870 Market Street, Suite 941 San Francisco, CA 94102
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A Decade of Breaking Ground
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It’s pouring rain today just as it had on February 15, 2009, the Opening Day Celebration of the Immigration Station as I write this reflection on what led up to that moment ten years ago. To do so, I must go back even further to 1979 and my first visit to the Immigration Station for a Commemorative Ceremony led by Paul Chow of the Angel Island Immigration Station Historical Advisory Committee (AIISHAC) Paul said, 'Angel Island is like our Plymouth Rock,' and the metaphor stuck.
AIISHAC, the predecessor of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF) was formed to save the poems after they were discovered on the walls of the barracks by park ranger, Alex Weiss in 1970. In 1980, "
Island: The Poetry and History of Angel Island, 1910-1940
" by Him Mark Lai, Judy Yung and Genny Lim (all descendents) was published providing valuable first hand stories about the experiences of detainees and translations of the poems. It inspired me to produce "
Carved in Silence
," even before I discovered that both my father and grandfather had been detained as well.
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I was honored to serve as President of the board in the mid-90’s and along with Daniel Quan "professionalized" the organization, hired our first grant writer, Kathy Ko Chin, built a visionary board, applied for and successfully gained recognition as a National Historic Landmark as well as being identified as one of the "Eleven Most Endangered Historic Sites" in America. Those prestigious titles opened funding opportunities through grants and legislation that paid for the studies, architectural designs, plans, construction and all that was entailed in its transformation.
What an enormous sense of satisfaction to see what’s been accomplished. It was icing on the cake when AIISF recognized Dan, Kathy and me as Visionaries last April at the Annual Gala. This brief history hints at the groundwork that has been laid over the years by so many hardworking, committed individuals who believe in the mission of the Foundation: to serve as community stewards, create public awareness of its historical significance, and to restore and preserve our "Plymouth Rock." And there’s more to come!
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Felicia Lowe
Former Board President
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1943: Repeal That Was Bittersweet
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A little over seventy-five years ago, on December 17, 1943, Congress passed the
Magnusson Act
which repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act. With this repeal, Chinese immigrants were no longer barred from becoming naturalized U.S. citizens. However, the repeal did little to change the number of Chinese immigrants who were admitted. This is because the Immigration Act of 1924 continued to subject Chinese and other Asian immigration to an annual ethnic quota that was based on a percentage of one’s ethnic group living in the U.S. in 1920. For the Chinese, the quota meant that only around 105 immigrants could come annually even after the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act. It would not be until the passage of the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 that the ethnic quota system was abolished entirely.
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Looking Back, Moving Forward
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Shanghai Angel
March 8, 2019
Heather Klein's
one-act musical, tells the story of Rosa Ginsberg, Heather's real-life grandmother, and her 3-week detainment on Angel Island.
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April 11, 2019
Co-Chairs Claudine Cheng, Vish Mishra, and Gerrye Wong cordially invite you to join us for our annual fundraising gala.
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Within These Walls
Weekends May 4-19, 2019
Lenora Lee
returns for
an immersive performance work integrating dance, film, and music that is inspired by experiences of those detained at the AIIS.
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Pacific Coast
Immigration Center
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Immigrant Voices: Jennie (Sook Han) Wu
Jennie was eleven years old when she left Cheung Har Bin Village in 1940. She boarded the USS President Coolidge alone, without adult supervision, guidance or assistance and took a 20-day journey to reach America...
Read more
www.immigrant-voices.aiisf.org
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Ways to Engage with AIISF
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Connect with AIISF on Social Media
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