Oakland Asian Cultural Center

FOODLINE: Mapping Our Diaspora from Culture to Conversation
2021-07-25 11:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
On Sunday, July 25th, join us as our special guests at this special soft-reopening event! We are excited to welcome you back to our center as you get to know our staff, enjoy an insightful program, learn taichi, and meet other OACC community members!
As part of this program, we will screen BLOODLINE followed by a conversation with Chef Tu, Chef Kevin Tang of Claws of Mantis, Chef Trung and Vy of Co Nam — moderated by Anne-Mary Pham of SDBH Podcast and An Choi Pop Up. Other highlights include an introduction to OACC’s team and a taichi lesson led by OACC’s Board Member, Evelyn Lee. Each attendee will also take home a staff curated map of “must-eat/see places” of Oakland plus a parting gift of bánh ít tôm thịt (Vietnamese little cake made with pork and shrimp) courtesy of EatingSaigon! and single-serve packets of Mr. Espresso Steeped Coffee.
Due to COVID-19 safety and precautions, the max capacity for this event is 80 guests, and masks are required at all times inside OACC. Please register in advance to attend.
OACC’s mission is to build vibrant communities through API arts and cultural programs by fostering inter-generational and cross-cultural dialogue and understanding, community collaboration, and social impact. Pre-pandemic, OACC was an affordable incubator for small businesses; a safe space for community organizations to gather; and a cultural hub for classes, public events, and exhibitions. This event will provide a chance for us to rebuild/recover our place in the community since closing our doors for over 15 months due to the pandemic.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Chef Tu David Phu: Phu is an Oakland, CA-born first-generation Vietnamese-American chef whose family hails from the island of Phu Quoc, accredited as the birthplace of fish sauce in Asia. Chef Tu’s family has been producing small-batch artisanal Phu Quoc Fish Sauce, considered Champagne of fish sauces, since 1895.

Chef Kevin Tang: Kevin is a first-generation Asian American from San Jose. He’s previously worked at Mister Jiu’s and most recently as the executive sous of Nari where he created his pop-up Claws of Mantis (CoM). CoM was born out of the pandemic as a way to help pay rent but blossomed into something so much more. Kevin and his team are set to debut a rotating multi-course menu in San Francisco, rooted in Southern Vietnamese cuisine and tastes of Asian American nostalgia.

Chef Trung & Vy: Husband-and-wife duo Trung Nguyen and executive chef Vy Lieou are owners of Co Nam of Polk Gulch in San Francisco and a second location in Oakland focused on Vietnamese street food along with a few options on the higher end. They style Co Nam after the Vietnamese quán nhậu. “It means a place of eating and drinking,” said Nguyen, likening it to a Vietnamese version of a Japanese izakaya or a British gastropub, essentially a neighborhood hangout where residents can stop in on their way home from work, or when they’re just on the hunt for a place to linger in the evening.

Anne-Mary Pham: Anne-Mary Pham, better known as AMP is a first-generation Vietnamese-American from Los Angeles but now calls San Francisco home. She is a retired pop-up chef (An Choi Bep) and co-host of a Bay Area-based food podcast called SitDownBeHungry. You will often find her grinning ear to ear and eating.
COVID-19 POLICY
At the moment, this program will be held in person at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC) Auditorium (subject to change). We may decide to shift to a remote-friendly (virtual) format at any time leading up to the event and will notify attendees ASAP if we do so.
Please note OACC’s Onsite Visitor Policy
1. ALL individuals including minors must fill out our online Health Declaration Form approximately 24 hours before the event. If you forget to fill it out in advance, we will have QR codes available onsite for you to access the form as well.
2. ALL individuals will have their temperature checked by OACC staff with a contactless thermometer.
3. In accordance with County recommendations, ALL individuals are required to wear masks AT ALL TIMES while inside OACC’s facility regardless of vaccination status.
*If you are experiencing symptoms typical of COVID-19 (list of possible symptoms: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html), please do not enter our facility and promptly seek medical assistance.
Not vaccinated? We strongly encourage individuals who are NOT vaccinated against COVID-19 to refrain from attending OACC programs in-person and instead utilize our remote-friendly (virtual) options. The majority of our programs will be remotely accessible on OACC’s YouTube channel so you won’t be missing out! For more information about vaccinations, please visit: https://www.vaccines.gov/.
Thank you for your cooperation in making our space safe for everyone,
OACC Staff

ESSENTIAL TRUTHS Anthology Readings - East Bay Showcase
2021-07-22 19:00 - 21:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
[THIS IS A VIRTUAL EVENT HOSTED ON ZOOM; NO IN-PERSON GATHERING AVAILABLE.]
Join the East Bay launch of Write Now SF Bay’s newest anthology!
This fourth anthology features 130 BIPOC writers and artists responding our times with prose, poetry, and visual art reflecting today’s Bay Area realities. The pandemic and other events have tested every fiber of our being and shaken relationships with family, community, the nation, and the earth itself. As our basic assumptions about life were upended again and again, what essential truths emerged?

What has it been like living with uncertainty?
What did we lose, what have we released, what have we gained?
What has tested and inspired us as people of color or allies?
What gives us strength to keep going?
What have we learned? How are we working for positive, sustainable change?

Write Now! SF Bay supports writing and art by Bay Area BIPOC.
Learn more here: https://www.writenowsf.com
Click here to order Essential Truths.
This event is presented in partnership by the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and Write Now! SF Bay. It is FREE and donations are greatly appreciated to support our programs. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Key Presenters
Invocation by: Rafael Jesús González, Poet Laureate of Berkeley
Readings and presentations by (listed alphabetically):

Adrian Arias, Peruvian visual artist, poet, and performance artist
Avotcja, poet, musician, DJ at KPOO and KPFA radio (https://avotcja.org)
Clara Hsu, Chinese American poet, director of Clarion Performing Arts Center (https://clarionmusic.com)
danny ryu, Asian American healer and poet, exploring themes of interconnectedness, memory, grief, (dis)integration, liminality, and queer trans/bipoc creativity challenging injustice
Darzelle Oliveros, Filipinx poet, student at City College of San Francisco
Dianne Leo-Omine, Chinese American writer and culinary and pastry arts consultant (https://sweetleoomine.com)
Elmaz Abinader, Lebanese American writer and poet, co-founder of VONA/Voices and English professor at Mills College (www.elmazabinader.com)
Hari Srinivasan, poet, writer, journalist at The Daily Californian and advocate tor disability justice
Kelechi Ubozoh, Nigerian American mental health and anti-Black racism writer, editor, speaker and consultant (https://kelechiubozoh.com)
Karen Seneferu, African American artist and curator, founder of The Black Woman Is God project (SOMArts virtual exhibit: https://somarts.org/tbwigvirtual2020/)
Sandra Bass, essayist, UC Berkeley Associate Dean and Director of the Public Service Center
Shirley Huey, Chinese American poet, writer, and zine editor (https://lunchboxmoments.com/About)
Shizue Seigel, Japanese American writer, artist, editor of Essential Truths (https://www.shizueseigel.com)
Sridevi Ramanathan, Indian American writer and scholar in women’s spirituality
Susana Praver-Pérez, poet, Assistant Medical Director, Clinica de la Raza, Oakland (https://www.nomadicpress.org/store/hurricanesloveaffairsandotherdisasters)
Tiny (aka Lisa Gray-Garcia) is a formerly unhoused, incarcerated poverty scholar, revolutionary journalist, lecturer, poet, visionary, teacher, single mama and the co-founder of Poor Magazine (http://www.poormagazine.org)
Tony Aldorondo, Puerto Rican American poet/performer draws from his Puerto Rican heritage, Shakespearean training and well-traveled humanity.
Tureeda Mikell, poet, storyteller, energy therapist. poet in the schools (https://www.nomadicpress.org/store/synchronicity)

MINARI: Virtual Screening & Community Talk
2021-07-09 17:00 - 2021-07-10 14:30 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
[THIS IS A VIRTUAL EVENT; NO IN-PERSON GATHERING AVAILABLE.]
Kick off your summer with a special screening of the Academy Award-winning “Minari” followed by a community talk reflecting on our shared and diverse immigrant experiences. Please check out our schedule below for program details. For the July 10th community talk, you are not required to have watched MINARI in advance to enjoy and participate in the conversation (there might be spoilers tho!).
This event was presented in partnership by the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and Korean Center, Inc. The virtual screening was sponsored by the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco.
EVENT 1: MINARI Screening *limited capacity, U.S. viewers only*
[VIRTUAL EVENT]
Length: accessible online to confirmed guests starting at 5pm (film is 1hr 56 min.)

Our virtual screening capacity is limited to 100 tickets, first-come, first-serve. Per A24 terms, tickets are nontransferable once claimed.
Per A24 terms, this virtual screening is only available to U.S. viewers, and unfortunately cannot accommodate guests outside of the U.S.
Learn more about Minari.

Alternative in-person & virtual screening options:

MINARI is currently available to stream on YouTube, Google Play, and Amazon Prime for $19.99. If you have the financial means to rent the film, we appreciate your support in making our screening tickets available to others who may not be able to afford and access the streaming service options.

EVENT 2: ‘What is your minari?’ Community Talk
[VIRTUAL EVENT]
Length: 1pm-2:30pm Pacific (90 min.)
Did you and/or your family immigrate to the United States during the 80s, the time period MINARI is set in? Know someone who has an incredible story about their immigration journey to the States? Join us for an afternoon of story-sharing and reflection upon our shared and unique immigrant experiences. Our guest speakers will share their own stories and perspectives from 1st and 2nd generation immigrant experiences.
Featured Guests:

Jason Bayani – Artistic Director, Kearny Street Workshop
Sarah Kim-Lee – KCI Board Member | Chef & Cooking Instructor (IG: @sarahkim_lee)
Christine No – Advocacy Program Manager, ARTogether
Lorraine Sumulong – OACC Board Member | Senior Regional Attorney, FDIC

Political Inheritance: An Exploration of AAPI Political Agency & Identities
2021-07-01 - 2021-08-31 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th Street, Suite 290, Oakland, CA 94607, Oakland, CA, 94607
[THIS IS AN ONSITE EXHIBITION DISPLAYED IN OACC’S WINDOWS. IT CAN BE VIEWED WITHOUT ENTERING OACC’S FACILITY.]
For more information about this exhibit, visit: https://www.politicalinheritance.com/
This exhibition is presented in partnership with the Asian American Women Artists Association and will be displayed in OACC’s exterior windows (viewable from outside). No appointments necessary.

Celebrating Our HeART-filled Heritage: Queer Taiko
2021-06-26 16:00 - 17:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Queer Taiko will take center stage with a full live broadcast of energetic, thunderous taiko drumming right from OACC’s Auditorium! Led by acclaimed taiko artist Kristy Oshiro, this Bay Area-based community ensemble is a diverse group of LGBTQIA+ and allies committed to building community and awareness through Japanese taiko drumming

Their spirited performance showcase will be followed by an interactive workshop and audience Q&A session.

About Queer Taiko: https://www.meetup.com/queertaiko/

About the Series
“Celebrating Our HeART-filled Heritage” champions local Asian and Asian Pacific Islander performing artists, with the goal of providing a platform for accomplished local performing artists and exposing our diverse community in the East Bay to compelling, culturally relevant artists and performances that inspire intergenerational and cross-cultural exchange. The performing arts series is supported in part by the Walter and Elise Haas Fund.
Donations are appreciated and no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Community Rising
2021-06-25 18:00 - 19:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Community safety starts with us.
OACC invites you to join a mini-concert and conversation with artists, activists, and community organizers to re-imagine what safety can look like for our communities. We’ll open with an exclusive performance featuring jason chu and Alan Z, lead artists of the Face Value album. After the performance, they will join a conversation with Oakland-local community representatives:

Lynn – AYPAL youth
Sakhone Lasaphangthong – Oakland Chinatown Ambassador program
Joy Ng – Hip Hop x Asian America

The recent attacks on Asian Americans are not new – they’re rooted in a long history of white supremacy and xenophobia that pits Asian Americans against other people of color, and scapegoats us in times of crisis. For generations, Asian immigrants and refugees built cultural communities alongside other working class communities of color in Oakland. Neighborhoods like Chinatown and Eastlake became landing places for new immigrants, havens for families to raise kids and grow old. But over the past few decades, our communities have been destabilized by the growing gap between rich and poor, skyrocketing housing costs, and deep budget cuts to our schools and public services.
This month, the Oakland City Council is set to vote on whether to throw even more money into policing that further destabilizes our communities or whether to pass a People’s Budget that puts our tax dollars where we need it most – into housing, critical public services, mental health, arts, and youth services. Community safety starts with us: building trust and connection, repairing past harms, and having each other’s backs.
Narrative Credit: Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN)
This event is supported in part by APEN, OCA-Asian American Advocates’ East Bay Chapter, and AYPAL. It is FREE with suggested donations greatly appreciated to support our programs and partners. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Featured Artists

Rapper/Activist jason chu (image left) speaks hope and healing in a broken world. He blends crafted lyricism with high energy performances. Most recently, jason’s work has been curated in the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs virtual exhibition Reimagine Public Art: House and Home. His music has been heard on Warrior (HBO Max), Snowpiercer (TNT), and Wu Assassins (Netflix). He has shared poetry at the Obama White House, been featured in the Chinese American Museum of Los Angeles, and presented at the Getty Center, Flushing Town Hall, the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, and the Museum of Chinese in America.
A triple threat in the entertainment industry, Alan Z (image right) intricately weaves hip-hop aggression, R&B melodies, and pop sensibilities into a tapestry that defines stereotypes and labels. He is a mainstay in the Atlanta scene with a national audience garnered from performing coast-to-coast and generating viral attention on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. His music has been heard on Wu Assassins (Netflix), iZombie (The CW), and eSports Athletes Rising (Fox Sports 1). Alan Z has worked with several prominent artists, including Full Force, Raphael Saadiq, and Shanice Wilson.

Swimming to Freedom Book Talk with Kent and Freddie Wong
2021-06-12 13:00 - 14:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Join us for a special celebration of Kent Wong’s debut publication, Swimming to Freedom: My Escape from China and the Cultural Revolution, a memoir of a childhood amid revolutionary times and a moving testament to the human spirit. Kent will be joined by his son, Freddie (2014 Webby for Film and Video Person of the Year), for a father-son conversation exploring Kent’s journey and the making of this book.
Click here to purchase Swimming to Freedom.
This event is presented in partnership by the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and Abrams Books. Special thanks to Mustard Square for supporting this event as well. It is FREE and donations are greatly appreciated. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

About Swimming to Freedom
When Wong was a young boy, he lived in the newly established People’s Republic of China. His father was a patriotic Chinese official, hailed as a hero. But as the Cultural Revolution closed schools, plunged the country into chaos, and scattered Kent and his sisters to disparate villages where they struggled to eke out a bare existence, Wong realized he had no future in China. Years later he joined a dissident underground group and heard about fellow countrymen braving extraordinary hardship to reach freedom by swimming across miles of open water to Hong Kong. Wong decided to risk his life for a better future; in 1974, he joined an estimated half million “freedom swimmers” who risked everything to escape hardship and oppression.

About the Speakers
In 1974, Kent Wong escaped the Cultural Revolution over water to Hong Kong, and shortly after moved to the United States as a refugee. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Washington, his MD at Harvard Medical School, and after a residency at Stanford, he practiced as an anesthesiologist. He is now retired and lives near Seattle. His son, Freddie Wong, is a successful filmmaker, musician, VFX artist, podcaster, and competitive gamer, with a YouTube channel with over 9 million subscribers.
As an online video pioneer, Freddie Wong was featured in Forbes’ 2015 30 under 30, Hollywood Reporter’s Silicon Beach Power 25, and won the 2014 Webby for Film and Video Person of the Year. He co-directed the award-winning series Video Game High School, as well as Hulu’s RocketJump: The Show, and Dimension 404.

Kids Storytime: "Wishes" by Mượn Thị Văn & "When Lola Visits" by Michelle Sterling
2021-06-06 13:00 - 14:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Enjoy two read-a-loud new children’s picture books; Wishes by Mượn Thị Văn, and When Lola Visits by Michelle Sterling.
Join us in our kids drawing activity and bring a drawing of your grandparent to share!

Featured Books (click on the hyperlinked titles to purchase your copy!)

Wishes is a new children’s book by New York Times bestselling author Mượn Thị Văn , illustrated by Victo Ngai, published by Scholastic Books May 2021. This is an arresting, poetic journey about one Vietnamese family’s search for a new home on the other side of the world, and the long-lasting and powerful impact that it makes on the littlest member of the family. Inspired by actual events in the author’s life, this is a moving reflection on immigration, family, and home. A beautifully illustrated poem becomes a harrowing refugee flight from home into dangerous ocean waters and an unknown destiny.

WHEN LOLA VISITS is written by Michelle Sterling, illustrated by Aaron Asis and published by HarperCollins May 2021. For one young girl, summer is the season of no school, of days spent at the pool, of picking golden limes off the trees. But summer doesn’t start until her lola—her grandmother from the Philippines—comes for her annual visit. Summer is special. For her lola fills the house with the aroma of mango jam, funny stories of baking mishaps, and her quiet sweet singing in Tagalog. And in turn, her granddaughter brings Lola to the beach, to view fireworks at the park, and to catch fish at their lake. When Lola comes, the whole family gathers to cook and eat and share in their happiness of another season spent together. Yet as summer transitions to fall, her lola must return home—but not without a surprise for her granddaughter to preserve their special summer a bit longer.

This event is presented in partnership by the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and Eastwind Books of Berkeley. It is FREE and donations are greatly appreciated. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

"Instant Pot Asian Pressure Cooker Meals" Book Talk & Cooking Demo
2021-05-22 15:00 - 16:00 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Pat Tanumihardja joins us for a conversation about her cookbook, ingredients, recipe conversion to instant pot techniques, and how she came to write cookbooks. She’ll also give a quick demo of a recipe!
Click here to purchase Instant Pot Asian Pressure Cooker Meals.

This event is presented in partnership by the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and Eastwind Books of Berkeley. It is FREE and donations are greatly appreciated. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Celebrating Our HeART-filled Heritage: Leela Dance Collective
2021-05-15 16:00 - 17:30 | California
After a year of zoom calls, virtual rehearsals, and a lot of alone time, it feels as if we are constantly connected, yet still isolated. This livestream performance represents the many ways in which we have been navigating this unprecedented time, working to channel our art in order to connect when it is more important than ever before.

Tune in at 4pm PT and watch as Leela Dance Collective ensemble members take kathak to the streets, performing against the backdrop of our unusually quiet cityscapes. Featuring excerpts from California Gharana, this innovative repertoire represents the work of legendary kathak artist Pandit Chitresh Das. After the performance, participate in an introductory kathak workshop and experience the way that kathak dance can ground the body, focus the mind, and uplift the spirit. Find a hard floor or surface to dance on and get ready to sweat!

Finally, don’t miss the live Q&A session with Leela Dance Collective ensemble dancers! Hear about how they have been surviving and thriving as a collective during the pandemic, and what it is like for this next generation of dancers to be carrying the tradition forward.

About Leela Dance Collective: https://leela.dance/collective/
Event Access: This event was livestreamed on Leela Dance Collective’s YouTube channel and OACC’s Facebook Event Page.

About the Series
“Celebrating Our HeART-filled Heritage” champions local Asian and Asian Pacific Islander performing artists, with the goal of providing a platform for accomplished local performing artists and exposing our diverse community in the East Bay to compelling, culturally relevant artists and performances that inspire intergenerational and cross-cultural exchange. The performing arts series is supported in part by the Walter and Elise Haas Fund.
Donations are appreciated and no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

140 LBS + OVER 140 LBS: A Virtual Double-Feature
2021-05-07 18:00 - 2021-05-09 19:30 | California
Showtimes & Details
All virtual screenings will be accompanied with an opportunity for reflection and Q&A with playwright and actor Susan Lieu. Each Q&A session after the screening will have a curated focus addressing a particular theme from the productions. Click on the links below to buy tickets, and view more details.

Date
Time (PDT)
Production – Topic & Guests

Friday, May 7th
5:30-7:30 PM

140 LBS – “The Feminine Mystique: Navigating Body Images in Motherhood” with Sarah LaFleur, Founder & CEO of M.M.LaFleur

Saturday, May 8th
4:00-6:00 PM
140 LBS – “Honor Her: Holding Remembrance and Grief with our own Mental Health” with Alica Forneret, creator of The Mourning Herald and Holly Chan & Elizabeth Wong, co-creators of Death Over Dim Sum

Saturday, May 8th
7:00-9:30 PM
OVER 140 LBS – “Reclaiming Our Bodies: Deconstructing & Disowning Female Beauty Standards” with Sophia Sun and Da Eun Kim, co-hosts of bamboo & glass & Elizabeth Scott, Co-Founder & Director of Training for The Body Positive

Sunday, May 9th
2:00-4:00 PM
140 LBS – “Parent-Child Relationships: Processing Trauma & Healing through Artistic Expression” with Melanie Elvena, Programs Manager of Asian American Women Artists Association

Sunday, May 9th
5:00-7:30 PM
OVER 140 LBS – “Preserving the Matriarchy: Bridging Intergenerational and Cross-Cultural Tension” with Philip Nguyen, President of the Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations & Christine Tran, Managing Director for the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association

Family is complicated. Whether your mother is alive or gone, close or distant, join us Mother’s Day weekend for Susan’s comedy-dramas about grief, family dynamics, spirituality, beauty, and Vietnamese culture. Following a successful virtual program last November, OACC is excited to once again present 140 LBS: How Beauty Killed My Mother along with its sequel, OVER 140 LBS, for a special Mother’s Day double-feature presentation! These solo theater works were written and performed by Susan Lieu, a first-generation American born to Vietnamese refugees. Susan’s performances weaves together several through-lines: inter-generational trauma; parent-child relationships; body insecurity and shame; repression and healing from personal loss; lack of accountability in the medical system; Vietnamese folkloric practice of spirit channeling. These plays speak to a wide variety of communities as it lies at the intersection of different identities and lived experiences. Her work has been featured in the L.A. Times, NPR, The Washington Post (The Lily), NBC News, American Theatre, The San Francisco Chronicle and The Seattle Times.

About 140 LBS
Production length: 65 min | Total event length: 2 hours
Two hours into surgery, Susan’s mother loses oxygen to her brain and the plastic surgeon deliberately does not call 9-1-1 for fourteen minutes. Five days later, while in a coma, she flatlines. The surgeon is charged with medical negligence and her family falls apart; no one talks about what happened. Nineteen years later on her wedding day, Susan’s mother’s seat sits empty and Susan realizes she can no longer ignore what she’s always wanted: to know who her mother was. Sifting through thousands of deposition pages and reaching out to the killer’s family, Susan uncovers the painful truth of her mother, herself, and the impossible ideal of Vietnamese feminine beauty.
Watch the 140 LBS Trailer: https://youtu.be/JlW3EIxVJSc

About OVER 140 LBS
Production length: 84 min | Total event length: 2.5 hours
Almost 9 months pregnant, Susan is terrified of becoming a mother when she didn’t know her own. Stifled by the shame and silence of her mother’s early death, Susan needs to figure out how to deal with the intergenerational trauma she’s inherited before the baby is born.
The sequel to 140 LBS with some overlapping content.

Eat & Watch Together

Food is one of our love languages. Give the gift of chocolates and a show to honor or remember your favorite nurturer out there. Susan Lieu is also the co-founder of Socola Chocolatier, an artisanal chocolate company in San Francisco. She’s teaming up with her co-founder sister Wendy to offer Mother Day Edition: The Little Saigon Box which will feature a “Má Nhớ Con” chocolate which means “mother remembers and misses you, child” in Vietnamese. This line is significant in the 140 LBS show and we hope you find out why.
The Little Saigon Box features nine of Socola’s most iconic Vietnamese flavors presented as a four-course meal including Vietnamese Coffee, Phở, Sriracha, Durian, Passion Fruit, Lychee, and more. Order by 4/30 for guaranteed Mother’s Day delivery. All orders will ship out the week of May 3rd so they can be enjoyed with the show! Order HERE

Thank you to our Key Sponsors!

Naja Pham Lockwood, Founder and CEO of RYSE Media which is dedicated to funding and producing independent storytelling that is engaging with social impact. And of late, supporting stories that conveys the richness and diverse stories of Asian Americans as a deep part of the American fabric.

M.M.LaFleur is the premiere women’s clothing brand for modern working women, founded in 2013 by Sarah LaFleur, a former management consultant, and Miyako Nakamura, the former head designer of Zac Posen. M.M.’s goal is to take the work out of getting dressed by offering versatile, easy to care for luxury-quality pieces. Built on the core belief that when women succeed, the world becomes a better place, the company is committed to using its products and platform to partner on empowerment-based initiatives with organizations including Bottomless Closet, She Should Run, The Girl Scouts, and IRC. The brand’s award-winning digital magazine, The M Dash, offers readers wardrobe advice and career tips, as well as features interviews with inspirational women.

Marketing Sponsors

Alica Forneret
Asian American Women Artists Association (AAWAA)
bamboo & glass
Death Over Dim Sum
The Body Positive
Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations (UNAVSA)
Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA)

Panel Discussion: The AAPI Experience — Listen, Learn, Act!
2021-05-04 12:00 - 13:00 | California
Together with Dr. Russell Jeung (co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and Ethnic Studies Chair at SFSU) and Saly Lee (Executive Director of OACC), Jordyn Lee (Amyris) will shed light on the AAPI experience, discuss the nuances of the current racial justice movement we’re experiencing, and offer ways to get involved locally and nationally. Join us to listen, learn, act!

About the Speakers & Moderator
Dr. Russell Jeung obtained his PhD in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley in 2000. In 2020, Dr. Jeung launched Stop AAPI Hate, a project of Chinese for Affirmative Action, the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, and SF State Asian American Studies. It tracks Covid-19 related discrimination in order to develop community resources and policy interventions to fight racism. Saly is a first-generation Korean immigrant. Before coming to OACC, Saly was the Operations Manager for the Korean American Community Foundation in San Francisco, where she learned about non-profit management, grantmaking, and fundraising. Prior to that, she has developed and overseen culturally based arts programs for leading art institutions such as the Seattle Art Museum and Asian Art Museum. Jordyn Lee is a science communicator passionate about the vast potential of synthetic biology. She believes that with the right words, no topic is “too technical” and is driven by the challenge of making complex science understandable – and better yet, exciting. Jordyn is currently the senior manager of corporate communications at Amyris.

46 Years After the End of the Vietnam War: A Conversation About Empathy & Healing
2021-05-01 17:30 - 18:45 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
View the Recording.
In commemoration of the 46th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, Quế Mai, author of The Mountains Sing, and Thi Bui, 2018 Caldecott Honor winner and Eisner Award finalist for her illustrated memoir, The Best We Could Do, will join in a special conversation with Philip Nguyen, President of the Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations (UNAVSA).
This event will also include a short presentation and wellness exercise by Asian Health Services’ Specialty Mental Health Division staff.

Support your local/regional bookseller!

Brookline Booksmith (East Coast): The Mountains Sing (author signed bookplate included!) and The Best We Could Do
Eastwind Books of Berkeley (West Coast): The Mountains Sing (author signed bookplate included!) and The Best We Could Do

Our Partners
This event is presented in partnership by the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Algonquin Books, the Transnational Literature Series at Brookline Booksmith (Twitter: @TLSBooksmith, IG: @transnational.booksmith), Asian Health Services Specialty Mental Health Division, the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network (DVAN), the Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations (UNAVSA), PIVOT – The Progressive Vietnamese American Organization and Eastwind Books of Berkeley.
This event is FREE and donations are greatly appreciated. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Our Speakers
Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is an award-winning writer in both Vietnamese and English. Her eight books of poetry, short fiction and non-fiction in Vietnamese have received the Poetry of the Year 2010 Award from the Hanoi Writers Association, the Capital’s Literature & Arts Award, and First Prize in the Poetry Competition celebrating 1,000 Years of Hanoi. Her debut novel and first book in English, THE MOUNTAINS SING, is an International Bestseller, a New York Times Editors’ Choice Selection, Winner of the 2020 BookBrowse Best Debut Award, Winner of the Blogger’s Book Prize 2021, and Winner of the 2020 Lannan Literary Award Fellowship for “a work of exceptional quality” and for “contribution to peace and reconciliation”. Quế Mai is an editor of DVAN’s publishing series with Kaya Press and Texas Tech University Press. She has a PhD in Creative Writing with Lancaster University. Her writing has been translated and published in more than fifteen countries. She has just been named by Forbes Vietnam as one of 20 inspiring Vietnamese women of 2021. For more information, visit www.nguyenphanquemai.com.
Thi Bui was born in Vietnam and came to the United States in 1978 as part of the “boat people” wave of refugees fleeing Southeast Asia at the end of the Vietnam War. Her debut graphic memoir, The Best We Could Do (Abrams ComicArts, 2017) won an American Book Award and been selected as an NEA Big Reads book, a Common Book for UCLA and other colleges and universities, an all-city read by Seattle and San Francisco public libraries, a National Book Critics Circle finalist in autobiography, and an Eisner Award finalist in reality-based comics. It made over thirty best of 2017 book lists, including Bill Gates’ top five picks. She illustrated the picture book, A Different Pond, written by the poet Bao Phi (Capstone, 2017), for which she won a Caldecott Honor. With her son, Hien, she co-illustrated the children’s book, Chicken of the Sea (McSweeney’s, 2019), written by Pulitzer winner Viet Thanh Nguyen and his son, Ellison. Her short comics can be found online at Reveal, The Nib, PEN America, and BOOM California. She is currently researching and drawing a work of graphic nonfiction about immigrant detention and deportation, to be published by One World, Random House. For more information, visit https://www.thibui.com/

Moments of Expression
2021-05-01 - 2021-06-20 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th Street, Suite 290, Oakland, CA 94607, Oakland, CA, 94607
Support Our Fundraiser: Purchase one of Peter’s paintings between June 20~July 4, 2021 and 50% of the proceeds will go to OACC! View artworks and purchase HERE.

“Staring out the window of the plane I realized that I was painting again. It was only in my mind, but that was enough to make me want to pick up a brush again. I was being called to paint.”

Insights by Sienna Parker
With ebb and flow, between simplicity and cacophony, we yearn for moments of calm and ease, yet we strive for the challenges that often follows a hunger, We let our past experiences guide us, while we also desire transformation anew. At times we are profound beings pondering greater meaning, and in other moments we are but creatures who relent to the base emotions of our unknowing and explorations.
In his paintings, Peter Gee contemplates and expresses these juxtapositions. His paintings contain an intentionality drawing from decades of dedicated mastery and honing of skill. He approaches his artistic practice with a Zen mind allowing forms, flourishes, and accents to occur without explicit analysis. It is with this approach that allows each of Gee’s paintings to tell different stories that together form their ever changing narrative.

In the present body of work “Moments of Expression”, pieces mostly completed within the past five years, Peter Gee invites viewers into his exploration of mind and spirit. Whether alluding to his childhood memory of childhood Chinese school and the repetitive practice of calligraphy, to exploring the boundaries of common concepts like circular discourse, Gee’s paintings insist that identity cannot be segmented and categorized. Rather, his art elaborates on the harmonies with contrasts that compose life, and allow viewers to share in this experience.

Fighting for Immigrant and Refugee Rights: Perspectives from Asian American Community Organizing
2021-04-24 13:00 - 14:30 | California
View the event livestream here.
From the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 to present-day Public Charge, the U.S. has a history of enacting government-sanctioned efforts denying rights and justice to immigrants and refugees, particularly those from communities of color. In response, Asian Pacific American communities have repeatedly risen and organized against such exclusionary legislation and continue to rally for APIA and other communities’ most vulnerable populations to this day. Learn from the experiences and perspectives of intergenerational and cross-cultural community organizing, and how you can become an active agent of change for migrant justice. A panel of community experts will engage in conversation with Harvey Dong, UC Berkeley professor of Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies. Panelists include Amy Y. Lin (community member at ASPIRE), Loan Thi Dao (author of Generation Rising), Nathaniel Tan (Co-Director of Asian Prisoner Support Committee), and Sunita Sohrabji (staff reporter at India-West). More info about our speakers are available below.
This event is part of the “Community Voices to Empower Change” series in partnership with Eastwind Books of Berkeley. It will be broadcast on Zoom and YouTube Live. Donations are appreciated and no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit calhum.org.

PANELISTS

Amy Lin is a member of ASPIRE. ASPIRE is the first organizing collective led by undocumented API migrants and a program of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus. ASPIRE’s mission is to empower undocumented API young people to educate, advocate, organize, and mobilize for the rights of immigrant families. As a member, Amy has worked to broaden healthcare access for all undocumented migrants via #Health4All local and state advocacy, develop and deliver accessible Know Your Rights and youth political education materials, and on other issues for cross-racial solidarity and migrant justice.

Loan Thi Dao (she/her/hers) is an Associate Professor and Director of Ethnic Studies at St. Mary’s College of California. She specializes in Southeast Asian refugee migration and community development, immigrant and refugee youth, social movements, and Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR). Dao has published on topics related to memory and war in cultural productions, Vietnamese American female leadership, undocumented AAPI activists, transnational activism, and Southeast Asian American deportation. She teaches interdisciplinary ethnic studies courses, and her service has included leadership positions in student groups, cultural productions, diversity and inclusion initiatives and training, immigrant rights and policy advocacy, and on boards of Southeast Asian American community organizations. She previously served on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Asian American Commission and as a Governor-appointed advisor to the Massachusetts Office of Refugees and Immigrants.
Purchase your copy of Generation Rising from Eastwind Books!

Nathaniel Tan is a Co-Director for the Asian Prisoner Support Committee. He has facilitated Ethnic Studies/Asian American studies inside San Quentin State Prison for over five years through APSC’s ROOTS (Restoring Our Original True Selves). From the relationships he built inside, he began organizing freedom campaigns to release people transferred to ICE from state prisons. Some campaigns that he has participated in include: #KeepPJHome, #FreeNy, #PardonRefugees, and currently #StopICEtransfers. He writes about movement work in his free time. He commits to this work in order to see more loved ones reunited with their families who have been separated by prisons, ICE and deportation.

Sunita Sohrabji is a staff reporter at India-West, a national weekly U.S. newspaper. She covers immigration – with a focus on business immigration – crime, local and national politics, community issues and events. Sohrabji is also a contributing editor at Ethnic Media Services. Since late March, 2020, Sohrabji has organized and moderated a series of weekly Friday briefings for ethnic media reporters, on the COVID-19 pandemic and its disproportionate impact on communities of color. The series has also focused on issues related to the pandemic, such as housing and food insecurity, the increased labor burden for women, the rise of domestic violence and hate crimes against the Asian American community, the inequities of vaccine distribution, and much more. Sohrabji has received 10 local and national awards for excellence in journalism.

MODERATOR

Harvey Dong is interested in research and writing about the evolution of Asian American and Third World social movement activism on campus and in the communities. He was also involved in the I-Hotel History Committee to write a timeline history of struggle. He teaches Asian American Studies at UC Berkeley and was awarded the 2016 American Cultures Ronald Takaki Teaching Award. He uses his community work experience to bring life to his Asian American history, Chinese American history and Contemporary Issues course. Many of his students have gone on to work in social justice causes.

Quarantini Mixer: Afternoon Tea with Malaya Tea Room
2021-04-17 15:00 - 16:00 | California
“Afternoon Tea” with Malaya Tea Room
OACC is excited to bring you Quarantini Mixer — an online social club! To close out the New Year Celebration: South & Southeast Asia, this mixer focuses on enjoying “Afternoon Tea.” Join us and Leena Lim from the Malaya Tea Room to learn how to create an afternoon tea experience for yourself and others at home!
On Saturday, April 17 at 3:00 pm, enjoy an exclusive Quarantini Tea Box from Malaya Tea Room ($18 value). As we enjoy the beauty of spring, join us for an afternoon tea with fun conversation and a chance to win some raffle prizes! This event is a virtual fundraiser, in which proceeds from ticket sales support OACC and Stop AAPI Hate. Read “OUR STORY” to learn more.

GENERAL ADMISSION INCLUDES ZOOM LINK ACCESS TO EVENT/DEMO ON APRIL 17, RECIPE FOR CUCUMBER SANDWICH, QUARANTINI TEA BOX (3 types of tea sachets, 2 scones, clotted cream, and lemon curd), AND RAFFLE TICKET.
PRICE:

$10 — Bring-your-own-Tea Admission: Zoom link access, raffle ticket, and sandwich recipe
$28 — General Admission ready for pick up at Malaya Tea Room
$38 — General admission and delivery service by OACC Staff in a 10-mile radius of Oakland, CA
$48 — General admission and delivery service by OACC Staff in a 15-mile radius of Oakland, CA
$58 — General admission and delivery service by OACC Staff in a 25-mile radius of Oakland, CA

IMPORTANT DELIVERY NOTE: The delivery service ends at 3 pm on Friday, April 16. The delivery pricing covers staff mileage based on distance and a small portion serves as a general donation towards OACC’s programs.
Deadline to place pick-up & delivery orders: Thursday, April 15 at 12:00 pm
RAFFLE PRIZE:
We will call 4 lucky winners to win:

Small Raffle Prize – Lottie Gift Set, Tea, & Saly’s Tea Pot (value $35)
Medium Raffle Prize – Lottie Gift Set, Tea, & Funky Fresh Tuk Tuk Box (value $68)
Big Raffle Prize – Lottie Gift Set, Tea, & BRONCA $50 e-gift card (value $80)
Grand Raffle Prize – Tea, Friendsgiving Box, & delicious A5 Japanese Wagyu Steak ~ 1lb from Papa Wagyu (value $200)

Special thanks to our New Year Celebration sponsors who helped make our programming possible:
Presenting Sponsor

Platinum Sponsor

Silver Sponsor

Anders Yang, JD in memory of Dr. Pai Cheng Shen
Friends of Lincoln Square Park

Bronze Sponsor

The Asian and Pacific Islander Staff Association at UCOP
OCA-Eas Bay
Wa Sung Community Service Club | Oakland

Media Sponsor

Inquirer.net

In-Kind Community Sponsor

Kevin Oskow – Martech Consulting and Deployment
United Vietnamese Student Associations of Northern California

Return to OACC’s Lunar New Year page

New Year Celebration: South and Southeast Asia
2021-04-12 - 2021-04-17 | California
Spring into the New Year!

Following a successful virtual Lunar New Year Celebration, OACC is excited to continue the new year festivities for our Oakland Chinatown neighborhood and our broader communities this Spring. Enjoy engaging South and Southeast Asian cultural demonstrations, performances, and children’s story time, all from the comfort of your home! Together with our community partners and local artists, OACC will present engaging, diverse pre-recorded content with performances, demonstrations, and more accessible content linked to the schedule thumbnails below.

This celebration week will be the last chance to access our inaugural Virtual Community Night Market before it closes on April 19th.

Enjoy our celebration kick-off reel!

Check back for the latest updates!

Did you enjoy our Spring New Year content?

CONTENT SCHEDULE:
The Virtual Community Night Market (Night Market) is a virtual “one-stop-shop” marketplace featuring Oakland/Bay Area-based and Oakland values-inspired businesses and creatives from AAPI-owned and AAPI-ally restaurants and small businesses, including BIPOC businesses and artists. The Virtual Community Night Market is an online directory accessible online from February 12, 2021, to April 19, 2021, timing its first and final weeks with OACC’s new year-related programming in mid-February and mid-April.
Special thanks to our New Year Celebration sponsors who helped make our programming possible:
Presenting Sponsor

Platinum Sponsor

Silver Sponsor

Anders Yang, JD in memory of Dr. Pai Cheng Shen
Friends of Lincoln Square Park

Bronze Sponsor

The Asian and Pacific Islander Staff Association at UCOP
OCA-East Bay
Wa Sung Community Service Club | Oakland

Media Sponsor

Inquirer.net

In-Kind Community Sponsor

Kevin Oskow – Martech Consulting and Deployment
United Vietnamese Student Associations of Northern California

Celebrating Our HeART-filled Heritage: Parangal Dance Company
2021-03-20 16:00 - 17:30 | California
OACC’s performing arts series continues with a showcase of captivating dances from various regions of the Philippines and a live workshop with members of Parangal Dance Company, a Filipino folk dance group based in the SF Bay Area. Parangal Dance Company’s mission is to give tribute to Philippine heritage by preserving and promoting ethnic attire, music, and dance through research, workshops, and performances.
More about Parangal Dance Company: http://www.parangal.org/.
Event Access: This event was broadcast live to Parangal’s Facebook Page and OACC’s YouTube channel on March 20th.
Enjoy a special preview clip for the March 20th program!
https://oacc.cc/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/OACC-Preview-Clip.mp4

Media Sponsor:

About the Series
“Celebrating Our HeART-filled Heritage” champions local Asian and Asian Pacific Islander performing artists, with the goal of providing a platform for accomplished local performing artists and exposing our diverse community in the East Bay to compelling, culturally relevant artists and performances that inspire intergenerational and cross-cultural exchange. The performing arts series is supported in part by the Walter and Elise Haas Fund.

Three Coins: A True Story of Kidnappings, Slavery, and Romance in San Francisco's Chinatown
2021-03-13 13:00 - 14:30 | California
Missed the event? Stay in touch with Russell to learn of his upcoming works and appearances at threecoins1@yahoo.com.
Three Coins tells the true story of Ah Ying, who in 1880 was kidnapped and brought to America as a 9-year-old child slave. With her friend Sue Lee she survives, and takes control of her life. Her indomitable spirit takes her from one trial to the next as she is rescued, elopes, and is kidnapped yet again in her search for freedom and true love on the streets of San Francisco’s Chinatown.

About the Author
Russell Low is a physician with a passion for discovery and storytelling. Discovering the 1903 Hong family photograph among the belongings of 100-year-old great Uncle Kim sparked a decades-long search for the stories behind the photograph. Russell frequently lectures on Chinese-American history, and his family’s story has been featured on the History Channel, National Public Radio, Public Radio International, the Voice of America, the California State Railroad Museum, and the Smithsonian Museum of American History.
Learn more at: https://www.russlow.com/

預防跌倒平衡太極課程 | Fall Prevention Tai Chi: A 12-Week Series
2021-02-22 11:00 - 2021-05-19 12:00 | California
Schedule Updates (3/24/21): March 31st class will be canceled in observance of Cesar Chavez holiday. This series has been extended one more week till May 19th to make up for the class cancellations.
*REGISTRATION IS CLOSED*
If you missed the deadline to sign up and would like to join, please email the instructor Donna (email address below).
FOR REGISTRANTS: Download and submit this Tai-Chi Waiver Form prior to attending your first session. Please email your form to Donna at Donna@kcceb.org.
Schedule: This series will run 12 consecutive weeks from February 22nd to May 12th on Mondays and Wednesdays at 11am PST on Zoom. RSVP to receive the meeting link.
此為期12周的課程將免費提供給阿拉⽶达县内的居⺠

每年每四位⽼⼈中就有⼀位因跌倒⽽造成傷殘。此⼋式太極平衡課程源⾃傳統太極拳，是特別為年⻑者設計步驟簡單可站練也可坐練，⾒效特別快。
經美國臨床驗證可強健下肢穩定性、鍛煉腦⼒清神定⼼，更能幫助訓練腦部疾患使⽤腹式呼吸以調和⼼肺功能。

Free of charge only within Alameda county

Each year, one out of four elders will fall which causes injury or death. Originated from traditional Tai Chi Quan, this 12 week course is easy to learn and can be done standing or sitting.
Clinically studied and tested its effectiveness, it can strengthen leg muscles, increase stability, improve cognitive function, and promote wellness.

For more information, contact Donna Jung at (510) 214-3758 or Donna@kcceb.org.
This 12-week series is presented in partnership with OACC, Korean Community Center of the East Bay, Moving for Better Balance, Alameda County Social Services Agency, and California Department of Aging.

Quarantini Mixer: Celebrating with Food and Drink
2021-02-19 18:00 - 20:00 | California
“Celebrating with Food and Drink” Featuring Chef Tu David Phu, Adam “Boots” Brogan, and Alkali Rye
OACC is excited to bring you Quarantini Mixer — an online mixology class and social club! To close out the Lunar New Celebration, this mixer focuses on “Celebrating with Food and Drink” — learn how to make wontons at home from Chef Tu David Phu! Afterward, learn how to pair your meal with a tasty cocktail you can make at home using a cocktail kit from Alkali Rye as demonstrated by Adam Brogan! Cocktail kit includes (4oz) San Zanj – a tropical and bright Haitian Clairin rum, (4oz) Greenbar Orange liqueur, (4oz) Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum, (3) limes, (8oz) Coco Lopez, and (4oz) Small Hands food pineapple syrup—makes a total of 4 servings.
On Friday, February 19 at 6:00 pm, come hang out with us over zoom and enjoy a signature drink with a cocktail kit from Alkali Rye ($35 value). As you learn how to make wontons and ways to pair a tasty cocktail, you will also get a chance to win great auction items and raffle prizes! This event is a virtual fundraiser, in which proceeds from ticket sales and auction support OACC and Alkali Rye. Read “OUR STORY” to learn more.

GENERAL ADMISSION INCLUDES ZOOM LINK ACCESS TO EVENT/DEMO ON FEBRUARY 19, RECIPE FOR WONTON RECIPE, COCKTAIL KIT, AND RAFFLE TICKET.
PRICE:

$10 — Bring-your-own-cocktail Admission: Zoom link access and wonton recipe
$45 — General Admission and of Alkali Rye cocktail kit, wonton recipe, and raffle ticket ready for pick up at OACC.
$55 — General admission and delivery service by OACC Staff of Alkali Rye cocktail kit, wonton recipe, and raffle ticket in a 10-mile radius of Oakland, CA
$65 — General admission and delivery service by OACC Staff of Alkali Rye cocktail kit, wonton recipe, and raffle ticket in a 15-mile radius of Oakland, CA
$75 — General admission and delivery service by OACC Staff of Alkali Rye cocktail kit, wonton recipe, and raffle ticket in a 25-mile radius of Oakland, CA

IMPORTANT DELIVERY NOTE: The delivery service ends at 3 pm on Friday, February 19. The delivery pricing covers staff mileage based on distance and a small portion serves as a general donation towards OACC’s programs.
Deadline to place pick-up & delivery orders: Wednesday, February 17 at 6:00 pm
RAFFLE PRIZE:
We will call 4 lucky winners to win a gift bag of the following items:
(1) Friendsgiving Box, (1) set of Red Boat Fish Sauce & Salt, and (1) Bottle of white wine
LIVE AUCTION ITEMS:
1) Han Huang, Five Bulls hand-made paper scroll. Value: $100; Opening Bid: $45

Special thanks to our New Year Celebration sponsors who helped make our programming possible:
Presenting Sponsor

Platinum Sponsor

Silver Sponsor

Anders Yang, JD in memory of Dr. Pai Cheng Shen
Friends of Lincoln Square Park

Bronze Sponsor

The Asian and Pacific Islander Staff Association at UCOP
OCA-Eas Bay
Wa Sung Community Service Club | Oakland

Media Sponsor

Inquirer.net

In-Kind Community Sponsor

Kevin Oskow – Martech Consulting and Deployment
United Vietnamese Student Associations of Northern California

Return to OACC’s Lunar New Year page

OACC 2021 Lunar New Year Celebration
2021-02-12 - 2021-02-19 | California
OACC is celebrating the Lunar New Year differently this year!

Happy Lunar New Year | 恭喜發財 新年快樂 (Gong Xi Fa Cai! Xin Nian Kuai Le!) | Chúc mừng năm mới | 새해 복 많이 받으세요 | Шинэ жилийн баярын мэнд хvргэе | 明けおめ ことよろ | Losar Bey Tashi Delek

Happy Year of the Ox to all! OACC envisions vibrant, healthy, and just communities where diverse APIA identities and heritage are affirmed and celebrated. Due to COVID-19 challenges, we are shifting our celebration to a week-long festival of virtual/online programs that highlight various Asian countries that celebrate the Lunar New Year such as China, Vietnam, Korea, and more. Together with our community partners and local artists, OACC will present engaging, diverse pre-recorded content with performances, demonstrations, and more accessible content linked to the schedule thumbnails below.

All week long (and beyond), we hope you engage with us and support AAPI-owned and AAPI-ally businesses, artists, and creatives who are our beloved community.

Fill out our survey by Friday, March 19, 2021 at 5pm PST to be entered into a special raffle drawing for OACC-exclusive goods!

Enjoy our kick-off broadcast originally aired on Friday, February 12, 2021.

CONTENT SCHEDULE:
All pre-recorded content is about 15-30 minutes long ~ but we encourage you to explore the pages for any downloadable activities or visit the Virtual Community Night Market to support our community!

About the Virtual Community Night Market
The Virtual Community Night Market (Night Market) will be a virtual “one-stop-shop” marketplace featuring Oakland/Bay Area-based and Oakland values-inspired businesses and creatives from AAPI-owned and AAPI-ally restaurants and small businesses, including BIPOC businesses and artists. The Virtual Community Night Market will serve as an online directory, which will be active from February 12, 2021, to April 19, 2021, timing its first and final weeks with OACC’s new year-related programming in mid-February and mid-April.
To participate as a virtual vendor, please fill out this google form. There is a $30 vendor booth fee associated with the application. We will still be accepting vendors even after the launch.
Become a New Year Celebration Sponsor!
To undertake such an initiative requires the assistance and partnership of more than 20 local artists, organizations, and instructors as well as financial support to offset various event costs such as tech equipment and artists’ stipends. Support of the OACC New Year Celebration will provide your organization or company with an effective way to communicate your message and service to thousands of potential customers in the Bay Area. New Year sponsors will receive a range of recognition and benefits. We look forward to working with your team to ensure that your organization is highlighted to the maximum level possible. Click here to learn more.
Special thanks to our New Year Celebration sponsors who helped make our programming possible:
Presenting Sponsor

Platinum Sponsor

Silver Sponsor

Anders Yang, JD in memory of Dr. Pai Cheng Shen
Friends of Lincoln Square Park

Bronze Sponsor

The Asian and Pacific Islander Staff Association at UCOP
OCA-East Bay
Wa Sung Community Service Club | Oakland

Media Sponsor

Inquirer.net

In-Kind Community Sponsor

Kevin Oskow – Martech Consulting and Deployment
United Vietnamese Student Associations of Northern California

Lincoln School 2021 Lunar New Year Art Contest
2021-02-09 - 2021-02-28 | California
Historically hosted by Wa Sung Service Club, Lincoln School’s annual Lunar New Year student art contest will be virtually presented in partnership with OACC for 2021 in light of the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Winners will be announced by Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC) at Lincoln Elementary School’s Virtual Lunar New Year Celebration on Tuesday, February 9th starting at 7pm. Winners will have their art displayed in OACC’s front windows and all entries will be published online.
Learn more about Lincoln Elementary School.
View all entries here!

"Padmavyuha": A Conversation Behind the Scenes
2021-01-22 18:00 - 19:00 | California
Watch the recording here.
In “Padmavyuha”, a mysterious phone call draws an Indian-American religious studies professor into a dark labyrinth of mystic Indian puzzles, the answers to which will reveal a nefarious global conspiracy – and shake the foundations of the world’s biggest religions.
Go behind the scenes with director Raj Krishna, producer Sean O’Hare, and lead actor Nikhil Prakash to learn about the making of this short film. Shot entirely in San Jose, CA, “Padmavyuha” world premiered as the opening night gala film at the International Indian Film Festival of Toronto (IIFFT) on August 9, 2020, and went on to play at festivals such as the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Film Festival, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, and the Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati.
About the Speakers

Raj Krishna is a producer, writer and director. Raj began his career by producing several shorts and documentaries which played at film festivals around the world and won awards. Raj then transitioned into writing with his cannibal horror script Varna Heights, which was selected as one of ten projects to be featured at the India’s Film Bazaar Co-Production Market in 2019. In 2020, Raj directed his first film, Padmavyuha, starring Nikhil Prakash, Ross and Pooja Batra. Padmavyuha was shot entirely in San Jose, CA, and world premiered as the opening night gala film at the International Indian Film Festival of Toronto (IIFFT) on August 9, 2020.

Born and raised in San Jose, CA, Sean O’Hare graduated from San Jose State University with a BA in Sociology. Soon after, he accepted an internship and gradually became the Senior Producer of Guerilla Wanderers Films, a full service production company in the San Francisco Bay Area. Working at Guerilla Wanderers Films for over 10 years, Sean produced over 100 projects, which include; commercials, music videos, films, and shows. With these projects, he has also won over 50 awards through many prestigious film festivals. Sean currently is a freelance Producer working with various production companies and agencies in California and New York, running under his alias, “Sean the Producer” (www.seantheproducer.com). Sean has worked with several Asian-American directors, including Pari Mathur on his feature film Lucky Fifty (world premiered at Cinequest), and Raj Krishna on his debut film Padmavyuha.

Nikhil Prakash is an award-winning filmmaker, producer and actor known for his roles in NCIS: New Orleans (2014), Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (2016) and MacGyver (2016). He is the lead actor for Padmavyuha, playing the role of Professor Shaki Ramdas.

Book Talk: Women and the Legacy of Imperialism in the Pacific
2021-01-09 13:00 - 14:00 | California
Missed it? Click here to view the recording
At the southern end of the Japanese archipelago lies Okinawa, host to a vast complex of U.S. military bases. A legacy of World War II, these bases have been a fraught issue for decades—with tensions exacerbated by the often volatile relationship between islanders and the military, especially after the brutal rape of a 12-year-old girl by three servicemen in 1995. In Night in the American Village, Akemi Johnson takes readers deep into the “border towns” surrounding the bases—a world where cultural and political fault lines compel individuals, both Japanese and American, to continually renegotiate their own identities.
Joining Akemi in conversation is author of Green Island and former Fulbright scholar, Shawna Yang Ryan. In a story that sweeps across six decades and two continents, Green Island traces the course of Taiwan’s history, from the end of Japanese colonial rule, to the decades under martial law, and finally to Taiwan’s transformation into a democracy. This lush, lyrical novel depicts a family and a nation grappling with the nuances of complicity and survival, raising the question: How far would you be willing to go for the ones you love?

About the Authors

AKEMI JOHNSON is the author of Night in the American Village: Women in the Shadow of the U.S. Military Bases in Okinawa, which has been shortlisted for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing. Akemi has contributed to The Nation, NPR’s All Things Considered and Code Switch, Travel + Leisure, Roads & Kingdoms, Anthony Bourdain’s Explore Parts Unknown, and other publications. She has been the recipient of a Fulbright grant to Japan, a Pushcart Prize nomination, and the James D. Phelan Award from the San Francisco Foundation. Akemi earned an MFA in fiction writing from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and an AB in East Asian Studies from Brown University. She has taught writing at the George Washington University, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and the University of Iowa. She lives with her husband and daughter in Northern California. Learn more about Akemi.

SHAWNA YANG RYAN is a former Fulbright scholar and the author of Water Ghosts (Penguin Press 2009) and Green Island (Knopf 2016). She teaches in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Her work has received the Association for Asian American Studies Best Book Award in Creative Writing, the Elliot Cades Emerging Writer award, and an American Book Award. Learn more about Shawna.

Closed for Holidays
2020-12-24 - 2021-01-01 | California

Celebrating Our HeART-filled Heritage: Vanessa Vân-Ánh Võ
2020-12-19 17:00 - 18:30 | California
Emmy Award-winning musician Vanessa Vân-Ánh Võ kicks off OACC’s new performing arts series by sharing original music featuring Vietnamese instruments such as the đàn tranh (Vietnamese zither). A fearless musical explorer, Vân-Ánh Võ is an award-winning performer of the 16-string đàn tranh (zither) and an Emmy Award-winning composer who has collaborated with Kronos Quartet, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and Yo-Yo Ma. In addition to her mastery of the đàn tranh, she also uses the monochord (đàn bầu), bamboo xylophone (đàn t’rung), traditional drums (trống) and many other instruments to create music that blends the wonderfully unique sounds of Vietnamese instruments with other genres, and fuses deeply rooted Vietnamese musical traditions with fresh new structures and compositions.
Her performance will be followed by audience dialogue in partnership with the United Vietnamese Student Association | Northern California.
More about Vân-Ánh Võ: https://www.vananhvo.com/bio.

About the Series
“Celebrating Our HeART-filled Heritage” champions local Asian and Asian Pacific Islander performing artists, with the goal of providing a platform for accomplished local performing artists and exposing our diverse community in the East Bay to compelling, culturally relevant artists and performances that inspire intergenerational and cross-cultural exchange. The performing arts series is supported in part by the Walter and Elise Haas Fund.
RSVP to receive the Zoom link. Donations are appreciated and no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Quarantini Mixer: Beer Tasting 101 With Trappist
2020-12-04 17:00 - 18:30 | California
“The Theory Of Beer” Featuring The Trappist
OACC is excited to bring you Quarantini Mixer — an online social club! This mixer focuses on “The Theory of Beer” — learn the basics of beer tasting featuring Ruben Dominguez from The Trappist!
On Friday, December 4 at 5:00 pm, come hang out with us over zoom, enjoy a flight of beer, and get a chance to win great auction items and raffle prizes! This event is a virtual fundraiser, in which proceeds from ticket sales and auction support both Trappist and OACC.
GENERAL ADMISSION INCLUDES ZOOM LINK ACCESS TO EVENT/TASTING ON DECEMBER 4TH, A FLIGHT OF BEER OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER, RAFFLE TICKET FOR A CHANCE TO WIN SOME SWAG & TRAPPIST DRINKING GLASSES.
PRICE:
$35 — General Admission: a ready-for-pick-up flight of beer (3 bottles) or non-alcoholic beer (1-2 bottles) ($25 value) from Trappist​ and a raffle ticket for a chance to win Trappist swag and a home-brewing kit
$45 — General Admission and delivery service by OACC Staff of Trappist flight and raffle ticket in a 10-mile radius of Oakland, CA
$55 — General Admission and delivery service by OACC Staff of Trappist flight and raffle ticket in a 15-mile radius of Oakland, CA
$65 — General Admission and delivery service by OACC Staff of Trappist flight and raffle ticket in a 25-mile radius of Oakland, CA
IMPORTANT DELIVERY NOTE: Please order by Wednesday, December 2. The delivery service ends at 2 pm on Friday, December 4. The delivery prices cover staff mileage based on distance and a small portion serves as a general donation towards OACC’s programs.
Deadline to place pick-up & delivery orders: Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 6:00 pm
RAFFLE PRIZE:
Trappist Drinking Glasses and Swag
LIVE AUCTION ITEMS:
1) Vintage Beer from Trappist. Qty: 1
2) Home Beer Brewing Kit & Kombucha Brewing Kit. Qty: 1

Closed for Thanksgiving
2020-11-26 - 2020-11-29 | California

Quiz For a Cause! Trivia Night with Geeks Who Drink
2020-11-23 17:00 - 19:00 | California
On Monday, November 23rd, OACC is raising money with the power of a well-attended pub quiz – now on Zoom!

Quiz For A Cause is our philanthropic endeavor to unite geeks with great individuals, charities, and organizations in their community who want to raise funds towards a worthy goal – all while showing off how smart you are.

The Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC) is the only pan-Asian arts and cultural center in the East Bay, welcoming over 25,000 guests each year. We aim to build a stronger, more vibrant community through robust arts, cultural, and social justice programming to connect different generations, cultures, and identities. Your ticket purchase goes towards ensuring OACC’s continued innovation and our staff’s ability to provide critical online programming for East Bay API communities. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been a noted rise in reports of racism, violence, and discrimination against APIA communities throughout the country. Now more than ever, OACC’s mission, commitment, and dedication towards the APIA community of artists, culture, and social justice is most important. We have initiated several new projects including the “Open E.A.R.S. for Change” anti-racism series, a performing arts series featuring four accomplished local API artists, and building virtual educational resources to remotely stand-in for our suspended school tours program. We are newly imagining exhibitions to be virtually accessible and exploring remote-friendly presentation formats to elevate and support the visual arts while our physical space remains closed.
You can donate directly here: https://oacc.liveimpact.org/fundraiser/li/8737/D/113686

Please follow the link to our Monday, 11/23 event, scheduled at 6pm Mountain. https://withribbon.com/s/14348
Look for the Quiz For A Cause logo! And look for more fundraisers coming soon… it’s a strange world right now and we still need to help wherever we can. You can help us do that while playing pub quiz in the safety of your own home!

The rest of this is the usual Zoom Quiz FAQ!

FAQ
How do we play?
Virtual quizzes are run live on Zoom. We will use Zoom’s breakout rooms to create a private space for you and your team. Plan to play solo? Breakout rooms can get lonely by yourself, instead of a breakout room you’ll get to party down in the main room with the Quizmasters.

How do I get the room link?
The link will be embedded in the confirmation email you receive after purchase.

How do we communicate during the quiz?
After each round is over, we’ll send you into breakout rooms with your teams* to discuss the answers before submitting them. We’ll even give you a copy of the questions to review while you’re there. You won’t be able to talk during the round though, so feel free to take notes while you’re playing.

How do I submit my answers?
When you enter the Zoom meeting we’ll provide you the link for the night’s digital answer sheet. Only one person will need to fill it out.

How do you prevent cheating?
We have a very, very complex system that detects cheaters with 99.999% accuracy. We could explain how it works but, you know, character limits…

How long is the quiz?
About 90 minutes, with five rounds of six questions and an 8 question visual round.

What are the team sizes?
Teams can be up to 6 people.

Do I have to buy tickets for my whole team?
No, you can buy 1-6 tickets each.

Can I add more people to my team later?
Yes, but we do recommend purchasing all tickets at once. Either the team captain may purchase additional tickets, or an individual can purchase a ticket and join an existing team by providing the team name.

Can I join after the quiz starts?
Sorry, no. Ticket sales close 1 hour prior to the start time so we can prepare the quiz.

Can I change my team name?
Again, sorry, no. We’ll ask for your team name at checkout and will use that name to create a team’s breakout room.

Are there any prizes?
Bragging rights galore… and the winning team will get to choose their victory song, played to close out the quiz.

What is your refund policy?
All purchases are final. In the event of a cancellation, or technical issues on our end that prevent the quiz from continuing, refunds will be processed as soon as possible.

I didn’t find my answer here.
That’s totally intentional. We love hearing from you so drop us a line at virtual@geekswhodrink.com and we can talk about it!
