AIISF Newsletter / October 2026
New touchscreen tables with Immigrant Voices stories at the Detention Barracks Museum. Exhibit upgrades were made possible by an Institute of Museum and Library Services grant.
A Message From AIISF’s Executive Director
Dear AIISF Friends and Family,
Last month, I had the opportunity to represent AIISF at several national conferences to help raise awareness about the Angel Island Immigration Station and to draw attention to our efforts to preserve the buildings, uplift its history, and promote civic engagement.
At the Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation (APIAHiP) conference in Denver, CO, I spoke on a panel focused on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list. Along with representatives from Terminal Island and Tule Lake, we noted the importance of using our collective voice to raise attention to the histories and sites connected to Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.
At the American Association for State and Local History conference in Providence, RI, I moderated a panel entitled “Can Memory Build a Movement?” The panel included Ann Burroughs (President and CEO of the Japanese American National Museum), Devon Akmon (Director of the Michigan State University Museum and CoLab Studio & Board Chair of the American Alliance of Museums), and Devon Gulbrandsen (Senior Program Manager at the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience).
At the Western Museums Association and Utah Museum Association joint conference in Salt Lake City, UT, I served as a panelist for “Truth, Trust, and Purpose: Brave Spaces and the Civic Power of Museums.” The panel was moderated by Rick Noguchi (CEO of California Humanities) and also featured Ann Burroughs (President and CEO of the Japanese American National Museum) and Lori Fogarty (CEO of the Oakland Museum of California).
Across all of these sessions, one key message that the other panelists and I consistently emphasized was the important role that historic sites like Angel Island play in not only ensuring that the past is not forgotten but also in contributing to current-day belonging, joy, resilience, and civic engagement.
At the same time, our entire staff have also been hard at work over the past weeks. The next time you visit, be sure to check out the new Paper Son Soldiers exhibit as well as the 4 new touchscreen tables that we installed on the site! This past weekend, we helped to welcome and host over 300 community members on the site for the Nichi Bei Foundation and Angel Island State Park for the Nikkei Pilgrimage. It was a meaningful (and hot) day filled with community speakers, delicious bento boxes, genealogy research, taiko, and even bon odori dances. Congratulations to Kenji Taguma, the staff at Nichi Bei Foundation, and all the volunteers and partners who helped to make this year's event a success.
As we recognize National Filipino American History Month, German American Heritage Month, Italian American Heritage Month, and LGBT History Month during October, we invite you to visit our Immigrant Voices website to read some of the stories we’ve curated from these communities as well as to contribute your own family’s story.
Finally, all of us at AIISF are bidding a fond farewell to our Director of Education, Danielle. We appreciate her leadership and service over the past four years and wish her all the best in her next chapter.
Wishing all of you a month full of belonging, joy, resilience, and civic engagement!
Edward Tepporn
AIISF Executive Director
Paper Son Soldiers Exhibit at AIIM
Paper Son Soldiers is the story of Benson and Richard Wong, two brothers whose entry through Angel Island was followed by military service during World War II.
Their story is now on display at the Angel Island Immigration Museum. Paper Son Soldiers was created in partnership with the Wong family and the USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum.
Learn more about the exhibit by visiting AIISF's The Vault.
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
Second Saturdays on Angel Island: Hands on History
October 10 | 12 - 3:30 pm
Angel Island Immigration Station
Click here to learn more
During your visit to the island for Fleet Week, stop by the Angel Island Immigration Museum for some family friendly activities!
This time we’ll be teaching origami. Learn how to fold a boat and a bit about steamships that brought immigrants to the United States.
Gateways in Dialogue: Traditions in Transit
October 29 | 5 - 6 pm (PT)
Virtual Program (Zoom)
Click here to register
Join us on Zoom on October 29th for the eighth event in our ongoing collaborative series with the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation. What kinds of traditions did immigrants bring to their new homes? Did they make new ones while in detention?
Stephen Lean, Director of the American Family Immigration History Center, and Gabriel Lee, Family Programs Coordinator, at Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, will cover these questions and personal stories over the course of a 1-hour presentation. They’ll even answer questions you might have in an audience Q+A after the presentation.
We welcome new participants who did not attend previous sessions of the series.
Angel Island Immigration Station | Preserving the Past, Inspiring a More Welcoming Future
November 12 | 5 pm (PT)
Virtual Program (Zoom)
Click here to register
As America's 250th starts to wind down, join our virtual session to learn about the history of the Angel Island Immigration Station, the Angel Island Immigration Station Historical Advisory Committee's early efforts to preserve the historic building, and current day programs and exhibits on the site.
Community Events
Fleet Week & BBQ at Battery Ledyard
October 11 & 12 | 11 am - 2:30 pm
Battery Ledyard at Angel Island State Park
Learn more
Take in the views of Fleet Week on Angel Island! Hike or shuttle to Battery Ledyard to take in Fleet Week, and buy lunch from the Angel Island Cafe!
Food at Battery Ledyard will be for sale Saturday & Sunday. Special shuttles will be running each day to and from the site, which overlooks San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.
A Victorian Sundae Social
Sunday, October 11 | 11 am - 4 pm
Ayala Cove at Angel Island State Park
Mark your calendars and pack a picnic! Join our friends at the Angel Island Conservancyat Ayala Cove for a Sundae Social—a Victorian Picnic and Fundraiser for Camp Reynolds.
Ice cream and other delicious treats will be for sale. Enjoy LIVE music, games, and volunteers in period attire.
Email info@angelisland.org for additional details.
"Ka-plunk Ka-plunk": A Spooky Historic Tale from Angel Island
October 29 | 9 am (PT)
Virtual Program (Zoom)
Click here to register
Hop over to Angel Island State Park for a spooky retelling of a true story that happened at the Quarantine Station in 1907.
Help Angel Island State Park interpreters solve the mysterious tale of the “devil of Angel Island” as they investigate newspaper clippings and historic photos through a dramatic reenactment.
Prepare your students with a piece of paper and art supplies as they jot down clues during their investigation.
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.