AIISF Newsletter / July 2026
National Archives, San Bruno facility, 2019.
A Message From AIISF’s Executive Director
Dear AIISF Friends and Family,
It was wonderful to see several of you out on Angel Island this past weekend for July 4th and the recognition of America’s 250th birthday. Wherever or however you spent the holiday, we hope that you had the opportunity to celebrate not only the wins, progress, and achievements in our nation’s history, but also to remember the times when we have not lived up to our country’s ideals and values. Only by reflecting on our country’s complete history will be able to work together towards a future where life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness truly are unalienable rights as proclaimed in our Declaration of Independence.
July marks the start of AIISF’s new fiscal year. Over the past 12 months, we reached over 887,000 across our in-person programs, virtual offerings, social media channels, and our website! This includes milestones such as (but definitely not limited to) our latest cohort of Immigrant Voices storytellers; continuing our regular concert series on Angel Island with the Del Sol Quartet; showcasing our Taken From Their Families traveling exhibit at Heart Mountain as well as at the Jerome Rohwer Pilgrimage; hosting over 750 people on the site for Family Day 2026; and supporting field trip scholarships to Angel Island for 2,022 students.
I want to thank AIISF’s staff and volunteers, our Angel Island State Park colleagues, our community partners, our donors and sponsors, and all of you who engaged with us over the past year for making all of this possible.
As we look ahead to the coming months, we have many exciting projects that we will be launching including an update to our virtual tour experience, the installation of over 25 new exhibit panels on the site, and the debut of 4 new touchscreen tables. We are also hoping that construction on the outdoor terraces (thank you to all of you have donated to our Pathways to Immigration Special Campaign!) will finally begin after several delays beyond our control. It is amazing what a small but mighty team can accomplish.
Unfortunately, our small team recently became smaller. Our part-time administrative coordinator Emma recently accepted a full-time job opportunity with another organization. We all want to thank Emma for her support, efforts, and cheerfulness during her tenure with us! As we are still facing a predicted budget shortfall for this new fiscal year, we will not be filling her position, and her responsibilities are being redistributed amongst remaining staff.
Finally, you may have heard that the federal government has announced they will be shutting down the National Archives facility in San Bruno. There are over 250,000 immigration-related case files there—one of the most comprehensive collections of its kind. These files are not all digitized, so the transfer of these documents to a facility in the Midwest without public access and research staff will likely render these important records inaccessible. Please join our colleagues at Save Our National Archives in writing a letter to support keeping the San Bruno facility openby clicking the green button below.
Thank you for your solidarity and support,
Edward Tepporn
Executive Director
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
Del Sol Quartet on Angel Island: Wayfinding - 50 years of HŌkūleʻa
July 11 | 12-1 pm
Angel Island Immigration Station
Click here to RSVP
Stop by the Detention Barracks Museum for live music by the Del Sol Quartet! Connecting the immigration histories of Angel Island and Hawaiʻi, the Del Sol Quartet will give the world premiere of Moananuiākea by composer Leilehua Lanzilotti.
Lanzilotti's Moananuiākea celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Hōkūleʻa’s first voyage to Tahiti. Del Sol Quartet will be joined by Miki Tomita Okamoto from the educational organization "Wayfinder."
The noon performance is included in your $5 admission to the Detention Barracks Museum. RSVP on our website!
Second Saturdays on Angel Island: Hands on History
July 11 | 12-3:30 pm
Angel Island Immigration Station
Click here to learn more
After the Del Sol Quartet's performance, stop by the Angel Island Immigration Museum for some family friendly activities!
Gateways in Dialogue: Through Young Eyes
July 23 | 5-6 pm PDT
On Zoom
Click here to register
Join us on Zoom, on July 23rd, our ongoing collaborative series with the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation. What was it like for children to immigrate to the United States? Was the process different for them compared to adults?
This will be a 1-hour presentation followed by an audience Q+A.
Registration is required! Sign up online.
Gateways in Dialogue: From Newcomers to National Treasures
July 30 | 5-6 pm PDT
On Zoom
Click here to register
We're having two Gateways in Dialogue this month!
Tune in to for a 1-hour presentation, followed by a Q+A, on immigrants' lives after leaving Angel Island and Ellis Island. Where did they go? What did they do? Would you know one of them?
Registration is required! Sign up online.
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.