
Our celebration also features a special appearance by Emmy Award-winning Vietnamese artist, Vanessa Van-Anh Vo.
EVENT SCHEDULE (updated as of 1/16/20):
Main Stage Program (Auditorium)
10:45AM Lion Dance Performance by Toi Shan Family Association
11:10AM~12:30PM OACC Youth Showcase
1:30PM~2:00PM Vanessa Van-Anh Vo Recital
2:00PM~2:30PM Vietnamese Music & Dance Workshop with Vanessa
Activities for All Ages (Location: see Room #)
10:30AM~2:30PM Arts & Crafts Corner (Room 2)
11:15AM~12:15PM Taiko Drumming Workshop with Emeryville Taiko (Room 4)
Limited space; RSVP recommended. No experience necessary.
12:15PM~12:45PM Kids Storytime with Oliver Chin [English] (Room 3)
Limited space; RSVP recommended. **Signups are FULL! Please note that space is not guaranteed.**
12:15PM~2:45PM Children’s Book Station & Giveaway* with Eastwind Books (Room 3)
*Sponsored by Oakland Literacy Coalition Reading Celebration.
Books available on first come-first serve basis. 1 voucher per child.
12:45PM~1:45PM Qi Gong with Sifu Liu (Room 4 & 5)
Limited space; RSVP recommended. No experience necessary.
1:30PM~2:00PM Kids Storytime with Kids Go! Mandarin [Mandarin] (Room 6)
Limited space; RSVP recommended.
2:00PM~2:30PM Kids Storytime with Kids Go! Mandarin [Mandarin] (Room 6)
Limited space; RSVP recommended.
2:00PM~3:00PM Taichi Session with Sifu Dere (Room 4 & 5)
Limited space; RSVP recommended. No experience necessary.
Community Resources Vendor Showcase (Lobby)
(due to limited lobby space, we are no longer taking vendor/table requests)
Amtrak San Joaquins
Alameda County CASA
Alameda Health Alliance
Anthem, Inc. Medicare
Clean Vehicle Rebate Project
Diversity in Healthcare Training Institute
Oakland Public Works
Swinerton
OACC Raffle Drawing Prizes

Grand prize: Instant Pot – 6 Quart 9-in-1 Multi-Use Pressure Cooker with Easy Seal Lid and Sous Vide Program (valued at $120)
Small prizes:
One PIER 39 Fun Pack
California’s Great Adventure Two Single Day Pass
Oakland Zoo Family Day Pass
Namaste Yoga Class Pass Gift Card & Facial Mask
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Portraits of Oakland Chinatown
2020-02-03 - 2020-02-28 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
A special exhibition celebrating Black History Month.
See Oakland Chinatown through Leon Kennedy’s distinctive artistic style.
“My dream is to connect to all the people’s dreams.”
Leon Kennedy’s Art lies somewhere between the struggles of his community and the faith that guides them. When viewed, the observer is directed away from the struggle and toward salvation along a path Mr. Kennedy has constructed. Considered one of the top self-taught artists in the country, Leon’s inspiration and ability is achieved through divine intervention. “My gift is not natural, it’s spiritual. Like Moses; my ideas come from God.”
Regardless of the year, the subject, the medium, or the material; each work is undeniably his own. Perhaps no other artist has a more recognizable style than Leon Kennedy. Learn more about Leon at leonkennedy.com.

Opening Reception: Saturday, February 8th from 6-8pm.

Co-sponsored by Oakland Asian Cultural Center and Oakland Public Library.
Enjoy live painting sessions with Leon Kennedy at Oakland Public Libraries:
http://oaklandlibrary.org/events/main-library/live-painting-sessions-artist-leon-kennedy

Tsuru Fold-In & Film Screening
2020-02-07 18:30 - 20:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Never again is NOW. Join OACC and Tsuru for Solidarity for a “Tsuru Fold In,” to fold cranes that will join the “National Pilgrimage to Close the Camps” in June 2020. This movement plans to bring 125,000 paper cranes, or tsuru, as expressions of solidarity with immigrant and refugee communities that are under attack today. The 125,000 cranes represent the members of the community who were rounded up and incarcerated in U.S. concentration camps during World War II, including both Japanese Americans and Japanese Latin Americans. Learn more at tsuruforsolidarity.org.
Accompanying this fold in will be a screening of “And Then They Came For Us.” Watch the trailer:
https://vimeo.com/210002629
Co-presented by Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Tsuru for Solidarity, and Oakland Public Library.
This event is free with a $3-5 suggested donation. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
