AIISF Newsletter / April 2026: Mid-month Update
A Message From AIISF’s Executive Director
Dear AIISF Friends and Family,
This is one of our busiest times of year, so we are sending out two newsletters this month!
If you are interested in joining us for our 15th Annual Immigrant Heritage Awards, act now, because registration closes this Saturday, April 18. Tickets will not be available for purchase at the door, and we are anticipating this event will sell out. We hope you’ll join us as we recognize this year’s awardees:
Buck Gee, former AIISF Board President, Cisco executive, and lifelong advocate for Asian American voices - receiving our Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Kai Li, entrepreneur, professor, and co-founder of the Asian American Scholar Forum - receiving an Immigrant Heritage Award
PG&E Corporation Foundation, receiving our Corporate Partner Award
Dr. Charles Egan, professor at San Francisco State University and author of Voices of Angel Island - receiving the Spirit of Angel Island Award
Join us on April 30th for our 6th virtual Gateways in Dialogue: Through Young Eyes, co-hosted by the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation.
From April 30th to May 2nd, our friends at the Oakland Ballet are featuring Double Happiness: A Dancing Moons Festival 2026 at the Great Star Theatre in San Francisco.
With Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month right around the corner in May, there are several exciting activities happening, such as:
On May 5, Oakland Ballet is hosting a moderated conversation between composer Huang Ro, choreographer Phil Chan, and members of the Del Sol Quartet on the development of the Angel Island piece
On May 6, the APA Heritage Foundation is hosting their annual community celebration and reception at San Francisco City Hall. AIISF is a Community Sponsor for this event.
On May 8-9, join the Oakland Ballet, Del Sol Quartet, and Volti for a performance of Angel Island at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco. AIISF will be hosting a pop-up of our Cage Built of Jade exhibit.
On May 10, check out Cami Kwan’s stop-motion film Paper Daughter about Joy, a Chinese immigrant navigating detention and interrogation on Angel Island. The film is part of CAAMFest 2026’s Frame by Frame shorts program.
On May 12, AIISF and AISP are hosting an online program for students and teachers in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month
On May 16, AIISF will be participating in the Tiburon AAPI Heritage Festival, emceed by longtime AIISF champion Felicia Lowe.
These are just some of the upcoming events that we are looking forward to in the coming weeks. Yet, as we prepare for our next fiscal year which starts on July 1, we are anticipating that we will have a budget gap of at least $200,000. Over the past several months, we’ve been candid about the challenges that we (like many other nonprofits) are facing. As we plan for the coming months, we know that our efforts will not be possible without increased support.
So whether or not you are able to join us for our Immigrant Heritage Awards or for our upcoming programs, please consider making a contribution to AIISF. Your support helps ensure that our work, and the people behind it, continues.
Thank you for being part of our community!
With gratitude,
Edward Tepporn
Executive Director
Accessibility Notice
The elevator in the Detention Barracks Museum is temporarily out-of-order. The first floor of the barracks is still ADA-accessible, but the second floor is only accessible by stairs. The elevator in the Angel Island Immigration Museum (AIIM) is working and both floors are ADA-accessible.
LAST CHANCE: 2026 Immigrant Heritage Awards Reception
15th Annual Immigrant Heritage Awards Reception
April 25 | 5 - 7 pm
Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square
Click here to learn more
Join us for an elevated evening on the top floor of the Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square featuring:
Guest musical performances
Tasting stations
Open beer and wine bar
Awards ceremony for this year's honorees
Come and support AIISF's preservation work, programs, and operations throughout the year!
Registration closes on Saturday, April 18.
Pathways to Immigration Special Campaign
Through our Pathways to Immigration Special Campaign, you can have your family or company name engraved onsite at the Angel Island Immigration Station! Commemorate your own immigration journey, honor your family’s immigrant heritage, or show your allyship with immigrant communities.
Whether you or your family came through Angel Island or elsewhere, and whether you arrived in the US decades or days ago, we welcome your name and support!
Upcoming Events
Gateways in Dialogue: Through Young Eyes
April 30 | 5-6 pm PDT
On Zoom
Click here to learn more
What was it like for children to immigrate to the United States? Join us for the next installment of Gateways in Dialogue, a collaboration with the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, to find out!
The session will be presented by Stephen Lean, Director of the American Family Immigration History Center, and AIISF's Director of Education Danielle Wetmore. There will be an audience Q&A.
Registration is required. We welcome new participants who have not attended Gateways sessions previously.
AAPI Celebration at China Camp
May 3 | 11-2 pm PDT
China Camp State Park
Click here to learn more
In partnership with California State Parks, we’re excited to host a vibrant AAPI Heritage Month celebration in the historic village at China Camp State Park!
The event will feature a variety of family-friendly activities. Guests can also enjoy a special historic walking tour of the village led by Milton Quan, one of the last residents of China Camp Village.
This is a free event, but please pay the $5 parking fee for parking in China Camp lots.
Second Saturdays on Angel Island: Hands on History
May 9 | 11-2 pm PDT
Angel Island Immigration Station
Click here to learn more
Take a trip out to the island and make art while learning about the history of Angel Island!
We’ll be making buttons and hosting special guided tours.
These events are included in museum admission.
Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month at Angel Island State Park
May 12 | 9-9:45 am PDT
On Zoom
Click here to learn more
Honor the history and diversity of the Asian American Pacific Islander immigrants that passed through the Angel Island Immigration Station from 1910-1940.
Join Angel Island State Park and the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation online at the historic detention barracks as we delve into their stories. Submit questions through a Q&A feature; we might just be able to answer it!
Registration is required. Sign up online.
Tiburon AAPI Heritage Festival 2026
May 16 | 1-4 pm PDT
Zelinsky Park, Tiburon
Click here to learn more
Celebrate the diversity of the AAPI community that makes Tiburon so great! There will be food, performances and a variety of kid friendly activities.
Come say hi to Angel Island State Park and AIISF as we share the history of the island. This event is free and open to the public!
Diablo Valley College Ensemble
May 30 | 12 pm PDT
Angel Island Immigration Station
Click here to learn more
Diablo Valley College Symphonic Band will be coming to Angel Island. Listen to their performance celebrating AAPINH Month!
The set list includes excerpts from Butterfly Lovers violin concerto; A tribute to Yellow Pearl - the 1970’s Asian American activist folk music trio; and Jangma by Joon Oh (Diablo Valley College student composer).
This event is free with museum admission.
Community Events
Oakland Ballet Company: Double Happiness
April 30-May 2
Great Star Theater, San Francisco
Click here for tickets
Double Happiness is a Dancing Moons Festival 2026 production that will feature 2 world premieres: Double Happiness by Phil Chan & Child’s Play by Wei Wang.
The show will also include revivals of Amber Waves by Phil Chan & Opposites Distract by Elaine Kudo.
Launched in 2022, Dancing Moons Festival is the country’s first ballet program that features Asian American Pacific Islander choreographers. The program aims to eradicate Orientalism on the stage and bring contemporary ballet to life.
Oakland Ballet Company Panel Discussion
May 5 | 6-8 pm
Green Room, Herbst Theatre, San Francisco
Click here for tickets
On Tuesday, May 5, Oakland Ballet is hosting a panel discussion: Voices of Angel Island: Music, Memory and Movement with Huang Ruo.
Join composer Huang Ruo in an intimate conversation with noted Angel Island choreographer, Phil Chan and members of the Del Sol Quartet, moderated by Sidney Chen.
Learn about the collaborative journey that brought Oakland Ballet’s critically acclaimed, sold-out 2025 premiere of Angel Island to life. Explore the history, music and movement which inspired this poignant, relevant, and ultimately triumphant blend of immigrant history, contemporary music and dance complemented by a curated dining experience for guests to enjoy.
2026 APA Heritage Awards Ceremony
May 6 | 5:30-7 pm
Herbst Theatre San Francisco
Click here to register
The APA Heritage Awards is a signature program of San Francisco’s celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The first half of the program, an awards ceremony, will be at the Herbst Theatre.
The APA Heritage Awards Ceremony will include the mayor’s proclamation ceremony; the presentation of the APA Heritage Awards and the AAPI Youth Change Maker Awards; and a cultural procession featuring community participants in festive attire. This portion of the night is free, although registration is required.
2026 APA Gala Reception
May 6 | 7-9 pm
San Francisco City Hall
Click here for tickets
The APA Heritage Awards is a signature program of San Francisco’s celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
The second half of the night will be held at San Francisco City Hall. There will be food, drinks, and cultural performances!
Tickets are required, starting at $25.
Oakland Ballet Company's Angel Island
May 8-9 | 7:30 pm (Friday) & 2:30 pm (Saturday)
Herbst Theatre San Francisco
Click here to purchase tickets
The Oakland Ballet Company along with the Del Sol Quartet and the Volti singers conducted by Robert Geary is proud to present this profoundly poignant, but also inspiring interpretation of Angel Island by composer Huang Ruo.
Angel Island portrays the anguish and aspiration experienced by hundreds of Chinese immigrants detained on Angel Island Immigration Station in the decades between 1910 and 1940. Choreographed by AAPI artists Natasha Adorlee, Phil Chan, Lawrence Chen, Elaine Kudo, Ashley Thopiah, and Wei Wang this work is a heartfelt collaboration by a singular group of extraordinary artists, not to be missed.
A pop-up of AIISF's Cage Built of Jade exhibit will be on display, Friday and Saturday.
Film: Cami Kwan's Paper Daughter at CAAMFest 2026
May 10 | 2:30 pm
AMC Kabuki, San Francisco
Click here for tickets
Catch the Bay Area premiere of Cami Kwan's stop-motion short film, Paper Daughter, at the nation’s leading showcase for films from Asian America and beyond: CAAMFest!
Inspired by the true story of Kwan's ancestor, the fantasy film follows Joy, a Chinese immigrant taking on the persona of a deceased girl, as she navigates detention and interrogation on Angel Island.
Paper Daughter is one of seven films that will be shown as part of CAAMFest's 56-minute Shorts Program, "Frame by Frame." Tickets are required!
AIISF is a small (but mighty) nonprofit that has worked tirelessly for the past 42 years to preserve the buildings at Angel Island and to elevate the stories of immigrants. Our ability to continue these preservation efforts and to continue to offer free or low-cost programs is dependent on the support of community members like you. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to AIISF.