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January 2024 Newsletter

Dear Friends of ACDC,

I hope you had a peaceful and restorative holiday season. I am excited about what’s to come in 2024 - further progress on several new affordable housing developments in Chinatown and Malden, more resident leadership programming, community events at the Hudson Street Stoop, and another year of mobilizing young people to lead and engage in community planning efforts, among other events and programs planned for this year.


We look forward to another year of investing in people and the communities we call home.


Sincerely,

Angie Liou

Executive Director

🎉 Join us for our Annual Meeting!

🎊 Join ACDC for our 2024 Annual Meeting! Celebrate the Lunar New Year by hearing from youth, residents, and our staff about what we’ve been up to in the last year! A light dinner will be provided. This is a free event, but RSVPs are required.



✍️ RSVP: bit.ly/ACDCAM


⏰ Date: 6:00-7:30pm, Wednesday, February 21st, 2024

📍Location: Bill Bordy Theater, 216 Tremont Street, Boston MA 02116


Please contact reina.matsumoto[at]asiancdc.org if you have any questions. 

Register for the Annual Meeting

🎁 ICYMI: Thank YouToy Drive Donors🧸

🤝 Thanks to the generous support of our partners, other organizations and community members, we were able to provide 139 children with toys for the holiday season!


⭐️ We are grateful for all of our supporters, including (but not limited to!):

The Comprehensive Care Department at Tufts Dental School, BioMed Realty, Tufts Community Relations, ASC A+, Benevolent Asian Jade Society of New England, Boston Hurricanes, CHIC Consulting, United Volleyball Club of Boston U15 National Team, Councilor Ed Flynn, and ACDC staff/board members and individuals including Mia C, Dana R., Katrina F., Kaitlyn W., Emily L., Heang R., Mira W., J.G., Emily S., Alice T., Agatha T., MyDzung C., Ponnapa P., Denise C.W., Ted W., Connie W., Wendy C., Alan & Karin C., Jeff & Marilyn C., the Soo Hoo family, the Sujo family, Jaclyn S., Helen W., Diane C., Chiemi K., Yvonne P., Zenub K., and Annie & Carl N.

See photos from the Toy Drive

📣 We’re hiring! 📣

🗣️ Interested in supporting ACDC’s affordable housing work and preserving sustainable, healthy neighborhoods? Apply to be ACDC’s Director of Real Estate! 


🌆 The Director of Real Estate will play a key role in the organization’s housing development work. The Director will establish a pipeline of projects and oversee the execution and implementation of affordable housing development, with a focus on ACDC’s primary geographies of Boston’s Chinatown, Malden, and Quincy. The Director will supervise 1-2 Real Estate Project Managers and various consultants.

Read the Full Job Posting

👥 Affordable Homes Act Hearing 🏠

📣 Last week, the Joint Committee on Housing listened to testimonies on H.4138, The Affordable Homes Act. Angie, ACDC's executive director, joined other community leaders and elected officials in testifying to support the bill.


🏠 The Affordable Homes Bill is the largest housing investment in MA history, totaling over $4 billion towards housing spending, policy, and programmatic actions. Many individuals and families are struggling to afford rent or delaying their dreams of owning a home due to exponentially increasing housing costs, and drastic action is needed now.


🗣 Angie highlighted the impact of the CITC program and transfer fees in her testimony. An excerpt:


"Community Investment Tax Credit or CITC...has enabled us to raise flexible funds for community-driven public art and placekeeping projects, resident leadership trainings, civic engagement, and youth development programs. CITC has enabled our resident and youth programs to expand, and we have a great track record of youth returning to continue as interns and even staff, and residents becoming vocal community advocates."

Learn more about the Affordable Homes Act

🎬 Film Screening with ArtsEmerson 🍿

Join ArtsEmerson for the Projecting Connections screening of Freckled Rice, preceded by Our Chinatown on February 18th at 3:30pm.


OUR CHINATOWN | KENNETH ENG AND CURTIS CHIN, CO-DIRECTORS

A son of Boston’s Chinatown, Paul W. Lee, returns to help build affordable housing. Our Chinatown is a collection of short vignettes that highlight the activists who are keeping Chinatown alive.


FRECKLED RICE | STEPHEN C. NING, DIRECTOR and YUET-FUNG HO, PRODUCER

This digitally remastered classic tells the coming of age story of 13-year-old coming to terms with his Chinese American heritage in Boston during the 1960s.


Date and time: February 18th at 3:30PM. Q&A with filmmakers follows screening.

Location: Bright Family Screening Room, Paramount Center

Tickets: ArtsEmerson.org (after Jan. 26)


Co-presented by Pao Arts Center, ACDC and BAAFF.

Get Tickets (after Jan. 26)

✨ Donate to ACDC & Get a 50% Tax Rebate ✨

ACDC still has CITC credits! If you missed the Dec 31 deadline, you can make a CITC donation for the 2024 tax year. Get a 50% tax rebate on any donation of $1,000 or more!


Email citc[at]asiancdc.org if you have questions.

Learn More & Donate Today

🎥 Check out ACDC's HSS Reels! 🐉

Videos by Harrison Tran

Did you miss the Hudson Street Stoop (HSS) Opening Celebration in 2023?


Check out our four-part video series highlighting HSS: Dancing Dragon artists Katherine Chin and Parke MacDowell.


The series also includes reflections from two HSS Committee members, Ada and Angela, and reactions from other community members.


Kudos to our Media Intern Harrison Tran for capturing these bright moments for us to share with you!


Follow ACDC on Instagram @asiancdc to stay updated on future HSS events.

Watch the videos here

🏡 Rental Assistance Reminder 📣

ACDC is still helping community members with RAFT applications. Starting this year, the new contacts for the bilingual RAFT hotline will be Julia Zhu, ACDC's Building Blocks Manager, and Alice Huang, ACDC's Housing Counselor. Both Julia and Alice are fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese.


If you or someone you know needs rental or mortgage payment assistance, please contact our staff:


Julia's Contact Info

781-851-4619

Julia.Zhu[at]asiancdc.org


Alice's Contact Info

857-449-7123

Alice.Huang[at]asiancdc.org

Learn More About RAFT
Donate
Visit our Website

August 2023 Newsletter

Dear Friends of ACDC,

With summer winding down, we are grateful for the connections and memories shared with you at the community events and in our programs this season, and look forward to what's on the horizon for late summer and fall.


If you're looking for ways to support the Hawaiian communities impacted by the devastating wildfires in Maui, below is more information on how you can help.


In a recent, major legislative win, Massachusetts passed the Data Equity Bill. The bill mandates more comprehensive data collection within AAPI, Black, and Latine populations to better understand the nuanced experiences and needs within subgroups of these communities. ACDC is also collaborating with other MACDC member organizations to sustain crucial public funding for programs benefitting working-class first-time homebuyers. Read the article below to learn more about what's at stake.


Lastly, our youth have been hard at work organizing ACDC's annual Films at the Gate Festival! Come check out the festival starting Friday, August 25.


We hope to see you at our final summer events to close out the season.


Warmly,

Angie Liou

Executive Director

⛑ Support Relief Efforts in Maui ⛑

Starting on August 8, the most deadly wildfire in the US in the last 100 years caused the destruction of homes, businesses, and land across more than 2,500 acres in Maui, including historic towns like Lahaina.


The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) started a relief fund and has raised $1.8M since last week. Funding supports evolving needs, including shelter, food, financial assistance, and other services as identified by CNHA's partners doing critical work on Maui.

Learn More & Donate Here

Please share with your friends, family and networks.

🎬 Films at the Gate 🍿

August 25 - 27

By Lee-Daniel Tran

Photo by Lee-Daniel Tran

Films at the Gate Festival is back for the 17th year! This event is organized by local high school youth and ACDC's A-VOYCE alumni. Films at the Gate has always been free for the community to enjoy live martial arts, musical and dance performances, and classic kung fu and contemporary films featuring Asian and Asian American artists and stories.


Friday, August 25 - Sunday, August 27

5:30 - 9:30 PM

Chin Park at the Greenway - by the Chinatown Gate

Check Out This Year's Movies

🏡 Real Estate Updates 🏗

Rendering by Stantec

New Affordable Housing Proposal for Chinatown

Join ACDC and The Community Builders at an upcoming virtual Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) meeting regarding Parcel P-12C, located at 290 Tremont Street in Chinatown. We will present an all-affordable development proposal, which will include public open space.


Monday, August 21

6:00 - 7:00 PM

Virtual Meeting on Zoom - Registration Required

Register Here

🧺 Summer Picnic Recap 🍦

Photos by The Chinatown Project

In July, ACDC hosted a Summer Picnic for the community to beat the heat together! Thank you to Tufts University for providing space at the Tufts Community Common.


The program featured lively performances by Violin Viiv and the Kwong Kow Chinese School K-pop Dance Crew and was led by our wonderful bilingual emcee, Alison Qu. 


Thank you to all of the participating organizations: CHIC Consulting, Chinatown HOPE, Friends of the Chinatown Library, Chinatown Community Land Trust, The Greenway, ADAPT, The City of Boston, BPD, and Siena Farms for sharing resources with Chinatown residents and community members.


We were joined by special guests Boston City Council President Ed Flynn, Chulan Huang from the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services, Chris Cook from the Greenway, and Dr. Heang Leung Rubin of CHIC Consulting. 


Lastly a big thank you to all of our volunteers from KKCS, Sasaki, youth from ACDC's Summer Leadership Academy, and to the community, who helped make the Summer Picnic a wonderful event for all.

Follow ACDC on Instagram for More Updates

💰 ACDC's Matched Savings Programs 🏡

Applications Open Now

ACDC's Chinese-language Matched Savings Programs are now accepting applications. In this program, participants benefit from informative financial literacy and savings workshops and individual coaching, and receive a savings match from ACDC upon completing the program.


There are three different programs:

  • Matched Savings for prospective first-time homebuyers based in Boston
  • Matched Savings for prospective first-time homebuyers based in Malden
  • Retirement Matched Savings for those who do not have access to employer-sponsored retirement benefits


If you know someone who may benefit from the program, please refer to them to Julia Zhu, Building Blocks Manager. Julia is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese, and can be reached at Julia.Zhu[at]asiancdc.org.

Learn about ACDC's General Matched Savings program
Learn about ACDC's Retirement Matched Savings program

📄 MA Passes Data Equity Bill 🖋

Last week, Governor Maura Healey signed into law a bill that will combat harmful racial biases in data. The new law mandates the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to collect, organize, and assemble public data on major ethnic groups, of which each major Asian group—including but not limited to Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese—compose more than 466,000 Asian American residents living in the state.


This bill also mandates disaggregated data collection for Black and Latine populations. Much like the Asian American experience, Black and Latine communities encompass a wide range of subgroups with different needs and experiences. Through detailed demographic data, advocates, policymakers, and service providers gain a deeper understanding on systemic and societal issues faced by all major racial groups on a more granular level, leading to better-informed decisions around addressing urgent and long-term community needs.


The Asian and Pacific Islanders Civic Action Network (APIs CAN!) is a coalition of community organizations in Massachusetts and a major advocate and proponent for the bill as they have been working on it since 2017. Thank you to State Representative Tackey Chan for his leadership in supporting this bill.

⛩ ACDC Chinatown Tours 👟

Photo by Jennifer Greer-Morrisey; courtesy of Tufts University

ACDC has reopened its Chinatown Tours since taking a hiatus during the height of the pandemic. ACDC recently led the the incoming class of Tufts Medical MD students on our tours through Chinatown to learn more about the intersections of health and the spaces we live in. ⁠

We believe that Chinatown is an irreplaceable historical and cultural hub. We envision a Chinatown where residents and visitors live, work, and play together to sustain a healthy, vibrant, and inclusive community.


This is a great activity for students of all ages and employee resource groups. Explore Chinatown on this walking tour and discover its history, community resilience, and past and present challenges. Submit an interest form today!


Want to book a tour for your group or network? Email tours[at]asiancdc.org to learn more.

Sign Up For a Tour Today

🍂 Fall Chinatown HOPE Event 🍂

Fall Fun in Phillips Square

WHEN: Saturday, September 9, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm 

WHERE: Phillips Square, Chinatown 


Join us as we bring joy and laughter to the heart of Chinatown in this FREE family-friendly community celebration. Cornhole games, crafting, music, giveaways and more! 

 

Brought to you by Chinatown HOPE, a collective of eight Chinatown organizations with the aim of coming together to leverage and build upon existing assets to have a greater, lasting impact on working class residents in Boston Chinatown. 

 

Questions about the event? Email Heang Rubin at heang[at]chiccommunityengagement.com.

Learn More About Chinatown HOPE

📰 ACDC in the News 👀

"Chinatown remains an extremely interconnected ecosystem, said Angie Liou, executive director of the Asian Community Development Corporation. Customers and business owners rely on each other — consumers want food, medicines, and other products that are specific to their culture and also want to visit businesses where workers speak their native languages."

Read the Article

"For many Bostonians residing in the city’s historic Chinatown neighborhood, increasing housing costs and continued industrial development in the city and surrounding areas have led to long-time residents moving out...residents primarily move out to surrounding suburban neighborhoods such as Malden and Quincy."

Read the Article

“For all the talk of closing the racial wealth gap, the racial homeownership gap, this [Chapter 206 funding] is a crucial piece of the puzzle,” said Angie Liou...Homebuyer education counseling is really critical. If you’ve never bought a home before and you’re the first person in your extended family to do so, it’s a really daunting prospect.”

Read the Article
Donate Today

Next Friday, June 10th: QARI's 20th Anniversary Community Banquet

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Pao Arts Center logo
Lunar New Year

Found in Translation’s A Deal logo

Found In Translation: A Deal 杂音

Saturday, April 2 | 7:00 pm (English), Directed by Michelle Aguillon 

Join us for a post-show talkback in English with director Michelle Aguillon and Intergenerational Storytelling exhibiting artist Melissa Teng after April 2 show

Saturday, April 9 | 7:00 pm (Mandarin), Directed by Tianding He

Pao Arts Center 

Free, Suggested Donation $10

A Deal by Zhu Yi is a dark comedy that follows a Chinese family's home buying journey in New York under the backdrop of a China-US economic crisis. Originally taking place in the winter of 2015, the themes and issues explored still resonate today.

 

Dancer: Naoko Brown, photo credit: Olivia Moon Photography

Convergent Waves: Boston

Thursday, April 21 | 7:00 - 8:00 pm - SOLD OUT

Friday, April 22 - Saturday, April 23 | 7:00 - 8:00 pm and 8:30 - 9:30 pm

Post-performance discussion after Saturday, April 23, 8:30 pm show

$20.00-$50.00 | limit of 50 person for each performance

Pao Arts Center

Be the first to experience Convergent Waves: Boston new site-responsive, multimedia experience by Lenora Lee Dance. Immerse yourself in a dance event which celebrates the contributions of activists and non-profit leaders and reclaims space by eliciting stories of community agency, resilience, and transformation.

 

Chinese Brush Painting for Adults: Red Wintersweet and Sparrows

Xiaoyong Liu, Ink on Paper, Willow Tree and Chickens, 2022

Chinese Brush Painting for Adults: Willow Tree and Chickens

Saturday, April 23 | 2:00 - 3:30 pm

Online Via Zoom 

Ticketing: $15 per class | $45 per class with supplies mailed, deadline for registration with mailed supplies: April 13

We continue to explore the theme of flower-and-bird paintings this spring. This month we will paint a scene with chattering chickens gathering under a gently swaying willow tree. Class is taught in Mandarin but friendly for English speakers.

 

Last call for our March class: Peach Flowers and Chickens

Saturday, March 26 | 2:00 - 3:30 pm

Online Via Zoom 

$15 per class

 

Photo credit: Matthew Okazaki, Ojichan's Home, Crystal City, Texas, 1945, Digital collage, 12 x 16

 

 Final Days of Intergenerational Storytelling

Through March 25, 2022

Pao Arts Center

Free, Suggested Donation $10

Storytelling across generations allows us to preserve and reimagine family histories and strengthen and advance community narratives. Stories also reinforce culture. Interpreting the stories of our elders for ourselves and each other allows the stories to live on in more expansive ways. How do we reinterpret our ancestor’s stories for ourselves? How do we acknowledge certain generational divides within our evolving society while still honoring our elders? 

Participating artists: Melody HsuMadeline Lee, Yuko OkabeMatthew OkazakiMelissa Teng, and Lily Xie. Curated by Leslie Anne Condon.

Meet a few of our Intergenerational Storytelling artists!

Their work is on view through March 25.

Yuko Okabe

 Headshot of the artist, Melissa Teng

Meet Melissa Teng

Melissa Teng is a social practice and multimedia artist whose works examine systems of control and the freedoms within, often as acts of collective imagination and care. Her work is frequently in collaboration with community and responds to issues of hypervisibility and invisibility.

Matthew Okazaki

Headshot of the artist, Lily Xie

Meet Lily Xie

Lily Xie is a Chinese-American artist and educator whose socially engaged work explores radical imagination, reimagined histories, and other routes to collective resilience. Lily shares strategies adapted from her drawing and bookmaking practices as tools for community empowerment and justice.

https://www.paoartscenter.org/donate

Important Notice: Masks will continue to be required for entry into Pao Arts Center. Read More   

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arts@bcnc.net      99 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02111      617-863-9080     

Pao Arts Center was established in 2017 as a visionary program collaboration between Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) and Bunker Hill Community College. As Chinatown’s first arts and cultural center, Pao Arts Center represents the belief that investing in arts, culture, and creativity are vital to the health and well-being of individuals, families, and vibrant communities.

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38 Ash Street, Boston, MA 02111

Pao Arts Center and Lenora Lee Dance present

World Premiere of Convergent Waves: Boston


Boston, MA- Pao Art Center is thrilled to announce Convergent Waves: Boston in celebration of its 5th anniversary! This new site-responsive, multimedia performance by Lenora Lee Dance celebrates the contributions of activists and non-profit leaders, and reclaims space by eliciting stories of community agency, resilience, and transformation. Inspired by rich narrative, this work represents a powerful call for community-oriented development in the face of rapid change, making a collective statement for the preservation of community as neighborhoods across the country inhabited for generations face cultural erosion, loss of businesses, and displacement through gentrification. Convergent Waves: Boston highlights successes in preserving the cultural fabric and accomplishments of these communities.

 

Lee shares, “We are excited to bring Lenora Lee Dance to Boston for the first time to create and premiere this new work, and more importantly connect the stories of Boston to those across the country. My priority as an artist has always been to connect deeply with audiences, and consider how we can uncover layers of experiences through dance, music, film, installation,  research and interviews integrated and grounded in community and place-based work.”

 

Pao Arts Center Director Cynthia Woo shares, “Especially in times of increased anti-Asian sentiment, it is critical for us to leverage artistic and creative work to shed light to our stories in both a local and national context and to provide a face and voice to these experiences.”  

  

There will also be a virtual presentation of Convergent Waves: Boston presented by ArtsEmerson in Fall 2022. After Convergent Waves: Boston the project will tour to San Francisco (June 9, 2022), Los Angeles (Spring 2023), and New York City (Fall 2023) continuing to shed light on the stories of displacement and gentrification in communities across the country.

 

Dancers Lynn Huang and Johnny Nguyen, photo credit: Robbie SweenyFor more information: https://www.paoartscenter.org/events/2022/convergent-waves-boston

 

 

 

Performance Details:

 

Thursday | 7:00 - 8:00 pm

Friday - Saturday, April 21 - 23, 2022

7:00 - 8:00 pm and 8:30 - 9:30 pm

Performances will begin on time, please arrive early.

Post-performance discussion after Saturday, 8:30 pm show

 

Ticket Prices

General Admission: $25

Arts Patron: $50

Student/Senior: $20

 

Location

Pao Arts Center

99 Albany Street

Boston, MA 02111

 

COVID-19 Protocol:

As of March 15, 2022, Pao Arts Center is requiring all patrons to be masked. Protocols subject to change.

Filming:  Performances will be filmed. By entering into this performance space, guests consent to being filmed and for their likeness to be used in any way.

Conceived, Produced & Directed by Lenora Lee

Choreography by Lenora Lee in collaboration with the performers

Performers / Dance Collaborators: Naoko Brown, IJ Chan, Flora Hyoin Kim Han, Lynn HuangJohnny Huy Nguyen

 

Media Design by Lenora Lee

 

Music

  • Composed by Vijay Iyer, performed by Fieldwork, Vijay Iyer Trio, Miranda Cuckson, Michi Wianko, Kyle Arrmbust, Kivie Cahn-Lipman, and Wadada Leo Smith. Additional recordings composed and performed by Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith.
  • Composed and performed by Tatsu Aoki, with Kioto Aoki, Jamie Kempkers, Edward Wilkerson Jr.
  • Composed by Francis Wong. Performed by Francis Wong, Deszon X. Claiborne, Tatsu Aoki.

 

For more detailed information about the music, click here

 

Interviewee Voiceover by Susan Chinsen, Ken Eng, Paul Lee, Tunny Lee, Angie Liou, Lydia Lowe, Cynthia Woo, Yu-Wen Wu, Cynthia Yee

Convergent Waves: Boston is supported by ArtsEmerson, Pao Arts Center, and by generous individuals. The creation, presentation of and production residency for Convergent Waves: Boston was also made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts' National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

Special Thanks to: Asian Community Development Corporation, Carmen Chan, Chinatown Community Land Trust, Chinese Historical Society of New England, Susan ChinsenKen Eng, Stephanie Fan, Amy Guen, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Harry Lee, Paul Lee, Tunney Lee, Angie Liou, Lydia Lowe, Cynthia Soo Hoo, Cynthia Woo, and Cynthia Yee.

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LENORA LEE DANCE

Lenora Lee Dance (LLD) integrates contemporary dance, film, music, and research and has gained increasing attention for its sustained pursuit of issues related to immigration, incarceration, global conflict, and its impacts, particularly on women and families. The company is directed by San Francisco native Lenora Lee, who has been a dancer, choreographer and artistic director for the past 24 years in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. She has been an Artist Fellow at the de Young Museum, a Djerassi Resident Artist, a Visiting Scholar at New York University 2012-2016, an Artist in Residence at Dance Mission Theater, a 2019 United States Artists Fellow.

 

LLD creates works that are both set in public and private spaces, intimate and at the same time large-scale, inspired by individual stories as well as community strength, at times crafted for the proscenium, or underwater, or in the air, and at times are site-responsive, immersive and interactive. For the last 14 years, the company has been pushing the envelope of large-scale multimedia, and immersive dance performance that connects various styles of movement and music to culture, history and human rights issues. Its work has grown to encompass the creation, presentation and screening of films, museum and gallery installations, civic engagement and educational programming. LenoraLeeDance.com

 

About Pao Arts Center:

Pao Arts Center was established in 2017 as a visionary program collaboration between Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) and Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC). Located at 99 Albany Street in downtown Boston, Pao Arts Center is Chinatown’s first arts and cultural center.

 

Pao Arts Center represents the belief that investing in arts, culture, and creativity are vital to the health and well-being of individuals, families, and vibrant communities. Through its innovative approach, Pao Arts Center empowers creativity, connection, learning, and support. paoartscenter.org

 

Pao Arts Center is supported by Barr Foundation, Boston Cultural Council/Reopen Creative Boston Fund administered by the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Klarman Family Foundation, and New England Foundation for the Arts.

 

 

###

 

 

Annie Trieu | Communications Associate

Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC)

Boston: 617-635-5129 x1097

bcnc.net | facebook | twitter | linkedin

Join us for In-Person and Virtual Music in Boston’s Chinatown

Image Caption: aznjujube performing at last year's Experience Chinatown. Photo credit: Katie Medrano – Escobar.

Take Out Thursdays presented by Pao Arts Center and the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy

Thursdays, August 5 | August 12 | August 19 | August 26 5:00 - 6:00 pm

Auntie Kay & Uncle Frank Chin Park on The Greenway

Free and open to the public

Bring your families, come by after work and join Pao Arts Center and The Greenway Conservancy for a series of family-friendly concerts and performances. Stop by your favorite Chinatown eatery, grab a snack or dinner, and discover a new creative performer!

August 5 opens with musician Ava Sophia.

This program is part of the Rediscover The Greenway series. Funding and support for this program is provided by abutting property owners who serve as members of the Greenway Business Improvement District (BID). The Greenway BID plays an essential role in supporting an appealing, accessible, and vibrant experience for all that visit The Greenway to gather, relax, unwind, and explore.

Company One Theatre & Pao Arts Center Present: Kit Yan and Melissa Li’s Work-In-Progress Boston Chinatown Musical

Thursday, August 19 | 7:00 – 8:30 pm

Online

Free 

Company One Theatre's  2020-2021 PlayLab Pao Arts Center Fellows, Kit Yan and Melissa Li, share a work-in-progress of their residency work. Performances of songs and music will be intertwined with community member conversation celebrating the vibrancy of Chinatown.

Image Caption: Graphic of EXPERIENCE CHINATOWN in all caps in hot pink and orange.

Experience Chinatown Schedule

Visual Arts installations On View | September 9 – 25

Performances:

Thursday, September 9 | 5:00 – 6:00 pm

Thursday September 16 | 5:00 – 8:30 pm

Thursday, September 23 | 5:00-6:00 pm

Saturday, September 25 | 12:00 - 3:00 pm

Auntie Kay & Uncle Frank Chin Park on The Rose Kennedy Greenway 

Mark your calendar for performances and visual arts installations in Chinatown! 

 

arts@bcnc.net      99 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02111      617-863-9080      Donate

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885 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111

Photo, Wen-hao Tien sets up her camera for her piece "Teach Me Your Song". Courtesy Peter Crawley.

Closing Public Programs for Wen-hao Tien: Home On Our Backs 

Teach Me Your Song: Thursday, July 22, 5:00 – 7:00 pm

Family Friendly Closing Celebration: Saturday, July 31, 2:00 – 4:00 pm 

Enjoy the final month of Wen-hao Tien: Home on Our Backs. Visit the gallery in person, participate in Teach Me Your Song on Thursday, July 22, or join us for a final gathering Saturday, July 31!

Graphic, "Residence Lab 2021 at Mary Soo Hoo Park" and "Kick-Off Friday, August 27".

 

ResLab 2021 Kick-Off

Friday, August 27, 5:00 - 8:00 pm

Mary Soo Hoo Park, on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, Boston, MA 02111

Join us for our 2021 ResLab Kick-Off with our program partner Asian Community Development Corporation alongside their annual Films at the Gate series. This year’s family-friendly activation is taking place at Mary Soo Hoo Park on the Rose Kennedy Greenway in partnership with the Greenway Conservancy.

Chinese Watercolor on paper, Chrysanthemums, Boston, 2021. Courtesy of Xiaoyong Liu. 

Chinese Brush Painting for Adults: Chrysanthemums

Saturday, August 28, 2:00 - 3:30 pm

Online

$15 per class | $45 per class with supplies mailed

Deadline for registration with mailed supplies: Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Relax one Saturday afternoon to learn to paint the radial, disk-like blooms of the yellow chrysanthemum flower with butterflies.

Photo, Beef Chow Fun, 2021. Courtesy of Valerie Li.

In the Kitchen (At Home): Beef Chow Fun

Friday, August 20, 12:00 pm

Online

Stay tuned for our upcoming episode of In The Kitchen. Valerie Li teaches us a classic Cantonese dish: Beef Chow Fun. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to be the first to know when the video drops.

Graphic, EXPERIENCE CHINATOWN with BCNC, Pao Arts Center, and BHCC logos.

SAVE THE DATE: Experience Chinatown

September 9 - 25, 2021

Various Locations

Experience Chinatown returns this September! Stay tuned for our schedule of performances, artists installations, and much more. Check out this year’s locations, times, artists, and supporters! 

Photo, six headshots of Pao Arts Center intern team lined up side by side.

Meet the Summer Interns!

Welcome Saira, Clara, Qing Qing, Carlee, Mandy, and Sarah to Pao Arts Center's team.

 

arts@bcnc.net      99 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02111      617-863-9080      Donate

扫描关注包氏文艺中心微信二维码,获取更多的中文资讯!Scan the QR code to follow us on WeChat and get more information in Chinese! 

 

 

July 2021 Newsletter

 

Dear Friends of ACDC,

 

Now that summer is here, we're excited to share programming and event updates to look forward to this season.

 

While we are excited to start hosting in-person events, ACDC is still committed to protecting the safety and well-being of all residents, community members, and ACDC staff and volunteers by following local and state health guidelines. We look forward to seeing you soon!

 

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. We are grateful to our donors, sponsors, funders, and volunteers for investing in youth and families and the communities they call home with ACDC.

 

😎 Stay cool,

 

Angie Liou

Executive Director

 

 

 

 

Hudson Street Stoop Met Its Crowdfunding Goal!

 

 

Making fun memories at Storytell & Sway; by Aaron John Borque Photography, courtesy of artist Gianna Stewart

 

Thank you to all of our donors who supported the Hudson Street Stoop: Storytell & Sway crowdfunding campaign! Your generosity has helped ACDC meet and exceed its crowdfunding goal and secure a $7,500 matching grant from Mass Development. Funds support free community programming for Chinatown residents and visitors of all ages. We hope you can join us for a reception to check out the installation and meet the team behind the project.

 

Storytell & Sway Reception Event

Saturday, July 31st, 12 pm - 2 pm

One Greenway Park between 66 - 88 Hudson Street, Boston, MA 02111

 

Join us in celebrating Hudson Street Stoop's inaugural installation. Meet the artist Gianna Stewart and the team of project collaborators and Chinatown residents involved with the project.

 

 

Siblings playing at Storytell & Sway; by May Lui

A sunny hangout at Storytell & Sway; by Aaron John Borque Photography, courtesy of artist Gianna Stewart

 

Upcoming Stoop Events - Organized by ACDC's MorePlay! Program

Join us for some fun summer events at the Stoop for kids and families, and open to all ages.

·    Saturday, July 10th, 11 am - 2 pm: Memory Art Workshop - Create art based on your own stoop memories and have a chance for your work to be displayed at the Pao Arts Center!

 

·    Saturday, August 7th, 11 am - 2 pm: Lantern Festival DIY & Read Aloud - Make paper lanterns and listen to storybooks read by ACDC volunteers.

 

·    Saturday, August 14th, 7:00 pm: Open Mic: Story Time! - Check out stories and performances shared by residents and local artists. Interested in sharing your story? Submit a performance application today.

 

 

For questions about events, email Dianyvet Serrano at anchor.projects@asiancdc.org and follow ACDC on Instagram for updates.

 

Shout out to our A-VOYCE youth alumni and SuccessLink Interns Angela Guan, Olivia Moy, Bryce Moy, and Ada Wu for their help with organizing the events!

 

 

Thank You for supporting ACDC's

Virtual Dim Sum Breakfast!

 

Panel speaker Zayda Ortiz (top right) shares a heartwarming experience about organizing mutual aid efforts with Malden Neighbors Helping Neighbors, joined by co-organizer A.J. Kumar (bottom right), Andrea So of GMAACC (bottom left), and Angie.

 

We were delighted to be joined by City of Malden Mayor Gary Christenson who accepted the Inspiration Award, which honored the city's eviction prevention work during the pandemic.

 

 

City of Malden Mayor Gary Christenson accepting the Inspiration Award

 

Special thank you to our emcee Janet Wu of WCVB, ACDC Board Members Mai Du and Paul W. Lee, and to our inspiring Dim Sum panel speakers, Andrea So of GMAACC, Zayda Ortiz of Malden Neighbors Helping Neighbors and Malden CORE, and A.J. Kumar of Malden Neighbors Helping Neighbors, for sharing their insights on supporting the community and making meaningful connections during such challenging and distressing times.

 

 

"Where We Belong - 歸屬,歸宿"

 

 

Ponnapa (left) working on the mural; by Paul McAlpine

 

ACDC is excited to share that a new mural is coming to Chinatown and will be completed soon! "Where We Belong - 歸屬,歸宿" by local artist Ponnapa Prakkamakul is located on Essex Street in Boston's Chinatown.

 

The mural is part of ACDC's placekeeping initiative, one of the ways ACDC combats gentrification and displacement, through public art and space activation that celebrates the history and culture of Chinatown and resident voices. This project is a collaboration between ACDC, Ponnapa, Oxford Properties, and our A-VOYCE youth.

 

Check out the mural's recent feature on WCVB below.

 

Ponnapa meeting with A-VOYCE youth; by Weiying Olivia Huang, courtesy of Oxford Properties

Ponnapa working on the mural; by Weiying Olivia Huang, courtesy of Oxford Properties

 

 

Save the Date: Friday, August 27 - Sunday August 29

15th Anniversary Films at the Gate Festival

 

 

Get ready for ACDC's 15th Anniversary Films at the Gate Festival! We are excited to once again host our free, three-day community event.

 

Save the date and join us for games, activities, and family-friendly films that celebrate Asian and Asian American stories and artists!

 

 

 

Malden Civic Engagement

Virtual Workshop Series

 

Are you interested in community building and engagement? Do you want to make an impact in Malden? Join us for a virtual workshop series, hosted in collaboration with GMAACC, throughout the month of July. You will also receive a certificate for completing workshops and a gift as our appreciation. Show your passion for making Malden a better place and register today!

 

🗣🌐 Simultaneous Cantonese & Mandarin interpretation provided.

 

 

Upcoming Topics

·    Urban Planning (Monday, July 12, 6pm-7:30pm)

·    Affordable Housing (Monday, July 19, 6pm-7:30pm)

·    Redistricting (Monday, July 26, 6pm-7:30pm)

 

 

A-VOYCE Tier 1 Youth Present: Bowl of Memories & Joy

 

 

For their community project, youth from our Chinatown A-VOYCE program set out to answer two questions:

·    How can we create a more inclusive community where everyone feels that they belong?

·    How can we celebrate the past memories of Hudson Street and make space for new ones?

 

Their solution: to connect with residents through art, storytelling, and food. They created Bowl of Memories & Joy, a project where they sent art kits to Chinatown residents and invited participants to share their artwork and stories for a digital showcase celebrating culture, community, and connection.

 

 

"Tang Yuan and Family" by Betty Zhao

"Tang Yuan is a dessert that is mainly eaten during the Lunar New Year. It is a special dish that has a lot of meaning to me. The round shape of represents togetherness, family reunion, unity, and harmony. Tang Yuan reminds me of all the memories I had with my family. It not just a delicious dessert, it stands for something bigger."

 

 

 

ACDC Office Reopening

 

 

Our Boston office in Chinatown is now open by appointment only. To schedule an in-person appointment with one of our staff, please email them.

 

Visitors will be asked to complete a health survey form provided by staff prior to the appointment. Everyone is required to keep their mask covering their nose and mouth while in the office.

 

 

 

In the News

 

 

“In pre-pandemic times, the lack of diversity in the building uses could replicate itself in other ways, as in Boston’s Financial District. ‘It feels like a very wealthy, very white, rather male place,’ said Angie Liou, the executive director of the Asian Community Development Corporation in Boston, which is active in the Chinatown neighborhood bordering the Financial District... Urban renewal projects better known for demolishing lower-income neighborhoods were also essential for developing in their place modernist, office-heavy downtowns."

 

 

“‘By having residents take over pieces of the public spaces, it’s one way for us to reclaim Chinatown...’”

 

“‘In terms of individual household finances, I think it’s certainly been a very difficult year...And, whatever data is out there that’s been collected over the last 12 to 14 months, we know that they don’t capture complete or accurate pictures of the AAPI community.’”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring 2021

NEWSLETTER

 

 

 

 

Get the book on the struggle for Boston Chinatown!

 

Read co-founder Michael Liu's new book on the history of organizing for community control that put Chinatown on Boston's political map and led to the founding of Chinatown CLT.

 

Use special code MAS003 for a 30% discount when you purchase your book from UMass Press.

 

Help us build the Immigrant History Trail!

The Immigrant History Trail is a participatory placekeeping project seeking to uplift the diverse immigrant, working class histories of the Chinatown and South Cove neighborhood.

 

We are currently seeking volunteers to launch the Immigrant History Trail as well as advisors and story tellers. 

 

Learn More

 

Support our work to stabilize Chinatown!

Chinatown CLT is part of a growing movement for community control of land as a way to stabilize working class neighborhoods with permanently affordable housing and shared neighborhood spaces.  

 

 

Anyone can become a member of Chinatown CLT if you agree with our mission and pay $5 annual dues. Chinatown residents are voting members; non-residents are supporting members.

 

 

Chinatown Community Land Trust

www.chinatownclt.org

E: participate@chinatownclt.org

 

 

 

BCNC Lantern Festival Gala

You are cordially invited to the 2021 Lantern Festival Gala

Thursday, May 6, 2021

Ticket (For One Household): $50

Location: Online. Event link to be emailed closer to date.

6:00 pm Program: Learn about how Asians and new immigrants have been impacted by the pandemic, hear inspiring participant stories, and experience premier artistic performances from Chinatown locations.

Host: Janet Wu, Bloomberg 

Honoring: BCNC Students and Participants 

Featuring: Ava Sophia | Aznjujube featuring Jeff La | Continuum Dance | Shaw Pong Liu

Attire: Festive 

Since 1969, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) empowers Asians and new immigrants to build healthy families, achieve greater economic success, and contribute to thriving communities through innovative programs and services. This year, during these challenging times, your support is needed more than ever to help Asian and new immigrant families thrive.

Your support will directly:

  • help youth from low-income families go to college,
  • assist adult students in learning English and getting jobs,
  • provide high-quality, in-person childcare for preschool and school-age children, and
  • help immigrant families deal with challenges and build their lives in the US.

Your donation is tax-deductible and will support family-centered programs for Asian and new immigrants including childcare, youth leadership, adult English classes and workforce development, mental health counseling and parent support groups and arts and culture.

Contact: events@bcnc.net

 

Thank You to Our Sponsors

As of April 20, 2021


BU Arts Initiative Hosts Boston’s Chinatown: Community, Power, and Placemaking

TODAY Thursday, April 15, 12 pm

Ben Hires moderates a conversation with Núrí Chandler-Smith (Bunker Hill Community College), Angie Liou (Asian Community Development Center), Carolyn Rubin (Tufts University), and Cynthia Woo (Pao Arts Center) on the legacy of Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood, exploring community, urban expansion, displacement, public health, and the birth of Pao Arts Center.

New fund launches to help Chinatown restaurants & residents

New Fund Launches to Help Restaurants & Residents

BCNC joins peer organizations on a new fund launched in Chinatown, rooted in community partnerships and trust-based philanthropy, to help local restaurants and residents.

BCNC Portraits: Karla, AmeriCorps Volunteer

BCNC Portraits: Karla, AmeriCorps Volunteer

"I feel passionate about teaching and serving others. [Through this citizenship class,] I want to give people tools to understand things, make their own choices, and feel confident doing so."

Providing Vaccine Education for Asian Immigrants

Providing Vaccine Education for Asian Immigrants

Thanks to Barr Foundation, Klarman Family Foundation and the Boston Resiliency Fund, BCNC, Asian Community Development Corporation, Chinese Progressive Association, and Greater Boston Legal Services Asian Outreach Unit are collaborating to provide essential resources regarding vaccine education and financial relief to the Chinese-speaking Asian immigrant community in Boston.

Join Us for Upcoming Events

BCNC 2021 Lantern Festival Gala

2021 Lantern Festival Gala

Online | Thursday, May 6

5:30 pm Reception  |  6:00 pm Program

Learn about how Asians and new immigrants have been impacted by the pandemic, hear inspiring participant stories, and experience premier artistic performances from Chinatown locations.

In the News

Join the BCNC Team

Contact: jobs@bcnc.net

Add us to your address book or safe senders list so our emails get to your inbox.

Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center

BCNC

885 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111

 

 

Liz Cheng, GBH General Manager of Television accepting the Neil Y. Chin Community Service Award last year.

 

2021 Heart of the Community Dim Sum Breakfast

Friday, June 11, 2021

10:00 AM EDT

Virtual Event

 

Dear Friends of ACDC,

 

Our annual Heart of the Community Dim Sum Breakfast will be held virtually on Friday, June 11th at 10:00 AM EDT. Although we would have preferred to enjoy Dim Sum with the hundreds of guests that usually attend our Breakfast, we are prioritizing the safety of our guests and community.

 

Through collective care, we will remain a resilient community. We continue to strengthen our partnerships with other organizations and coalitions to meet the growing, urgent needs of the Asian immigrant and AAPI communities - needs that stem from the pandemic; the most recent surge in racism and attacks against Asian immigrant and AAPI individuals; and the structural racism that for generations, has marginalized the voices and issues impacting working class, immigrant and BIPOC communities we serve.

 

Proceeds from this event support engaging community members in re-imagining and rebuilding their quality of life and transforming their neighborhoods through ACDC’s programs which include: A-VOYCE youth leadership program, bilingual first-time homebuyer workshops and financial counseling, civic engagement and placekeeping projects.

 

 

 

 

Have a question about the event? Contact ACDC

 

 

 

 

March 2021 Newsletter

 

Dear Friends of ACDC,

 

We are feeling heartbroken and angered by the most recent surge in attacks against Asians and the eight lives taken in the targeted murders in Atlanta, six of whom were Asian women. I wanted to share some recent updates on how ACDC and organizations across Massachusetts are responding.

 

APIs CAN! released a statement to address the most recent wave of attacks and proposed community-centered approaches to help keep our loved ones, friends and neighbors safe.

 

We have partnered with local community organizations to host a Town Hall on March 25 at 6 pm EDT to acknowledge the collective grief, anger and fear, among the many other emotions and reactions in the AAPI community; to amplify voices and experiences from the small business, organizing and youth communities; to share resources; and to grow in advocacy efforts.

 

 

ACDC stays committed to addressing the systemic racism that impacts immigrant and AAPI communities through building and fostering safe and equitable communities that we can all call home. Please read on below for more updates on how we're serving the community.

 

Sincerely,

 

Angie Liou

Executive Director

 

 

March 30: Mandarin-language COVID-19

Vaccine Info Session

 

On March 30 at 6 pm EDT, there will be a COVID-19 vaccine information session conducted in Mandarin Chinese only.

 

Please share this event with Mandarin-speakers to learn more about the vaccine and how to get an appointment.

 

Save this link to join on March 30.

 

 

Asian Community Emergency Relief Fund Update

 

 

Thank you to our generous donors and funders who supported to the Asian Community Emergency Relief Fund (ACERF) this year! Contributions received through March 22 are being prepared for direct distribution to individuals and families who continue to be impacted by the pandemic.

 

Since this January, donors and funders contributed over $150,000 to help families pay for necessities including rent, groceries and utilities. Thank you to our individual supporters; the City of Boston for their support through the Boston Resiliency Fund; and the Philanthropic Initiative in partnership with the Boston Foundation for your tremendous efforts to help those disproportionately impacted.

 

Donations made to ACERF after March 22nd will be collectively decided by the partner organizations on how to best directly support the community.

 

 

 

 

A-VOYCE Awarded $20,000 Grant from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation

 

 

Thank you to the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation for their generous support of ACDC's youth leadership development program, Asian Voices of Organized Youth for Community Empowerment (A-VOYCE)!

 

A-VOYCE was one of six recipients of the Foundation's "Healthy Youth, Healthy Community" Racial Equity grant.

 

Our A-VOYCE program mobilizes youth to become equity-centered urban designers, planners and neighborhood advocates in Greater Boston and Malden.

 

 

In the News

 

 

 

"We're thinking about community-based solutions that get at systemic racism by trying to devote more resources to grassroots organizations that have the relationships, that have trust in the community, that are doing this work, and [are] trying to increase resources in housing, jobs, healthcare, and education."

 

 

"'For Asians with low English, there’s a fear of retaliation from threatening landlords. “Not knowing their full rights make people afraid,' says Angie Liou, executive director of the Asian Community Development Corporation in Boston.

 

Displaced Asians then are forced to double and triple up with family and friends in cramped housing. 'That’s what we don’t want during a pandemic,' adds Liou."

 

"[Carolyn] Chou and [Angie] Liou said that a better way to protect Asian communities is to address threats with culturally-sensitive solutions, such as language accessibility resources, mental health services and interracial dialog about racism...

 

...Many neighborhoods with high Asian American populations, like Chinatown and Dorchester, are also increasingly gentrified. The financial hardships imposed by the pandemic, along with rising property values, threaten to push residents out of traditionally Asian enclaves."

 

 

Coming Soon: Hudson Street Stoop's Storytell and Sway

 

Renderings courtesy of artist Gianna Stewart

 

ACDC engaged Chinatown residents and local arts administrators who helped us create the Hudson Street Stoop initiative. This year's inaugural Hudson Street Stoop installation, "Storytell and Sway" by Gianna Stewart will open this summer.

 

Storytell and Sway will promote One Greenway Park on Hudson Street as a family-friendly space; aims to bring together Chinatown residents of all backgrounds; welcomes back the spirit of play and outdoor activity through socially distanced bench swings; and celebrates resident voices through quotes and stories inscribed on the benches in their native languages.

 

Do you want to support programming such as story slams or storytelling sessions at Hudson Street Stoop? We'll be launching a crowdfunding campaign soon!

 

Stay subscribed to the newsletter and follow us on Instagram for updates.

 

 

Save the Date: June 11 Virtual Dim Sum Breakfast

 

Liz Cheng, GBH General Manager of Television, accepting the Neil Chin Community Service Award at last year's event.

 

This year's annual Heart of the Community - Dim Sum Breakfast will be held virtually on Friday, June 11, 2021.

 

Save the date and stay tuned for more details to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 2020

 

Dear Friends of ACDC,

 

We can’t believe this year is almost over. During the 2020 pandemic, we supported our residents and community via emergency relief fund and wellness check-ins; moved our homeownership education, youth, and resident programming to online platforms; and mobilized the community to complete the Census and get out the vote. Check out our Annual Report and learn how your support has made a difference this year.  

 

There Is Still Time to Make An Even Bigger Impact!

 

We are giving grocery gift cards to residents in our affordable housing to help them through this holiday season, thanks in part to a COVID-19 grant from Tufts Medical Center. Make a donation today to enable us to help even more residents with housing assistance and COVID-related needs! Your gift will have double the impact through a $10,000 matching donation from Paul and Mary Lee. 

 

For donations of $1,000 or more, you can also qualify for the Community Investment Tax Credits (CITC) program, which gives you 50% of your donation back as a tax credit. Contact angie.liou@asiancdc.org if you are interested.

 

ACDC Awarded $500,000 Grant by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

We are honored to receive a $500,000, 3-year grant from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center as part of the hospital’s $18.4 million Community-based Health Initiative. In partnership with the Chinese Progressive Association and Greater Boston Legal Services’ Asian Outreach Unit, our project will expand homeownership opportunities to Chinatown residents, provide eviction prevention and engage residents in anti-displacement work, and advocate for policies that increase access to affordable housing. 

 

 

Remembering Tunney Lee

 

Earlier this year, Chinatown and Boston lost a long-time teacher, historian, and planner – Tunney Lee. A professor emeritus at MIT, he grew up in Boston’s Chinatown, but his influence reached far beyond Boston, through his teaching of generations of architects and planners, as well as his civil rights activities in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.‘s Poor People’s Campaign. He was a founder of ACDC, and one of his last projects was the Chinatown Atlas. Listen to the WGBH interview where Angie Liou, Executive Director of ACDC, discusses the legacy of Tunney Lee with Stephanie Fan from the Chinese Historical Society of New England and Brent Ryan from MIT.

 

 

 

We hope you and your loved ones have a joyous and healthy holiday season. See you in 2021!

 

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In the Kitchen (At Home): Tang Yuan

Photo credit: Valerie Li

In the Kitchen (At Home) | Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Ball)

Online | Instagram and YouTube

Winter is here! This month, home-cook Valerie Li shares her version of glutinous rice balls to celebrate the winter solstice. In this episode, follow along as we make sweet, sesame-filled tang yuan served in warm, sweet soup.

Tune In

Artist Spotlight: Poet Chen Chen

Artist Spotlight: Poet Chen Chen

This month we debuted a dance and poetry collaboration with our performance series Chinatown Presents. In these videos, poet Chen Chen, the author of When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities (BOA Editions), read his work, and shared how home, family, and coming out resonates in his writing.

Learn about his work and watch the powerful series: Chinatown Presents: Finding Home.

 

Learn More

Wen-hao Tien: Home on Our Backs

Laundry Rock, image transfer, botanical ink on paper

Wen-hao Tien, 2020

Wen-hao Tien: Home on Our Backs

January 28 – June 24, 2021 | Online

2020 Artist-In-Residence Wen-hao Tien presents of series of new work. Explore history and creative process with a series of talks and workshops throughout spring 2021.

Learn More

Chinese Brush Painting for Adults: Four Seasons

Chinese Brush Painting for Adults | Four Seasons

1st Class: January 23, 2021, 2:00pm - 3:30pm

Online | $15 per class | $35 per class including supplies

Learn to paint the four seasons, each distinguished by its own temperature, weather patterns, plants, and animals. Take a Saturday afternoon to relax, create, and meditate with Chinese brush strokes. Classes taught in Mandarin, English-friendly.

 

RSVP

Remembering Who We Are

Remembering Who We Are

On November 14, community members, curators, and attendees from across the United States joined together to listen, share, and connect and celebrate the closing of Homeward Bound: Closing Intimacies of Converging Chinatowns.

Learn More

Season's Greetings from BCNC families

Season’s Greetings from BCNC families!

This holiday season, BCNC Family Services and Pao Arts Center teamed up to bring holiday cheer to seniors in the Chinatown community. We hope to brighten your day with these cheerful colorful messages and drawings!

Don't Miss Our Virtual Exhibits

Love Letters to Boston Chinatown [Online Exhibit]

Enjoy love letters submitted by community members who share their love for Chinatown.

More Events

Keep Arts Essential

We believe art is healing and vital to an individual and community’s well-being and health. You can provide arts to the Chinatown community during this time of need. This year, will you make a gift to sustain arts through this crisis?

Your gift will bring:

  • A music and dance performance series featuring Asian Pacific Islander artists
  • Lunar New Year Workshops for local families
  • Virtual cooking demonstrations featuring family recipes, and more

Pao Arts Center received a matching grant of $25,000 from National Endowment for the Arts. Your gift will uplift the health and well-being of the Asian community through arts and creativity.

Will you help us reach the match and make a gift to keep arts essential?

 

Make a gift today to keep arts essential

arts@bcnc.net      99 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02111      617-863-9080      Donate

Like our Facebook Page!

Follow us on Instagram!

Be sure to add our email address to your address book or safe senders list so our emails get to your inbox.

BCNC

885 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111

Like our Facebook Page!

Follow us on Instagram!

Donate

Chinatown Presents: Finding Home With Chen Chen, a Poetry and Dance Collaboration

Chinatown Presents: Finding Home With Chen Chen, a Poetry and Dance Collaboration

Monday, December 7 | Instagram and YouTube

In a video series of interviews and poetry readings, poet Chen Chen explores issues of home, identity, immigration, and coming out. Each poetry reading will be accompanied by interpretive choreography by Chavi Bansal, IJ Chan, and Flora Kim. Catch the release on our YouTube Channel.

Photo Credit: Olivia Huang

 

Tune In

Beginner Chinese Brush Painting for Adults: Pandas

Beginner Chinese Brush Painting for Adults: Pandas

Saturday, December 12, 2:00pm - 3:30pm

Online | Class fee $15 without supplies, $35 with supplies

Pandas have been admired for adorably lumbering around and eating bamboo in the mountains of China. Take advantage of the opportunity to paint these lovable animals using Chinese watercolor techniques before the winter holiday season.

Note: Taught in Mandarin Chinese only. This is a beginner, relaxed-paced class taught via Zoom.

Register Here

In the Kitchen (At Home): Clay Pot Rice

In the Kitchen (At Home): Cantonese Clay Pot Rice

Instagram and YouTube

Valerie Li teaches classic Chinese recipes that remind her of home. This month, she teaches us how to do a popular Cantonese recipe—clay pot rice! Full recipe videos are on our YouTube Channel.

Get the free recipe here: Cantonese Clay Pot Rice

Tune In

Ongoing Virtual Exhibits

Homeward Bound: Global Intimacies in Converging Chinatowns [Online Exhibit]

Walk through our 3D exhibit and enjoy an audio tour from Asian American Writers’ Workshop’s podcast as part of the Homeward Bound virtual experience.

Love Letters to Boston Chinatown [Online Exhibit]

Enjoy love letters submitted by community members who share their love for Chinatown.

More Events

Keep Arts Essential

We believe art is healing and vital to an individual and community’s well-being and health. You can provide arts to the Chinatown community during this time of need. This year, will you make a gift to sustain arts through this crisis?

Your gift will bring:

  • A music and dance performance series featuring Asian Pacific Islander artists
  • Lunar New Year Workshops for local families
  • Virtual cooking demonstrations featuring family recipes, and more

Pao Arts Center received a matching grant of $25,000 from National Endowment for the Arts. Your gift will uplift the health and well-being of the Asian community through arts and creativity.

Will you help us reach the match and make a gift to keep arts essential?

 

Make a gift today to keep arts essential

arts@bcnc.net      99 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02111      617-863-9080      Donate

Like our Facebook Page!

Follow us on Instagram!

Be sure to add our email address to your address book or safe senders list so our emails get to your inbox.

 

 

 

 

November 2020

 

Even in a Pandemic, It's Time to Give Thanks

 

With the country and our region still in the grips of the pandemic, we still have a lot of work ahead of us. Since the Massachusetts eviction moratorium expired on October 17, we have shifted our focus to helping Chinese speakers apply for the state’s rental assistance program, which many Asian immigrants don’t know about, and is not well set up to receive intake from non-English speakers. We are also working to create more affordable housing in Chinatown and in the region, which this pandemic has demonstrated as a critical determinant of health outcomes.

 

This Giving Tuesday, will you help us ensure that we can continue to help Asian immigrant families maintain housing stability and access food and basic necessities?  Through a gift from Paul W. Lee, our board chair, and his wife Mary, there will be a $1-to-$1 match up to $10,000! Please click here to make a gift.

 

If you donate $1,000 or more, you can also take advantage of the Community Investment Tax Credits (CITC) program, which gives you 50% of your donation back as a tax credit. Please email angie.liou@asiancdc.org if you are interested.

 

What We Are Thankful For

 

As we surpass nine months in a global pandemic that has killed more than 1.3 million people worldwide and devastated the local, state, national and international economies, it’s fair to wonder exactly what we have to be thankful for.

 

But here at ACDC, it is those exact hardships that have reminded us how thankful we are. Thankful for the community we live in and serve. Thankful to the residents who have shown us their resiliency. And thankful for our donors like you for supporting our work during this unprecedented time.

 

Before the coronavirus exploded into a pandemic in March, residents and businesses of Boston’s Chinatown suffered from misinformation and xenophobia as lies about COVID-19 spread across the internet and the country. Asian Americans were threatened and harassed, and Asian-owned businesses lost customers. But our elected officials and civic leaders stood by our community, hosting several luncheons in Chinatown to stand in solidarity with the Asian community and support our mom-and-pop businesses. For them, we are thankful.

 

When Massachusetts shut down in March, we knew our community’s housing and job stability would be jeopardized. We helped launch and run the Asian Community Emergency Relief Fund – see Boston Globe's recent coverage here. Through the generosity of hundreds of donors, we raised more than $350,000 to help and support struggling families in our community. For them, we are thankful.

 

When America could no longer ignore centuries-old racial injustice this summer, we expressed our support and solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, and asked ourselves what else we could do. As a community of immigrants, we know the hurt and frustration caused by prejudice, but we also want to confront anti-Blackness and racism within our own community. We found new supporters and new friends who share our commitment to anti-racism and social justice. For them, we are thankful.

 

This year the country also conducted the 2020 Census under extraordinary circumstances. Despite legal challenges and the pandemic, our staff worked with Quincy Asian Resources, Inc. and Greater Malden Asian American Community Coalition and recruited dedicated volunteers to conduct census outreach. Through phone calls and social media, they reached out to more than 10,000 households in Quincy, Malden and Boston to complete the census to ensure our community is counted and will receive appropriate funding for schools, healthcare, transportation and more. For them, we are thankful.

 

We recognize that 2020 is not a year on which many will look back fondly. But the challenges and struggles will serve as a reminder that we stand by one another when a crisis occurs. That’s the true meaning of a friend. That’s the definition of a community. That’s what we are all a part of. And for all of you, we are thankful.

 

 

You're invited to BCNC's Light the Way Open House and Virtual Event


During these unprecedented times, immigrant families are facing tremendous challenges. As we seek to bring hope and healing to families in 2020, we invite you to the Light the Way event to find

Pao Arts Center logo

Keep Arts Essential

Pao Arts Center Leadership Council  •  Nancy Wang Adams, co-chair  •  Terri Mock, co-chair  •  Joanne Cheng  •  Vincent Hohn  •  Eleanor Pao  •  Laura Sen  •  Elaine Shiang  •  Cecilia Sze

November 2020

Dear Chutze,

I want to wish you good health and safety during these uncertain times. Since March, Pao Arts Center reformatted our programs to meet our communities’ needs as we respond to the current environment of the pandemic, racial reckoning, and uncertainty.

We remain committed to our mission to celebrate and strengthen the Asian Pacific Islander community of Chinatown and Greater Boston through access to culturally relevant art, education, and creative programs.

Did you know that as early as January 2020, Chinatown was hit hard by anti-Asian rhetoric and loss of business—even before the shutdowns? Although some businesses have reopened, the neighborhood is still slow to recover. In response, we changed the format of our annual arts festival, Experience Chinatown, to revitalize the community and support local businesses. We expanded the festival from a one-day event to a month of activities that included art installations, a community art project, and outdoor musical performances to uplift the neighborhood.

Experience Chinatown 2020

Photo credit: Katie Medrano-Escobar, The Loop Lab

The festival was a great success, but will you help us do more? We believe art is healing and vital to an individual and community’s well-being and health. You can provide arts to the Chinatown community during this time of need. This year, will you make a gift to sustain arts through this crisis?

Your gift will bring:

  • A music and dance performance series featuring Asian Pacific Islander artists
  • Online visual art exhibitions with accompanying public programs
  • Virtual cultural classes, such as meditative brush painting
  • Lunar New Year Workshops for local families
  • Virtual cooking demonstrations featuring family recipes

Pao Arts Center received a matching grant of $25,000 from National Endowment for the Arts. Your gift will uplift the health and well-being of the Asian community through arts and creativity.

Will you help us reach the match and make a gift to keep arts essential?

As we look back at 2020, we have been faced with many difficulties and challenges, but I am thankful for supporters like you who make it possible to keep arts and culture essential. We are thankful that we can count on you.

With appreciation,

Cynthia Woo

Director

P.S. By December 31st, please help us reach our goal of $25,000 by making a gift online at paoartscenter.org/donate.

arts@bcnc.net      99 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02111      617-863-9080      Donate

Like our Facebook Page!

Follow us on Instagram!

Be sure to add our email address to your address book or safe senders list so our emails get to your inbox.

BCNC

885 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111

Pao Arts Center logo

Keep Arts Essential

Pao Arts Center Leadership Council  •  Nancy Wang Adams, co-chair  •  Terri Mock, co-chair  •  Joanne Cheng  •  Vincent Hohn  •  Eleanor Pao  •  Laura Sen  •  Elaine Shiang  •  Cecilia Sze

November 2020

Dear Chutze,

I want to wish you good health and safety during these uncertain times. Since March, Pao Arts Center reformatted our programs to meet our communities’ needs as we respond to the current environment of the pandemic, racial reckoning, and uncertainty.

We remain committed to our mission to celebrate and strengthen the Asian Pacific Islander community of Chinatown and Greater Boston through access to culturally relevant art, education, and creative programs.

Did you know that as early as January 2020, Chinatown was hit hard by anti-Asian rhetoric and loss of business—even before the shutdowns? Although some businesses have reopened, the neighborhood is still slow to recover. In response, we changed the format of our annual arts festival, Experience Chinatown, to revitalize the community and support local businesses. We expanded the festival from a one-day event to a month of activities that included art installations, a community art project, and outdoor musical performances to uplift the neighborhood.

Experience Chinatown 2020

Photo credit: Katie Medrano-Escobar, The Loop Lab

The festival was a great success, but will you help us do more? We believe art is healing and vital to an individual and community’s well-being and health. You can provide arts to the Chinatown community during this time of need. This year, will you make a gift to sustain arts through this crisis?

Your gift will bring:

  • A music and dance performance series featuring Asian Pacific Islander artists
  • Online visual art exhibitions with accompanying public programs
  • Virtual cultural classes, such as meditative brush painting
  • Lunar New Year Workshops for local families
  • Virtual cooking demonstrations featuring family recipes

Pao Arts Center received a matching grant of $25,000 from National Endowment for the Arts. Your gift will uplift the health and well-being of the Asian community through arts and creativity.

Will you help us reach the match and make a gift to keep arts essential?

As we look back at 2020, we have been faced with many difficulties and challenges, but I am thankful for supporters like you who make it possible to keep arts and culture essential. We are thankful that we can count on you.

With appreciation,

Cynthia Woo

Director

P.S. By December 31st, please help us reach our goal of $25,000 by making a gift online at paoartscenter.org/donate.

arts@bcnc.net      99 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02111      617-863-9080      Donate

Like our Facebook Page!

Follow us on Instagram!

Be sure to add our email address to your address book or safe senders list so our emails get to your inbox.

BCNC

885 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111

 out how you can support. This year, your donation is more important ever. Thanks to generous sponors, your donation in 2020 will be matched. Will you help light the way for an immigrant family?

Thank you,

Ben Hires, CEO

VIRTUAL EVENT
Thursday, October 29, 2020, 5:30 – 6:00 pm
Register at
bcnc.net/events for the Zoom link.

Meet our participants as they share their stories of resiliency. Hear new CEO Ben Hires share BCNC’s vision for the community. Learn ways to support immigrant families.

Thanks to generous sponsors, your donation will be matched!

Contact: Jean Quintal, 617-603-2540.



Experience Chinatown Arts Festival 2020 Final Days

Over 500 people have already experienced Chinatown since September 5th. Don’t miss this final weekend!

TODAY, Thursday, September 24:

 

Take Out Thursday

12:00 noon - 1:00 pm

Live music by Trio Gaia at Auntie Kay & Uncle Frank Chin Park on The Greenway.

 

Performance Under Lantern Stories

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Join cellist Sam Ou and calligrapher Mike Mei under the glow of artist Yu-Wen Wu’s light-based installation Lantern Stories at Auntie Kay & Uncle Frank Chin Park on The Greenway.

In collaboration with The Greenway Conservancy.

 

29 Oak Street Projections

8:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Text, still and moving images, and artwork by local artists projected on the brick rowhouse wall of 29 Oak Street.

Organized by Chinatown Land Trust.

 

Family-Friendly Saturday

Saturday, September 26, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Music at Auntie Kay & Uncle Frank Chin Park on The Greenway with support from Greenway Conservancy.

11:00 am: Violin Viiv

12:00 noon: Marko De Peralta

1:00 pm: Aznjujube featuring Jeff La

Performances will follow Commonwealth of Massachusetts guidelines. Please remember to wear your masks and stay physically distant. Hand sanitizer stations will be available, and if crowds begin to form performances may be temporarily paused.

Have you eaten yet (Photo Credit: Taijai Slaughter)

Installations Across Chinatown

Create your own self-paced tour with our map of sites.

Don’t miss public art by Residence Lab Artists:

At 35 Kneeland St, Maria Fong, Sylvia Chen, and Po Chun Chow advocate for safer streets in Chinatown.

At 8 Hudson St, explore a mural celebrating Chinatown’s culture and character by Krina Patel, Angela Soo Hoo, and Dianyvet Serrano. Follow the project on Instagram #haveyoueatenyet.

Residence Lab is created in partnership with Asian Community Development Corporation and Pao Arts Center.

Beginner Chinese Brush Painting for Adults: Goldfish

October 10 and October 17, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Online, $15 per class, $35 per class including supplies

Join us for a relaxed paced, beginner brush painting class featuring happy goldfish! Taught in Mandarin only.

Save the Date

Chinatown Presents: A New Play Reading with Asian American Theatre Artists of Boston

Friday, October 23, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Asian American Theatre Artists of Boston and Pao Arts Center join forces to present a new work crafted by Quentin Nguyen-Duy and Serenity S’rae, written and designed specifically for the virtual format.

Ongoing Virtual Exhibits

Homeward Bound: Global Intimacies in Converging Chinatowns [Online Exhibit]

Walk through our 3D exhibit and enjoy an audio tour from Asian American Writers’ Workshop’s podcast as part of the Homeward Bound virtual experience.

Love Letters to Boston Chinatown [Online Exhibit]

Enjoy love letters submitted by community members who share their love for Chinatown

arts@bcnc.net      99 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02111      617-863-9080

 




HEART OF THE COMMUNITY DIM SUM BREAKFAST

Our annual Heart of the Community Dim Sum Breakfast will be held virtually on Friday, September 18th at 9:30am. Although we would have preferred to enjoy Dim Sum with the hundreds of guests that usually attend our Breakfast, we are prioritizing the public health of our guests and community.
We are a resilient community. We have seen COVID-19's impact on housing and financial security, health, education, and racial equity. Yet, we have seen generosity, advocacy, selflessness, and leadership.
In Chinatown, a neighborhood that is densely packed with low-income immigrant families, there is a critical need for additional resources to help achieve housing and financial security. Proceeds from this fundraiser fuel initiatives like our A-VOYCE youth leadership program, bilingual first-time homebuyer workshops and financial counseling, civic engagement and placekeeping projects.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS


Mistress of Ceremonies  Janet Wu  Anchor & Reporter,  WCVB - TV
Mistress of Ceremonies
Janet Wu
Anchor & Reporter, WCVB - TV

Neil Chin Community Service Award Honoree  Liz Cheng  General Manager of TV,  GBH  and  WORLD Channel
Neil Chin Community Service Award Honoree
Liz Cheng
General Manager of TV, GBH and WORLD Channel

Keynote Speaker  Nina Liang   Quincy City Council President
Keynote Speaker
Nina Liang
Quincy City Council President

REGISTRATION


Register online today! See full list of sponsorship benefits on the sponsor form above.
Celebrate 33 Years of Community Building Friday, September 18, 2020 9:30am - 10:00am Virtual Event Our annual Heart of the Community Dim Sum Breakfast has been postponed to Friday, September 18th from 9:30am - 10:00am via Zoom. Although we would have loved to enjoy Dim Sum with the hundreds of our guests that usually attend our Breakfast, we are prioritizing the public health of our guests and community. In Chinatown, a neighborhood that is densely packed with low-income immigrant families, there is a critical need for additional resources to help accomplish housing and financial security. Proceeds help fuel our mission to:
develop affordable homes and community facilities provide multilingual housing counseling and financial literacy programs to help immigrant families in their pursuit of financial stability foster resident and youth leadership to reclaim and transform neighborhood spaces • advocate for our community.

Since successfully opening in 2017 as Chinatown’s first cultural and arts center, Pao Arts Center has welcomed over 23,000 visitors, engaged 295 artists, and hosted 475 events and exhibits. Today, we are excited to launch our new brand and website, a space to create, experience, and share with one another.
Since its founding, Pao Arts Center, the product of a visionary partnership between Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) and Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC), has always been built on the idea of innovation, connection, and support for the well-being of the Chinatown community in Boston and beyond. As we considered how arts and creativity will take place in the future, it was imperative that we create a new online space to support these activities. 
Our new brand and logo integrate and celebrate Asian and Asian American cultures and traditions. The logo is a contemporary play on the Chinese character "Pao" which is also reminiscent of the letter “P”. The circular “P” design serves as a visual representation of a hub, a meeting place, and a connection point for artists and community members. The boldly updated color palette is a vibrant expression of our mission to celebrate and strengthen the Asian Pacific Islander (API) community of Chinatown and Greater Boston through accessible and culturally relevant art, education, and creative programs. 
I encourage you to visit our website to learn about our work and how you can experience events, exhibits, and classes and support arts and creativity.  
Join our email list or follow us on Facebook or Instagram @paoartscenter for the most updated information on news, events, and creative opportunities. 
Thank you to all our visitors, attendees, artists, donors, sponsors, and partners, this is for you! Welcome to our new Pao Arts Center community, a creative hub fueled by community and focused on empowerment. 
Cynthia Woo
Director, Pao Arts Center
.
Experience Chinatown
Throughout September on Thursdays and Saturdays, enjoy unique events and pop-up happenings, and art installations, allowing for social distancing and leisurely enjoyment. This weekend, September 5 - 7, watch storefronts come alive as artist add their creative flair. Learn more
Residence Lab
Residence Lab - Space Activation
4 residents + 2 artists worked to transform some of the most notoriously underutilized and unwelcoming corners of Chinatown into beloved, resident-centered spaces at 35 Kneeland Street and 8 Hudson Street. Visit the installations from September 5 - October 4. This program is created in partnership with Asian Community Development Corporation. Learn more.
We Love Boston Chinatown
We Love Boston Chinatown Walk/Run
Join us for this free viritual 5k or 1 mile walk/run on September 12-13. A suggested route with a map of art installations will be provided. This event is part of the “We Love Boston Chinatown” resiliency campaign, a partnership with artists, community organizations, and businesses. Learn more and register.
SEP 5 AT 5 PM – SEP 19 AT 5 PM CDT

Residence Lab - Space Activation

8 Hudson Street & 35 Kneeland Street - Boston, MA 02111
Sep 5 at 5 PM – Sep 19 at 5 PM CDT
8 Hudson Street & 35 Kneeland Street - Boston, MA 02111
Tickets
bcnc.net/events/residence-lab-2020

4 Chinatown residents + 2 artists + 2 neighborhood spaces = Residence Lab!
Through a series of Zoom workshops and co-creation sessions, the Residence Lab 2020 cohort worked to transform some of the most notoriously underutilized and unwelcoming corners of Chinatown into beloved, resident-centered spaces.
Come discover the creative results of bringing artists and residents together to shape a rapidly changing Chinatown.
At 35 Kneeland St: Visit window art made by artist Maria Fong and residents Sylvia Chen and Po Chun Chow, advocating for safer streets in Chinatown and a reimagining of transportation and traffic in the neighborhood.
At 8 Hudson St: Explore a mural celebrating Chinatown’s culture and character by artist Krina Patel and residents Angela Soo Hoo and Dianyvet Serrano. Also, take a self-guided walking tour through the eyes of Krina, Angela, and Dianyvet, visiting their favorite neighborhood spots.
This program is created in partnership with the Asian Community Development Corporation and Pao Arts Center. Residence Lab is generously funded by the Barr Foundation and ArtPlace America and supported by Tufts Medical Center.
To learn more about Residence Lab, visit: https://bcnc.net/residence-lab-2020
Contact: anju.madhok@bcnc.net 


Experience Art At Home
Show Us Your Love! Submit Your Love Letters to Chinatown
We are collecting love letters: poems, stories, illustrations, paintings, etc. inspired and dedicated to Boston Chinatown to help uplift our neighborhood. We will be translating these letters and posting them up around the neighborhood and on our website later this year.
Quarantine Cooking with Valerie Li
Turn on the stove and whip up some delicious pantry fried rice with writer and home cook, Valerie Li.
Missed the latest video? Join our Facebook Page and Instagram Page (@paoartscenter) and be the first to view our next cooking video--crispy and savory scallion pancakes!

Save the Date: Experience Chinatown, September 2020
Discover a new take on Asian American cultures during our third annual Experience Chinatown event over the entire month of September
AATAB Online: A Language of Their Own by Chay Yew
Wednesday | August 5, 2020 | 7:00 pm
A Language of Their Own is a lyrical and dramatic meditation on the nature of desire and sexuality as four men—three Asian and one white—come together and drift apart in a series of interconnection stories. Supported by Pao Arts Center and Company One Theatre.



ABOUT THE PROGRA

Chinatown communities across North America — from New York to Boston to Toronto to San Francisco's Chinatowns — come together to address urgent concerns in our various communities at this time, coming together for unity, solidarity, and community care.

We will be hosting a discussion with different Chinatown organizers exploring the following questions: What is on the minds and hearts of our Chinatown community at this moment? How are we confronting/strategizing to address any challenges or issues that are emerging? How are we showing care to one another/building resilience? What does intergenerational solidarity in our community look like? The conversation will be moderated by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center curator Adriel Luis.

NOTE: We will be prioritizing BIPOC participation in these workshops and encourage you to RSVP via the corresponding eventbrite link for more info. No one will be turned away for lack of funds! Email us at wowproject@wingonwoand.co with any questions.

*We are asking for a sliding scale donation of $10-$25 to attend our anni programs with proceeds going towards our 4-year anni fundraiser in support of the W.O.W. Project’s 2020-2021 programming, an initiative that supports Chinatown’s resiliency in the wake of COVID-19 (soon to be announced!) and Communities United for Police Reform (CPR).

ABOUT THE WOW 4 YEAR ANNI PROGRAMMING & FUNDRAISER

W.O.W. Project is thrilled to be curating month-long programming centering community care and resiliency in a time that we need it the most. Through these programs, we open up space to explore what healing, resiliency, and grounding can look like as we experience and emerge from this moment of grief, rage, and most importantly, hope. Join us in celebrating the building of this cultural movement here in Chinatown, our neighborhood’s resiliency and the movement for black lives. We believe care and healing, especially in community, are key to a pathway to our collective liberation.

In honor of W.O.W.’s 4 year anniversary, we will be fundraising a total of $50,000 not only for W.O.W. Project’s 5th year programming but we will also be donating 50% (25% to each org) of our funds raised to an initiative that supports NYC Chinatown’s resiliency in the wake of COVID-19 (soon to be announced!) and Communities United for Police Reform, an NYC campaign fighting for community safety and police accountability.


Tell your friends about AACA's Free Citizenship classes!
Tell your community about this great opportunity!
For the first time ever, AACA is officially providing remote Citizenship classes to both men and women!

We rely on word of mouth referrals for much of our business. If you enjoyed your experience with us, please tell your friends by sharing this email on your social networks or forwarding to their email address.

We appreciate your support!

2020 Chinatown Master Plan, Census, Emergency Paid Sick Time, Justice for Renters!



Visioning a People's Recovery

“Our job as organizers is to bring out and grow everyone’s sense of justice.”
– Karen Chen, Executive Director

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, our fight for affordable housing, workers’ rights, and ensuring our communities count in the Census is more important than ever. While COVID-19 has brought the dual pandemics of the virus and of racism, we know that the issues our community is experiencing are nothing new. We stand with other working-class communities & communities of color in building a more just world where ordinary community members have the power to make the decisions that affect our lives.

In our newsletter series this summer, we invite you to consider with us:
What does a People’s Recovery look like?


Chinatown Master Plan


This month, we celebrated the launch of the 2020 Boston Chinatown Master Plan.
Every ten years since 1990, the Chinatown community has come together to develop and publish our own vision and priorities for community development, to serve as an education, advocacy, and organizing tool for the community and as a guide to policy makers and developers.


TODAY, June 17th: Census Day of Action


Photo: Axie Breen

The Census determines resources & electoral representation for our communities. In order for all communities to get the resources we are entitled to, we must make sure everyone is counted in the 2020 Census!

MassCounts has made 90,888 calls to residents of low-response census tracts since March to get out the count in the 2020 Census. We want to hit 100,000 calls for the national day of action TODAY, June 17. Will you help us make 10,000 calls for Census Day of Action? RSVP today!

We’re making calls on Wednesday from 12:00-2:00 and from 5:00-7:00. We’ll provide a short training at the beginning, log-in information, and lists for phone banking. You'll need a computer and phone to participate, and we'll send them information on how to join when you RSVP



Take Action: H.1260 Tenant Right to Purchase

Please contact your legislators to support a bill that would help keep tenants in their homes by giving them the first chance to purchase or partner with a nonprofit if their landlord decides to sell the building.

The Tenant Right of First Refusal or TOPA bill, H.1260, is currently in the House Ways and Means Committee after being reported favorably by the Housing Committee.

Please contact your state rep and ask that they advance H. 1260!

Sample email or phone message:

I hope that you can urge the House Ways and Means Committee to advance H. 1260, A Tenant Right of First Refusal, to allow cities and towns to use this new tool to keep tenants in their homes and preserve permanently affordable housing. This bill is more important than ever now with the economic downturn, because we don’t want to repeat the mistakes of 2008, when so many families were displaced and homes were swept up by big corporate investors.


Take Action: Emergency Paid Sick Time

This bill calls for 10 days of paid sick leave for every worker with COVID-19 or caring for someone with COVID for the duration of Massachusetts' State of Emergency.

Click the banner below to send an email to your local legislators for 10 days of Emergency Paid Sick Time! 



APIA Vote 2020 Presidential Town Hall

CPA is excited to be a community partner for the 2020 APIA Vote Presidential Town Hall. The event will feature the Biden and Trump campaigns and will center around how these candidates will address important issues such as healthcare, education, the economy, and gun control, to the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community.

Since 2008, the Presidential Town Hall has served as a forum for AAPIs to push for AAPI issues to be addressed and on the radar of campaigns and the media. In giving presidential candidates a space to directly address AAPI community members, leaders, and organizers, the town hall has become one of the few spaces geared specifically for candidates to speak directly to AAPIs, about AAPIs.

The event will be part of a larger summit, with four days' worth of programming before the town hall beginning on June 22nd and another five days of programming after. The summit will feature multiple interest tracks for participants. 


Support CPA by Donating or Getting Involved!


Interested in hearing more? Make sure you're on our mailing list to continue receiving updates about our events and work!




Chinese Progressive Association


Pao Arts Center is proud to present Chinatown Presents: Finding Home, a virtual event featuring a reading by Sham-e-Ali Nayeem. Join us on Pao Arts Center's Facebook for the livestream or Zoom stream. Please register on Eventbrite here-
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chinatown-presents-finding-home-at-home-tickets-105987334972

What happens when we lose our anchor? In her debut book City of Pearls, Sham-e-Ali Nayee writes poetry to offer a meditation on healing from grief. Weaving together memories of her late father and ancestral home of Hyderabad, Nayeem explores the landscapes of loss. Nayeem, an Indian Muslim American, draws from the languages of her life to express vulnerability and tenderness in her poetry: Hyderabad—the City of Pearls—become a metaphor for resilience and growth to transform the grit of migration, displacement and loss.

---

Author of the poetry collection, City of Pearls (UpSet Press 2019), Sham-e-Ali Nayeem is a Muslim Indian American poet and artist of Hyderabadi descent. A former public interest lawyer supporting economic justice for survivors of family and intimate partner violence, Sham-e-Ali is recipient of the Loft Literary Center Spoken Word Immersion Fellowship.

Bao Phi is a spoken word artist, poet, author, children's book writer, arts administrator, and father.

Chinatown Presents is funded is supported in part by a grant from the Boston Cultural Council, a local agency which is funded by the Mass Cultural Council, and administered by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture.

Chinatown Presents is sponsored by Eleanor & Frank Pao .

Contact: ashley.yung@bcnc.net


In this email:
·    Asian Community Emergency Relief Fund
·    Statement from APIsCAN
·    Update on CPA’s service work
·    Information and resources
·    [Action item] Right to the City: Call for rent moratorium
·    [Action item] Demands from the COVID-19 Equity Task Force
·    CYI Summer Internship Application
·    Support our work!


Asian Community Emergency Relief Fund

While countless communities are severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Asian American community in Greater Boston is being hit harder than most. Many are immigrants who work in food, hospitality, home care and child care sectors that have been closed. Consequently, these workers have lost their incomes. Because of language barriers and immigration status, not everyone can access public benefits like unemployment and the new stimulus dollars. These families are in jeopardy of not having enough money to buy basic necessities and pay for housing. To top it off, our community is also facing rising anti-Asian sentiments. 

The Chinese Progressive Association, along with other anchor organizations of APIsCAN! (Asian Pacific Islanders Civic Action Network) Asian Community Development Corporation, Vietnamese American Initiative for Development, Asian American Resource Workshop, and Asian Outreach Unit of Greater Boston Legal Services, is launching the Asian Community Emergency Relief Fund for our community. The fund will provide immediate and direct financial support to people in our communities who have lost work and are having trouble meeting their basic needs, and may not be eligible for other public benefits.

All donations through CPA of $750 or above will be matched.



Statement from APIsCAN!


The unprecedented COVID-19 public health crisis has devastated Massachusetts’ Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) and immigrant communities, the fastest growing population in Massachusetts. We are a community of small businesses and service industry jobs, with an economic foundation in restaurants and nail salons across the state, as well as home health aides and hotel workers. The COVID-19 public health crisis and incitement of xenophobia has doubly impacted our community. 

APIsCAN!, a network of organizations in Massachusetts that advances equity and opposes discrimination through year-round civic action in APIA communities, urges stakeholders, policy makers and leaders to take immediate comprehensive action. 

Our organizations are on the front lines advocating for language access, data equity, and the preservation and expansion of affordable housing, economic opportunities, immigrant rights, and education justice. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, we have pivoted our work to meet the needs of our most vulnerable community members. 

Massachusetts’ APIA community is 68% foreign born, of which 15% is undocumented, and 80% of whom speak a language other than English at home. Approximately 32% are US-born and 34% are naturalized US citizens. The 2010-2014 per capita for Asian Americans was $35,351 and disaggregated at $18,632 for Cambodians, $35,467 for Chinese, $23,170 for Vietnamese and $50,837 for Indians. 

Loss of income, language barriers, immigration fears, uncertainty about the future of businesses and employment—all augmented by the national rise in anti-Asian hate incidents—has meant that APIAs are among those most deeply impacted during this pandemic. 

During this challenging time, APIsCAN and our allies urge the following: 

·    Publicly oppose xenophobia, like usage of the term “Chinese virus,” and hate incidents against APIAs. 
·    Pass a moratorium on evictions, rent, and mortgage payments for all residents and small businesses.
·    Create federal emergency funding to stabilize subsidized affordable housing and public housing.
·    Halt Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, detentions, and deportations.
·    Prioritize low-wage workers, undocumented people, and small businesses for any bailout, emergency funds, and resources. 
·    Expand support for small businesses, including tax subsidies, grants, and no interest loans. 
·    Ensure all residents, regardless of immigration status, have access to full and high-quality preventative and curative healthcare, including testing and treatment for COVID-19.
·    Expand earned sick leave law to increase eligibility, types of workers covered and reason (social distancing, caring for a loved one, and quarantine). 
·    Pass a moratorium on termination of public benefits such as SNAP, Mass Health and disability benefits. 
·    Expand language access to expedite applications for public benefits and unemployment insurance. 
·    Identify safe and dignified quarantine sites for those who are experiencing domestic violence, homelessness, living in safe houses or other congregate living situations.
·    Increase language-accessible communication and resources from schools to parents and more equitable online resources for students.


Update on CPA's Service Work

CPA continues to be open for service via phone Monday-Thursday, 9am-5pm and Saturday 10am-12pm. Please note: our temporary service number is 617-433-8522.

In the past two weeks, we have noticed a tremendous increase in the number of unemployment insurance (UI) claims due to COVID-19. While there are more claims than ever, many people face language and other barriers when trying to apply for these benefits. CPA has been working closely with Greater Boston Legal Services to help Chinese-speakers apply for UI and troubleshoot issues that arise. We are also in contact with many workers who have been told that they must continue to work despite unsafe working conditions and a lack of personal protective equipment. We have also received many calls from renters worried about the possibility of eviction. We continue to translate and disseminate news & updates in Chinese through WeChat (ID: cpaboston).


Information & Resources

COVID-19 stimulus checks
·    Individuals who made less than $75,000 in 2018, or couples making less than $150,000 will receive a direct check of $1,200. An additional $500 will be given for each dependent child. 
·    Citizens, green card holders, and those who file their taxes with a social security number will be eligible. 
·    Those who receive Social Security benefits or who do not have to file taxes due to income are eligible. We are awaiting further guidance on if those in this situation will have to file taxes or if a simpler form will be available. 
·    Those who file taxes using an ITIN are not eligible. If you or someone you know in this situation is struggling to make ends meet, please call or email us at justice@cpaboston.org for information about the Asian Community Emergency Relief Fund.
·    Supplemental funds for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits will be available for this COVID period. These will increase benefits by up to $600 per week, and covers "gig workers" like rideshare drivers and other independent contractors who normally cannot collect UI. The application will be the same as for other UI benefits, but as the system has not been set up yet, we do not recommend that you apply yet. 
·    It will take most people about three weeks to receive checks.

Eviction moratorium & court closures
·    Except for emergency matters, all courts in MA are closed until at least 4/6. 
·    All eviction court dates are rescheduled until on or after 4/21. Housing Court will remain open for emergencies only. (more information)

Tax extension
·    The deadline to file and pay federal and state taxes has been extended to 7/15.

Employment/unemployment insurance
·    Workers who have their hours reduced or eliminated or who cannot work for reasons related to COVID-19 may be eligible for benefits.


Action alerts!


Protect Renters AND Homeowners!

For 2.5 weeks now, we've been waiting for the State House to finally pass HD.4935, a full moratorium on evictions and foreclosures. But yesterday, instead of passing that bill, the MA Senate put forward a new, much weaker moratorium called S.2621.

Here's why the Senate's bill is weak (and why we need to fight hard for the true moratorium):
1.  It permits no-fault evictions
2. It fails to explicitly ban eviction filings
3.  It fails to ban Notices to Quit, which will cause folks to move out
4. It fails to stop landlords from carrying out already executed evictions
5.  It could expire before the State of Emergency ends

Contact these legislators to demand that they protect BOTH renters AND homeowners from eviction and housing debt right now!

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU CALL:
"Hello, my name is ___________ and I'm a resident of Massachusetts. I'm asking you to support a full moratorium on evictions as well as relief for both renters and homeowners during the COVID-19 crisis. Pass the immediate ban on evictions in bill HD.4935. We need the strong moratorium on evictions in this bill. Thank you."

REPORT THAT YOU CALLED by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/vxftG4TQYjLJVxKq5


Email and call Senator Spilka at (617) 722-1500, Karen.spilka@masenate.gov

Email and call Representative DeLeo at 617-722-2500, robert.deleo@mahouse.gov

Email and call Governor Baker at (617) 725-4005 


Demands from the COVID-19 Equity Task Force!

CPA is a part of the COVID-19 Emergency Task Force, convened by the Massachusetts Public Health Association. We, along with 80+ other community organizations is calling on Governor Baker, Attorney General Healey, and the Legislature to:
·    Ensure Immigrants Have Safe Access to Testing & Treatment
·    Ensure Everyone Has Access to Safe Quarantine
·    Pass Emergency Paid Sick Time
·    Enact a Moratorium on Evictions, Foreclosures, & Termination of Public Benefits

Email and call Governor Baker at (617) 725-4005 

Email and call Attorney General Healey at ago@state.ma.us and (617) 727-2200



Chinese Youth Initiative Applications due 4/8


Applications for CYI are due April 8th! The Chinese Youth Initiative brings Chinese youth from Greater Boston together to learn about our communities and fight for social change. Join us today! Youth who have a strong investment in their community, who are bilingual in Chinese, and come from immigrant families are strongly encouraged to apply.

More details and the online application are available here. Please email mark@cpaboston.org with any questions. 


Support CPA by Donating or Getting Involved!
Click below to donate to the Asian Community Emergency Fund.

ALL INDIVIDUAL UNRESTRICTED DONATIONS OF $750 OR MORE WILL BE MATCHED BY A GENEROUS FOUNDATION!


Interested in hearing more? Make sure you're on our mailing list to continue receiving updates about our events and work!




Chinese Progressive Association
617.357.4499 | justice@cpaboston.org | cpaboston.org















Asian Community Emergency Relief Fund














$67,675.21
Raised
Donations
$75,000
Goal
THE NEED 
While countless communities are severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Asian American community in Greater Boston is being hit harder than most. Many are immigrants who work in food, hospitality, home care and child care sectors that have been closed. Consequently, these workers have lost their incomes. Because of language barriers and immigration status, not everyone can access public benefits like unemployment and the new stimulus dollars.  These families are in jeopardy of not having enough money to buy basic necessities and pay for housing. To top it off, our community is also facing rising anti-Asian sentiments.  

WHAT WE ARE DOING
Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC), in partnership with Chinese Progressive AssociationVietnamese American Initiative for DevelopmentAsian American Resource Workshop, and Greater Boston Legal Services’ Asian Outreach Unit is launching the Asian Community Emergency Relief Fund for our community. The fund will provide immediate and direct financial support to people in our community who have lost work and are having trouble meeting their basic needs, and may not be eligible for other public benefits.  

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can contribute now to the fund. Your donations will go directly to help families and workers who are impacted by the pandemic and help them pay for food, medical and other basic expenses during this crisis, and will be tax-deductible. The more money we raise, the more families we can help.

This fund has been seeded with a $10,000 initial contribution from the Asian Community Fund at The Boston Foundation through the efforts of Paul Lee and Helen Chin Schlichte.
We will stand together as a community to get through these trying times. I hope you will join us.  

Upcoming Events
Experience ChinatownSeptember 29, 11:00am-3:00pm
Pao Arts Center, Chinatown Gate, One Greenway Park
Discover a new take on Asian American cultures at this free, family-friendly event featuring music and dance performances, workshops, pop-up happenings, and more! Thank you to our supporters and partners: ArtPlace America, Asian Community Development Corporation, Bank of America, Barr Foundation, Capital One, City of Boston, Creating Connection Experimentation Fund supported by Arts Midwest Metropolitan Group and Barr Foundation, Fuller Foundation, the Kensington, Maloney Properties, Rose Kennedy Greenway, and Tufts Medical Center. For more information and sponsorship opportunities, click hereTo volunteer, click here.
Experience Chinatown
Experience Chinatown After DarkSeptember 29, 7:00-9:00pm
Pao Arts Center, 99 Albany St., Boston
The Pao Arts Center transforms into the place to be After Dark featuring multimedia, jazz, and folk performances by Asian American artists. Sit back and discover something new at this ticketed event. $30 a ticket includes 1 drink. Cash bar available. Ages 18 and up. Purchase tickets here.
Experience Chinatown After Dark
Bamboo Circle BBQ
September 15, 11:00am-3:00pm
BCNC Rooftop, 38 Ash St., Boston
Join the Bamboo Circle, BCNC's young professionals network, and Taiwanese American Professionals - Boston (TAP) for an end-of-summer rooftop BBQ featuring delicious food & drinks, a raffle, our famous dumpling-eating contest, and more! Tickets are $25 pre-sale and $30 at the door. All proceeds benefit BCNC's Youth Center. Purchase your tickets here.
Bamboo Circle BBQ
Chinese Brush Painting for Adults
August 25, 2:00-3:30pm

Pao Arts Center, 99 Albany St., Boston
Learn to paint sparrows with instructor Liu Xiaoyong in the last Chinese brush painting class of the summer season. Register here.
Reading Corner + CraftAugust 24, 10:30am-11:30amPao Arts Center, 99 Albany St., Boston
 
Read some of your favorite Grace Lin books and create a craft in this fun-filled family event! Materials will be provided. Register for this free event here.
Build a Better Life
The Campaign for BCNC (2015-2018)
August 2018
Dear ,
I hope you are having a great summer! BCNC keeps on running as we welcome hundreds of children to summer programs, while adult students take a break before the September semester. Meanwhile, the Build a Better Life capital campaign is making tremendous progress and is already impacting the lives of people we serve. We are happy to share some highlights with you below.
Three years ago, we launched the Build a Better Life campaign to raise $3.5 million to help fund key initiatives such as the Pao Arts Center, workforce development programs, and family services. We are truly grateful for the support we have received thus far. Your donation is needed now more than ever to help us reach our goal.
There will be a donor wall at the Pao Arts Center to recognize campaign donors of $1,000 and above. We want to fill the wall with hundreds of names, including yours!  Please join us by making a gift by October 31. 
On behalf of BCNC, I offer my sincere thanks for your ongoing commitment and support, and your generosity. Thank you for all that you do to keep BCNC a leader in the communities that we serve.
Best personal regards,
Eugene Mahr
Campaign Chair and Board President 
Pao Arts Center - Sing Home Project
How do songs connect us to our past, ourselves, and our sense of home? Artist-in-residence Shaw Pong Liu (violinist, erhu player, and composer) completed her year-long project Sing Home last month. This song-sharing project collects songs of the people of Boston's Chinatown - residents, workers, students, visitors, passersby - and creates new musical compositions to start conversations about immigration, neighborhoods, and cultural and civic identity. Liu collected 81 songs and stories which can be viewed here
Shaw Pong Liu
Empowering Families
BCNC has expanded our family-centered services for Boston and Quincy families. The 12-week Parenting Journey program offers immigrant parents a supportive environment and tools to develop parenting skills, such as using play to communicate with their children. The Parent Solutions program teaches parents how to navigate and actively engage with public school systems. In April, BCNC organized the first Asian American Mental Health Forum where educators, youth and parents watched the film Looking for Luke and discussed the stigma, challenges, and remedies for depression and anxiety.
Campaign Matching Fund
Earlier this year, a generous donor offered a $200,000 matching fund for new gifts towards the Campaign.  We are delighted that the challenge was met. Many donors responded, including Mr. S.K. Ho, who made a gift of $100,000 via a charitable gift annuity (CGA). "I support BCNC’s mission to help Chinese immigrants establish themselves in their new lives," says S.K. "It’s important to help immigrants integrate smoothly into American society."  To learn more about S.K. Ho's story and charitable gift annuities, click here.

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