By Qi Mai
This year marks the 4th annual Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month, with the theme “A Legacy of Leadership and Resilience.”
On May 1, the Asian American, Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration Committee hosted the 21st Annual Heritage Awards & Gala Reception, officially kicking off the City and County of San Francisco’s AANHPI Heritage Month celebrations. City College Board of Trustees member Alan Wong was in attendance.
The event honored four organizations — the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, Japan Society of Northern California, Korean Center, and Pacific Asian American Women’s Bay Area Coalition — as well as two outstanding students, Charlotte “Lottie” Nguyen and Titus Lawson.
Over 50 exciting AANHPI cultural performances, workshops, film screenings, community festivals, art exhibitions, and author talks will occur across the city throughout May.
Art & Community
On April 25, Ruth’s Table Art Gallery, located at 3160 21st Street in Mission Community and owned by Front Porch Communities and Services, launched the ROOTED Artists Exhibition to celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month and mark the 15th anniversary of Ruth’s Table’s first exhibition, Taking Root.
The grand opening attracted around 350 attendees, including 60 Bay Area–based AANHPI artists, their families, friends, community members, and over 100 seniors from Bethany Senior Housing, also operated by Front Porch Communities and Services.
The exhibition featured 80 works by 60 artists, representing diverse heritages, including Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, Thai, Filipino, Hawaiian, and second-generation descendants. The works included paintings, photography, sculptures, and videos. Due to the volume of works, the gallery adopted a salon-style display.
“I am very inspired by how the exhibition has brought together so many people from different backgrounds. It shows how strong we are as a community when we work together,” said Evan Johnson, Director of Ruth’s Table Art Gallery.
The exhibition theme, ROOTED, pays tribute to Ruth Asawa, the renowned Japanese American modernist artist. Asawa’s legacy continues to inspire the art community, especially through her Growth mosaic at Bethany Center, which symbolizes roots spreading in all directions to nourish and strengthen life.
Full Circle Dance Concert
On April 25-26, City College’s Physical Education and Dance Department presented its Spring Dance Concert, Full Circle, at the Wellness Center to celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month.
The concert highlighted new works from the college’s dance program, featuring a variety of dance styles and original choreography by students, faculty and guest artists. The performances explored themes of cultural identity, resilience, and community, reflecting the diversity of the AANHPI community.
The event drew a large crowd of students, faculty, and community members, who applauded the dancers for their artistry and passion. Full Circle not only celebrated the performers’ talents but also reinforced City College’s commitment to honoring the cultural heritage of its AANHPI students.
Connecting Students with AANHPI Leaders
On April 30, the City College Career Center hosted an inspiring AAPI Career Panel in HBB 140, drawing over 30 students eager to hear from five accomplished AAPI professionals.
Panelists included David Sim, Senior Associate for Trust & Safety at Instacart; Tommy Doan, Real Estate Agent at Sequoia Real Estate; Marry-Anne Cabansagan, Social Worker at UCSF; Melanie Kim, State Policy Director for the City and County of San Francisco; and Mano Raju, Public Defender for the City and County of San Francisco.
Panelists shared insights about their career journeys, challenges and the lessons they’ve learned. A key moment came when students asked, “What is one challenge you have faced as an Asian professional, and how did you deal with it?” The speakers spoke candidly about confronting stereotypes, overcoming imposter syndrome, and navigating workplace dynamics where they were sometimes underestimated. They emphasized the importance of building professional networks and staying true to their values and cultural identity.
For many of the predominantly Asian student audience, the event offered not just practical career advice but also encouragement and affirmation. The panel underscored that success often involves resilience, community support, and self-advocacy. The Career Center plans to continue hosting events like this to connect students with inspiring professionals.
Tea Ceremony Brings Culture and Conversation
On May 1, the Chinatown/North Beach Center Library and Dasen American Academy hosted a Tea Ceremony, offering students, faculty, and community members an immersive cultural experience focused on the beauty, tradition, and meaning of tea preparation.
The program, titled East Meets West: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, featured a live tea ceremony demonstration followed by a discussion on the cultural significance of tea across different societies. Attendees sampled a variety of teas and enjoyed traditional treats.
For many ESL students, the event provided not just a cultural experience but also an educational opportunity. The ceremony expanded their English vocabulary related to tea traditions and deepened their understanding of the values of purity, harmony, and respect inherent in the ceremony.
Fears Over Lunar New Year Recognition
As the college celebrates AANHPI Heritage Month, we are reminded that this commemoration aims to recognize the contributions and influence of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. Among these rich cultural traditions, the Lunar New Year stands out as one of the most significant and cherished.
However, a concerning moment emerged during the City College of San Francisco Board of Trustees meeting on April 24, 2024. In a rare and heartfelt Trustee report, Alan Wong expressed his deep concern that City College might not observe the Lunar New Year in 2026. He broke from his usual demeanor and candidly shared that he would feel embarrassed by the Board’s symbolic gestures if the college failed to officially recognize this important holiday. He emphasized that other communities would rightly be disappointed by such an oversight. Despite institutional inaction, he noted that celebrations have already started at the college — evidence of the community’s desire and effort.
Alan Wong has long championed the cause. In 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2596, designating Lunar New Year as an optional state holiday. However, that law did not apply to community colleges. Recognizing this gap, Wong pushed for legislative change, urging state leaders to update the California Community College Education Code. His efforts bore fruit when, in October 2023, Governor Newsom signed AB 264 — authored by Assembly member Phil Ting — which finally gave community colleges the flexibility to observe Lunar New Year. As Wong said on October 9, 2023: “Recognition of Lunar New Year at our community colleges is about celebrating the large Asian student body and staff that we have.”
As City College’s largest student demographic, Asian students deserve to see their culture honored meaningfully, not just in name but in action.
“We talk about social justice a lot here at City College, but not for the Asian community. We might have a resolution on API Heritage Month, we’ve been doing that as a custom, but I would be embarrassed to vote for that,” Wong said during the April board meeting.