Oakland Asian Cultural Center

She Isn't A Metaphor: An Exhibition of Mixed Media by Nimisha Doongarwal
2025-08-14 12:00 - 2025-11-01 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. #290, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
On view: August 14 – November 1 (during OACC open hours)

Wednesday–Saturday, noon–5 pm
She Isn’t a Metaphor reimagines mythological women not as symbols or ideals, but as powerful, complex women. Drawing from Hindu mythology and other traditions, this series of mixed media by artist Nimisha Doongarwal challenges how women have been used as symbols—Sita for purity, Draupadi for sacrifice, or Medusa for fear—while their own voices have been erased.
Through layered collage, textiles, and paint, these figures are brought into the present, where they speak back. They are not here to uphold expectations. They are here to reclaim space, tell their truths, and offer new ways of seeing ourselves. This work isn’t just about the past, it’s about now. It’s a call to unlearn, to reimagine, and to find strength in stories told on our own terms.
The work asks the viewer, “What parts of the past do we still carry? What do we need to let go of in order to become whole?”
She Isn’t a Metaphor is for anyone who has felt unseen or unheard. It’s about more than reclaiming the past, it’s about reimagining the future. These figures aren’t just remembered, they are rewritten, reawakened, and ready to speak for themselves.
About the Artist

Nimisha Doongarwal is a San Francisco-based mixed-media artist originally from India. Her work explores identity, memory, and migration through layered compositions that blend traditional Indian textiles, painting, collage, and archival imagery. Rooted in South Asian craft and personal experience, her art challenges fixed notions of identity, offering instead a space of transformation and resilience.
Nimisha’s work has been exhibited at institutions including the de Young Museum, the San Francisco International Airport, and the Museum of Northern California Art. She has been featured in Forbes, ArtMarket, Suboart and Sfumato art magazines.
Find more of Nimisha’s work online at www.nimishart.com or on Instagram @nimishart.

Celebrating Our HeART-filled Heritage: Hawaiian Arts and Culture Day
2025-08-16 12:00 - 17:00
Saturday, August 1612 pm-5 pm
FREE

Photo Credit: Photo by William Lee

Join us for a rich celebration of Hawaiian culture with the Kaululehua Hawaiian Cultural Center. Learn about Hawaiian culture through performances, lectures/demonstrations, and a vendor marketplace. Featured performers will include Kumu Kawika Alfiche, Steven Kanahe Espaniola, and Hālau o Keikiali`i.

SCHEDULE 12 pm: Vendor Marketplace opens12:45-1 pm: Lecture/Demonstration – Hula/Oli (dance/chant)1-1:45 pm: Hālau o Keikiali`I Hula Kahiko (Ancient Hula)1:45-2:15pm: Break2:15-2:30pm: Lecture/Demonstration – `Ukulele/Mele (Hawaiian Songs) 2:30-3:15pm: Steven Espaniola `Ukulele3:15-3:45pm: Break3:45-4pm: Lecture/Demonstration – Lei/Kup`e (Adornments)4-5pm: Hālau o Keikiali`i Hula `Auana (Modern Hula)

About the Performers

Kumu Hula Kawika Keikiali’ihiwahiwa Alfiche has dedicated 31 years to teaching hula and Hawaiian cultural arts. He is the Kumu Hula of Hālau o Keikiali’i and Director of the Kaululehua Hawaiian Cultural Center in South San Francisco and Napa. He is a formal `Uniki of Kumu Rae Kahikilaulani Fonseca, who is an `uniki of Kumu George L. Naope. He is also a recording artist and composer with four CDs and six DVDs.

Steven Espaniola was raised in Aliamanu, Hawai’i, on the island of O’ahu, and now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. Steven is a multi-instrumentalist specializing in ‘ukulele, Kī Hō’alu (Hawaiian slack key guitar) bass, and Leo Ki’e Ki’e (Traditional Hawaiian falsetto). In 2007, Steven’s musical efforts earned him the recognition of “New Artist of the Year” at the Hawai‘i Music Awards. In 2023, Steven’s original song “Sakura” was a finalist for the prestigious Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award in the Hawaiian Music Video category. He was recently featured on the cover of the 2024 Summer issue of Ukulele Magazine, a publication for which he has been a contributing editor and columnist for several years.

Hālau o Keikiali’i is a Hawaiian cultural and dance group based in South San Francisco. Since 1994, their goal has been to educate the general public about Hawaiian culture, its traditional customs, values, and protocols. Besides having regularly scheduled classes, they strive to perpetuate the rich culture of the Hawaiian people through presentations to the general public, including educational workshops, performances, and other cultural events. The hālau is comprised of both men and women, young and old, ranging from 5 to 85 years of age, and presents theatre productions highlighting hula in its many aspects. Following tradition, they share what they learn with different communities so that everyone can benefit from a better understanding and appreciation of Hawaiian culture.

Kaululehua Hawaiian Cultural Center opened its doors in 2003 to offer classes, workshops, performances, and events for all who wish to learn about Hawaiian Culture, in all its aspects. In April 2021, the Center officially expanded with a two-acre retreat center in Napa Valley. The center’s ongoing events include an annual lu`au, a Hawaiian film festival, an arts and crafts gallery show, a kaliko keiki camp, hula gatherings, land cultivation, ‘ukulele classes, hula classes, and more.

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Celebrating Our HeART-filled Heritage: Ragas in Conversation
2025-09-06 19:30 - 21:00
With Arjun K. Verma, Anirudh Bharadwaj, Rohan Krishnamurthy

Saturday, September 6
7:30-9 pm
FREE
Indian classical luminaries Arjun K. Verma, Anirudh Bharadwaj, and Rohan Krishnamurthy come together in a new collaboration of Carnatic and Hindustani traditions. As Bay Area-based ambassadors of Indian music, the trio represents ancient Indian lineages at the frontiers of contemporary experimentation.

Performer Bios

Dr. Rohan Krishnamurthy is an Indian-American percussionist, composer, educator, and one of the leading voices of Indian classical and cross-genre music in the South Asian diaspora. Acclaimed as a “musical ambassador” by The Times of India, he received mridangam training from the legendary maestro, Sriman. Guruvayur Dorai, in Chennai. Distinguished as a soloist, composer, and collaborator, Rohan performed with legendary Indian classical musicians and Grammy Award-winning global artists.

Rohan leads The Alaya Project, an Indo-jazz-funk collective that has performed at prestigious jazz and global music festivals including SF Jazz, Joe’s Pub NYC, and Strathmore DC. The group’s recently released debut album has been praised by Jazziz Magazine, NPR, San Francisco Chronicle, and more. Rohan holds a Ph.D. in musicology from the Eastman School of Music and directs the RohanRhythm Percussion Studio with students from across the globe. Rohan is the recipient of international awards and grants, including commissions from the San Francisco Arts Commission, Zellerbach Foundation, and Goethe Institute (Germany). He has taught at renowned institutions, and his patented RohanRhythm drum tuning system is available worldwide.

Arjun K. Verma is an Indian-American sitarist and composer. Beginning with his father, Roop Verma, and continuing with the legendary Ali Akbar Khan and his son Alam Khan, Arjun’s meticulous training has imbued him with a rich musicality that encompasses both the profound majesty and the exhilaration of North Indian classical music. Hailed by the New York Times as a “fine sitarist,” Arjun shares the jewels of his cultural heritage in a manner that is fresh, modern, and relevant, while maintaining a high standard of traditional integrity.

Arjun has performed at international venues including the United Nations, the Fillmore, Prague Castle, and on the NBC TV network, collaborating with a diverse host of musicians including the London Symphony Orchestra, Swapan Chaudhuri, Alam Khan, Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), the St. Louis Symphony, and GRAMMY-winning pianist and arranger John Beasley. Arjun’s performance repertoire has stretched the limits of the sitar as an instrument, and his recording and composing work has applied Indian classical music effectively for TV, opera, and documentary film.

Arjun is the recipient of a Mosaic America commissioning grant (2020), a Creative Work Fund grant (2018—Haas Foundation), and a Shenson Fellowship (2007—San Francisco Foundation).

Anirudh Bharadwaj is a Carnatic flautist based in California. He is a student of Vidwan Delhi Sunderrajan and began his initial training under Srimati Akhila Krishnan and Sriman P.N. Krishnan. Anirudh has also received training in Hindustani classical music from renowned flute maestro Pandit Kailash Sharma of Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Delhi. Residing in the Bay Area, he passionately teaches Carnatic flute and vocal music to students across the United States, Europe, and India.

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Panel Discussion: A History of Chinese Life Under American Racial Law (1850s-1960s)
2025-09-20 14:00 - 16:00
Saturday, September 20
2-4 pm
FREE

Join us for life stories of Chinese and Chinese Americans who endured racial violence and discrimination as second-class citizens during the 1850s to 1960s. Ground-breaking authors Michael Luo* and Fae Myenne Ng*, and Wong Kim Ark’s great-grandson Norman Wong, share the stories of Chinese lives under American racial laws enacted to exclude, deport, and deny their due process of law.

From the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act to the 1956 Immigration and Naturalization Service’s (INS) Chinese Confession program, the U.S. government scrutinized and separated families and communities, conducted raids in Chinese communities, and hunted for “illegal” paper sons. These stories echo the recent raids and terror enforced today against immigrants from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

In Strangers in the Land, Michael Luo illuminates the stories of racial violence and resistance of Chinese immigrants in the 19th century. Luo writes of early victims of anti-Asian violence, like Gene Tong, a Los Angeles herbalist who was dragged from his apartment and hanged by a mob during one of the worst mass lynchings in the country’s history, and of demagogues like Denis Kearney, a sandlot orator who became the face of the anti-Chinese movement in the late-1870s.

Fae Myenne Ng’s Orphan Bachelors is a memoir of San Francisco’s Chinatown and of a family building a life in a country bent on their exclusion. She writes, “exclusion and confession WERE, the two slamming doors of America … All his life, my father raged that the Exclusion Act was a brilliant piece of legislation because it was bloodless. He’d intone, ‘America didn’t have to kill any Chinese; her law assured none would be born.’”’

Norman Wong is the great-grandson of Wong Kim Ark. Wong Kim Ark fought a landmark Supreme Court case to claim his right as an American citizen. Writes The Washington Post: “In 1895, Wong Kim Ark returned from a visit to his family’s ancestral village in Taishan, in China’s Guangdong province, and was barred from reentering the United States. His three-year legal battle culminated in the Supreme Court’s ruling that the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment — which protects those born on U.S. soil who are “subject to the jurisdiction” of the government — affirmed his status as an American by birth.”

This event is sponsored by Eastwind Books, Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Asian American Research Center (UC Berkeley), Center for Race & Gender (UCB), Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) East Bay, Asian American & Asian Diaspora Studies (UCB), Cal Alumni Association, Chinese Chapter (UCB); Center for Race, Immigration, Citizenship & Equality, (UC Law SF), History Department (UCB).

* Please note that Michael Luo and Fae Myenne Ng will join the panel virtually online.

Panelist Bios

Michael Luo is an executive editor at The New Yorker and writes regularly for the magazine on politics, religion, and Asian American issues. He joined The New Yorker in 2016. Before that, he spent thirteen years at the New York Times, as a metro reporter, national correspondent, and investigative reporter and editor. He is a recipient of a George Polk Award and a Livingston Award for Young Journalists. He is the author of Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America.

Fae Myenne Ng is the author of Orphan Bachelors, a Memoir, the bestseller and PEN/Faulkner Fiction finalist Bone, and the American Book Award winner Steer Toward Rock. She has been the recipient of fellowships from the American Academy of Arts & Letters, the Guggenheim, the Lannan Foundation, the NEA, the Radcliffe Institute, and the Rockefeller Foundation. She teaches creative writing and literature in UC Berkeley’s Department of Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies.

Norman Wong is the great-grandson of Wong Kim Ark, who fought a landmark Supreme Court case to claim his right as an American citizen in 1895, thereby affirming the 14th Amendment’s establishment of birthright citizenship for all born in the United States. Norman lives in the Bay Area, with his wife, Maureen and children.

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Oakland Ilokana Film Premiere
2025-10-04 15:00 - 16:30
Part of the “Rooted in Chinatown” Series

Saturday, October 4
3-5 pm
FREE
Celebrate Filipino American History Month at OACC! Join us for the premiere of Oakland Ilokana, an intergenerational documentary about legacy, ancestral memory, and the search for connection. Guided by the stories of her aging grandmother—who was one of the first Filipino American children born in Oakland—a filmmaker embarks on a personal journey to understand her lineage and the histories that shaped her family.

Directed by Elenita Makani O’Malley, the film weaves personal narrative with broader themes of displacement, resilience, and cultural inheritance. It explores what it means to remember and carry forward stories that are often left untold.

Oakland Ilokana speaks to universal stories of migration, survival, and the invisible threads that tether us across generations, across place, and across life itself.

This event is presented by the Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC) and the East Bay Community Foundation. Production of the film was additionally supported by the City of San Leandro and Balay Kreative.

About the Filmmaker

Elenita Makani O’Malley is a queer Filipina and Irish American storyteller from the Bay Area. With a background in anthropology, museums, and media production, she uses video to tell stories about ancestral memory, cultural inheritance, and the threads that tether us across time and place.

Elenita holds a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology from Georgetown University and a Master of Arts in Museum Anthropology from Columbia University. By day, she works as a science communicator, crafting videos that demystify complex topics about our planet. Her video work has been featured in exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History, the California Academy of Sciences, and more.

Learn more at www.elenitamakani.com or www.instagram.com/elenita.sampaguita.

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"The Asian Elder Portrait Project:" an Exhibition of Drawings by Luke Sera-Tacorda
2025-11-05 - 2026-01-31
NOW EXTENDED!
On view November 5, 2025–January 31, 2026
FREE
31
The Asian Elder Portrait Project: The Heart of Chinatown as Seen through the Eyes of a Teen is Luke Sera-Tacorda’s first solo exhibition. Each portrait was drawn with graphite on paper, using a photograph reference of the subject taken by the artist.
Society often chooses not to see the senior citizens who have built and continue to be part of our communities. Collectively, we often fail to see their individuality or try to relate to them, and we all lose when those relationships are unformed. The Asian Elder Portrait Project aims to depict the vibrancy and unique qualities of each elder. Each smile line, glint in a pair of glasses, and shy expression conveys a unique and intriguing narrative.
American painter Georgia O’Keeffe (an inspiration to Sera-Tacorda on how to convey mood and emotion through art), wrote in 1968, “When I began to paint flowers, I was sure nobody would pay attention. So I thought, I’ll make them big and they’ll pay attention.” Through this project, Sera-Tacorda aims to magnify the joyous expressions of our elders and show Oakland and the greater Bay Area community why they are worth paying attention to.

About the Artist
Luke Sera-Tacorda is the seventeen-year-old artist behind the Asian Elder Portrait Project. As a child, his family recalls him doodling on notebooks, restaurant napkins, and church bulletins before he could talk. Unlike most young kids with an affinity towards visual art, though, drawing fantastical subjects never enticed him. Rather, before he had the language to describe it, he found joy in accurately depicting the smaller and unassuming details of everyday life: the subtle interplay of light and shadow, the dynamics of movement, the mechanics of perspective, and most of all, the emotional quality that drew him to his subjects in the first place. Thus, after years of experimenting with different forms of art, realism has proven to be his strongest and preferred form of self-expression. He hopes to continue his creative journey by pursuing architecture in college.

"Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America" book talk with Jeff Chang
2025-11-05 19:00 - 20:30
Wednesday, November 5
7-8:30 pm
FREE
Join us for a conversation and book signing with award-winning writer, critic, and cultural observer Jeff Chang as he brings fresh insight and humanity to the legendary Bruce Lee in Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America. Jeff will be in conversation with filmmaker Ursula Liang.

His new book is not only a sweeping, intimate biography of a global martial arts icon, but is also the untold story of the rise of Asian America.

Water Mirror Echo—a title inspired by Bruce Lee’s own way of moving, being and responding to the world—reminds us of his core essence. In the hands of author Jeff Chang, Bruce Lee’s story brims with the personal. Based on in-depth interviews with Lee’s closest intimates, newly available personal documents, and featuring dozens of photographs from Lee’s family archive, Chang reveals the man behind the iconography. Stirringly, he shows how Lee’s growing fame ushered in something even more enduring—the creation of Asian America.

This event is presented in partnership with Eastwind Books. They will be selling copies of Water Mirror Echo at the event.

Author Biography

Jeff Chang is an award-winning writer, host, and cultural organizer known for his keen observations on culture, politics, the arts, and music. His first book, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation, was named one of the best nonfiction books of the last quarter century. His other books include Who We Be: A Cultural History of Race in Post Civil Rights America), and We Gon’ Be Alright: Notes On Race and Resegregation. Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America, a sweeping cultural biography, is his newest release. He is also the host of the podcasts Signal Award-winning Edge of Reason, and KALW’s Notes From the Edge. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai’i of Chinese and Kanaka Maoli descent, he is a graduate of ‘Iolani School, the University of California at Berkeley, and the University of California at Los Angeles.

Moderator Biography

Ursula Liang (she/her) is an award-winning director and producer with 25 years of experience in storytelling. Her debut feature, 9-Man (2014), was broadcast on public television and called “an absorbing documentary” by The New York Times. Her second film, Down a Dark Stairwell (2020), had its premiere at True/False and was called “the most essential Asian American documentary in decades.” Her latest feature, Jeanette Lee Vs. (2022), is part of ESPN’s acclaimed 30 for 30 series while her most recent short, Two Strikes (2023), aired on the iconic PBS series Frontline. Her work has been supported by ITVS, Ford Foundation, Sundance Institute, Firelight Media, and the Center for Asian American Media. Before becoming a filmmaker, Ursula held staff positions at The New York Times Op-Docs, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, ESPN The Magazine, Asia Pacific Forum, and Hyphen magazine. She has also produced for television, including UFC Primetime and NBC Spartan Ultimate Team Challenge. Ursula is a member of Film Fatales, A-DOC, IDD, and is the Board Vice President of Brown Girls Doc Mafia. Originally from Newton, Massachusetts, she spent two decades in the Bronx, and currently works from Oakland, California.

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Arabesque: A Middle Eastern Dance and Music Concert
2025-11-08 19:00 - 20:30
Saturday, November 8
7-8:30 pm
FREE
Join critically acclaimed belly dancer Shabnam as she celebrates 20 years of her creative practice with a concert at OACC. She specializes in Orientale Bellydance, which blends ballet and Middle Eastern Dance. This dynamic approach is contemporary, yet honors the traditional roots of Middle Eastern Dance—a lineage that is thousands of years old. She will be accompanied by internationally acclaimed musicians Georges Lammam, Amina Goodyear, Khader Keileh and Susu Pampanin, each of whom bring passion and mastery to their practices of traditional Middle Eastern music.

This is event is free to attend, but registration is requested at the link below.

Register

Arabesque Belly Dance Master Class
2:30-4 pm | $50

The concert will be preceded by a special master class in belly dance with Shabnam. Learn to capture attention with unique, dynamic entrances in the classical style but with a twist. No drop-ins will be allowed. Register now for the class at https://www.shabnamdancecompany.com/classes-workshops/p/classicalbellydance

Exhibition: The Mystics of Dreams and Dance
November 5-December 6

Shabnam’s performance is in conjunction with The Mystics of Dreams and Dance, an exhibition of Shabnam’s paintings in the OACC hallway. She began drawing and creating artworks as a child, encouraged by her mom who enrolled her in arts classes at a young age. Her paintings and dance practice explore similar themes, and bring beauty to the viewer through harmonious palettes of movement. This exhibition will be on display from November 5-December 6.

To purchase, contact Shabnam at info@artofbellydance.org
About the Artists

Shabnam
Persian American dance champion Shabnam is one of the world’s most awarded belly dancers. She has performed at renowned stages in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond including Zellerbach Hall, Novellus Theatre and the Palace of Fine Arts. She is recognized for an approach to Middle Eastern Dance that bridges the artistic and traditional. She is also a instructor and choreographer who holds regular classes at OACC. She performs at special events throughout the Bay Area and Southern California. Find out more about Shabnam at www.artofbellydance.org

Georges Lammam
Georges Lammam was born in Beirut, Lebanon, of Palestinian descent. He is a violinist who exemplifies the Arab style of instrumental improvisation. A recording artist, composer, and artistic director for the Georges Lammam Ensemble, he is also a featured artist in several musical groups including Ancient Future, Wobbly World, Shabazz and the Pena Pacha Mama Group. Lammam’s music has supported the work of arts and philanthropic nonprofits that advocate for Palestinians’ rights. He brings Arab arts and cultural heritage to the fore in support of the people and culture of Palestine.

Amina Goodyear
Amina Goodyear is a pioneering dancer, musician, producer and cultural ambassador who has shaped the landscape of Middle Eastern performing arts in the U.S. for over six decades. Amina founded The Aswan Dancers and co-created ensembles such as the Cairo Cats, the Arabian Knights and Pasha Band. She is a decades-long member of Aswat and the Georges Lammam Ensemble. Continuing her passion for preserving the traditions of the dance and music by producing dance and music shows, dance videos and music albums, she is now currently working with musicians in Egypt to create new arrangements and original compositions.

Khader Keileh
Khader Keileh is of Palestinian and Jordanian descent. He is an in-demand, nationally recognized keyboardist specializing in the melodies of the Middle East.

Susu Pampanin
Susu Pampanin is a world-renowned master percussionist who specializes in Egyptian Classical and Middle Eastern styles. Daughter of prominent San Francisco belly dancer Amina Goodyear, Pampanin has studied under master drummers Vince Delgado, George Dabai, Yousef Mustafa El Effendi, and Nagib Al Bahri. Within the belly dance community she is especially recognized for her skills in collaborating with belly dancers and troupes, teaching and performing at many festivals and shows.

December Mending Circle
2025-12-05 12:00 - 13:00
Friday, December 5
12 noon–1 pm
FREE
Do you have socks that need repair? Are you curious about visible mending? Do you like keeping clothing out of landfills? If you answered yes to any of these, or just want company while you sew, join us for our next Mending Circle at OACC on Friday, Dec 5, at 12 noon.
There will be no instructor, but we will provide basic materials including thread, needles, a sewing machine and some patches. Please bring items that you would like to repair. No registration is necessary.
For questions, email us at classes@oacc.cc

“The Empathizer" A Documentary About Vietnam Screening and Discussion
2025-12-05 19:00 - 21:00
Friday, December 5
7-9 pm
FREE
Stand-up comedian Fred Le hears the stories of a diverse range of young overseas-born Vietnamese who made their way back to the land that their parents left following the end of the Vietnam War. Le, who himself spent three years in Vietnam, conducts a series of interviews with these overseas-born Vietnamese to explore the allure of the motherland and what it means to “return home.” The Empathizer explores identity and the impact of trauma among Việt kiều (overseas-born) who grew up a generation removed from tragic events of the past, and their desire to experience a country that their parents still mourn.

This special community screening at OACC will feature English and Vietnamese subtitles. It will be followed by an in-person Q&A with documentary producer and director Fred Le, moderated by Professor Caroline Kieu Linh Valverde. For more on the film, visit www.empathizerdoc.com

It is co-presented by the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network, the Center for Asian American Media, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, and Direct Message. This event is free, but registration is requested at the link below.

Register

About the Filmmaker
Fred Le is a stand-up comedian and filmmaker who was born in the Bay Area and currently lives in Los Angeles. After spending three years enjoying life in the country his parents had fled in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, he began focusing his creative output on exploring his own Việt kiều (overseas-born) identity. He is the co-creator of the all-Vietnamese comedy showcase Embarrassed by Night which continues to tour up and down California since 2022. His debut feature documentary, The Empathizer, is currently doing festival rounds after premiering at the Viet Film Fest 2024, where it was nominated for Best Feature. As a performer, he has earned invitations to showcase at major festivals such as Treefort, Boom Chicago! in Amsterdam, and San Francisco Sketchfest.

January Mending Circle
2026-01-09 12:00 - 13:00
Friday, January 9
12 noon–1 pm
FREE
Do you have socks that need repair? Are you curious about visible mending? Do you like keeping clothing out of landfills? If you answered yes to any of these, or just want company while you sew, join us for our next Mending Circle at OACC on Friday, Jan 9, at 12 noon.
There will be no instructor, but we will provide basic materials including thread, needles, a sewing machine and some patches. Please bring items that you would like to repair. No registration is necessary.
For questions, email us at classes@oacc.cc

Chinese Couplets: A Film by Felicia Lowe
2026-01-10 16:00 - 18:00
Saturday, January 10
4-6 pm
FREE
Part memoir, part history, part investigation, Chinese Couplets spans two centuries, three countries and four generations of women. This intimate story reveals the impact of America’s Chinese Exclusion Acts on filmmaker Felicia Lowe’s family. Lowe offers a nuanced, engaging approach to the debate that details the multi-generational effects of ethnically motivated immigration policies while imparting a cautionary tale of living with cultural pluralism in the 21st century.

After the screening, Lowe will moderate a discussion on inheritance and identity. Panelists will include Alana Lowe, Grant Din, and Sandy Jiang. Popcorn and light refreshments will be served.

This event is co-presented by the Angel Island Immigration Station, the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), and Chinese for Affirmative Action.

Register

ABOUT THE PANELISTS

Felicia Lowe
Felicia Lowe is an award-winning media producer, director and writer with 50 years of production experience. Her documentaries Chinese Couplets, Carved in Silence, Chinatown and China: Land of My Father reveal the unique experiences of Chinese in America while underscoring our common humanity. A past board president of the Angel Island Immigration Foundation and descendant of Angel Island detainees, she is gratified to have played a role in the preservation and restoration of this important National Historic Landmark.

Sandy Jiang
As a first-generation immigrant, Sandy Jiang’s own journey has inspired her passion for storytelling, community engagement and empowerment. She has dedicated more than 15 years to community service and has spent the past six years working as a community organizer centering and uplifting immigrant and Asian American communities.

Grant Din
Grant Din has conducted genealogical research for over 35 years, and has co-curated a permanent exhibit about Japanese immigrants who were detained on Angel Island as “enemy aliens” during World War II. Grant’s interest in genealogy started when a cousin showed him a family tree showing that he is in the 36th generation of the Gong family (he’s also a 24th generation Owyang).

Alana Lowe
Alana Lowe developed a deep appreciation for oral history while attaining her B.A. in Race & Ethnicity in American Culture from the University of Michigan. Her recorded interviews with her grandmother were later incorporated into Chinese Couplets. For 20+ years, Alana has worked in media production and has offered an oral history workshop to guide friends and community members through the process of preparing for and conducting their own interviews.

From Ally to Activated: Breaking Barriers to Community Action
2026-01-11 13:00 - 14:30
Sunday, January 11
1-2:30 pm
FREE

The Oakland Asian Cultural Center, in collaboration with Kim Tran (from Desai and Tran Consulting), presents: From Ally to Activated: Breaking Barriers to Community Action.

It’s easy to see injustice or harmful behavior—online, in our communities, or in politics—and feel unsure about what to do. This workshop focuses on overcoming the personal challenges that prevent us from speaking up and stepping in.

Whether you’re a parent trying to protect a school, a neighbor trying to protect the folks next door, or simply a community member who doesn’t quite know how, when, or where to show up, join us to find some direction and build resilience.

What We Will Cover:

• Common fears, doubts, and social pressures that can keep us silent and stuck in moments that matter

• Figuring out how and where to start

• Juggling time, fear, and burnout

Together, we’ll practice strategies for safely and effectively overcoming personal obstacles so that we can each take meaningful community action.

Event is free to the public, but registration is required.

Register

Reparations: A Film by Jon Osaki
2026-01-25 14:00 - 16:00
Sunday, January 25
2-4 pm
FREE
Join us for a screening of Reparations, a documentary by Jon Osaki about the four-century struggle to seek repair and atonement for slavery in the United States. In the film, Black and Asian Americans reflect on the legacy of slavery, the inequities that persist, and the critical role that solidarity between communities has in acknowledging and addressing systemic racism in America. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with filmmaker Jon Osaki, attorney Donald K. Tamaki, and Pastor Michael McBride.

This program is part of OACC’s Black and Asian Solidarity programming. It is free to attend, but registration is requested.

Register

ABOUT THE PANELISTS

Jon Osaki

Jon Osaki is an award-winning filmmaker who has directed and produced promotional, educational, narrative, and documentary films. His initial interest in film grew from his desire to raise awareness of critical social justice issues he has encountered over this thirty-year career as a youth development activist. Jon’s filmmaking is focused on activism and narrative change through which he has addressed issues such as the targeting of immigrant communities, reparations for the Black community, and the model minority myth. His films have been screened on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, at national policy conferences, the National Judicial College, film festivals, and broadcast nationally.

Donald K. Tamaki

Donald K. Tamaki is a Senior Counsel at Minami Tamaki LLP, a past board member of the Glide Foundation, and the current board president of the San Francisco Japantown Foundation. Tamaki served on the team that reopened the landmark Supreme Court case of Korematsu v. the United States, which overturned Fred Korematsu’s conviction.

In 2021, Tamaki was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to serve as the only non-Black American on the California Reparations Task Force. The nine-member task force produced the groundbreaking California Reparations Report, which comprehensively documents the cumulative impact of four centuries of enslavement, Jim Crow oppression, and segregation, and recommends legislative actions to address the resulting harms.

Pastor Michael McBride

Pastor Michael McBride is regarded as a national faith leader. He helps connect and support millennials and religious institutions working on racial justice and black liberation. He has served on a number of local and national task forces with the White House and Department of Justice regarding gun violence prevention, boys and men of color and police-community relationships. In March 2012, he became the Director for the Lifelines to Healing/LIVE FREE Campaign with Faith In Action, and is a co-founder of Community Justice Reform Coalition and the National Black Brown Gun Violence Prevention Consortium. A graduate of Duke University’s Divinity School, Pastor McBride founded The Way Christian Center in West Berkeley, where he presently serves as the Lead Pastor.

Topaz Toddlers Exhibition: Children’s Art from an American Concentration Camp
2026-02-04 - 2026-03-14
On view February 4-March 14
Wed-Sat, 12 noon-5 pm

FREE
This exhibit showcases the art, stories, and history of preschoolers incarcerated at Utah’s WWII Japanese American incarceration camp, Topaz. Despite unjust imprisonment, these toddlers experienced preschool life much like other American children, taught by dedicated Japanese American teachers. More than 70 years later, a collection of art created by the preschoolers resurfaced. Over 20 of the Topaz preschoolers—who are now elders in their 80s—have been interviewed and reunited with their art pieces. The exhibition was researched, interpreted, and designed in collaboration with current college students and an early childhood education scholar, working alongside community members to share new perspectives and analysis.

A panel discussion was held on February 22 with speakers who discussed the preschoolers’ artwork and the project that located nearly 30 of them, as well as background on preschool education at Topaz, analysis of the artwork from an early childhood education research perspective, and reflections and reactions from some of the “toddler” artists.

The exhibition and panel discussion are sponsored by The Topaz Museum, The Takahashi Foundation, The Anthropological Studies Center at Sonoma State University, and The Koret Foundation.

Lunar New Year x Black History Month 2026: Celebrating Asian & African-American Solidarity
2026-02-07 11:00 - 16:00
Saturday, February 7, 2026
11 AM – 4 PM
FREE

REGISTER

OACC’s biggest event returns for its 4th year this February. Join us for a joyous convergence of Asian + African American solidarity at our Lunar New Year x Black History Month Celebration!   It will feature lion dancers, drummers, performers, arts & crafts, a Kids + Teens Zone curated by Storyland Collective, a marketplace of local artisans, and free admission for all ages!

Schedule of Events

11:00 am: Toishan Association Lion Dancers (Auditorium)
11:30 am: MPWRD, Filipino Dance (Auditorium)

11:45 PM: Intermission 1

12 noon: Kid’s Storytime with Dr. Janay Brown-Wood: Jam, Too? and Shhh! The Baby’s Asleep (Room 4)1:00 pm: Patty Chu’s Chinese Dance Troupe (Auditorium)1:15 pm: Bantaba Drum Call and Comrade Lover Lion Dancers (Auditorium)

1:45 PM: Intermission 2

2:00 pm: Teen Storytime with Aimee Phan: The Lost Queen (Room 4)3:00 pm: Urisawe Korean Dance and Drumming (Auditorium)3:15 pm: Sambafunk! (Auditorium)

This event is part of OACC’s ongoing Open E.A.R.S. for Change initiative, which started in 2020 to build stronger relationships among local APIA and Black communities.

Thank you to our generous sponsors Weylin & Roselyn Eng; our funders the California Arts Council, Hella Heart Oakland, California Department of Social Services, and the City of Oakland; our presenting partner, Malonga Arts Residents Association (MARA); our marketing partner the National Council of Negro Women Alameda County; and partners EastWind Books and Marcus Books.

Getting to OACC:

There is an underground parking lot below the Pacific Renaissance Plaza. There are two entrances to the parking lot; one located on Franklin & the other on Webster. Parking is $4 per hour. To get to our suite, take the elevator to the 2nd floor. OACC is the first suite on the left when you leave the elevator. The area has multiple bus lines, and we are within walking distance of 12th Street BART and Lake Merritt BART station.

There are also a few other parking lots nearby:

Aki Parking
435 8th St (4-minute walk to OACC)
$3 an hour, $12 for the day

East Bay Parking
726 Harrison St, Chinatown (8 minute walk to OACC)
$4 an hour

Douglas Parking Lot #475
420 Washington St Old Oakland (13-minute walk to OACC)
$4 an hour

February Mending Circle
2026-02-13 12:00 - 13:00
Friday, February 13
12 noon–1 pm
FREE
Do you have socks that need repair? Are you curious about visible mending? Do you like keeping clothing out of landfills? If you answered yes to any of these, or just want company while you sew, join us for our next Mending Circle at OACC on Friday, Jan 13, at 12 noon.

There will be no instructor, but we will provide basic materials including thread, needles, a sewing machine and some patches. Please bring items that you would like to repair. No registration is necessary.

For questions, email us at classes@oacc.cc

Honoring Day of Remembrance: Children’s Art from an American Concentration Camp
2026-02-22 14:00 - 16:00
Sunday, February 222-4 pm
FREE
Join us for a Day of Remembrance panel discussion with Dr. Ayumi Nagase and Dana Shew on “Topaz Toddlers: Children’s Art From an American Concentration Camp.”

The panelists will discuss the preschoolers’ artwork and the project that located nearly 30 of them, as well as background on preschool education at Topaz, analysis of the artwork from an early childhood education research perspective, and reflections and reactions from some of the “toddler” artists.

This panel discussion is paired with the “Topaz Toddlers” exhibit on display in the OACC Gallery 1, which showcases the art, stories, and history of preschoolers incarcerated at Utah’s WWII Japanese American incarceration camp, Topaz. A reception will follow the panel discussion.

The panel discussion and exhibition are sponsored by The Topaz Museum, The Takahashi Foundation, The Anthropological Studies Center at Sonoma State University, and The Koret Foundation. They are free to attend, but registration is requested at the link below.

Register for Panel Discussion

PANELIST BIOGRAPHIES

Dr. Ayumi Nagase
Dr. Ayumi Nagase is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Studies at Sonoma State University. Originally from Kumamoto, Japan, she received her Ph.D. in Human Development from UC Berkeley after moving to the Bay Area. Her work focuses on advancing equity and access to high-quality care for children and families, especially concerning parents’ mental health issues in underrepresented communities. She has contributed to international and local research projects, including the Berkeley Parenting Self-Efficacy study and research on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected families and young children in Northern California.

Dana Ogo Shew
Dana Ogo Shew serves as the Interpretive Specialist and Oral Historian at the Anthropological Studies Center at Sonoma State University and is a Certified Interpretive Planner (NAI) with over 15 years of experience in oral history and interpretation. She received her M.A. from the University of Denver, where she completed an archaeological thesis that explored the lives of women at Colorado’s WWII Japanese incarceration camp, Amache. Her work with Japanese American history continues today through a variety of projects that range from oral history projects to exhibits to interpretive plans. In addition to this work, Ms. Shew is active in cultural resources management and public outreach, engaging with a diverse range of communities, partners, agencies, and stakeholders. She is also currently serving as the Interim Director of the Anthropological Studies Center.

Bilingual Bike Commuting Basics Workshop (Cantonese and English)
2026-02-28 12:00 - 13:00
Saturday, February 28
12 noon-1 pm
FREE
New to bike commuting or just curious about how to make it work better for you? This welcoming workshop is your starting point for building confidence, learning skills, and finding joy in the ride. This one-hour bilingual workshop is presented by Bike East Bay in partnership with the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. We’ll be teaching the class in both Cantonese and English!
At this workshop, you’ll learn how to:
• Set up your bike for comfort, utility, and style
• Navigate bike infrastructure and urban streets with confidence
• Discover tips, tools, and routes that make biking part of your everyday life
This class is made possible by funding from the Alameda County Transportation Commission.

Register

March Mending Circle
2026-03-06 12:00 - 13:00
Friday, March 6
12 noon–1 pm
FREE
Do you have socks that need repair? Are you curious about visible mending? Do you like keeping clothing out of landfills? If you answered yes to any of these, or just want company while you sew, join us for our next Mending Circle at OACC on Friday, Mar 6, at 12 noon.

There will be no instructor, but we will provide basic materials including thread, needles, a sewing machine and some patches. Please bring items that you would like to repair. No registration is necessary.

For questions, email us at classes@oacc.cc

Tales of the Tofu Goddess: A Tribute to the Artful Life of Flo Oy Wong
2026-03-15 13:00 - 15:00
Sunday, March 151:00-3:00 pm
FREE
Join us for two short documentaries celebrating the life and art of Flo Oy Wong—Tales of the Tofu Goddess: The Artful Life of Flo Oy Wong, and Drawn from Life: The Creative Legacy of Flo Oy Wong. The screenings will be followed by a Q&A with Flo Oy Wong, historian Roy Chan of the Oakland Chinatown Oral History Project, and film director Andi Wong. Post program, attendees are invited to a walking tour with Roy Chan to the 723 Legacy Mural, a large-scale mural by artist Desi Mundo located 7 minutes from the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. The mural incorporates drawings from Flo Oy Wong’s Oakland Chinatown series.

This event is co-presented by the CATS Contemporary Asian Theater Scene and the Oakland Chinatown Oral History Project. It is free to attend, but registration is requested at the link below.

Register for Free Tickets

PARTICIPANT BIOGRAPHIES

Flo Oy Wong, co-founder of the San Francisco-based Asian American Women Artists Association, is an artist, poet, and educator. She is the recipient of three National Endowment for the Arts awards, and has been a visiting artist at various colleges and universities. She has also been featured in articles in multiple publications. Growing up in Oakland Chinatown, she spoke her family’s ancestral dialect, Hoisan-wa. In 2018, Flo published her art and poetry book, Dreaming of Glistening Pomelos, inspired by her childhood. Contemporary Asian Theater Scene presented Wong with their 2022 Image Hero Award. You can find more of her work at flooywong.ddns.net

Roy Chan is an Oakland-based oral historian and urban planner committed to using the power of storytelling to build community and empower local residents to have a voice in the local decision-making process. Since 2007, he has been director of the Oakland Chinatown Oral History Project/AAPI Elder Voices Project and was previously Co-Executive Director at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. Roy has previously practiced architecture and city planning in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles, and is currently a program director at National CAPACD. Learn more about his oral history project at www.chinatownmemories.org

Andi Wong has a special interest in exploring the materials and languages of art. A fifth generation Chinese American, Andi researches and records history, helping to preserve the important contributions of artists. As project coordinator for ArtsEd4All, (Arts Education for Lifelong Learning), she enjoys playing with others, applying imagination and creativity, in service of community. Her creative partners include the Blue Mind Collective, Del Sol Quartet, First Voice—Brenda Wong Aoki and Mark Izu, Internet Archive, composer/musician Marcus Shelby and The Last Hoisan Poets—Genny Lim, Flo Oy Wong and Nellie Wong. Learn more about her work at artsed4all.org

Our Language, Our Story: Photos by Joyce Xi
2026-03-18 - 2026-05-23
On view: March 18-May 23, Wednesday-Saturday 12 noon–5 pm
Opening reception: Saturday, April 4, 4-6pm

FREE
Our Language, Our Story is a photo storytelling project by photographer Joyce Xi. It uplifts the stories and lived experiences of Bay Area immigrants through the lens of language. The exhibit, featuring stories from 20+ community members in 10+ languages, celebrates Bay Area immigrants, refugees and language justice. Through each person’s own words and photos, it explores the joys and challenges of experiencing the world in one’s mother tongue, and the barriers when it is not available.
The public is invited to an artist reception with Joyce Xi on Saturday, April 4, from 4-6 pm. Light refreshments will be served. The reception is free to attend, but registration is requested at the link below.
Our Language, Our Story was created in partnership with the Asian Law Caucus and in collaboration with community organizations including PODER, Chinese Progressive Association (CPA), Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants (CERI), Trabajadores Unidos Workers United (TUWU), Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN), California Karen Youth Connection (CKYC), Filipino Community Center (FCC), Meadi Wellness, California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA), and Asian Health Services.

Register for Artist Reception

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Joyce Xi is a community photographer and activist based in the Bay Area. Her work
covers Asian American and immigrant communities, solidarity building, and social
movements. She makes photos as a way to envision and create a more just and free
world, and works in relationship with the people, communities, and organizations
involved. Her work has been exhibited across the Bay Area – most recently at the Yerba
Buena Center for the Arts and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, in media publications,
and as part of advocacy campaigns. She was an awardee for the California Creative
Corps Initiative, which helped support the Our Language, Our Story project and exhibit. You can find her work online at joycexiphotography.mypixieset.com.

Celebrating Our HeART-filled Heritage: Nowruz with the Persian Classical Trio
2026-03-20 19:00 - 21:00
Friday, March 207:00-9:00 pm
(doors open at 6:30 pm)

FREE
Join us for an evening of Persian culture in celebration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. We are pleased to welcome the Persian Classical Trio (musicians Pezhham Akhavass, Aryan Rahmanian, and Ashkan Ghafouri), and the Pezhham Tombak Ensemble to the OACC stage. They dedicate their performance to the cherished memory of the beloved Iranians who lost their lives on the 18-19 of Dey (January 7-8), the martyrs of Iran’s path to freedom. Their memories live on through art, culture, and community.

The concert will be preceded by a calligraphy demonstration by artist Arash Shirinbab at 6:45 pm, and a mini vendor market. If you would like to vend in the mini vendor market, please apply at this link by March 15.

This event is part of the OACC “Celebrating our HeART-Filled Heritage” (COHH) series. COHH platforms local Asian and Pacific Islander performing artists and brings their artistry to diverse East Bay audiences. The event is free to attend, but registration is requested at the link below.

Register for Free Tickets

ABOUT NOWRUZ
Nowruz (meaning “New Day” in Persian) marks the arrival of spring and has been celebrated across West Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Black Sea Basin, the Balkans, and South Asia for over 3,000 years. Ritual traditions include spring cleaning, a 13-day celebration with visits, gifts, and feasts, and gathering family around the Haft-Sin—a beautifully arranged table set with seven symbolic items (wheat sprouts for rebirth, apples for beauty, coins for prosperity, and more – decorated with candles, goldfish, and colored eggs).
ABOUT THE PERSIAN CLASSICAL TRIO
Pezhham Akhavass was born in 1980 in Iran. He began studying the tombak at the age of five under Naser Farhanghfar and later continued his training with Saeid Roudbary. He earned his BA and MA degrees in music from San Francisco State University and is a Voting Member of the Recording Academy (GRAMMY). Akhavass has performed internationally with Shahram Nazeri and Zakir Hussain, and appeared with Yo-Yo Ma at the Hollywood Bowl. He continues to perform, teach, and collaborate on projects promoting Persian music worldwide.

Aryan Rahmanian was born in 1976 in Iran and began studying Persian classical music at fifteen, focusing on vocal performance and the tar. He trained under distinguished masters including Mohammad Reza Lotfi, Nasrollah Nasehpoor, and Mohsen Keramati. His wide intellectual interests in philosophy, history, and ethnomusicology have led him to author several books on music philosophy and Middle Eastern music theory. He has produced multiple albums featuring original compositions inspired by Rumi’s poetry and has performed at major international festivals worldwide.

Ashkan Ghafouri was born in 1967 in Tehran, Iran. He studied traditional and contemporary tar techniques and the Persian radif under Hooshang Zarif and later refined his artistry with Mohammad Reza Lotfi. He also studied harmony and composition with Farhad Fakhredini. Ghafouri co-authored a textbook on the Persian modal system and transcribed the radif of Morteza Neydavood. In 2001, he founded Tarschool in California. An active performer and educator, he has appeared internationally and published Tar Book in 2019.
ABOUT THE CALLIGRAPHER

Arash Shirinbab an award-winning Arabic and Persian calligrapher based in Oakland. His work has been featured in over 80 exhibitions around the world. His work is part of private collections and prominent museums worldwide, including the Contemporary Museum of Calligraphy in Moscow and the Abgineh Museum in Tehran. Arash’s art draws from the rich traditions of Near Eastern lettering and calligraphy, reimagining them in contemporary forms such as calligraffiti, painting, ceramics, digital art, and installations. For over 12 years, he has dedicated his practice to public education, leading workshops and lectures that bridge the gap between ancient tradition and modern Bay Area life.

April Mending Circle
2026-04-03 12:00 - 13:00
Friday, April 3
12 noon–1 pm
FREE
Do you have socks that need repair? Are you curious about visible mending? Do you like keeping clothing out of landfills? If you answered yes to any of these, or just want company while you sew, join us for our next Mending Circle at OACC on Friday, Mar 6, at 12 noon.

There will be no instructor, but we will provide basic materials including thread, needles, a sewing machine and some patches. Please bring items that you would like to repair. No registration is necessary.

For questions, email us at classes@oacc.cc

Southeast Asian New Year Celebration 2026
2026-04-11 12:00 - 15:00
Saturday, April 11, 2026
12 noon-3 pm
FREE
Join us at OACC for a colorful, family-friendly celebration of the New Year across Southeast Asia. The program will feature the luminous Cambodian youth of the Khmer Amathak Dance Troupe, a Iu Mien red egg and yarn workshop, a Southeast Asian vendor marketplace, and more!

This program is co-presented by the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and the Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants (CERI). The event is free to attend, but registration is requested at the link below.

Register for Free Tickets

About the Khmer Amathak Dance Troupe

At the heart of CERI’s mission to preserve and celebrate cultural heritage is the Khmer Amathak Dance Troupe, a vibrant, youth-led ensemble dedicated to honoring and carrying forward the rich tradition of Cambodian dance. Guided by Moragaut Souet-Samonn, a passionate young leader deeply rooted in her heritage, the troupe embodies youth leadership, artistic expression, and community healing.

More than an art form, Khmer classical dance offers these young girls a pathway to healing and empowerment. Through the intricate, graceful movements passed down for generations, they build confidence, strengthen cultural pride, and pay tribute to the artist ancestors whose lives were lost during the Khmer Rouge genocide.

Performing regularly at community and cultural events, the dancers bring to life the elegance and beauty of the Apsaras, celestial dancers of the gods, sharing their heritage with grace, pride, and resilience.

Photo by Kenneth Wong
About CERI
The Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants (CERI) cultivates the healing, advocacy, and empowerment of refugee and immigrant communities affected by war, torture, genocide, and other life-altering traumas. They foster resilient communities that live with joy, determination, purpose and love, and weave together their intergenerational resilience into a holistic model of community mental health care. Learn more at cerieastbay.org.

Echoes of Eureka: A Youth Opera Bridging History and Hope
2026-04-18 16:00 - 18:00
Saturday, April 18, 2026
4-6 pm
(doors open at 3:45 pm)
FREE
Explore a fascinating chapter of the Chinese American experience in California through Echoes of Eureka, a multimedia exploration of history, immigration, and reparations. Eric Tuan’s opera Echoes of Eureka tells the true story of the 1885 expulsion of the Chinese community in Humboldt and their subsequent fight for justice and dignity. The performers are 40 youth voices from the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir, who have presented the piece to critical acclaim in the Bay Area, in Humboldt County in collaboration with AAPI community partners, and on tour in Europe.

The opera will be paired with a screening of Chisato Hughes’ powerful film Many Moons, in which Chinese community members search for survivors of the Humboldt 1885 expulsion and 60 years of enforced exclusion. The only known survivor is Charlie Moon, whose descendants are Native tribal members. Moon’s story is one of those told in Echoes of Eureka.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Tuan and Hughes. They will discuss the genesis of the opera and film and explore this little known facet of California’s history.

This program is co-presented by the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir, in partnership with the Humboldt Asians and Pacific Islanders in Solidarity (HAPI), Vox Aurea, the Eureka Chinatown Project and the National Endowment for the Arts. The event is free to attend, but registration is requested at the link below.

Register for Free Tickets

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

The Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir
The internationally acclaimed Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir (PEBCC) offers children throughout San Francisco’s East Bay an outstanding program of music training and choral performance. Started in 1982 by founding Executive Director Susan Rahl with Artistic Director Emeritus Robert Geary, the Choir has performed with renowned artists including John Denver, Joyce DiDonato, and regional symphony orchestras. In addition to vigorous programming of innovative new music, the Choir is a leading force in international choral activities, with far-reaching collaborations, high marks in competitions world-wide, and the establishment of the Golden Gate International Children’s and Youth Choral Festival in 1991.

Eric Tuan
Recognized for his adventurous programming and passion for musical excellence, Artistic Director and Composer Eric Tuan brings a wealth of experience in the choral arts to the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir. He currently serves as the director of the Stanford Early Music Singers, and served for twelve years as founding Artistic Director of the chamber chorus Convivium and Director of Music at Christ Episcopal Church, Los Altos. Widely commissioned as a composer, Tuan’s choral music frequently draws on his background as the descendant of Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino immigrants to highlight aspects of the AAPI experience.

Chisa Hughes
Chisato (Chisa) Hughes uses film to explore new forms of relating and worldbuilding. Their first film, Many Moons, asks questions about ghosts and placemaking today—looking at the history of Chinese expulsions in Humboldt County, where they grew up, and the webs of relation between Chinese people and Native people that formed out of / despite the violence of settlement. Many Moons premiered at CAAMFest and has since acquired distribution with Third World Newsreel. Chisa will be directing their first fiction screenplay, Behind the Horizon Line, this fall with timetides cooperative—inspired by the work of poet Etel Adnan about borders and their afterlives.

The OACC 2026 Interactive Artist Showcase
2026-04-25 12:00 - 14:00
Saturday, April 25, 2026
12-2 pm
FREE
Join us for OACC’s 2nd annual artist showcase, featuring the dynamic talents who teach and study at OACC! Enjoy free popcorn, performances and art from richly diverse lineages, from bellydance to hip-hop to Mongolian folk, and meet the OACC teachers and students in person. The program lineup includes:

• Patty Chu’s Chinese Folk Dance Troupe
• Chinese Music Lessons
• Shabnam Belly Dance
• Dance-A-Vision
• Swing Dancing with Joe Rivera and Brenna Hall
• GER Mongolian Youth
• Calligraphy by Mr. Liu

This year’s showcase is produced by Carla Service of Dance-A-Vision Entertainment. It is free to attend, but registration is requested at the link below.

Register for Free Tickets

About Carla Service Dance-A-Vision Entertainment
Dance-A-Vision Entertainment has been in operation for over thirty-five years and has been recognized by the City of Oakland for Carla Service’s commitment to youth. Carla founded Dance-A-Vision as a safe place for the youth of Oakland to retreat during hardships in the home and to grow skills for healthier lives through dance. Today, Carla offers classes to youth ages 3.5-15 years old in creative movement, acting, and hip-hop, giving them a grasp of early technical foundations and the space to explore their imaginations and bodies in space. Carla also provides entertainment consultation for cruise ships, resorts, and entrepreneurs looking to create their own business in the dance/entertainment world, as well as casting calls, choreography, and more. Many of her clients have gone on to open up their own dance studios, perform in their dream location, and work with the industry’s top stars. To learn more about classes and consultation with Carla, visit dance-a-vision.weebly.com.

Tea & Tiles: A Sunday Social With 13 Orphans
2026-04-26 13:00 - 17:00
Sunday, April 26, 2026
1-5 pm
$22

Join 13 Orphans for a laid-back Sunday of tea, tiles, and good company at OACC. Tea & Tiles is a casual mahjong social for all, from seasoned players to curious beginners. Sip on signature teatails, enjoy bites, and settle into the rhythm of the game. Mahjong coaches will be available to teach, guide, and jump into games, so you can play with confidence.
Attendees can also visit a curated mini market of local artisans. Come with your friends, auntie or come solo. Tables are open, energy is warm, and there’s always a seat waiting.

Register for Tickets

ABOUT 13 ORPHANS
13 Orphans is a mahjong den and speakeasy built on community, culture, and connection with thoughtfully crafted cocktails & mocktails inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine elements and tea culture.

Strong Like Bamboo
2026-05-03 13:00 - 15:00
Sunday, May 3, 2026
1-3 pm

Strong Like Bamboo brings together seven American storytellers of multiple ethnic and cultural origins. Their stories of racism, courage and wisdom will inspire, bring together and humanize audiences as we learn from each other and know that we are not alone. As allies, we know that we can rely on each other to get us through difficult times.
This program is presented by Eth-noh-tec and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, and is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, the G&G Education Fund, and private donors.
Register for tickets (suggested donation $20) at the link below. All proceeds will support both OACC and Eth-noh-tec.

Register for Tickets

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Johnny Moses is a Tualip Native American master storyteller, oral historian, author, healer and spiritual leader. He is a living link with Pacific Northwest ancestral philosophy and cultural practices. He has regaled thousands and thousands with his stories and is fluent in 8 native languages and the traditional sign language, having learned stories since he was a child from his grandparents and tribal elders.
Tureeda Mikell is an Oakland native, Poet in Residence at MoAd, original Black Panther alum, Story Medicine Woman, Poet, Author and Educator. She has published 73 at-risk student anthologies from 5 Bay Area counties. She is an activist for holism and hell-bent on asserting life. She is Berkeley Poetry Festival’s 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
Olga Loya is a nationally known Latina storyteller, performance artist, keynote speaker and author. She is known for dramatically mixing Spanish and English in her telling. Her repertoire reveals the diversity and richness for collective culture in its commonality and individuality.
Asma Ghanem is a Syrian-born Palestinian awarded artist best known for her short documentary film “Wall Piano” (2020). She was raised in a refugee camp with her family, able to attend the International Academy of Art Palestine and received her Master of Fine Arts from Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Toulouse in France.
Laura Sims, born Jewish in NYC, is an internationally acclaimed storyteller, writer and educator who advocates that engaged storytelling is compassionate action for personal and community transformation. She is a wizard with words that inspire and evoke inner musings that help to heal and understand who we are as complex human beings trying to make sense of our worlds.
Archy Jamun is a Chicago-based storyteller, writer, and curator of ‘Outspoken LGBT Stories’. He is a 2-time Moth Grand Slam winner known for performances that are both humorous and biting, deep, revealing and touching. He lets his audiences become part of his many adventures within his Thai family and in his outside world.
Eth-Noh-Tec, a kinetic Asian American storytelling non-profit, was founded in 1981 by Nancy Wang, actor, dancer and choreographer, and Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo, actor, musician and composer. Our mission is to build cultural bridges that celebrate diversity and create compassionate communities through the art of storytelling. ENT is an award winning non-profit and has performed around the world to standing ovations with their unique form of movement storytelling laced with gesture and musicality, including performances for the Clinton and Obama Inaugural Celebrations in DC. With both ancient Asian folktales and inspiring contemporary Asian American stories, Eth-Noh-Tec’s artists are also authors and are presently archiving over 200 performance pieces.
