AIISF's Virtual Gala and Immigrant Heritage Awards - August 19, 2020 SAVE THE DATE
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Out of utmost concern for the health and safety of our supporters, we are transforming this year's in-person gala into a completely virtual experience. We have decided to make this year's virtual gala free to attend, so we invite you join us and to also spread the word among your friends and family members. Help us ensure that the important histories and stories related to the former U.S. Immigration Station at Angel Island are not forgotten, especially at a time when we are seeing increasing discrimination and attacks against Asians and other immigrant groups.
With this year’s theme of Celebrating Our Dreams, Imagining Our Future, we pay tribute to the hopes and dreams of immigrants and their descendants. We also honor this year's Immigrant Heritage Award honorees and recognize the efforts of everyone who has worked towards the restoration of the former USIS Hospital (opening as the
Angel Island Immigration Museum
).
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Get a SNEAK PEEK of the Angel Island Immigration Museum!
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While the gala event is free to view, we still need your support. Sponsors and ticket buyers will receive an in-person preview tour of the Angel Island Immigration Museum (when conditions allow; pending public health recommendations). The preview will include roundtrip ferry tickets, tram service, lunch for each guest, and a guided tour by an AIISF staff person or board member. Limited quantities available! Dates TBA.
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A Message From AIISF's Executive Director
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Hello AIISF Family and Friends,
At a time when it is still important for us to maintain safe distances from one another, I am glad that we can still stay connected online. Thank you to all of you who have continued to tune in to our virtual programs and who have interacted with us on social media.
With the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, one important update to share with you is that we have decided to turn our annual in-person gala into a virtual gala.
Your health and safety is of utmost important to us. We recognize that this has been a challenging year for so many of you, thus we are making this virtual gala FREE for anyone to attend. In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing further information on how to participate so please help us grow our AIISF friends and family network by sharing it with your friends and family across the country (and perhaps even around the world).
To be candid, AIISF’s annual gala represents over half of our annual revenue. Like all of you and like so many other nonprofit organizations, we are doing our best to weather these challenging times. So if you are able to, we hope that you might consider still supporting us at whatever level you can. While anyone can watch and participate in this year’s virtual gala at no cost, for those who pledge sponsorships or who purchase individual tickets, we will be offering “rainchecks” for a preview tour (conditions permitting, date TBD) of the
Angel Island Immigration Museum
opening in Fall 2020.
Your support helps us to continue our important programming to uplift Angel Island’s histories and stories and connect their relevance to current times
. For example, last month we were part of several key activities for Immigrant Heritage Month:
- On June 19, we hosted a virtual panel in partnership with Angel Island State Parks and the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island Immigration Museum. If you missed it, you can watch it here.
- On June 20, we joined 19 other members of the global Migration Museums Network to recognize World Refugee Day with a powerful joint statement. See it here.
- We are proud to be a partner organization for Tadaima! A Community Virtual Pilgrimage to the sites of wartime Japanese American incarceration that runs from June 13 to August 16. Each week features a different theme. Check out this video by former AIISF staff member Grant Din sharing some of his research findings regarding how Angel Island was used as a temporary Japanese American detention center during World War II.
Finally, as a former food blogger, I hope that you enjoy our next virtual exhibition
Tastes of Home
, opening later this month. Wishing you all a safe, warm, and delicious July!
Edward Tepporn
AIISF Executive Director
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Tastes of Home Opening Soon!
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From “breaking bread” with friends and neighbors to providing a route to financial stability — food has played an important role in the stories of many immigrants from around the world.
Tastes of Home: Celebrating Immigrant Cultures Through Food
will be an online exhibition where visitors can feel an increased sense of appreciation and connection to the immigrants in our communities and the foods that sustain them — physically, emotionally, and sometimes economically. Explore how food can be a gateway to sharing and understanding our culture and history.
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After a three month closure, Angel Island has begun reopening to visitors. As of July 2, the
Angel Island Tiburon Ferry
has resumed service to Ayala Cove. Buildings on the island will remain closed for the time being. Advanced ferry tickets may be required prior to your visit.
View the full announcement here.
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Everyone Has a Story to Tell. Will You Share Yours?
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We are looking for former Angel Island detainees and descendants who are interested in sharing their story with the public.
Each year, the Angel Island Immigration Station inspires authors, museums, musicians, filmmakers, scholars, and teachers to reach out to AIISF for first and secondhand accounts from former Angel Island detainees and their families.
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