AIISF Newsletter / November 2025
The docks at Ayala Cove, Angel Island.
A Message From AIISF’s Executive Director
Dear AIISF Friends and Family,
It’s hard for me to believe, but this month marks my 6-year anniversary with AIISF. As I reflect on my time at AIISF, there are many milestones and accomplishments that our team has been able to achieve with the support of community members like you.
I have to admit, however, that this year has felt particularly challenging. AIISF (like many other museums and nonprofit organizations) has had to navigate the twists and turns of the current political climate, loss of federal funding, and a slowdown in donations.
I remain consistently humbled and inspired by the conversations and interactions I have had with many of you and our partner organizations across the Bay Area, the country, and even around the world. These conversations remind me of our shared experiences, values, and hopes.
In October, I had the opportunity to present at 4 different panel sessions at the Western Museums Association’s annual meeting (for museums along the West Coast). I was invited by Deutsches Auswandererhaus (the German Emigration Center in Bremerhaven) to join a panel entitled “Shifting Grounds,” about political pressures and museums.
I also had the privilege of hosting a guided tour of the site for the cast and crew of Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s upcoming production: Mother of Exiles, written by Jessica Huang. Thank you to the Berkeley Repertory Theatre for generously offering a 50% discount (Use the code: PLUM) for AIISF friends and family to see the show.
As we near the close of 2026, we are approaching our annual end-of-year appeal. This is one of our primary fundraising activities for the year, and its success is crucial to our ability to continue to carry out our work to preserve the site and uplift the histories of those who came through Angel Island. This is a time of year when you will likely also be hearing from many other nonprofits who are also doing important work.
I humbly ask that as you are deciding which organizations to support this year, please consider making a donation to AIISF. By working together to preserve history, we can inspire and build a more inclusive future.
Wishing light to us all,
Edward Tepporn
AIISF Executive Director
Accessibility
The Detention Barracks Museum elevator is temporarily out-of-order. The first floor is still ADA-accessible; the second floor is only accessible by stairs.
Pathways to Immigration Special Campaign
Through our Pathways to Immigration Special Campaign, you can 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 ago or days ago, we welcome your name and your support.
Thank You for Sharing Your Thoughts!
We’re grateful to everyone who took the time to respond to last month’s survey about Chinese-language accessibility at the Angel Island Immigration Station.
Your feedback helps guide our approach as we continue developing new exhibit panels and expanding language access for visitors.
We value your input and look forward to sharing more updates as our latest exhibit takes shape.
Angel Island - Tiburon Ferry: Temporary Closure
Angel Island - Tiburon Ferry is upgrading its facility from November 17 to 30. It will NOT provide ferry services during that time. View its live calendar of ferry service between Tiburon and Angel Island.
Questions about the closure? Call (415) 435-2131 or email aiferry@angelislandferry.com. If you booked a tour during the closure and were planning to take the Angel Island - Tiburon Ferry, please note these alternatives:
Book ferry tickets through the Golden Gate Ferry that departs from San Francisco.
Cancel your tour and reschedule when the new tour dates open.
Field Trips
Spring Tour Times, now open!
You can now reserve guided tours for January through June 2026! For the first time, Angel Island State Park is offering tours Monday through Friday.
Guided tours are for students in 4th grade and higher. For younger students, please reserve a self-guided tour.
Scholarships
Thanks to generous support from donors, we provide local, Bay Area public schools with field trip scholarships! These supplemental funds can help cover transportation costs, tickets, and other expenses related to visiting the Angel Island Immigration Station.
Berkeley Repertory Theatre's Mother of Exiles
Mother of Exiles
WORLD PREMIERE
by Jessica Huang
Directed by Jaki Bradley
Peet's Theatre | November 14 - December 21
Berkeley Repertory Theatre
One family. 160 years. Love across every border.
In 1898, on Angel Island, a pregnant Eddie Loi faces deportation amid America's tightening immigration laws. A century later, her grandson Braulio, through his role in the Miami border patrol, inadvertently conjures her spirit—unleashing a witty, opinionated ancestor. By 2063, their descendants, beset by climate catastrophe, embark on a perilous oceanic journey seeking sanctuary.
From detention to diaspora, Mother of Exiles follows a single family's century-and-a-half odyssey—tracing their flight, fight, and the futures they dare imagine.
Jessica Huang's multigenerational triptych blends historical drama with supernatural encounters, weaving moments of surprising humor into a powerful portrait of belonging and resilience.
When purchasing your tickets, use the code PLUM for a 50% discount.
Fall of Freedom at Berkeley Rep
November 21 | 6:45 pm
Narsai M. David Courtyard, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
On November 21st, Berkeley Repertory Theatre will host a celebration before the 8 pm showing of Mother of Exiles, in partnership with Fall of Freedom: a call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation.
We will be tabling. Come and find us!
AIISF Author Spotlight: Jessica Huang
December 3 | 6-7 pm PST
Online on Zoom
Click here to learn more
AIISF will be hosting a free online event with Jessica Huang, creator of Mother of Exiles (which premieres at Berkeley Repertory Theatre this month)!
Jessica is a playwright and librettist who earned the highly competitive Venturous Playwright Fellowship for Mother of Exiles.
Her award-winning work includes The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin, Blended 和 (Harmony): The Kim Loo Sisters (music by Jacinth Greywoode), Song of the Northwoods (Audible), and Ten Things I Hate About You: The Musical (with Lena Dunham, score by Carly Rae Jepsen and Ethan Gruska).
We will discuss her work and take questions from the audience.
From The Vault
The Angel Island Quarantine Station, Hospital Cove (now Ayala Cove), 1911. Photo credit: California State Library (2014-4522).
Vault #25: Hospital Cove
Check out the latest from the AIISF blog, The Vault!
"Vault #25: Hospital Cove" covers the history of the Angel Island Quarantine Station, which opened in 1891 and operated alongside the Angel Island Immigration Station for over three decades.
Together, these sites "determined the fate of thousands of immigrants arriving in San Francisco Bay. One assessed the body, the other their right to belong."
Community Resources
California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice
CCIJ was formed via the merger of the Northern California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice and the Northern California Rapid Response and Immigrant Defense Network.
It utilizes coordination, advocacy, and legal services to fight for the liberation of immigrants in detention in California.
Visit their website for resources including:
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.