Join us for an evening of cultural exploration and heartfelt dialogue as we celebrate Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. The event will take place at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose with FREE museum admission in San Jose, sponsored by the City of San José’s Office of Cultural Affairs Abierto Grant.

At the heart of this event is the recent AAPI Perspectives Oral History Project, a partnership between SJSU Research Foundation and Santa Clara County to document the lives and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and their contributions to their communities and society at large. This project aims to uncover and illuminate hidden narratives that have long been obscured by otherness and mystery for far too long.

Panel Discussion: The Power of Oral History and Art in Shaping Culture and Identity
Together, we will immerse ourselves in the rich tapestry of AAPI culture and honor the enduring contributions of the AAPI community. This Panel Discussion will feature the captivating perspectives of local historian Connie Young Yu, filmmaker Lan Nguyen, and singer/songwriter Kamiko. Through their stories, we will delve into the depths of the lived experience and examine its impact on our sense of self, belonging, and creative expression when crucial stories are missing.

Poetry and Live Music
To conclude the evening, we will be treated to spoken word poetry by Erin Pangilinan and a live musical performance by Kamiko and AnnaMacan. Their soul-stirring music and poetry will uplift and inspire us to embrace the beauty and diversity of our community.

ABOUT: AAPI Perspectives, a Santa Clara County Oral History Project, the purpose of the project is to document the lives and legacies of Santa Clara County Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders and activists, to amplify and uplift their contributions as well as combat racism and anti-Asian violence. So far, we have interviewed the following community leaders: Yosh Uchida, Paul Sakamoto, Janette Arakawa, Cora Tomalinas, Robert Ragsac, Ash Kalra, Mike Honda, Michael Chang, Susan Hayase, Emi Okano, Tom Izu, Wes Mukoyama, Lucretia Lee, and Ron Lee. Through the narratives of those who have dedicated their lives to fighting for justice and civil rights, the project will not only archive oral histories but also aim to inspire and motivate future generations for a better America via the development of K-16 curriculum.  

OPEN PROGRAMMING: YOUTH PERFORMANCE

Santee Elementary School Student Performance
To open our program we will have a 5th Grade Student from Santee Elementary School sharing their written Counter Story and Music that they’ve created in response to participating in the pilot Ethnic Studies project in response to the AAPI Oral History Project.

PANEL DISCUSSION: 

The Power of Oral History and Art in Shaping Culture and Identity
Together, we will immerse ourselves in the rich tapestry of AAPI culture and honor the enduring contributions of the AAPI community. This Panel Discussion will feature the captivating perspectives of local historian Connie Young Yu, filmmaker Lan Nguyen, and singer/songwriter Kamiko. Through their stories, we will delve into the depths of the lived experience and examine its impact on our sense of self, belonging, and creative expression when crucial stories are missing.

Panelist

Connie Young Yu is an historian, author, and expert on Heinlenville Chinatown, which originally occupied part of where modern-day Japantown now stands in San Jose, CA. She authored a book entitled "Chinatown, San Jose, USA" and the script for a documentary film called "Digging to Chinatown" about Heinlenville. Additionally, she contributed the text for the "On Common Ground" exhibit at JAMsj and the script for its accompanying video about San Jose's Chinatown and Japantown. Her grandfather managed a store in Heinlenville, and her father grew up there. Currently, she is a historical consultant for the development project underway at the former Chinatown site. Connie played a key role in designating Angel Island Immigration Station as a National Historic Landmark and gave the opening address at the 150-year anniversary of the Golden Spike in honor of Chinese American railroad workers. Connie was also a founding member of Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI).

Lan Nguyen is an award-winning filmmaker, community organizer, and educator from Long Beach, California. She focuses on community organizing in progressive Southeast Asian American spaces, addressing issues of incarceration and deportation. Lan's work includes short films screened at festivals, community centers, and universities. She is a 2019 NeXt Doc Fellow and a Critical Refugee Studies Collective grantee. Her film Fighting For Family received several awards. Lan is an ethnic studies educator who has taught at the high school and college level in California. She currently teaches ethnic studies at US history to immigrant youth in the Bay Area. Lan holds degrees from Northwestern University, UCLA, and San Jose State University.

Briana Kamiko Fugii is a singer-songwriter who infuses contemporary R&B with soulful melodies inspired by greats such as Etta James and Amy Winehouse. Raised in the creative hub of the Bay Area, California, Kamiko's upbringing has heavily influenced her work. Alongside her music, Kamiko is a skilled photographer and Birth Doula with a passion for children and nurturing creativity in all aspects of life. Her multifaceted interests inform her art and makes her a unique and dynamic force in the Bay Area.

MODERATOR :

Ellina Yin is a 1st generation Cambodian American multidisciplinary social practice artist, civic participation activist, and entrepreneur. Ellina works at the intersection of art, technology, and lawmaking to explore new forms of civic participation. Their work threads art and technology to reimagine how we engage in democracy at the local level and the crucial role of artists in shaping culture. In 2022, Ellina co-authored and passed the Measure I Ballot in San José, which aims to elevate ethics, equity values/standards, and expand civic participation for non-citizens. They are currently serving as the Creative Director and Project/Research Manager for an Oral History Project featuring AAPI Perspectives which aims to document and share the stories of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Santa Clara County as part of the California’s Ethnic Studies initiative. 

SPOKEN WORD POETRY BY

Erin Jerri Malonzo Pañgilinan is a 2nd generation Filipina American tech entrepreneur, internationally acclaimed author, spoken word artist, poet, emcee, former journalist and civic engagement advocate.  In 2019, she published O’Reilly Media anthology, Creating Augmented and Virtual Realities, which is now circulating in over 2 dozen countries, and has been translated Chinese and Korean. 

Her creative work is prolific, having performed spoken word poetry and hip hop at the San Francisco Castro Theatre and the Institute of Contemporary Art San Jose and published creative written work in Yellow As Turmeric, Fragrant As Cloves: A Contemporary Anthology Of Asian American Women's Poetry, {m}aganda magazine, Hyphens. Her chapbook (to be released), 16 Dimensions , is a compilation of over a decade’s worth of spoken word and page poetry. Her latest work as creator, screenwriter and executive producer of TV docu-series, How We Flow: The History of Filipino Americans in Hip Hop, is in development. 

Erin is co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Salamat Inc, a stealth production studio, startup, and fund which seeks to foster the future of storytelling in the mediums of film, television, AI, gaming, web3, and the metaverse.

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE BY

Kamiko is a singer-songwriter who infuses contemporary R&B with soulful melodies inspired by greats such as Etta James and Amy Winehouse. Raised in the creative hub of the Bay Area, California, Kamiko's upbringing has heavily influenced her work.

Anna Macan , is a Filipina-American guitarist based out of the Bay Area. Growing up, she was involved in many different musical projects that span multiple genres. Her own music is a reflection of that, and can be described as a blend of math rock, indie, jazz, and prog rock. In addition to her own musical ventures, Anna collaborates and performs with many different Bay Area artists and helps them bring their own musical visions to life.