Pacific Grove ponders issuing an apology to Chinese American community

In 2014, a plaque was placed on the site of Pacific Grove's Chinese fishing village once stood.

Pacific Grove may be the next city to acknowledge and apologize for its history of racism towards its Chinese residents.

The city's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force approved sending a proposed resolution detailing the apology to the Pacific Grove City Council for consideration on May 11, during Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Picturesque Pacific Grove is located on the California coast south of Monterey. The Chinese fishing village at Point Alones, which began in the 1850s, was nearly burned to the ground in a highly suspicious 1905 fire after the residents resisted eviction. 

Task Force Secretary Kim Bui, read the resolution aloud, detailing how a growing anti-Chinese sentiment resulted in the attempted eviction of Point Alones residents in 1905, followed a year later by the fire, during which “hundreds of spectators watched, cheered the flames and looted” residents’ belongings. Remaining residents were not allowed to return.

The resolution goes as far back as the Chinese Exclusion Act and the racist covenants that prevented Chinese from buying property. 

It goes on the cites the Feast of Lanterns, a local celebration that featured racist depictions. The event was canceled because of strong objections by residents. The proposed resolution ties the history to the current anti-Asian sentiment that has surged the past two years.  

The task force wants the city's apology as a “learning moment for the public to move away from prejudice and racism towards inclusion, equity and justice for all.”

"An apology for grievous injustices cannot erase the past, but admission of the historic wrongdoing committed can aid us in healing the pain of the past and solving the critical problems of discrimination and racism facing Pacific Grove and the broader U.S. today," states the resolution.

The task force and its supporters are hoping the apology will get approved by the City Council May 11 as part of the city's observance of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May, and be read by the mayor at the city's annual Walk of Remembrance on May 14 that concludes at the site of the former Chinatown, now a valuable piece of property featuring a trail alongside the rocky shoreline.

The Walk of Remembrance "is an authentic event that celebrates the actual history of Pacific Grove and it is also an inclusive event. And the Feast of Lanterns was unfortunately not any of those things," said Klarity Coleman, the former Feast of Lanterns president.

"If we can't make significant change here (in Pacific Grove). I'm really worried for the rest of our country. We have a great opportunity here and now with this instance to set a tone and create a larger change that's going to continue,"  said Coleman.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

L.A. Riots' 30th Anny: Rreflections on 'SAIGU,' when injustice reigned and the city burned

TWITTER

Armed Korean Americans protected their businesses during the Rodney King riot.

Thirty years ago, I was still enjoying the best years of my journalistic career as a copy editor at the Oakland Tribune, at the time, the only major black-owned newspaper in the country, when the Los Angeles riots broke out.

In the Tribune newsroom I was transfixed watching TV and reading the wire stories on the burning and looting. For most Americans, the major images that stood  was of entire blocks aflame in the black community and Korean Americans on the rooftops of their businesses brandishing guns trying to defend the buildings from their black neighbors.

The Black and Asian journalists in the Tribune newsroom took a deep breath and put on their professional faces and tried to appear objective, but the furrowed brows were hard to miss.

Almost forgotten in the ensuing days was the incident that sparked the unrest and the following police reaction: a jury acquitted four white police officers in the beating of Black motorist Rodney King.

Among Korean Americans, the L.A. riots became known as "Saigu," which translates to  April 29, the first day of the week-long riots.

“Saigu has become almost like a memorial for Korean Americans,” Connie Chung Joe, chief executive officer of Asian Americans Advancing Justice — Los Angeles, told NBC Asian America. “It’s a moment of profound sadness and loss, of feeling so targeted and so abandoned.”

Black and Asian civil rights leaders involved in the aftermath of the unrest in 1992 gathered recently to discuss past news coverage, how it impacted racial tensions and what members of the press can do to change the divisive narrative.

Following is the press release issued by Asian Americans Advancing Justice about the panel discussing the news coverage of those days when L.A. burned.

* * *

In an April 14 virtual panel titled "LA Uprising / Saigu Reflections: Race Relations Then and Now," speakers included Civil Rights Attorney Connie Rice, Attorney Mediator Angela Oh, Founder of Asian Americans Advancing Justice-LA Stewart Kwoh, and USC Professor/President of the National Association of Black Journalists Jarrett Hill. The virtual panel was hosted by Connie Chung Joe (CEO, AAAJ- LA) and moderated by Monica Lozano (former CEO, La Opinion).

On April 29, 1992, four white police officers were acquitted for the brutal beating of an African American man, Rodney King, which had been caught on tape. The verdict was followed by five days of unrest in Los Angeles in which more than 60 people lost their lives and an estimated $1 billion of damage was done in what dominant media labeled as race-related violence instead of injustice-related. 

They failed to acknowledge the systematic and institutional causes of economic inequality, legal injustice, and police brutality were the primary causes of the incident.

For the Korean American community, the word “SAIGU,” which means 4.29, commemorates the day the Uprising began. $400 million of the property damages occurred to Korean-owned businesses, including Koreatown being heavily hit.

Leading up to the 30th anniversary of LA’s 1992 civil unrest, the panel urged the audience -- comprised of members of the press, students, and advocates–to reframe future narratives by focusing on the real issues of bias and oppression instead of sensationalized stereotypes. With the Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate movements underway, dominant media have the obligation to self-reflect on its role in reporting and focus the political and economic history of race relations in Los Angeles and across the United States.

DOJ

30 years ago, a Korean American watched buldings burn.

Civil Rights Leader Connie Rice, highlighted how the Rodney King video was the kindling that lit the fire of social issues which had been affecting the African American community in L.A. for generations, with the dominant media only focused on branding the community as criminals rather than talk about the economic gaps;

"For the working class and poor African Americans, they had seen 80,000 jobs leave the South Central area. When your entire economic base leaves, you are going to have a gap there and people fall through the cracks, and then you have an emerging and gang culture and of course the dominant media covered most Blacks in LA as criminals and as being violent because that was what the elite communities feared," she expressed.

For the African American community, the 1992 LA Uprising left a deep wound, one which embodied racial, economic and political injustice. There was a struggle to define community identity against the backdrop of the City removing all pillars of systemic support. The dominant media ignored this and instead labeled African Americans as the aggressor and Korean Americans as the aggressed, pitting one community against the other.

Attorney Mediator Angela Oh, explained why the word SAIGU defined the consequences the Korean American community experienced in LA as a result of the dominant media only portraying the community implementing vigilante justice.

"The Korean American community which the dominant media did not see experienced many issues. There were issues around suicide and mental health which didn’t get covered in any media. Children had to give up their education futures because they had to help their parents rebuild. The entire situation was truly dispiriting," she said.
Founder of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – LA Stewart Kwoh, made the point that a multi-racial democracy really depends on dominant media which is fair, accurate and avoids pitting one group against another;

"We went to the LA Times and said a small percentage of Korean Americans were trying to protect their businesses with guns, but that was the only image shown by the LA Times. It was inaccurate, imbalanced and it took everything out of context on the injustices faced by both communities – whether Korean American or African American," Kwoh strongly stated.

University of Southern California Professor/President of the National Association of Black Journalists, Jarrett Hill provided some observations on the how the dominant media has covered topics dealing with race, civil uprising and communities and how diversity in the newsrooms needs to be extended to decision makers.

"I think one of the things we have to recognize first is that the dominant media’s role has never been about upholding a multi-racial democracy. We are trying to change the system and bend it to the needs of what we need for it to reflect, so this is why we need to diversify our newsrooms and not just for interns or news reporters but also for editors, directors and the owners of these media companies," he emphasized.

* * *

Here's the answer to Question No. 2: Has coverage of minority communities improved?

A footnote: 

Unable to survive the Recession, later that year in 1992, Robert C. Maynard, had to alter his dream of holding the Tribune as an example of a diverse newsroom and journalists of color were just as talented as their white peers. The owner of the Trib -- a better journalist and human being than a businessman -- was forced to sell his newspaper to his competitors, the Alameda News Group part of the white-owned Media News Group chain. 

The wonderfully diverse newsroom, which was not dominated by white males, was scattered to the winds to other publications throughout the nation.

Maynard's dream of diversifying the ranks of journalists lives on in the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. Atop the Institute's website, a quote from Maynard resonates today as we mark the 30th anniversary of the Rodney King Riots: 

“Newsrooms have a responsibility to cure the legacy of racism.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Investment firm's founder arrested for fraud involving billions of dollars.

Bill Hwang was arrested and charged with investment fraud.

A founder of private investment firm, Archegos, Sung Kook (Bill) Hwang was arrested Wednesday along with the firm's CFO Patrick Halligan, and charged with fraud costing investors billions of dollars.

An indictment was unsealed Wednesday (April 27) charging Hwang, and Halligan with racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, and wire fraud offenses in connection with interrelated schemes to illegaly manipulate the prices of publicly traded securities in Archegos’s portfolio and to defraud many leading global investment banks and brokerages. 

“We allege that these defendants and their co-conspirators lied to banks to obtain billions of dollars that they then used to inflate the stock price of a number of publicly-traded companies,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. 

“The lies fed the inflation, and the inflation led to more lies. Round and round it went. In one year, Hwang allegedly turned a $1.5 billion portfolio and pumped it up into a $35 billion portfolio. But last year, the music stopped. The bubble burst. The prices dropped. And when they did, billions of dollars of capital evaporated nearly overnight.”

Who is Bill Hwang?

Sung Kook (Bill) Hwang, founder and co-CEO of Archegos Capital Management has run into trouble before. He pleaded guilty to insider trading in 2012, forked over $60 million to settle related charges, and closed down his fund. He was also banned from trading securities in Hong Kong for four years in 2014.

Hwang was born in the mid-1960s and raised as a devout Christian. His father was a church pastor and his mother served as a missionary in Mexico, he said in a 2018 interview promoting communal bible readings.

Hwang holds an economics degree from UCLA and a MBA from Carnegie Mellon, an online biography shows.

According to a Market Insider profile, Hwang " smiles a lot, cracks jokes, and comes across as humble in the interview. He doesn't take himself too seriously, but clearly feels a burning desire to spread the gospel."

Hwang says his faith has guided him throughout his entire career. He sees investing as his calling, and believes God "loves" when he backs companies that contribute to humanity's progress. "It's not all about money," he said in another 2018 interview.

After a series of investment positions, he founded Tiger Asia, an investment firm. In 2012 he pleaded guilty to insider trading through his Tiger Asia firm and paid a penalty of $60 million to settle civil and criminal charges of manipulating Chinese stocks.

How Hwang's alleged scheme worked

Also unsealed Wednesday are the guilty pleas of Scott Becker and William Tomita in connection with their participation in the conspiracy. Becker pleaded guilty pursuant to an information before U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain on April 21. Tomita pleaded guilty pursuant to an information before Judge Swain on April 21. Both are cooperating with the government.

“Today’s announcement demonstrates the department’s unwavering commitment to hold accountable individuals who distort and defraud our financial markets, including those who occupy the C-Suite,” said Deputy Attorney General Monaco. “That is especially true for this kind of crime — the kind that leaves a financial crater in its wake.”

The full scale of the fallout from Archegos blowing up won't be known for a while but according to the allegations in the indictment unsealed Wednesday in Manhattan federal court some detailed were revealed:

Sung Kook (Bill) Hwang is the founder and owner of Archegos Capital Management and its related business entities, which are collectively known as Archegos. As alleged, Hwang, along with Patrick Halligan, Scott Becker and William Tomita lied to banks to obtain billions of dollars that they then used to artificially inflate the stock price of a number of publicly traded companies.

Hwang and his co-conspirators invested in stocks mostly through special contracts with banks and brokers called “swaps.” As alleged, these swaps allowed Hwang to cause massive buying of certain stocks, including at carefully selected days and times, to artificially pump up stock prices. Hwang, Halligan and their co-conspirators lied to banks and used a series of manipulative trading techniques to keep those prices high and prevent them from falling. This led to inflation of these stock prices. In one year, Hwang turned a $1.5 billion portfolio and fraudulently pumped it up into a $35 billion portfolio.

Last year, when the prices fell, Hwang’s positions were sold off and he could no longer manipulate the prices, and billions of dollars of capital evaporated nearly overnight.

As alleged, the defendants committed this fraud in secret. Since 2014, Hwang has run Archegos as a private hedge fund or “family office,” meaning that Archegos, unlike other large hedge funds, was not required to tell regulators information about its holdings and debt that might have shined a light on the fraud and allowed the crisis to be averted.

And because Hwang traded mostly through swaps, he was able to do the buying alleged in the indictment without anyone knowing that Archegos was actually behind all the trading. Regular market participants, and even the companies themselves, were duped into thinking the price increases were caused by the normal interplay of supply and demand when, instead, as alleged, they were the artificial result of Hwang’s manipulative trading.

For example, as alleged, by March 24, 2021, Hwang effectively controlled more than 50% of the freely trading shares of Viacom – and no one outside of Archegos knew about it — not investors purchasing Viacom in the market, or the executives at Viacom itself, or even the banks and brokerages who held the stock as part of the swaps. Because, as alleged, by using various banks and brokerages for his swaps, Hwang made sure that no single institution would have any idea that he was behind all of this trading.

The indictment further alleges that in order to get the billions of dollars Archegos needed to sustain this market manipulation scheme, Hwang and his co-conspirators lied to and misled some of Wall Street’s leading banks about how big Archegos’s investments had become, how much cash Archegos had on hand and the nature of the stocks that Archegos held. As alleged, they told those lies so that the banks would have no idea what Archegos was really up to, how risky the portfolio was, and what would happen if the market turned.

As alleged, just over a year ago, the market turned and the stock prices Hwang and his co-conspirators had artificially inflated crashed, causing immense damage to U.S. financial markets and ordinary investors. In a matter of days, the companies at the center of Archegos’s trading scheme lost more than $100 billion in market capitalization, Archegos owed billions of dollars more than it had on hand, and Archegos collapsed. 

Market participants who purchased the relevant stocks at artificial prices lost the value they believed their investments held, the banks lost billions of dollars, and Archegos employees, many of whom were required to invest 25% or more of their bonuses with Archegos as deferred compensation, lost millions of dollars.

Hwang and Halligan were arrested prior to the announcement and were presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer E. Willis. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr.

Also unsealed Wednesday are the guilty pleas of Scott Becker and William Tomita in connection with their participation in the conspiracy. Becker pleaded guilty pursuant to an information before U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain on April 21. Tomita pleaded guilty pursuant to an information before Judge Swain on April 21. Both are cooperating with the government.

Anyone who thinks they are victims of the alleged scheme are encouraged to contact law enforcement at USANYS.ARCHEGOS@USDOJ.GOV.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

GeekWire entrepreneur launches the 'Joysauce' media platform targeting Asian American market

Jonathan Sposato, in this graphic, launched the Joysauce netowrk.

A new multimedia network debuted today aimed at the American Asian audience and its allies, a group historically erased from history books, ignored in most polls and underrepresented in politics and media.

Joysauce, founded by tech entrepreneur Jonathan Sposato (GeekWire.com, PicMonkey.com, Google, Xbox/Microsoft), will feature multiple channels of vibrant digital programming dedicated to celebrating both new and established American Asian talent. 

“Starting JoySauce is, in many ways, the culmination of everything I've done to date in media, publishing and tech entrepreneurship,” says Sposato. “Growing up as a Korean Chinese American, I hardly ever saw anyone who looked like me on TV or in movies, and when I did, they were always the bad guy or the side kick. It’s better now, but it's high time we as a default centered stories on American Asians and create a parallel universe where portrayals of the Asian diaspora are consistently positive and flattering and beautiful and funny and strong and cool.”

Sposato is a tech entrepreneur, CEO and founder of JoySauce. He is also currently the publisher of Seattle magazine and Seattle Business magazine, and the chairman and co-founder of GeekWire, co-founder of Picnick, and founder of PicMonkey and Phatbits. As an author, Sposato is the national bestselling author of the 2017 book Better Together: 8 Ways Working with Women Leads to Extraordinary Products and Profits.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

• Who is Jonathan Sposato? Read the Asian Weekly article.
• Click here to watch Joysauce.

Viewers can expect unscripted and scripted shows, licensed movies, stand-up comedy specials, documentaries, podcasts, and more. JoySauce will also publish original editorial daily, featuring brave new voices and established journalists covering culturally relevant topics in lifestyle, food, entertainment, pop culture, education, romance and more.

The first-of-its-kind platform begins with a change in nomenclature—American Asian rather than Asian American. It "is our way of shifting the center of gravity, while recognizing that each of us chooses how the pieces of our identities fit together.,'" reads a press release.

JoySauce was founded in August 2020 by Sposato. The multimedia network boasts a wide-ranging library of content around entertainment, lifestyle, food, travel, culture, relationships, art and education in the form of exciting new streaming shows, movies, standup comedy, provocative podcasts, and a suite of editorial that will represent the full spectrum of American Asian narratives.

Some of the programming highlights include:

• #TeamTan: A JoySauce original series about Samantha Tan, a 22-year-old Asian Canadian racing star rising through the ranks of professional race car driving at warp speed.
• American Icon: A single 20-minute special where Sposato sits down with actor George Takei for an interview that’s pure irreverent fun.
• #VeryAsian with Michelle Li: JoySauce interviews prominent Korean American social movement catalyst Michelle Li in a bite-sized series on relevant Asian diaspora issues.
• Travels with Malika: Malika Lim Eubank chronicles her cross-country journey from a makeshift live-streaming RV, visiting people and places on the edge of transition and exploring what it means to be American.
• Bound for Glory: An award-winning pilot from first-time filmmaker John Wilcox and writer, actor and producer Michael Naizu about finding cultural and professional identity in modern-day Hollywood.
• A Leading Man: An episodic reconfiguration of director Steve J. Kung's impactful feature-length film.
• Bulge Bracket: A series that takes you into the high-intensity world of mergers, acquisitions and IPOs, starring Jessika Van (CBS’s Rush Hour) as a recent B-school graduate beginning her career at a prestigious New York investment bank.
• Bella’s Table: A JoySauce original video podcast from Intrepid Indian American business owner Bella Sangar, as she interviews a diversity of female business owners and thought leaders on what it means to belong.

In addition, the fledgling network plans to grow a selection of podcasts centered around  conversations with renowned experts and emerging AAPI thought leaders and voices on wide-ranging subjects from entrepreneurship to relationships.”

As acting Editor-in-Chief, Sposato has hired Deputy Editor-in-Chief Frankie Huang (with bylines in the New York Times, Washington Post, The Guardian) and Managing Editor Chelsea Lin (former Seattle magazine editor-in-chief and nationally published food writer). Entertainment industry veteran Ben Press (talent agent, producer, entertainment tech executive) will be managing brand partnership strategy, talent relations and intellectual property acquisitions as chief development officer.

“At a time of hypervisibility for Asians in America, with both incredible highs and heartbreaking lows, JoySauce is where the full breadth of our vibrant, complicated, imperfect humanity can take up space unapologetically,” Huang told Geekwire. “I am excited to do our part in decolonizing the media and telling our stories the way they deserve to be told.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a developing story. Check back later for updates. 

Japanese American National Museum honor 30 Changemakers under 30

 

"30" is the magic number for the Japanese American National Museum as it honors 
30 Changemakers under 30 years old at JANM’s 30th Anniversary Benefit on April 30. 

Established in 1985, JANM promotes the understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience.

JANM opened to the public in the former Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, in 1992. 

The Changemakers were selected for their extraordinary contributions to advance JANM’s mission through the arts, business, culture, education, politics, sports, and technology.

Emma Anderson is a radio DJ, podcaster, and software engineer focused on uplifting Okinawan stories and traditions.

Erin Aoyama is the co-director of the Japanese American Memoryscape Project whose work explores the possibilities of justice-informed historical storytelling, and a JANM Curatorial Researcher.

Kaitlyn Chu is an entrepreneurial product designer and creative storyteller who impacts lives and takes action on current issues through various mediums and community organizations.

Kraig Fujii is an immersive technology designer specializing in virtual and augmented reality. He has worked with clients such as Sony, the Los Angeles Times, and JANM.

Dina Alyce Fusaye Furumoto educates the public on the tangible experience of Japanese Americans and creates inclusive environments.

Keila Sachi Gaballo is an artist and philanthropic entrepreneur with a passion for mental health education, diverse representation, and embodied social justice.

Jonathan van Harmelen is a PhD student at UC Santa Cruz specializing in the history of Japanese American incarceration.

Sara Hutter, the 2015 Nisei Week queen, is the community relations coordinator at The J. Morey Company, Inc. Insurance Agents & Brokers, where she nurtures relationships with communities that the company serves.

Bryce Ikemura, a partnership manager at TDW+Co, a multicultural marketing agency with a focus on Asian audiences, is the board chair of Kizuna and a board member at large for the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute.

Brandon Ishikata is an artist and university instructor at the University of Illinois Chicago who has held leadership positions with the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL).

Nolan Minoru Jimbo is the Marjorie Susman Curatorial Fellow at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, where he organizes exhibitions and performances with contemporary artists.

Justin Kawaguchi is the current co-chair of Okaeri: A Nikkei LGBTQ+ Community. He also serves on the National Board of the JACL.

Cole Yujiro Kawana is the founder and president of Japanese American Stories, a nonprofit that develops artificial intelligence avatars to help preserve and share the oral histories of Japanese Americans who lived through World War II.

Aidan Kosaka is the acting director of NHoops, a league designed to bring college-age students to Little Tokyo and support small businesses in the area. He was selected to be a logo creator for the 2028 Olympic Games.

Emiko Otera Kranz is earning her MA in Asian American Studies and MPH in Community Health Sciences from UCLA with research centered on racial health equity and community-centered health practices.

Kenji Kuramitsu is a psychotherapist and writer who draws from experiences in antiracism organizing and theological education to provide attuned mental health and spiritual care in clinical, retreat, and movement settings.

Kristi Mieko Lin is an artist and principal landscape architect at Falling Waters Landscape in San Diego, California.

Devon Matsumoto is a youth advocate at an organization dedicated to ending the school to prison pipeline and a community organizer for San Jose Nikkei Resisters and the Young Buddhist Editorial.

Kota Mizutani is the press secretary for Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) of the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor.

Nina Nakao is the virtual learning coordinator at JANM, where she develops and sustains nationwide programming for students grades 1–12, college, and adult groups.

Alec Nakashima is the founder and creative director of AKASHI-KAMA, a fashion and lifestyle brand which showcases the point of view of Asian Americans, and multiple cultures creating something new over time.

Megan Tomiko Ono is a corporate social responsibility project lead at American Honda Motor Co., Inc.,an advocate for youth, and current board member for Kizuna who is committed to empowering the next generation of global citizens.

Mariko Rooks is pursuing a master’s at Yale University. She serves as the JACL’s National Student/Youth Council’s Eastern District Representative.

Miya Sommers is the assistant director of Asian Pacific American Student Development at UC Berkeley and is earning a master’s in Asian American Studies from San Francisco State University.

Miye Ella Sugino is a Japanese-Korean American artist whose work distills inexpressible topics—like memory, displacement, and loss—into an image.

Vinicius Taguchi is a Japanese-Brazilian American serving as the president of the JACL Twin Cities Chapter and the first vice-governor of the JACL Midwest District.

Kai Vanderlip, a junior at Tesla STEM high school in Washington, founded a literature project that added six picture books about the incarceration to elementary school libraries in his school district and reached 14,000 students.

Matthew Weisbly is the current education and communications coordinator for the JACL National in Los Angeles.

Joy Emi Yamaguchi is a Yonsei community organizer, abolitionist, and the public programs supervisor at JANM curating and overseeing the calendar of events highlighting the Museum’s mission and exhibitions.

Derek T. Yamashita is the creative director of The Hidden Japan, which promotes the deeper sides of Japan beyond the big cities by working with local communities and the government to address a wide range issues holding these regions back.

This year's benefit is the 30th Anniversary celebration which will also highlight the relevance and universality of JANM’s mission and look ahead to the Museum’s next 30 years as it continues to apply history’s hard-won lessons and innovative strategies to reimagine the museum experience, inspire the next generation, and continue the struggle for inclusion and social justice. 

The Benefit will be emceed by Frank Buckley, co-anchor of KTLA 5 Morning News in Los Angeles, and Erin Aoyama, co-director of the Japanese American Memoryscape Project.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

• The 30th Anniversary Benefit virtual program will be livestreaming on JANM’s YouTube channel, @janmdotorg, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on April 30.

• Register at janm30th.givesmart.com to participate in the Online Auction and Bid for Education.

• Visit janm.org/30th-benefit to find out how to participate in the Online Auction, make a Bid for Education, and enter the 2022 Lexus Opportunity Drawing. 

• JANM’s Bid For Education program makes field trips to JANM possible for more than 12,000 primary and secondary school students and teachers every year. Contributions to this program help JANM welcome students back to the Museum and grow JANM’s new virtual visit program that successfully launched last year. Contributions can be made online through janm30th.givesmart.com, by mail, or by phone. Funds raised from the 2022 Lexus Opportunity Drawing will support educational programming and outreach at JANM.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

House passes bill seeking establishment of a National Asian American Pacific Islander Museum

Rep. Grace Meng is pushing for a National Asian American Museum.

As the nation prepares to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the US House of Representatives passed legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Grace Meng, D-NY, that seeks to create the first national museum dedicated to preserving the history, culture, and accomplishments of Asian Pacific Americans.   

 

The bipartisan bill, House Resolution 3525, passed Monday (April 27) unanimously by voice vote, and now heads to the Senate.

“For the last seven years, I have worked to push this legislation through Congress, and I am thrilled that it has finally passed out of the House of Representatives,” said Congresswoman Meng, the First Vice Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. “Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been pivotal in contributing to the growth and prosperity of our nation since its founding.

 

Entitled the “Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act,” Meng’s bill would create a commission of eight individuals with various expertise in museum planning or Asian Pacific American history and culture to examine the feasibility of establishing, maintaining, funding and operating such a facility in the nation’s capital, possibly as part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. which is the world’s largest museum and research complex.

"We have helped make the United States the greatest country in the world, but unfortunately many remain unaware of the crucial role we’ve played throughout our history," said Meng in a statement. "It’s time for that to change and creating a national museum would ensure there is a physical space to commemorate and share our story with future generations.

"Over my Congressional career, we have seen the National Museum of African American History and Culture opened, and I have been proud to stand by my colleagues as we passed legislation to create a National Museum of the American Latino and the American Women’s History Museum. But never before has a bill like this, that seeks to advance the history and culture of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders through a national museum, been approved by the House, and I’m honored to champion this effort.

"Our achievements, history, and experiences are American as everybody else’s, and we must recognize that the narrative of the Asian Pacific American community is woven into our greater American story. I am excited that we are one step closer to this bill becoming law, and one step closer to a national museum filled with our Asian Pacific American history being established.”

The Congresswoman’s measure would require the commission it establishes to:

• Report recommendations for a plan of action on the establishment and maintenance of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture;
• Develop a fundraising plan to support the establishment, operation, and maintenance of the museum through public contributions;
• Obtain an independent review of this fundraising plan, including an analysis of the resources necessary to fund the construction of the museum and its operations and maintenance without reliance on federal funds;
• Report on the availability and cost of acquiring collections for the museum, identify potential locations for the facility in Washington, D.C., and determine its regional impact on other related museums; and
• Submit to Congress a legislative plan of action on whether to and how to establish and construct the museum.

The legislation would also direct the commission’s recommendations to address whether the museum should be part of the Smithsonian Institution. The commission would have 18 months to complete the full study and its members would be appointed by the House Speaker, Senate Majority Leader, House Minority Leader and Senate Minority Leader.

Meng’s legislation passed with 120 cosponsors including Democrats and Republicans. A copy of the bill and additional details about the measure can be viewed here.

The legislation's passage "is a necessary step in the process towards establishing the first national museum dedicated to preserving the history and culture of our communities," said Rep. Judy Chu, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). 

"A museum that is dedicated to telling the story of our communities as part of American history not only helps educate our country about our accomplishments and struggles, but showing how our history IS American history is a powerful tool to combat anti-Asian hate and xenophobia."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

'We Are Bruce Lee' exhibit reopens SF Chinatown's museum

INSTAGRAM

Shannon lee attended the Chinatown museum's exhibit honoring her father, the late Bruce Lee.

San Francisco's Chinatown has a new tourist attraction that honors one of the city's own heroes. The exhibit honoring the late martial artist and actor Bruce Lee opened over the weekend at the Chinatown Historical Society Association's Museum.

The unveiling Saturday of the new exhibit preceded the re-opening of the CHSA museum on Sunday.

The groundbreaking exhibition, "We Are Bruce Lee: Under the Sky, One Family" is a multimedia collaboration between the Bruce Lee Foundation, top collectors of Bruce Lee memorabilia, and a team of artistic innovators will showcase state-of-the-art engagement to magnify the vision and values of a Chinese American icon who transcended race, geography, and culture.

Lee was born at Chinese Hospital in San Francisco’s Chinatown. He remains an international icon and Chinatown hero years after his untimely death in 1973 at the age of 32.

This exhibit offers unique perspectives of Bruce beyond martial arts and acting—as a visionary, athlete, thinker, and unifier who fought discrimination with uncanny strength, unwavering resilience, and profound engagement with a multicultural society. Visitors of all ages will learn about his evolution from a kid from Hong Kong to a global pioneering entrepreneur and his immortal influence on fans and followers across generations, backgrounds, and all walks of life.

The generous contributions of the Bruce Lee Foundation, and collectors Jeff Chinn, Robert Gomez, Ken Hao, and Perry Lee present a trove of rarely seen artifacts, historic photos, handwritten letters, memorabilia, video, film, artwork, graphical displays, and multimedia technology. Collectively, this exhibit reveals Bruce’s personal philosophies on life and society—which offer relevant lessons in present day, a time currently fraught with xenophobia, racism, and social injustice.

Key selections from the artifacts on exhibit include:

• 35mm celluloid prints from each of Bruce’s movies installed in glowing light boxes;
• A custom-designed installation featuring original artifacts depicting Bruce as Kato from the TV show The Green Hornet including an original October 1966 TV Guide, the first feature of an Asian American on a nationally distributed magazine cover;
• Bruce’s personal weight bench and dumbbell set;
• Rare photos of Bruce in costume on the sets of his many films; and
• An original copy of The Tao of Jeet Kune Do, Bruce’s publication on his martial arts philosophy

The exhibit's theme of unity breaks ground in San Francisco with a mission to bridge communities from two historic neighborhoods—Chinatown and Fillmore/Western Addition in an effort to tell the story of cross-community respect and collaboration. We Are Bruce Lee features an art gallery curated by African American Art & Culture Complex Co-executive Directors Melonie and Melorra Green showcasing Bruce’s influence on the Black community from the perspective of some of the Bay Area’s premier Black artists and other creatives of color.

In addition, CHSA is excited to debut the complementary Bruce Lee mural “Be the Bridge” in the museum’s Yick Gallery, produced by Bay Area art collectives "Twin Walls Mural Company and Macro Waves." 

Artists Elaine Chu and Marina Perez-Wong of theTwin Walls Mural Co. created “Be the Bridge,” a 24-by-10-foot mural that will be on display in CHSA’s Yick Gallery.

This expansive art piece takes inspiration from Bruce’s unifying of communities and offers a one-of-a-kind immersive experience. It utilizes artwork and animated projections by creatives from different cultural communities, including a customized soundscape and playlist by local musicians Mike Dinkins and De’Ahna Turner.

The journey to present this historic exhibition was born as a result of the challenges that Chinese Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), and San Francisco Chinatown have faced over the past two years. Amid this unrelentingly difficult time for AAPIs, the hardships have become an opportunity to bring light to our community. 

Through "We Are Bruce Lee," CHSA aims to strengthen and revitalize the Chinatown neighborhood in which Bruce was born; to amplify the Chinese American and AAPI communities; and to combat racism and hate by bringing diverse audiences together in solidarity.

The Chinese Historical Society of America in San Francisco is the oldest organization in the country dedicated to the presentation of Chinese American history.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Don't miss out on additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective. Follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

PRISM: Far-right campaigns targeting anti-racist education aren’t as grassroots as they appear

By Ray Levy Uyeda
REPRINTED FROM PRISM

 

At a June 2021 Washoe County School District (WCSD) meeting in Nevada, dozens of parents, conservative activists, and students lobbied the school board trustees to ban the implementation of “critical race theory” (CRT) in classrooms. During the public comment period, many expressed concern that their children and grandchildren would be encouraged to stereotype one another while others said that culturally sensitive programming “borders on criminal.” 

The problem is that the actual agenda item up for approval was a student-created supplement to make its curriculum and “instruction more culturally competent.”

WCSD trustees were never considering including CRT, a tenet of sociological scholarship that says white supremacy and racism are baked into the governing and economic systems of the U.S., in any district-wide curriculum. And yet parents from all over the district were reacting to a distorted picture of the actual goals of the educational supplement, spurred in part by misinformation and campaigns from conservative activists from out of state with no affiliation to the district.

“There were a couple groups that had been particularly outspoken against the [supplement], including one from California, which is kind of funny because they don’t have kids in Washoe County schools,” said Mia Albright, now a senior at Reno High School in Washoe County.

School board meetings have become staged battlegrounds
for America's culture wars.

What happened at that school district meeting in Washoe County isn’t an isolated incident. Schools and public libraries everywhere from New York to Illinois to California are seeing challenges to CRT and to individual books. But advocates say the speed and strength with which legislation targeting anti-racist education and book ban campaigns have taken hold isn’t a product of local citizens bringing issues to attention independently of each other, but the result of a coordinated top-down effort to push 

through a narrow set of ideological 

standards.

“That is really common on social media because you can fake accounts under different names and try to make it look like this is the real opinion from the citizens,” says JungHwan Yang, an assistant professor in the department of communication at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

The force behind this wave is a top-down political pressure tool known as “astroturfing,” the attempt to make an electoral, ideological, or movement campaign appear as if it’s emerging from grassroots organizing. Any number of think tanks, media, and political groups can launch a targeted campaign to convince the public that an idea or ideological position is more popular than it may be. In some instances, political astroturfing groups will use online forums to pose as community members in order to move public opinion, as one Pennsylvania group did in 2017 to push for anti-union laws. In other instances, groups will launch campaigns to ban “critical race theory” in states where they don’t live, like in New York City, and in schools where they don’t send their children.

“Literally it’s like fake grass,” said Yang, whose research areas include astroturfing. “It looks like a grassroots movement from afar, but actually, it’s made of plastic.”

Astroturfing capitalizes on the distrust and dislike of public institutions, beliefs usually held by those on the political right, by making it seem as if individual citizens are pushing for policy change at the local level of their own accord, rather than being spurred by a handful of organizations using so-called research from operations with conservative policy goals, like the Economic Opportunity Institute, the Heritage Institute, or the American Legislative Exchange Council. And sometimes, it works.

In Reno, Albright was a member of WCSD Students For Change, a grassroots student-run group comprised of students from across Washoe County public schools that began working to shift educational conditions in the summer of 2020, shortly after the murder of George Floyd. The group had successfully petitioned the board of trustees to unanimously pass a resolution in October 2020 that aimed to “to create a system-wide commitment to creating an unbiased, inclusive, and anti-racist society through education.” However, these student-led actions were soon derailed by what Albright described as a “wave of disinformation about critical race theory” that rallied enough detractors of anti-racism education to sway the school board at the June 2021 meeting. In addition to refusing to repeal a district ordinance prohibiting “political” speech in classrooms like the words “Black Lives Matter,” the trustees decided not to approve the supplemental materials the students had worked so hard on.

Distorting the real picture

Astroturfing doesn’t just parade under the guise of individuality; it also belies public opinion. Campaigns targeting anti-racist education and books centering LGBTQ+ people run on the premise that the majority of Americans are against the inclusion of these materials and subjects in schools and libraries. 

The reality is that most adults can’t actually describe what CRT inspects or challenges, nor do the vast majority of adults want books to be banned from student access. In direct contradiction to the assertions made by federal and state elected officials, according to a February CBS poll, 58% of adults in America think racism is a problem, and 76% say that educators should be allowed to teach uncomfortable ideas. 

For an even more glaring measure of the public’s perspective, between 87% of adults say books discussing race or depicting slavery should never be banned. In all of 2019, there were 377 challenges to books; in stark contrast, the American Library Association has tracked 330 challenges between September through November of 2021, a mere span of three months.

In other words, astroturfing is the ability to manipulate electoral groups into believing in a certain ideology and acting on that belief. And if astroturfing is a tool of manipulation, then it’s also a practice in power. For starters, there’s the power that a trusted media source of the political right has to perpetuate these ideas. Fox News, the media group owned by Rupert Murdoch, an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump, mentioned “critical race theory” nearly 2,000 times in May through June of 2021. Hosts compared critical race theory to “modern-day Jim Crow” and called the theory a “cult,” which serves two purposes. The first is to stoke fear in white voters, and the second is to align the mere discussion of race with harm or negligence.

Then there are the products of this practice of power: to alter the legislative landscape of American local, state, and federal governing bodies. In the case of Fox News, the media corporation has admitted to using white peoples’ fears around CRT as a means for political organizing to shift midterm election results in favor of conservative candidates. 

It’s the kind of convoluted electoral strategy that seems to be producing results: take Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s November 2021 win, which many attributed to his distaste of “critical race theory.” Youngkin’s success in a moderate state that voted for a Democratic candidate in the past four presidential elections, demonstrates that Republican voters are not only motivated to turn out to the polls, but laying the groundwork to shift political cultures for electoral cycles to come.

Communities struggle to mitigate damage after being hit by waves of astroturfing

Every progressive wave, such as the one that pushed Albright and her peers to organize with WCSD Students For Change, precedes a backlash. In the past two years, 42 states have either introduced or passed legislation banning “critical race theory,” and the astroturfing efforts have engulfed a larger swath of complaints around LGBTQ+ representation in literature, trans people’s access to bathrooms and sports teams, and face mask usage to prevent the spread of COVID-19, among many others. The resulting political and cultural changes that remain after an astroturfing wave has receded can have long-term consequences for targeted communities. For example, teachers have been forced to develop new strategies for challenging emerging hate speech in the classroom and recognizing when a student may demonstrate alt-right sympathies.

Nora Flanagan, an English teacher in the Chicago Public Schools district, says that she sees the results of the backlash firsthand in her classroom. Chicago is one of the most segregated cities in the U.S., which means that many students are interacting with peers from different backgrounds for the first time. While conducting class online during the pandemic, Flanagan would pay special attention to what students were typing in the chat function, looking out for slurs or other forms of concerning or harmful speech. She likened the chat function to the chatter in the back of the classroom—the quiet and consequential undercurrent of what students think and feel.

“Some students who are accustomed to being the most important voice in the room aren’t the most important voice in the room anymore,” Flanagan said. “And that can lead to fantastic growth, [but] it can also lead to discomfort and hostility.”

Astroturfing not only changes the cultural and electoral landscape of a community, but has the potential to shape the opinions and perspectives of young people who are looking for community, acceptance, and friendship and are particularly susceptible to far-right messaging that routinely targets them through online sites like Reddit, 4chan, or YouTube, among others, with racist and bigoted ideas and images. Campaigns targeting LGBTQ+ books and anti-racism initiatives can also embolden students to repeat sexist or racist statements, gaslight or demean their peers, or sport symbols that have been recognized as neo-fascist.

“We were immediately concerned about the level of isolation of students [at the start of the pandemic],” Flanagan said. “[Isolation impacts] students who are susceptible to radicalization and recruitment to white nationalist extremism, or other kind of bigoted movements.”

Barnali Das Khuntia, a member of the public library board in Downers Grove, Illinois, a majority white city about 20 miles west of Chicago, says that because the library plays a central role in the culture of the town, it was important to the board that they continue to advertise their values of racial justice and equity. 

For the most part, the majority of the community is willing to hold those values, but Khuntia says that over the past few years of navigating everything from belligerent anti-maskers to complaints about “reverse racism” to people walking in and throwing a Nazi salute, the staff has grown tired. While the library staff and leadership have developed strategies to combat hate speech or hateful people, they’re doing so against a background of city-wide astroturfing. 

For instance, in November, the neo-Nazi hate group known as the Proud Boys attempted to ban the book “Gender Queer” from a Downers Grove school library. The alt-right protesters weren’t affiliated with the school, though they attended the school board meeting in droves to intimidate and sway board members. This is a well-documented strategy of theirs: attending municipal and school district meetings across the country to wage campaigns, despite not belonging to the communities.

“We spent our last advisory team meeting saying, you know, we all feel kind of alone, and I’m sure other libraries feel the same way,” Khuntia says. “Everyone feels isolated.”

Astroturfing isn’t invincible

The initial “shock and awe” of the force astroturfing campaigns can be overwhelming, but its ultimate success depends on whether or not its opponents can find ways to outlast it. In Washoe County, Albright and other students haven’t given up, despite the previous year’s setback. Albright currently sits on a committee of adults and students tasked with reviewing supplementary materials and is hopeful that when the committee presents their recommendations to the board this June, the trustees will approve it. She also hopes that they’ll reconsider the speech prohibition ordinance.

When it comes to combating future astroturfing efforts in her community, Albright says that she learned invaluable lessons about the importance of organizing and using her voice. In many ways, she didn’t know that young people could enter the space where adults make policy decisions. She didn’t like having to speak at board meetings, but she wouldn’t have known it was an option for her until she tried. She acknowledges that astroturfing campaigns popping up in many communities can make pushing back seem daunting, but that is even more of a reason to get involved.

“It’s happening all across the country, but there’s still hope and there’s still a pathway to progress for people who want to change curriculum,” she said. “It is so important for every student to feel seen and heard, and it’s so important that we learn the history of people of color beyond just their struggles.”

Being able to tap into a growing network of like-minded educators and advocates for ideas and support has been invaluable for teachers like Flanagan. In 2019, Flanagan partnered with the Western States Center to create a toolkit for addressing white supremacy in the classroom. Now, she says the toolkit’s popularity has become an organizing and community-building force for teachers who may have previously felt isolated or without support. That access to the network is critical, as many educators and staff are learning how to combat white supremacy for the first time, such as when it emerges among students during anti-CRT astroturfing campaigns.

“There’s this huge network now of educators and other organizers who can reach out to each other literally on a moment’s notice and get feedback on how to handle something,” Flanagan said. “All the work that we’ve done … is so that one teacher doesn’t feel like, not only do they have to take care of everything in their room, but that they’re the only one saying anything at their school.”

Strengthening community connections and learning from others who have been targeted by similar campaigns are important elements of how the Downers Grove library board is moving forward. Khuntia says it was important to the library leadership and staff to address conflict in an empathetic, nonviolent way, connecting with people who know how to deescalate tense situations without relying on police or hired security, whose presence could very well make BIPOC, LGBTQ+ folks, and other marginalized community members even more unsafe. Critically, instead of turning inward to figure out how to address aggression, statements of hate, or antagonism, Khuntia says that the library board is beginning to turn outward and ask library staff and leadership in other communities how they deal with hate speech and attempts to ban books.

“We’re not alone in this,” Khuntia says. “Everyone, no matter where they are in this country, is probably dealing with similar situations depending on what kind of library they’re in [or] what kind of community they live in.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ray Levy-Uyeda is a San Francisco Bay Area-based freelance writer who covers justice and activism. Find them on Twitter @raylevyuyeda.

Merrie Monarch Festival: Kaui'i halau in near sweep of group competitions

Kaua'i's Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leinā‘ala sweep the 'wahini' group dances.

The crowds and dancers returned to the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo, Hawaii after a two-year interruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

For the first time, after 10 years of competing, Kaua‘i was the big winner in this year’s premier hula competition, a celebration of Native Hawaiian culture sweeping the wahini (women's) group dances.

For their dominance, the Halau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leina’ala became the first Kaua‘i halau, or academy, to take home the title of overall festival winner in the event’s six-decade history.

The same school also won the award for the Wahini (women's) group dance categories.

What the Kaua'i academy accomplished in for the wahini dances, the Hālau Kekuaokalā‘au‘ala‘iliahi from Maui did in the Kane (men's) competition.

The festival's most prestigious individual award, Miss Aloha Hula, went to 21-year old Pi’ikea Kekīhenelehuawewehiikekauʻōnohi Lopes of Ka La ʻŌnohi Mai O Ha’eha’e based on Oahu.

Overall awards:

1. Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leinā‘ala, Kumu Leināʻala Pavao Jardin (Kauaʻi) (1218)
2. Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, Nā Kumu Tracie & Keawe Lopes (Oʻahu) (1211)
3. Hula Hālau ‘O Kamuela Nā Kumu Kunewa Mook & Kauʻionālani Kamanaʻo (Oʻahu):

Kāne Overall awards:

1. Hālau Kekuaokalā‘au‘ala‘iliahi, Nā Kumu Hula Haunani & ʻIliahi Paredes (Maui)(597)
2. Hālau Hi‘iakaināmakalehua, Nā Kumu Hula Robert Keʻano Kaʻupu IV and Lono Padilla (Oʻahu) (571)
3. Hālau Nā Mamo O Pu‘uanahulu, Nā Kumu Hula William Kahakuleilehua Haunuʻu “Sonny” Ching & Lōpaka Igarta-De Vera (Oʻahu) (564)
4. Kawai‘ulaokalā, Kumu Hula Keliʻihoʻomalu Puchalski (Oʻahu) (551)

Halau Kekuaokalā‘au‘ala‘iliahi of Maui won the "Kane" (men's) competition.

Kāne ʻAuana awards: 

1. Hālau Kekuaokalā‘au‘ala‘iliahi, Nā Kumu Hula Haunani & ʻIliahi Paredes (Maui) (601)
2. Kawaili‘ulā, Kumu Hula Chinky Māhoe (Oʻahu) (593)
3. Hālau Hi‘iakaināmakalehua, Nā Kumu Hula Robert Keʻano Kaʻupu IV and Lono Padilla (Oʻahu) (589)
4. Hālau Nā Mamo O Pu‘uanahulu, Nā Kumu Hula William Kahakuleilehua Haunuʻu “Sonny” Ching & Lōpaka Igarta-De Vera (Oʻahu) (575)

Wahine Overall award: 

1. Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leinā‘ala, Kumu Hula Leināʻala Pavao Jardin (Kauaʻi) (1218)
2. Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, Nā Kumu Hula Tracie & Keawe Lopes (Oʻahu) (1211) (tie-breaker 1693)
3. Hula Hālau ‘O Kamuela Nā Kumu Hula Kunewa Mook & Kauʻionālani Kamanaʻo (Oʻahu) (1211) (tie-breaker 1691)

Wahine Kahiko awards: 

1. Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leinā‘ala, Kumu Hula Leināʻala Pavao Jardin (Kauaʻi) (607)
2. Hālau Kekuaokalā‘au‘ala‘iliahi, Nā Kumu Hula Haunani & ʻIliahi Paredes (Maui) (604)
3. Hula Hālau ‘O Kamuela Nā Kumu Hula Kunewa Mook & Kauʻionālani Kamanaʻo (Oʻahu) (602)
4. Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, Nā Kumu Hula Tracie & Keawe Lopes (Oʻahu) (601)
5. Hālau Hi‘iakaināmakalehua, Nā Kumu Hula Robert Keʻano Kaʻupu IV and Lono Padilla (Oʻahu) (596)

Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leinā‘ala celebrated Kaua'i 

in their performances.

Wahine ʻAuana awards: 

1. Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leinā‘ala, Kumu Hula Leināʻala Pavao Jardin (Kauaʻi)(611)
2. Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, Nā Kumu Hula Tracie & Keawe Lopes (Oʻahu) (610)
3. Hula Hālau ‘O Kamuela Nā Kumu Hula Kunewa Mook & Kauʻionālani Kamanaʻo (Oʻahu) (609)
4. Hālau Hi‘iakaināmakalehua, Nā Kumu Hula Robert Keʻano Kaʻupu IV and Lono Padilla (Oʻahu) (606)
5. Hālau Hula Ka Lehua Tuahine, Kumu Hula Kaʻilihiwa Vaughan-Darval (Oʻahu) (603)

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.