2023 APA Living Today Nov/Dec

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BUSINESS COMMUNITY

Fantastic Thoughts On Having Sustainability And Impact Page 4

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IN THE COMMUNITY

2nd Annual Golden Harvest Parade & Festival Page 6 - 9

10 TRAILBLAZERS

C.C. Yin: A Story Of Success And Giving Back Page 10 & 11

12 SWEET & SAVORY Hallyu Korean BBQ Page 12 & 13

14 SPOTLIGHT

“Inspire Change-Pukawin Ang Pagbabago” Page 14 & 15

16 NEWS & EVENTS

Domestic Violence Awareness Month Day Of Remembrance Vigil Page 16

Hospice Of San Joaquin Tree Of Lights Celebrates 35 Years Page 17

Breaking The Bamboo Ceiling Page 18 &19

34th Annual Because Kids-Action On Behalf Of Children Awards Page 21

Locke Foundation Page 23

In Memorium: Evelyn Tayeko Sasaki Page 23

2023 FANHS Stockton Chapter Community Recognition Awardees Page 24

TH E A PA L I V I NG TODAY

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CHINA BEFORE COMMUNISM

JAN 8–9, 2024

Modesto Gallo Center for the Arts

JAN 24–27, 2024

Sacramento SAFE Credit Union PAC ALL-NEW 2024 PRODUCTION WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA

ShenYun.com/CA 888.633.6999

ShenYunZuoPin.com

Shen Yun Performing Arts is a New York-based nonprofit organization. Its mission is to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture. Shen Yun cannot be seen in China today.

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Announcing: New video platform from Shen Yun

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T H E A P A L I V I N G T O D AY

THE APA LIVING TODAY

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK:

PHONE

We are nearing yet another year where we are able to reflect on the things that have transpired.

As you read through the articles and stories, I hope we remember that we are literally creating history and documenting the things that are relevant for us and also for the future. During these times, we have an opportunity to really think through what next year will be like. I remember when the first renditions of home computers came out and I was so excited. Look how much further we have come as a result.

916.747.9366 Jim Chong

EMAIL

jtc.publicist@gmail.com

ONLINE

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EDITOR-IN-CHIE F Terri Torres

DIRE CTOR

Jim Chong

A RT DIRECTOR

Layne Imada

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & SOURCES Val Acoba Felicity Andrews Jessie Bowen Linda Claramo Leslie Edman Elite Publications Beverly Engkabo Toby Gomez Ines Ruiz-Huston Emily La Russa Linda Norris Tanya Parmelee Anna Sass- HerLife Carrie Sass - HerLife Michelle McCowan-Smith Terri Torres Cathy Wei CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Tim Ulmer Jim Chong Deadline to submit newsworthy information from non-profits, charitable organizations, or other sources is the 19th of each month for the following issue. Submitting information does not guarantee it will be featured.

Submit information to: jtc.publicist@gmail.com • Attn: Jim Chong The APALT is digitally published bi-monthly by the APA Living Today.

APALT does not assume responsibility for the authenticity or accuracy of news materials furnished for publication. ©The APA Living Today 2023

Going into the holiday season, take time to really experience the essence of the season. The focus on November is all about GRATITUDE while December focuses onGIVING and receiving. What have been the things that you are most grateful for? Reading through the various aspects of this publication consider what we can do to be supportive of the different causes and things happening around us in our world. I hope that you consider what role you can play in the various stories that will be created in the upcoming year. It’s one thing to be informed while it’s entirely another thing to act on the information.

Jim T. Chong

This coming year, I hope that you can continue to flourish and make your life the best it can be no matter what role you feel you can play. Take time to reflect, appreciate the stories in this and other publication that you will read and hear about. Get ready for a FANTASTIC 2024!

– Jim T. Chong

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Email us at: jtc.publicist@gmail.com Online: https://issuu.com/apalivingtoday

The Asian Pacific American Living Today is a bi-monthly newspaper dedicated to providing a comprehensive publication, both in print and online, that seeks to raise awareness of issues of interest to Asians and associated ethnic groups in California and abroad.

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Strength - To give a voice to the community for sharing and lauding accomplishments and concerns.

Unity - Unite readers about the issues facing Asian Pacific Americans. Promote and encourage readers to take an active role in raising awareness in the community and its contributions and concerns.

Involved - Ask readers to be involved in the community as an informed member.

While we most directly address the concerns of Asian Pacific Americans, our publication is not a racial or ethnic sorting. It is a gathering of all those who wish to gather.

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FANTASTIC THOUGHTS ON HAVING SUSTAINABILITY AND IMPACT

By Jim T. Chong the Wok Star, Media, PR Publicist and Founder of the Fantastic Foreigners So another year is almost concluded…are you ready for 2024? I referenced taking time to reflect in the Director’s Desk comments in this publication because I am realizing now more than ever, it is becoming more important for me as I get older in reflecting more on not just “doing”, but also the things going on around me.

will bring it to reality. Congratulations for those involved in this project. The documentary film will be released in 2024.

Let’s get ready for a great next year…what will be realized in your life next year?

Remember…

“There is one thing more powerful than a dream… that is a dream realized.”

I have been so blessed to be able to Emcee the Golden Harvest Parade and Festival this month in front of the State Capitol in Sacramento along with Cheyanne Harris. It has taken the combined efforts of the team assembled to bring it to fruition, not just a single or couple Jim T. Chong of individuals. Like anything worthwhile, it’s about the TEAM not the individual to not just create something…but to have longevity.

Here is to a Fantastic 2024!

Jim T. Chong (the Wok Star and Legend Maker) is an innovative business and community leader focused on helping people tell their story and creating their legacy.

For more information about Jim, visit JimTChong.com

I am inspired by the initial founders and Chairs of the Golden Harvest Committee (Wei Zhang, PhD and Daniel Chiang, MBA) for leading the charge.

In reflection, this second year really earmarked in my mind the beginning of sustainability. Many endeavors get started, but not all ventures take root and continue. My hats off to my other colleagues on the committee and especially my c-emcee Cheyanne Harris. As we start to plan for 2024, this third event will help highlight the sustainability of this very special event with its core focus on diversity and unity by bringing different cultures together.

I was also excited to introduce the Fantastic Foreigners at this event represented by the NorCal Corvette Camaro Group with my main coordinator for the cars being Alice JBeily who is also a “Fantastic Singer” with Citywide Karaoke. Like anything, it is people that come through that allows things to happen by definition. That is the key for sustainability but also for accomplishing things at a very high level…TEAMWORK. We will be focusing more on this topic in 2024 and why it is vital to be able to not just bring people together, but to get them to work together.

Another great endeavor is the focus on a documentary film Voices: Chinese Women in the Delta that will be highlighting those that have been a part of the history of the town of Locke and the surrounding area on the Delta. Locke is arguably the last remaining Chinese Rural town in the United States. Again, it is an individual or a few people that may have the vision, but it is a TEAM that

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Are you interested in helping us share about your culture or community?

We want to hear from you.

Contact Jim at (916)747-9366 or jtc.legendmaker@gmail.com For More Information, Contact: Jim T. Chong the “Wok Star” - Hybrid Media Marketing PR Publicist Next Level Media; Visibility Professional, Founder of Global Chamber Cooperative (916) 747-9366 • JTC.Publicist@gmail.com http://www.ZoomTurtle.com

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2nd Annual

IN THE COMMUNITY

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Golden Harvest Parade & Festival October 28, 2023 • Sacramento, CA

“Greener Tomorrow for Youth” MULTI-ETHNIC PARADE AND FESTIVAL BRIGHTEN SACRAMENTO The 2nd Annual Golden Harvest Parade and Festival event, which was held on Saturday, October 28 at Capitol Mall from 10:00am-5:30pm.

This year’s theme was a Greener Tomorrow for Youth, as California leads the nation to build a greener and better community and planet for our future generations.

Starting at Capitol Mall, the all-day event was officially kicked-off with a 90-minute parade which began at 11:00am. From there, parade watchers made their way to the festival where booths were lined up between 5th and 8th Streets to delight generations of all ages – where ethnic dishes greeted the appetites and a plethora of colorful ethnic costumes we’re seen. Stage performances and the Youth Artwork Contest were are also parts of the festival. Our planning committee seeks to showcase cultural diversity in a friendly, peaceful, and harmonious venue to present Sacramento as one.

There were also 30+ groups joining the parade, floats which included participation from APAPA with a “Jupiter Float”, Chinese railroad worker sculpture truck from US-China Railroad Friendship Association, Fantastic Foreigners, TOFA, Local Fire Station Fire Truck, Energy Saving Bus and Classic Cars.

Parade at the Capitol Mall

The marching groups for the parade and entertainment incorporated Dragon Dances, Martial Arts, Painted Ladies Rodeo Cavalry, Veteran entities, and other various ethnic groups representing the Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Lao, Lu-Mien and Indian communities to name a few.

“Events like this are essential. We just want all the cultures and ethnic groups to be one family where everyone will be brothers, sisters, and support each other. There is so much talent that we can share and enrich each other with.

Sacramento is a great mecca where all aspects of culture, family, and talent can come together.” explained Jim Cong.

This historic event was a wonderful celebration to promote people everywhere and to come together and share in the cultural experience at the event and to celebrate a great year to a cleaner and “Greener Tomorrow”.

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The committee for the Golden Harvest Parade and Festival on stage

2023 PLANNING COMMITTEE Wei Zhang, Ph.D. Chair/CEO Daniel Chiang, MBA, President Wendy Lin, MS, Treasurer Cruz Naranjo, Fundraising Douglas Hsia, Fundraising Edgar Calderon, Public Relation Eileen Leung, Fundraising Genesis Cocker, Community Outreach Honey Lum, Community Relations Jacqui Nguyen, Community Outreach Jenny Fong, Community Outreach Jenny Wang, MD, Stage Program Jim Chong, Social Media Kevin Nguyen, Community Outreach Krystal Wu, Artwork Contest

Lian Duan, Ph.D. Parade Lily Qian, Media Linda Ng, Artwork Contest Lisa Baker, Public Relation Michael Harris, Public Relation MyDuyen Huynh, Student Volunteer Nandakumar Prabhakaran, MBA, Adult Volunteer Ramraj Thanapandian, MBA, Booth Vendor Steve Ly, Community Outreach Theresa Riviera, Community Outreach Xiaojun Li, Website Zion Taddese, Stage Management

The Wok Star with CC Yin

Golden Harvest Jupiter Train

Alice JBeily of the NorCal Corvette Camaro Group

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WokStar with Alice and The NorCal Corvette Camaro Group

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IN THE COMMUNITY

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Emcees Jim T. Chong and Cheyanne Harris

Golden Harvest Parade and Festival

Golden Harvest Parade and Festival

Golden Harvest Parade and Festival taiko Golden Harvest Parade and Festival marching band

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IN THE COMMUNITY

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Jim T. Chong with Neil Nayyar, Honey Lum, and Sacramento Elected Officials Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Katie Valenzuela, Eric Guerra

Golden Harvest Parade and Festival

Golden Harvest Parade and Festival

Golden Harvest Parade Exhibition

Golden Harvest Parade and Festival

Painted Ladies Rodeo Cavalry

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TRAILBLAZERS

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C.C. Yin A story of success and giving back

By Qidong Zhang in San Francisco (China Daily USA) Source Cited: China Daily USA Entreprenuer C.C. Yin is former chairman and co-founder of the Asian Pacific Islander Public Affairs Association

C.C. Yin is a Chinese American entrepreneur and owner of 26 McDonalds restaurants in Northern California. He is also active in supporting the Asian Pacific American and Chinese American communities. Success for him didn’t come in a day, but when it did, he decided to share it with those around him.

The founding of APAPA was triggered by a call in 2000 from 40 Asian-American leaders in Sacramento, asking for Yin’s advice about their concern that after 150 years of Asian-American history in California, there were no API state-elected officials.

C.C. Yin was born in 1937 on a farm in Chengdu, China. Despite losing his mother at an early age and growing up in an impoverished family, Yin had a happy childhood. Many things changed though when he was 12. With the Chinese Civil War spreading, C.C. Yin and his family were forced to move to Taiwan along with his family following the defeat of the Chinese Nationalists by the communists.

“I was very much alarmed by the fact that Chinese and Asian community population was growing at such speed, but there was no leadership representing us in the US government, let alone no decision-making participation,’’ he said. “So I jumped in with the idea of founding APAPA, which was aimed at providing a platform and pipeline to empower Asians Americans for political power. By 2009 we had 15 Asian Americans elected to legislative and constitutional offices; now we have 17, seven in constitutional, two in senate and eight in assemblies.”

C.C. Yin – C.C. Yin immigrated to the United States in 1964 when he was 28. He had $100 in his pocket, barely spoke any English and knew practically nothing about America. What he did have was entrepreneurial spirit.

Now, half a century later, he and his family own 32 McDonald’s in 12 California cities, and he is the founder of the Asian Pacific Islander Public Affairs Association (APAPA), a grassroots non-profit organization that aims to empower Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Americans in civic and public affairs through education, active participation and leadership development.

When he landed in the US, Yin had a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Taiwan Cheng Kung University, which he soon found insufficient in seeking a career.

He pursued a master’s degree in civil engineering at the University of Washington, married his wife Regina and settled down in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1969.

“In order to promote civic engagement to build political empowerment for Asian Americans, the first thing we did was calling for unity: whether it was people from Korea, Vietnam or China, as long as you are Asian, you belong to our group. The second thing we did was to connect grassroots across the nation. We tried to change the culture of Chinese American immigrants from being good workers to also being good civic government candidates. We built our grassroot from city to city, town to town for political network, since all American politics start in every town and every city,” he said.

APAPA focused on three areas to reach this goal: voter registration, voter education and voter support.

After working as an engineer for 18 years, that entrepreneurial spirit led him to purchase his first McDonald’s in 1984 in Oakland. It was a rough start because the restaurant was in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the Bay Area. The experience, however, gave him a “jump start” in understanding American politics.

“As a business owner in a tough neighbourhood, I realized I had to connect with local community, city government, the police staff and individuals, whether they were African Americans, Hispanics, Caucasians, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese or Filipino. I also sought help whenever needed from local Chamber of Commerce, city planning department, and the police, which was really an eye-opening experience for me to get to know American society,” said Yin.

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Describing his life in the last 50 years as covering three segments — an engineer, McDonald’s owner and a political movement promoter — Yin said he has dedicated himself to promote the importance of political awareness and civic engagement for Asian Americans and new Asian immigrants in the last decade.

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Yin said that APAPA founders and board members have been teaching Asian Americans how to vote, whom to vote for and why, and organizing them to vote.

Leadership programs are offered at high school, college and professional levels.

“American democracy is very complicated, but if you look at it closely, the political and economic power is all local. The 50 states are like 50 countries; their laws are independent and different. If we want to participate in American politics, we have to follow laws locally to place our candidates into the system, whether it’s a school board, commissioner or state assembly member,” he said.

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A young C.C. Yin

C.C. Yin with wife Regina Yin

“We educate them through town hall meetings, media and interns that go out to educate them. Now from universities to local communities we have voter pipeline, appointment pipeline, leadership pipeline.

We are still learning, but three pipelines have provided the essential foundation for the entire Asian-American political movement,” said Yin. APAPA has three chapters in Southern California, three in Northern California, one each at UC Berkeley and UC Davis and one each in Florida, New York and Texas.

In the 13+ years since its founding in 2001, APAPA has more than 20,000 volunteers and 200 active leaders across the country.

“We support C100 (Committee of 100) which deals with the high level US-China relationship. We work with 80-20, the voting group which mainly reaches educated people, and we also work with numerous other organization for alliance,” said Yin. Yin was born in Renshou County, Sichuan province in China, and he moved to Taiwan when he was 12 in 1949. He said his passion has always been being an organizer for people with common interest.

“My mother died when I was only six months old. I experienced WWII, the Japanese invasion of China, a broken family, and relocation from place to place in my childhood and youth,’’ he said. “My survival skill was to network with friends and work with people of differences. I consider myself very lucky being where I am at today, and I am very thankful to this country. I want to give back to the society by helping other Asian Americans with similar backgrounds become successful in this country.”

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Yin said that today’s Chinese immigrants are very different from his generation.

“They are well prepared and educated. A platform like APAPA can help put everyone together through its network, since the young generation of immigrants are really the brightest and best. The world will become a better place if we can all work together to build a better country here and have more influence in decision making in both US and China.”

Yin, however, predicts that the road to a more prestigious political stage for Asian Americans is still years ahead. Asians have to learn to work on a common ground, he said.

“I believe Chinese can learn well. One hundred years ago, we didn’t believe in science. Look at us now.

Chinese are among the best scientists and engineers in the world. If Chinese learn about the American political system, they will become the best, too. We already have many successful political professionals in America: former Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao, former US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, former Washington State governor and US Ambassador to China Gary Locke, and now Judy Chu, the first Chinese-American woman elected to Congress.”

“Collaboration, alliance and grassroots are the key words we need to keep in mind when it comes to American politics for Chinese and Asian Americans,” said Yin.

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About C.C. Yin Name in English: C.C. Yin Birth Year: 1937 Birth Place: Chengdu, China Profession(s): Civil Engineer, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist Education: 1966, M.S. Civil Engineering, University of Washington; 1962, B.S. Civil Engineering, Cheng-Kung University Awards: 2006, API Heritage Award for Excellence in Business, The California State Assembly; 1997, Regional Ronald Award, McDonald’s Corporation; Golden Arch Award, McDonald’s Corporation; Minority Retail Firm of the Year, U.S. Department ofCommerce; Top Franchisee in the Nation, Franchise Time Magazine; Top 50 National Food Franchisee, Nation’s Restaurant News; National Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Asian Enterprise Magazine Leadership Award, McDonald’s

Contribution(s): C.C. Yin is a Chinese American entrepreneur and owner of 26 McDonalds restaurants in Northern California. He is also active in supporting the Asian Pacific American and Chinese American communities. Success for him didn’t come in a day, but when it did, he decided to share it with those around him.

C.C. Yin was born in 1937 on a farm in Chengdu, China.

Despite losing his mother at an early age and growing up in an impoverished family, Yin had a happy childhood. Many things changed though when he was 12. With the Chinese Civil War spreading, C.C. Yin and his family were forced to move to Taiwan along with his family following the defeat of the Chinese Nationalists by the communists.

In Taiwan, Yin entered one of the top public universities in Taiwan, Cheng Kung University, and obtained his B.S. in Civil Engineering.

Yet the times were harsh, and Yin was faced with the difficulty of securing a job. He decided to pursue his future in a foreign land.

In 1964, Yin, already 28 years old, immigrated to the United States with less than $100 in his pockets and faced the challenge of an unknown culture and language. Yin spoke little English, and realized that his bachelor’s degree was insufficient for an American career. Despite the language handicap, Yin pursued a masters degree in civil engineering from the University of Washington. It was here that Yin met his wife, Regina, who was also an immigrant from Taiwan. In 1966, the couple were married and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where Yin began his career as a civil engineer.

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Hallyu

By Nina Jobst Last updated: September 28, 2023 Original Source Cited: Statista Article has been edited for this format

SWEET & Savory

STRENGTH | UNITY | INVOLVED

Korean BBQ

Known as Hallyu, is the global phenomenon around Korean culture that’s been on the rise since the start of the 21st century. Particularly in the food segment, consumers across the globe are becoming increasingly drawn to Korean BBQ restaurants.

With the added element of pop culture influence, the demand for Korean BBQ in general will also likely continue to increase. Based on recent data indicating that Korean culture, with an emphasis on cuisine, is continuing to spark appeal on an international scale, Korean flavors are especially worth keeping an eye on.

Traditionally Korean cuisine consists largely of rice, vegetables, seafood, and meat. It is especially well-known for offering a large variety of side dishes (banchan) to eat along with the main course. Because of its composition, Korean food is widely perceived as healthy. Besides being a traditional cuisine, convenience and trend foods have also become a strong force in the growing South Korean food market.

Given this data, restaurants are taking note of the widespread popularity among consumers and integrating Korean-inspired items to its menus.

Other restaurants have tailored the entirety of its menus to Korean cuisine, creating products that hone in on Korean culture in an effort to drive increased customer appeal.

Korean cuisine is also spreading its influence to the western world through the diversity of spices offered. As spicy dishes continue trending across social media platforms, westerners are increasingly interested in Korean cuisine because of the spice elements incorporated in many of the traditional dishes.

With rising awareness, popularity, and accessibility, the share of people who tried Korean cuisine globally naturally increased, with more than three in four respondents in a survey stating to have eaten it. With more people becoming acquainted with Korean food, more food products made their way onto the global market. As for popular products, foods and beverages promoted or consumed by celebrities were well-liked by fans, and managed to increase the popularity of a brand or item. This was not only true domestically but also internationally. Moreover, food that frequently appeared in dramas or other TV shows attracted even more attention. This includes Korean Barbeque, Korean-style fried chicken – which was also chosen as the most preferred Korean food overseas – and street food such as Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes).

KOREAN FOOD ONLINE TRENDS Through the internet, viral social media challenges can spread far and wide, and of course, Korean food is no exception. The number of online videos about Korean food increased, be it traditional food recipes or trend videos with new ideas or more modern twists, like vegan recipes. Mukbang videos have been around since 2009 in South Korea when they started being broadcasted on AfreecaTV. In these videos, the host would eat a meal while conversing with the audience via streaming to give a feeling of eating together. In recent years, the term mukbang videos are also associated with eating unusually large amounts or combinations of food, going so far as to become a challenge of sorts. One of these viral challenges included eating

DOMESTIC PRODUCTION AND EXPORTS The popularity of Korean food worldwide has led to increased demand, be it for items in supermarkets and e-commerce platforms or Korean restaurants abroad. The domestic food production in South Korea grew to match this, and exports followed suit. However, the expanding reach of Korean food culture did not stop at international trade. Instead, leading food companies like Nongshim started to operate food production establishments overseas, and CJ CheilJedang’s brand Bibigo opened branded restaurants in other countries.

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WHICH KOREAN FOODS ARE POPULAR OVERSEAS?

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TIRED OF THE NEGATIVE NEWS? When you advertise in HERLIFE, you are not only promoting your business, you become part of the solution to combat negative news.

In every issue of HERLIFE we tell positive, uplifting good news stories about San Joaquin County.

Let’s do this together!

Korean spicy instant noodles (ramyeon). Such products have gained a certain notoriety thanks to this, and became sought after even in countries that were not accustomed to Asian-style instant noodles. Another recent trend was the infatuation with Dalgona, a traditional snack made from sugar that had appeared in the Korean Netflix hit series Squid Game.

Dalgona coffee, a time-consuming method to make sweet coffee at home which emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, also quickly spread throughout social media as a novel recipe.

JOIN US…BE THE POSITIVE. Our mission is to continually raise the image of our own region— because our region is worth it.

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SPOTLIGHT

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“Inspire ChangePukawin Ang Pagbabago”

By Eliseo Art Silva, Artist Eliseo Art Silva Studios

Eliseo Art Silva, Artist

The title is written in Filipino script (Baybayin) which says: Pukawin Ang Pagbabago (in English, Inspire Change), and is layered over five iconic Filipino American heroines and heroes who are on the vanguard as agents of change: (Pictured on next page: L-R, top-bottom) Carlos Bulosan, Flora Arca Mata, Dawn Mabalon, Larry Itliong, and Philip Vera Cruz. Baybayin is a window to the world of our ancestors and narrows the gap between ours and the past when our country, the Philippines, reached a Golden Age during precolonial times.

the Filipino face of the Creator or Supreme Being (our Filipino identity) launching the Filipinization movement of the Philippines.

Finally, the text: “All Roads Lead to Stockton” celebrates the fact that Stockton was the main hub of Filipino Americans and their “home away from home,” known as Little Manila, represented in the painting with an image of the signage of three historic buildings from Stockton’s Filipino neighborhood

Underneath the five portraits is an agricultural landscape where most of our pioneer Manongs and Manangs spent their lives working with the most inhumane working conditions. At the center of the landscape is a farm worker with a short-handed hoe, which was eventually considered illegal, thanks to the collective triumph of the Farmworker’s Movement launched by over 2,000 Filipino Americans, from 10 California farms led by Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz.

On both sides of the Filipino worker is a brown clenched fist juxtaposed with a Pintado Tattoo motif of flowers which symbolizes healing and valor. Rising with the Philippines (PH) Sun of the PH Flag are the “Callado” designs from the traditional attire of men and women called Barong Tagalog (men) and Maria Clara (women), both of which surfaces the 2nd Golden Age of the Philippines, when Filipinos waged Asia’s 1st National Revolution and established Asia’s first constitutional democratic republic.

The artwork also restores the Human Face of the PH Sun of the 1898 flag, reclaiming the ascendancy of the 1st Republic of the Philippines which manifested a human face in our national banner to proclaim to the world,

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Eliseo Art Silva was born in Manila in 1972 and is a contemporary multimedia artist.

He infuses his Filipino heritage into his work to help communities connect and foster compassionate interaction. With his art, he brings to life historically marginalized voices and amplifies the rich history of the Philippines.

Linda Claramo, President Membership applications can be requested by sending an email to: STOCKTONFANHS@outlook.com

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@fanhsstockton www.fanhsstockton.com

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NEWS & EVENTS

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Domestic Violence Awareness Month Day of Remembrance Vigil Contact: Elizabeth Sanchez, Community Engagement Director esanchez@prevailca.org • (209) 941-2611

Since 1989, October has been declared as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Ever since then, agencies and communities have joined every October to acknowledge domestic violence survivors and bring awareness to communities around the Country.

According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, an average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States. Between July 2021 and June 2022, PREVAIL, formerly Women’s Center – Youth & Family Services, served 943 victims of domestic violence and assisted in petitioning for 554 Temporary Restraining Orders; our domestic violence shelters housed 408 clients and our crisis lines received a total of 2,608 calls.

This year, as part of our Domestic Violence Awareness campaign, we have invited agencies, and leaders in our community, to house 1 to 3 of our silent witness silhouettes at their location during the month of October 2023. The real size wooden silhouettes represent individuals in San Joaquin County who lost their life to domestic violence. Below are a few participating locations:

Mexican Consulate in Sacramento Huddle Cowork Lodi Police Department PREVAIL’s, Annual Day of Remembrance was held on Thursday, October 26, with opened viewing of the silhouettes from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM, and program with authorities and guest speakers from 12:00 to 1:00 PM at 620 North San Joaquin Street, Stockton. The vigil was free to the public. The Day of Remembrance is an opportunity to honor and remember individuals and families whose lives were lost due to domestic violence.

San Joaquin County Office of Education Department of Child Support Services City of Tracy County Administrative Building District Attorney’s Office Tracy Defense Depot UEI College Human Services Agency Collins Electrical Stanislaus State – Stockton Campus Family Justice Center St. Joseph’s Medical Center Tracy Police Department United Way

Vigil attendees were encouraged to walk around the courtyard display of life-sized silhouettes. Each one representing a man, woman, or child who was murdered in an act of domestic violence since 1994. As a somber and reflective vigil, Day of Remembrance is a time to honor those we have lost and an opportunity to join in our efforts to end violence.

For further information visit the website at https://weshallprevail.org or contact event producer Elizabeth Sanchez at 209-929-6726 or esanchez@prevailca.org.

About PREVAIL PREVAIL, formerly Women’s Center-Youth & Family Services is San Joaquin County’s only provider of free, confidential shelter and services specifically designed to meet the needs of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and homeless and runaway youth. During this last year, PREVAIL provided services to over 5,000 participants through our various programs.

The mission of PREVAIL is to provide safety, compassion, and respect as we educate, empower and advocate for individuals, families, and young people.

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Hospice of San Joaquin Tree of Lights Celebrates 35 Years Contact: Sandy Stoddard, Development and Marketing Director (209) 957-3888

STOCKTON, CA – “Light up a light, light up a life.” Hospice of San Joaquin is celebrating 35 years of bringing honor to loved ones through their Tree of Lights events throughout San Joaquin County, and beyond. Each light on the trees in their respective community, represents a loved one who has touched the lives of families and friends. The Tree of Lights program helps those left behind transition from grief and sorrow to remembrance and honoring. The lighting ceremonies have become a tradition for many families within our community over the past 35 years. Hospice of San Joaquin is grateful to our host sites, sponsors, community partners, and multitude of volunteers who support lighting ceremonies throughout the season. Dedicate a light to remember or honor a loved one by donating to Hospice of San Joaquin.

“Our trees are ‘Trees of Life’ honoring the gift of life.” says CEO Rebecca Burnett. “Each tree brings light to the dark night, as do the memories of our loved ones whose light will shine throughout the holiday season. We are thankful to PG&E who has, from inception, provided employee volunteers and funded grants for tree set up and maintenance.”

For 35 years, Hospice of San Joaquin has been shining brightly through their Tree of Lights event. Held every November and December throughout San Joaquin County, Tree of Lights is an opportunity for anyone in the community to recognize, pay tribute, and honor their loved ones.

Tree of Lights began when Mark Rasmussen wanted to honor his late wife, Kathy, who had received services from Hospice of San Joaquin. Mark was a PGE employee who rallied fellow PGE volunteers to create the first Tree of Lights on the San Joaquin Delta College Campus in Stockton. The enormous pine tree at the corner of Pacific and Yokuts Avenue was, and still is the very first Tree of Lights. Fellow PG&E employee, Dave Ayers, created the Memory Boards that were displayed that first year. These memory boards show the names of the loved ones who have a light on the tree and are not at all locations throughout the county.

Now retired from PG&E, Dave continues to volunteer for Tree of Lights. He has recruited his son and grandson to help with the project! As we were preparing for the 35th Anniversary Celebration, Dave and his family have been busy creating fresh, new donor boards. Not only do the Ayers make the boards, but they also install and take down at each of our eight locations, and then store them for the following year. We are grateful for the three generations of the Ayers family and their generous support of the Tree of Lights.

In addition, from the very beginning, PGE has provided employee volunteers who put the lights on our trees in Manteca, Ripon, Escalon, Rio Vista, Tracy, Lockeford and Lodi. Tree lighting Ceremonies are held in each community and have become a tradition for many families as they pay tribute to their loved ones. We hope you will “light a light” and join us at one of our ceremonies.

Donations for Tree of Lights begins in October and accepted through the end of the year. Your donation will light up our Tree of Lights and support Hospice of San Joaquin programs for terminally ill patients and their families. For further information go to: Hospicesj.org/events/Tree of Lights.

Ceremonies will be held throughout the county at locations listed below.

TREE LIGHTING CEREMONIES STOCKTON San Joaquin Delta College - Corner of Yokuts & Pacific Avenue Tuesday, November 21, 2023 – 5:30pm RIPON Veteran’s Memorial Wall - 311 1st Street Monday, November 27, 2023 – 6:00pm ESCALON Main St. Park - Main & 2nd Street Tuesday, November 28, 2023 – 5:30pm MANTECA Doctors Hospital of Manteca - 105 East North Street Thursday, November 30, 2023 – 5:30pm LODI City Hall - 211 West Pine Street Thursday, November 30, 2023 – 5:30pm LOCKEFORD Bank of the West - 13299 East Hwy 88 Date: December 2, 2023 – 6:00pm RIO VISTA City Hall - 1 Main Street Saturday, December 2, 2023 – 5:30pm TRACY City Hall - 333 Civic Center Drive Tuesday, December 5, 2023 – 5:30pm

About Hospice of San Joaquin Hospice of San Joaquin’s mission and vision is to honor life by ensuring patients and their caregivers are the focus of everything we do and be the leader in ensuring quality of the journey. For more information, visit hospicesj.org or call 209-957-3888.

When you choose hospice – choose Hospice of San Joaquin. We are the one with the Butterfly!

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Breaking the

Bamboo Ceiling

CVACC 6th Annual Women’s Leadership Event Thursday, October 26, 2023 • Stockton Golf & Country Club Photos by Tim Ulmer. Thank you Tim Ulmer for capturing the moments of CVACC’s Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling at the Stocktom Golf and Country Club!

Keynote Speaker

Mayor Sheng Thao Panel Discussion Chair/Moderator

Linda Luna Discussion Panelists: Deborah Lowe Muramoto Diane Nguyen June Ahloo Joan Singson Entertainment by: Stockton Bukkyo Taiko

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34th Annual Because Kids-Action on Behalf of Children Awards

Help us support the health and well-being of children in San Joaquin County!

Contact: Family Resource & Referral Center of San Joaquin 3127 Transworld Drive Suite 100 • Stockton, CA 95206 ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2023, Family Resource Center will host the 34th Annual Because Kids-Action on Behalf of Children Awards in special recognition of key individuals and organizations who care for children in San Joaquin County. Created in 1988 by Joan Richards, founder of Family Resource Center, and several community members, the awards recognize outstanding members of the community that do exceptional work for children.

Family Resource Center was founded through a Child Care Resource & Referral grant to match parents in San Joaquin County with quality, licensed child care. Over the past 43 years, Family Resource Center has grown to provide child care assistance, nutrition services, and professional trainings for Child Care Providers. The organization has added services including operation of the Help Me Grow Call Center, Joan Richards Learning Village Preschool, and the 211 San Joaquin information and referral services, but our partnership with the Child Care Providers remains at the heart of our mission.

Child care is one of the most important drivers in our county’s economic recovery as parents, women in particular, return to work. Thousands of San Joaquin County families rely on access to child care to be able to join the work force, particularly single parents or those with lower incomes. Without affordable care, moms can’t earn a living, businesses can’t recruit reliable workers, and children miss out on early education opportunities. Their success depends on having access to quality child care.

For more information about the Because Kids-Action on Behalf of Children Awards, and to view the list of all past award recipients visit our website Because Kids Awards – Family Resource Center (frcsj.org) Event information: November 2, 2023 5:30pm - 8:30pm Hilton-Stockton: 2323 Grand Canal Blvd. Stockton, CA 95207

As we enter our 43rd year of serving children and families in the community, we want to thank you for your ongoing support of our programs and services.

I want to share the link to our website featuring several parent and Child Care Provider testimonials, and stories of the positive impact our programs are having in the lives of children in our community. Please take a moment to read these, and consider sharing it online to help us spread awareness of our services.

About Family Resource Center We are committed to the health and well-being of children in San Joaquin County, and the adults who care for them. Serving the community since 1980, our mission is to provide resources to parents and childcare providers to encourage healthy growth for the children in their care.

We do that by providing advocacy, information, education, nutritional support, training, and childcare services – directly and by financially supporting community childcare providers – so that every child, and parent, has access to safe and stimulating care outside the home. Through the provision of the county’s 211 system, housed and administered by Family Resource services, we offer new and current residents referral and access to information about child care, nutritional services and other programs available in San Joaquin County that support broader community health.

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Happy Holidays! from all of us at BGG West & BGG Creative!

NEW YORK 518-605-1620

BGGCREATIVE.COM

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CALIFORNIA 209-993-2607

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In Memorium: Evelyn Tayeko Sasaki Evelyn Tayeko Sasaki, age 84, of El Dorado Hills, California passed away on Saturday, September 30, 2023, surrounded by family.

Auntie Tayeko

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Born in Los Angeles, Evelyn Tayeko Imada spent much of her childhood with her family in WWII internment camps where they were eventually relocated to the Amache Camp in Colorado. After the war, her family settled in Colorado, where she eventually met her husband, Harry Sasaki, and the two were married for more than 60 years. They later moved to Stockton, California, where the couple spent most of their lives.

In Downtown Stockton, Harry and Evelyn started and operated Star Fish Market, becoming a staple in the community over the years.

Evelyn gave birth to seven children, Tammy (passed), Leigh-Anne, Mark, Tracy, Scott, Wynne and Wendy.

Harry passed in 2020, but she is survived by her brother Ron Imada, sisters Carolyn Lannon and Beverly Paderas, six children, eleven grandchildren, two great grandchildren and numerous nephews and nieces.

Evelyn enjoyed bowling, watching the Kings and Warriors basketball, and chatting with friends and family. In high school, her nickname was “Legs Evelyn” as she had a shapely figure, with a silky smooth complexion that lasted until her final days. She loved dancing and music and always had a friendly greeting and smile for family, friends, and strangers she met throughout her life.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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The opinions expressed by contributing writers and sources are their own and do not reflect the opinions of the newspaper’s owners, editor or staff.

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