March 2020 Update
A Message from AIISF's Executive Director
Dear AIISF friends and family,
 
In follow up to our email earlier this week announcing the postponement of our Annual Gala and Immigrant Heritage Awards (originally scheduled for April 16, 2020), please save the rescheduled date of Wednesday, August 19, 2020 on your calendars. Know that the health and safety of our supporters is of utmost priority to us, and we hope that conditions and circumstances will allow us to see you all in August.
 
This is an uncertain time for so many families, organizations, and communities. The next weeks and months will likely challenge us all in ways that we have not been challenged before. But, there is one thing that history has demonstrated time and time again, and that is the resiliency of immigrant communities. 
 
It's in this spirit of resiliency that we are all making adjustments, including the AIISF team. Our offices are closed for at least the next 3 weeks with staff telecommuting from home. If you need to reach us during this time, please email us at info@aiisf.org . We are exploring options for shifting our upcoming educational events from in-person to online. We are ramping up our efforts to continue to lift up Angel Island Immigration Station’s histories and stories through our social media channels. During this period of “social distancing” you can keep connected with us by following us on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter .

While public health forces us to keep physical distance from one another, we will find new ways to remain socially connected.
 
In this e-blast you will also find resources for teachers and parents. CA State Parks is offering free, virtual educational sessions through their Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students (PORTS) program. AIISF’s Immigrant Journeys curriculum guides for grades 3 to 12 are also available for free on our website . While these guides were originally designed for teachers, they contain lessons, student worksheets, primary source documents from the National Archives, historical photographs, and list of resources to introduce students to the experience of immigrants on Angel Island that parents can easily adapt for home use.
 
With deep thanks for your continued support, understanding, and flexibility, 
 
Ed
New Gala Date: August 19, 2020
Please mark your calendars for the rescheduled date of our gala. 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 , in late 2020).
PORTS for Teachers and Students
PORTS is a live, interactive, distance learning, video conferencing program that enables students sitting miles away to engage with Angel Island Immigration Station. This program bridges both distance and economic gaps allowing every child to hear the remarkable West Coast immigration stories.

PORTS can help create a unique distance learning opportunity where teachers and students can engage with California State Parks staff. It allows students to explore immigration, perseverance, tolerance, and often overlooked components of common core standards.

Curriculum for At-Home Learning

Thousands of people were inspired to come across the Pacific Ocean to the United States in search of a better life. Between 1910 and 1940, Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco Bay was routinely the first stop on the journey to America for these immigrants. What were the aspirations and experiences of these immigrants? This dynamic curriculum can be adapted for home use.
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