Sacramento’s Lunar New Year + Chinese American history exhibit + Hmong women’s summit: Your AAPI newsletter
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It is Wednesday, Jan. 29, and this is The Sacramento Bee’s AAPI weekly newsletter, brought to you by yours truly.
Here’s a recap on the stories I recently covered and issues I’m following:
Sacramento’s Chinese of IndoChina Friendship Association kicked off its Lunar New Year celebration Saturday morning with a lion dance and martial arts performance by Lun Yee Tong Lion Dance troupe at the Guan Yin Temple on Elder Creek Road. I spoke with some Asian Americans to see how they celebrate Lunar New Year.
A long-term installation on Chinese American history in California dating to the Gold Rush period is now open to the public at the California Museum in Sacramento.
“We have waited long enough,” said state Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, at the grand opening.
“This exhibit truly brings out all the diversity of all the different Chinese immigrant families who have to fight hard against discrimination to get where they are today,” said Franklin Yee, whose father, Dr. Henry Yee, is a featured subject in the exhibit.
Other Sacramento locals such as the man who owned Frank Fat’s in downtown Sacramento and renowned journalist Lisa Ling are also featured. A free admission day will be offered Saturday.
The second Embracing Hmong Women Identities summit in Sacramento will be held Feb. 22 at Sacramento State University. Organizers are a group of Hmong women who target the workshops for Hmong female students in higher education to explore topics like identity development and community building.
In other news:
Coronavirus risk leads to cancellation of Lunar New year celebration in Elk Grove originally scheduled for Friday. [Sacramento Bee]
San Francisco airport starts coronavirus screenings as new U.S. cases are confirmed. [Sacramento Bee]
Chinese Americans rush to help family and friends in China as coronavirus and fear spread to the U.S. [The New York Times]
Two cases of new coronavirus reported in California. There are now 5 diagnoses in U.S. [Sacramento Bee]
Officials at New York City’s Museum of Chinese in America said Friday they fear a fire at a building that housed as many as 85,000 pieces likely destroyed almost the entire collection. [NBC News]
Lilly Singh talks bisexuality and queerness in the Indian community during a monologue. [NBC News]
A bill proposed January would create Hmong-Lao Veterans Day in Wisconsin, a recognition advocates say is long overdue. [Wisconsin Public Radio]
In addition to cash, lucky red envelopes now yield drama, competition and fear. [Los Angeles Times]
More than 100 prominent Asian American and Pacific Islanders, including creatives, activists and academics, have announced their support for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. [NBC News]
For things to do in town and beyond, mark your calendar for the Lunar Flower Tet Festival on Saturday in Sacramento.
Check out the “And Then They Came For Us” documentary screening on Feb. 7 at Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
The California Museum will host a screening of “Protest at Dilley Detention Center” and “Fort Sill Protests”, on Feb. 8, followed by a Q&A session with filmmakers Emiko Omori and Satsuki Ina.
Finally: What do you want to read about on Sacramento or California’s AAPI population? Send your thoughts to me at tyu@sacbee.com.
That’s it for this week’s newsletter. Thank you for reading!
Theodora Yu covers Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in California for The Sacramento Bee. She is a member of Report for America’s 2019 corps of journalists.
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This story was originally published January 29, 2020 at 11:13 AM.