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"slug": "air-regulators-weigh-plan-aimed-at-dramatically-cutting-bay-area-refinery-pollution",
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"content": "\u003cp>Bay Area air regulators are considering requiring the oil industry to significantly reduce the amount of pollution local refineries spew into the region’s air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The board that oversees the Bay Area Air Quality Management District plans to vote Wednesday on a proposal that could force two of California’s largest refineries — Chevron’s Richmond refinery and the PBF Energy refinery in Martinez — to install air pollution devices at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters of the proposed rule change, including environmentalists and health and air quality experts, say the change is needed to protect the health of residents who live near the refineries, many of whom are low-income people of color in areas with higher rates of respiratory disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Dr. Teresa Muñoz, obstetrician-gynecologist in Richmond\"]‘I am asking the air district to stand with me for our mothers and our babies and to remain true to their mission.’[/pullquote]Advocates argue the board should approve the change, if for no other reason than to honor the agency’s own \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/about-the-air-district/mission-statement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">stated mission\u003c/a> of protecting and improving public health and air quality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am asking the air district to stand with me for our mothers and our babies and to remain true to their mission,” said Dr. Teresa Muñoz, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Richmond, at a press conference last Wednesday held a few blocks from the Chevron refinery. “Please keep your word.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oil industry representatives, led by Chevron and PBF Energy, are urging the agency to reject the plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PBF says if the proposal is approved, it will be forced to shut down its Martinez plant, which it purchased from Shell early last year. Attorneys for Chevron say the data the air district staff used in creating the potential change is flawed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In short, this rulemaking has been procedurally defective, technically inaccurate, and the potential benefits of the proposed amendments are overstated,” Michael Carroll, a partner at Latham & Watkins, wrote on behalf of Chevron in an April 30 \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/dotgov/files/rules/reg-6-rule-5-particulate-emissions-from-refinery-fluidized-catalytic-cracking-units/2020-amendment/comments/20210430_chevron_0605-pdf.pdf?la=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">letter\u003c/a> to the air district.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Cracking Units\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>At issue are key refinery components called fluidized catalytic cracking units. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The cracking units use a chemical catalyst to help break down heavy crude oil into lighter components for products like gasoline. During the cracking process, the catalyst is coated with a carbon material called coke, which is then burned off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air district says that procedure, part of normal daily operations at many large refineries, emits more \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/particulate-matter-pm-basics#PM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">particulate matter\u003c/a> than any other part of the refining process and makes up a significant portion of each plant’s total emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Proposal: Bring on the Scrubbers\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The proposal before the 24-member air district board would amend \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/rules-and-compliance/rules/reg-6-rule-5-particulate-emissions-from-refinery-fluidized-catalytic-cracking-units?rule_version=2020%20Amendment#:~:text=Description%3A,precursors%20of%20secondary%20particulate%20matter.,\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Regulation 6 Rule 5\u003c/a>, limiting the amount of particulate matter, ammonia and sulfur dioxide the cracking units emit. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air district says the change could cut annual Chevron and PBF emissions of PM10 particulates by an estimated 400 tons — or 72% — from the recently reported level of 554 tons a year. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposal is not expected to affect Phillips 66 in Rodeo, which does not have a fluid catalytic cracking unit, or Marathon in Martinez, which is currently idled. Both refineries are being converted to produce renewable diesel fuel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If approved, the rule would go into effect in five years, requiring Chevron and PBF to buy and install a system called a wet gas scrubber, a unit that Valero’s Benicia refinery already has. The scrubbers capture and remove pollutants by sending exhaust gas through sprays of scrubbing liquid. The district says the scrubbers can significantly reduce the particulate matter released into the air.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Dirty Air\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Particulate matter is essentially what some experts call “dirty air,” which contains things like soot, dust and dirt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many Bay Area residents have become more familiar with the air quality concerns associated with particulate matter as a result of massive wildfires in recent years that have fouled the region’s air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Compelling evidence also indicates that fine particulate matter is the most significant air pollution health hazard in the Bay Area,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/dotgov/files/rules/reg-6-rule-5-particulate-emissions-from-refinery-fluidized-catalytic-cracking-units/2020-amendment/documents/20210330_sr_0605-pdf.pdf?la=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">air district staff wrote\u003c/a> in the agency’s report on the proposal. “Reducing particulate matter emissions can reduce mortality and increase average life span.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"related coverage\" tag=\"oil-refineries\"]Fine inhalable particulate matter with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers or smaller — known as PM2.5 — can exacerbate conditions for people who have preexisting heart and lung conditions, including children with asthma. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Research has linked exposure to particulate matter to cardiovascular disease, changes in cognitive function, low birth weight and preterm births, among other health problems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Who gets the heaviest exposures to PM2.5? Low-income communities of color,” said John Balmes, a professor of medicine at UCSF, who sits on the California Air Resources Board. “Where do they put refineries? Usually adjacent to low-income communities of color.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rule change before the board also includes a limit on the total amount of PM10 an oil refinery releases, although most of those emissions are understood to be within the PM2.5 size range, an air district representative said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The refineries that surround us in the Bay Area are the largest source of industrial air pollution [in the region], which is dangerous to health” said Dr. Amanda Millstein, a pediatrician in Richmond and co-founder of Climate Health Now, a group of California health professionals pushing to transition away from fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s time to protect health over the financial interests of the fossil fuel industry,” she said. “The air district board needs to fulfill its mission to provide a healthy breathing environment to every Bay Area resident and require the best available retrofit technology.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Industry Opposition\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>PBF says a wet gas scrubber would cost too much and that its Martinez refinery doesn’t have enough space for such a unit. The New Jersey-based company says the scrubber would require considerable amounts of fresh water, electricity and natural gas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, according to air district staff, refineries that use wet gas scrubbers use between 120,000 and 430,000 gallons of water a day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposal “will force us to shut down the Martinez refinery,” Paul Davis, PBF’s western region president, wrote in an April 29 letter to the district. He added that the refinery can work to reduce its particulate matter releases but not by as much as air district staff are recommending.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"John Balmes, UCSF professor of medicine and California Air Resources Board member\"]‘Who gets the heaviest exposures to PM2.5? Low-income communities of color. Where do they put refineries? Usually adjacent to low-income communities of color.’[/pullquote]Chevron says it has been steadily reducing its emissions. The San Ramon-based oil giant says its Richmond modernization project, which involved bringing in a new hydrogen plant along with other developments, has brought about a larger reduction in particulate emissions than the district’s proposed change would.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chevron said in a series of letters to the the agency that the district’s research on the proposal was riddled with errors and had not taken into account recent refinery improvements. It also said the district had underestimated the cost of installing and operating a wet gas scrubber and overestimated the projected emissions reductions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While the capital costs will indeed be exorbitant, the public health benefits will be negligible,” Carroll, of Latham & Watkins, \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/dotgov/files/rules/reg-6-rule-5-particulate-emissions-from-refinery-fluidized-catalytic-cracking-units/2020-amendment/comments/20210430_chevron_0605-pdf.pdf?la=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wrote\u003c/a> on behalf of Chevron.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]Refinery industry executives and some labor leaders say the rule change could also reduce high-quality blue-collar jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But local environmentalists argue the opposite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s good for public health and good for the economy,” said Dan Sakaguchi, a researcher for Communities for a Better Environment, a Richmond-based group that has long called for stronger refinery regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This policy would result in significant economic benefits, including creating thousands of community-supporting jobs, through the installation of new technology to reduce pollution,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air district \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/board-of-directors/2021/bod_agenda_060221_rv-pdf.pdf?la=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">meeting\u003c/a> will be held on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. The public can read the agency’s presentation \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/board-of-directors/2021/bod_presentations_060221_op-pdf.pdf?la=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a> and watch the hearing live \u003ca href=\"https://bayareametro.zoom.us/j/82294699509#success\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Supporters of the proposed change say the rule would cut particulate emissions from two East Bay refineries by more than 70%.",
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"title": "Air Regulators Weigh Plan Aimed at Dramatically Cutting Bay Area Refinery Pollution | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Bay Area air regulators are considering requiring the oil industry to significantly reduce the amount of pollution local refineries spew into the region’s air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The board that oversees the Bay Area Air Quality Management District plans to vote Wednesday on a proposal that could force two of California’s largest refineries — Chevron’s Richmond refinery and the PBF Energy refinery in Martinez — to install air pollution devices at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters of the proposed rule change, including environmentalists and health and air quality experts, say the change is needed to protect the health of residents who live near the refineries, many of whom are low-income people of color in areas with higher rates of respiratory disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘I am asking the air district to stand with me for our mothers and our babies and to remain true to their mission.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Advocates argue the board should approve the change, if for no other reason than to honor the agency’s own \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/about-the-air-district/mission-statement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">stated mission\u003c/a> of protecting and improving public health and air quality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am asking the air district to stand with me for our mothers and our babies and to remain true to their mission,” said Dr. Teresa Muñoz, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Richmond, at a press conference last Wednesday held a few blocks from the Chevron refinery. “Please keep your word.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oil industry representatives, led by Chevron and PBF Energy, are urging the agency to reject the plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PBF says if the proposal is approved, it will be forced to shut down its Martinez plant, which it purchased from Shell early last year. Attorneys for Chevron say the data the air district staff used in creating the potential change is flawed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In short, this rulemaking has been procedurally defective, technically inaccurate, and the potential benefits of the proposed amendments are overstated,” Michael Carroll, a partner at Latham & Watkins, wrote on behalf of Chevron in an April 30 \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/dotgov/files/rules/reg-6-rule-5-particulate-emissions-from-refinery-fluidized-catalytic-cracking-units/2020-amendment/comments/20210430_chevron_0605-pdf.pdf?la=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">letter\u003c/a> to the air district.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Cracking Units\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>At issue are key refinery components called fluidized catalytic cracking units. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The cracking units use a chemical catalyst to help break down heavy crude oil into lighter components for products like gasoline. During the cracking process, the catalyst is coated with a carbon material called coke, which is then burned off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air district says that procedure, part of normal daily operations at many large refineries, emits more \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/particulate-matter-pm-basics#PM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">particulate matter\u003c/a> than any other part of the refining process and makes up a significant portion of each plant’s total emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Proposal: Bring on the Scrubbers\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The proposal before the 24-member air district board would amend \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/rules-and-compliance/rules/reg-6-rule-5-particulate-emissions-from-refinery-fluidized-catalytic-cracking-units?rule_version=2020%20Amendment#:~:text=Description%3A,precursors%20of%20secondary%20particulate%20matter.,\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Regulation 6 Rule 5\u003c/a>, limiting the amount of particulate matter, ammonia and sulfur dioxide the cracking units emit. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air district says the change could cut annual Chevron and PBF emissions of PM10 particulates by an estimated 400 tons — or 72% — from the recently reported level of 554 tons a year. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposal is not expected to affect Phillips 66 in Rodeo, which does not have a fluid catalytic cracking unit, or Marathon in Martinez, which is currently idled. Both refineries are being converted to produce renewable diesel fuel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If approved, the rule would go into effect in five years, requiring Chevron and PBF to buy and install a system called a wet gas scrubber, a unit that Valero’s Benicia refinery already has. The scrubbers capture and remove pollutants by sending exhaust gas through sprays of scrubbing liquid. The district says the scrubbers can significantly reduce the particulate matter released into the air.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Dirty Air\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Particulate matter is essentially what some experts call “dirty air,” which contains things like soot, dust and dirt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many Bay Area residents have become more familiar with the air quality concerns associated with particulate matter as a result of massive wildfires in recent years that have fouled the region’s air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Compelling evidence also indicates that fine particulate matter is the most significant air pollution health hazard in the Bay Area,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/dotgov/files/rules/reg-6-rule-5-particulate-emissions-from-refinery-fluidized-catalytic-cracking-units/2020-amendment/documents/20210330_sr_0605-pdf.pdf?la=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">air district staff wrote\u003c/a> in the agency’s report on the proposal. “Reducing particulate matter emissions can reduce mortality and increase average life span.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Fine inhalable particulate matter with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers or smaller — known as PM2.5 — can exacerbate conditions for people who have preexisting heart and lung conditions, including children with asthma. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Research has linked exposure to particulate matter to cardiovascular disease, changes in cognitive function, low birth weight and preterm births, among other health problems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Who gets the heaviest exposures to PM2.5? Low-income communities of color,” said John Balmes, a professor of medicine at UCSF, who sits on the California Air Resources Board. “Where do they put refineries? Usually adjacent to low-income communities of color.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rule change before the board also includes a limit on the total amount of PM10 an oil refinery releases, although most of those emissions are understood to be within the PM2.5 size range, an air district representative said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The refineries that surround us in the Bay Area are the largest source of industrial air pollution [in the region], which is dangerous to health” said Dr. Amanda Millstein, a pediatrician in Richmond and co-founder of Climate Health Now, a group of California health professionals pushing to transition away from fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s time to protect health over the financial interests of the fossil fuel industry,” she said. “The air district board needs to fulfill its mission to provide a healthy breathing environment to every Bay Area resident and require the best available retrofit technology.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Industry Opposition\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>PBF says a wet gas scrubber would cost too much and that its Martinez refinery doesn’t have enough space for such a unit. The New Jersey-based company says the scrubber would require considerable amounts of fresh water, electricity and natural gas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, according to air district staff, refineries that use wet gas scrubbers use between 120,000 and 430,000 gallons of water a day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposal “will force us to shut down the Martinez refinery,” Paul Davis, PBF’s western region president, wrote in an April 29 letter to the district. He added that the refinery can work to reduce its particulate matter releases but not by as much as air district staff are recommending.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘Who gets the heaviest exposures to PM2.5? Low-income communities of color. Where do they put refineries? Usually adjacent to low-income communities of color.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Chevron says it has been steadily reducing its emissions. The San Ramon-based oil giant says its Richmond modernization project, which involved bringing in a new hydrogen plant along with other developments, has brought about a larger reduction in particulate emissions than the district’s proposed change would.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chevron said in a series of letters to the the agency that the district’s research on the proposal was riddled with errors and had not taken into account recent refinery improvements. It also said the district had underestimated the cost of installing and operating a wet gas scrubber and overestimated the projected emissions reductions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While the capital costs will indeed be exorbitant, the public health benefits will be negligible,” Carroll, of Latham & Watkins, \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/dotgov/files/rules/reg-6-rule-5-particulate-emissions-from-refinery-fluidized-catalytic-cracking-units/2020-amendment/comments/20210430_chevron_0605-pdf.pdf?la=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wrote\u003c/a> on behalf of Chevron.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Refinery industry executives and some labor leaders say the rule change could also reduce high-quality blue-collar jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But local environmentalists argue the opposite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s good for public health and good for the economy,” said Dan Sakaguchi, a researcher for Communities for a Better Environment, a Richmond-based group that has long called for stronger refinery regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This policy would result in significant economic benefits, including creating thousands of community-supporting jobs, through the installation of new technology to reduce pollution,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air district \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/board-of-directors/2021/bod_agenda_060221_rv-pdf.pdf?la=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">meeting\u003c/a> will be held on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. The public can read the agency’s presentation \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/board-of-directors/2021/bod_presentations_060221_op-pdf.pdf?la=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a> and watch the hearing live \u003ca href=\"https://bayareametro.zoom.us/j/82294699509#success\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"disqusTitle": "How San Francisco's Student Delegates Redefined What Youth Leadership Looks Like",
"title": "How San Francisco's Student Delegates Redefined What Youth Leadership Looks Like",
"headTitle": "KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>It has been a turbulent year for the San Francisco school board in ways that its two student delegates could never have foreseen. As both delegates graduate this week, they leave behind a legacy of activism their peers say sets the bar for what it means to be a student leader.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shavonne Hines-Foster, a Lowell High School senior, fought fiercely for Black students and called on administrators to do a better job confronting racism.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Shavonne Hines-Foster, Lowell senior and San Francisco school board delegate\"]'No one who looked like me had been on the seat in the past few years. People put faith in me to lead with strength and compassion.'[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her colleague, Kathya Correa Almanza, is graduating from June Jordan School for Equity. As a student delegate she advocated for transformational education for all students with poise and clarity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That representation has been particularly important during a year when most students have been away from their schools and more isolated. Both students also had to learn how to navigate their roles amid adult debates over the reopening of schools, offensive tweets and lawsuits, said Correa Almanza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I expected education to be this place where everyone agrees on what is right because it's for the students,\" Correa Almanza said. \"San Francisco is divided in so many ways, you know, we have different neighborhoods, we have different incomes. But to see how [that] played out was something that surprised me a lot.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Students Advocating for Their Communities\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Correa Almanza's experience prepared her for this role. She was a high school debater, and over time, began using the power of her words for more than winning debate rounds. Her peers saw her as a leader, and pushed her to run for their student delegate. But she was nervous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This is a role where people wouldn't expect to see a young Latina from a low-income household [and] single mother,\" Correa Almanza said. \"People would not expect someone that identifies like me to be in this role.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She reached out to San Francisco Board of Education President Gabriela López, the youngest woman ever elected to office in San Francisco, to talk about how she was feeling. After that conversation, and winning the election, Correa Almanza remained unfazed even when hundreds of people often tuned in over Zoom for board meetings. She says she understood what she had to do to be a strong leader.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Hines-Foster decided to run, she was thinking about her community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11859101\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11859101\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/02/005_SanFrancisco_LowellHSRally_02052021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Lowell Black Student Union co-president Shavonne Hines-Foster speaks during a rally held at Lowell High School on Feb. 5, 2021, to address recent racist incidents at the school.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/02/005_SanFrancisco_LowellHSRally_02052021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/02/005_SanFrancisco_LowellHSRally_02052021-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/02/005_SanFrancisco_LowellHSRally_02052021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/02/005_SanFrancisco_LowellHSRally_02052021-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/02/005_SanFrancisco_LowellHSRally_02052021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lowell Black Student Union co-President Shavonne Hines-Foster speaks during a rally held at Lowell High School on Feb. 5, 2021, to address recent racist incidents at the school. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\"No one who looked like me had been on the seat in the past few years,\" Hines-Foster said. \"People put faith in me to lead with strength and compassion.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She remembers how in elementary school her teacher didn’t have anything planned for Black History Month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"So she actually told my mom, 'You can do it yourself.' So my mom had to give her own Black history lesson to my first grade class,\" Hines-Foster said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Finding Ways to Be Heard, in Spite of the Critics\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>On the school board, Hines-Foster called out racism and inaction. She advocated for a Black studies curriculum, and for victims of sexual assault. But she said speaking out also led to threats online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"People don't want me to take up space. But I think honestly, I kind of brush it off because these people aren't saying these things with their chests,\" Hines-Foster said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if people didn't want to listen, Hines-Foster found ways to be heard. She kept her peers updated through posts and livestreams on Instagram.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In February, Correa Almanza and Hines-Foster co-authored a resolution with other board members to end Lowell’s selective admissions policy based on grades and test scores. This year’s enrollment figures show that the policy change has made a difference. A greater percentage of Black and Hispanic students have been accepted into Lowell for the upcoming school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I was like, really, man, I hope these numbers come out good, because if [they don't], I'm probably going to get roasted by my whole school,\" Hines-Foster said. \"Like, 'You took away admissions and it didn't even work!' So I was like, 'Please, please, let something change.' So when the numbers came out, I was really happy.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hines-Foster is also proud of her advocacy around bringing a Black studies curriculum to the district. She and Correa Almanza co-sponsored a Black studies resolution that gives every student in the district the chance to participate in Black studies by the school year 2022-2023. They also both began drafting a Title IX resolution to improve the reporting process for students who experience harassment or assault.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Passing Off the Baton to the Next Student Leader\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Now that Correa Almanza and Hines-Foster are graduating, they're handing the baton to next year’s student delegates, Joanna Lam and Agnes Liang. Lam will be a senior at Lowell, and Agnes Liang will be a senior at Mission High School.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lam is Cambodian American, the child of refugees and says she has been advocating for other students since kindergarten when she was on the student council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I have young cousins who are in elementary school right now, and I want to make this district a place where they can grow up, and make their future overall better,\" Lam said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She does think the student delegates can make a difference, even if their votes are only advisory.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The influence of student voice is questionable. But if you have people behind you with that voice, it's something much more powerful,\" Lam said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lam says she plans to continue using social media in creative ways to keep students engaged. On the final day of the student delegate election, Lam went on Instagram to dye her hair pink if more students voted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says next year, she’s focused on the reopening of schools in person, and making sure the district adequately supports students' mental health needs. She hopes that some day, student delegates' votes can be counted on the school board, too.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "It has been a turbulent year for the San Francisco school board in ways that its two student delegates could never have foreseen. As both delegates graduate this week, they leave behind a legacy of activism their peers say sets the bar for what it means to be a student leader.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It has been a turbulent year for the San Francisco school board in ways that its two student delegates could never have foreseen. As both delegates graduate this week, they leave behind a legacy of activism their peers say sets the bar for what it means to be a student leader.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shavonne Hines-Foster, a Lowell High School senior, fought fiercely for Black students and called on administrators to do a better job confronting racism.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her colleague, Kathya Correa Almanza, is graduating from June Jordan School for Equity. As a student delegate she advocated for transformational education for all students with poise and clarity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That representation has been particularly important during a year when most students have been away from their schools and more isolated. Both students also had to learn how to navigate their roles amid adult debates over the reopening of schools, offensive tweets and lawsuits, said Correa Almanza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I expected education to be this place where everyone agrees on what is right because it's for the students,\" Correa Almanza said. \"San Francisco is divided in so many ways, you know, we have different neighborhoods, we have different incomes. But to see how [that] played out was something that surprised me a lot.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Students Advocating for Their Communities\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Correa Almanza's experience prepared her for this role. She was a high school debater, and over time, began using the power of her words for more than winning debate rounds. Her peers saw her as a leader, and pushed her to run for their student delegate. But she was nervous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This is a role where people wouldn't expect to see a young Latina from a low-income household [and] single mother,\" Correa Almanza said. \"People would not expect someone that identifies like me to be in this role.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She reached out to San Francisco Board of Education President Gabriela López, the youngest woman ever elected to office in San Francisco, to talk about how she was feeling. After that conversation, and winning the election, Correa Almanza remained unfazed even when hundreds of people often tuned in over Zoom for board meetings. She says she understood what she had to do to be a strong leader.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Hines-Foster decided to run, she was thinking about her community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11859101\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11859101\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/02/005_SanFrancisco_LowellHSRally_02052021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Lowell Black Student Union co-president Shavonne Hines-Foster speaks during a rally held at Lowell High School on Feb. 5, 2021, to address recent racist incidents at the school.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/02/005_SanFrancisco_LowellHSRally_02052021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/02/005_SanFrancisco_LowellHSRally_02052021-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/02/005_SanFrancisco_LowellHSRally_02052021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/02/005_SanFrancisco_LowellHSRally_02052021-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/02/005_SanFrancisco_LowellHSRally_02052021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lowell Black Student Union co-President Shavonne Hines-Foster speaks during a rally held at Lowell High School on Feb. 5, 2021, to address recent racist incidents at the school. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\"No one who looked like me had been on the seat in the past few years,\" Hines-Foster said. \"People put faith in me to lead with strength and compassion.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She remembers how in elementary school her teacher didn’t have anything planned for Black History Month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"So she actually told my mom, 'You can do it yourself.' So my mom had to give her own Black history lesson to my first grade class,\" Hines-Foster said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Finding Ways to Be Heard, in Spite of the Critics\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>On the school board, Hines-Foster called out racism and inaction. She advocated for a Black studies curriculum, and for victims of sexual assault. But she said speaking out also led to threats online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"People don't want me to take up space. But I think honestly, I kind of brush it off because these people aren't saying these things with their chests,\" Hines-Foster said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if people didn't want to listen, Hines-Foster found ways to be heard. She kept her peers updated through posts and livestreams on Instagram.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In February, Correa Almanza and Hines-Foster co-authored a resolution with other board members to end Lowell’s selective admissions policy based on grades and test scores. This year’s enrollment figures show that the policy change has made a difference. A greater percentage of Black and Hispanic students have been accepted into Lowell for the upcoming school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I was like, really, man, I hope these numbers come out good, because if [they don't], I'm probably going to get roasted by my whole school,\" Hines-Foster said. \"Like, 'You took away admissions and it didn't even work!' So I was like, 'Please, please, let something change.' So when the numbers came out, I was really happy.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hines-Foster is also proud of her advocacy around bringing a Black studies curriculum to the district. She and Correa Almanza co-sponsored a Black studies resolution that gives every student in the district the chance to participate in Black studies by the school year 2022-2023. They also both began drafting a Title IX resolution to improve the reporting process for students who experience harassment or assault.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Passing Off the Baton to the Next Student Leader\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Now that Correa Almanza and Hines-Foster are graduating, they're handing the baton to next year’s student delegates, Joanna Lam and Agnes Liang. Lam will be a senior at Lowell, and Agnes Liang will be a senior at Mission High School.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lam is Cambodian American, the child of refugees and says she has been advocating for other students since kindergarten when she was on the student council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I have young cousins who are in elementary school right now, and I want to make this district a place where they can grow up, and make their future overall better,\" Lam said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She does think the student delegates can make a difference, even if their votes are only advisory.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The influence of student voice is questionable. But if you have people behind you with that voice, it's something much more powerful,\" Lam said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lam says she plans to continue using social media in creative ways to keep students engaged. On the final day of the student delegate election, Lam went on Instagram to dye her hair pink if more students voted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says next year, she’s focused on the reopening of schools in person, and making sure the district adequately supports students' mental health needs. She hopes that some day, student delegates' votes can be counted on the school board, too.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "how-some-elders-are-working-to-preserve-the-legacy-of-the-black-panther-party-in-oakland",
"title": "How Some Elders are Working to Preserve the Legacy of the Black Panther Party in Oakland",
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"content": "\u003cp>Buffalo Sojourn, who just goes by Buffalo, has been a community advocate for decades. He’s also a former member of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense and has served as a medical advocate for the past 15 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lately, he’s focused in particular on pushing for co-housing models for seniors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Buffalo Sojourn\"]‘My higher education came through the Ministry of Information as led by the multimedia master and free speech developer [Leroy] Eldridge Cleaver. Mumia [Abu-Jamal] is my junior brother.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area, where Buffalo has lived for over 40 years, can be a challenging place for seniors to find affordable housing. “Generally speaking, this is no place for old folks and it’s a hard place for old Panthers,” he said. Buffalo, 73, has been unhoused on and off for the past 20 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About three years ago, housing lawyer Beilal Chatila moved to West Oakland from Detroit. Chatila said he first met Buffalo while he was hanging out on the porch — they would sit and talk for hours. Eventually, Buffalo told Chatila about the many Black Panther Party-related documents he had in storage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I found out that he was without shelter, it came as a shock because I knew at the time that he was helping people who had cancer,” Chatila said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chatila recently started a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/black-panther-party-member-needs-our-help\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GoFundMe\u003c/a> on Buffalo’s behalf, detailing his financial situation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Buffalo receives about $700 a month in government aid, but he spends $480 of that per month on a storage unit, where he has preserved thousands of important documents and other memorabilia related to the Black Panther Party,” Chatila wrote on the page.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873911\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873911\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48929_007_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48929_007_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48929_007_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48929_007_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48929_007_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48929_007_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Buffalo and attorney Beilal Chatila on Center and Ninth streets in Oakland on May 6, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In Buffalo’s view, one of the most important things he can do is continue to preserve the legacy of the Black Panther Party for the generations to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Buffalo’s story brings up a larger issue of ownership, power and historical narrative when it comes to preserving and sharing the legacy of the Black Panther Party in Oakland, and the broader Bay Area. He’s one of many people eager to ensure the history of the Black Panther Party is accessible and available to the public.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Buffalo and the Black Panther Party\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Buffalo’s relationship with the Black Panther Party spanned the course of several years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My higher education came through the Ministry of Information as led by the multimedia master and free speech developer [Leroy] Eldridge Cleaver,” Buffalo said. “Mumia [Abu-Jamal] is my junior brother.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Buffalo also helped start a Black Panther Party chapter in Portland, Oregon, but eventually returned to San Francisco, where he last served the party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m an alumnus of Grove Street College,” he said. In the late ’60s and ’70s, the \u003ca href=\"https://sfbayview.com/2017/09/grove-street-college/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Grove Street College\u003c/a> student body included Black Panther Party co-founders Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. Grove Street eventually turned into Merritt College, and a version of this evolved into what is now North Peralta Community College.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When considering his own documentation of his years in the party, Buffalo spoke to the idea of value — who is valuing what, and the broader need to train the next generation of archivists. “I’m part of a group that we’re training people, persuading people to gain knowledge in library and information science so that we have a group of archivists,” Buffalo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Who is telling the story, and how heavily police documents and FBI files are consulted, also forms the lens through which the story of the Black Panther Party is told. “There’s a number of additions and corrections to history as we know it,” Buffalo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chatila added, “It’s basically the concept of controlling the narrative at least as it relates to the value of these artifacts,” with the idea to pass along the lessons to people today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Buffalo has many different documents in his storage unit, he highlighted a few specific pieces: “We have two or three collage posters about Mumia made in three cities, in three decades, on two coasts,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873903\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873903\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48945_025_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48945_025_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48945_025_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48945_025_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48945_025_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48945_025_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Buffalo holds a Mumia Abu-Jamal poster on Center and Ninth streets in Oakland on May 7, 2021, in front of a mural honoring the women of the Black Panther Party by Oakland-based muralist Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I have a number of things that, either Mumia gets out alive, and I give to him, or else he dies and I give to his kinfolks,” Buffalo said. He also noted that since Abu-Jamal’s birthday, earlier this year, there’s been renewed efforts to call for his freedom. \u003ca href=\"https://www.democracynow.org/topics/mumia_abu_jamal\">Abu-Jamal\u003c/a> is a journalist and \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/57926.Mumia_Abu_Jamal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">author\u003c/a> currently serving a prison sentence for the alleged murder of a police officer in 1982 after a trial that failed to meet international standards, \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20081201103126/http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/001/2000\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">according to rights group Amnesty International\u003c/a>. Many national and international celebrities \u003ca href=\"https://whyy.org/articles/supporters-of-mumia-abu-jamal-rally-on-his-67th-birthday-for-his-release/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">believe he was framed\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cases like Abu-Jamal’s continue to highlight the importance of having a reliable place to find information about the Black Panther Party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Buffalo added that they’d “love to release it all and put it on the digital archive.” Then the public would be able to see any discrepancy — specifically with what may have been reported by \u003ca href=\"https://www.britannica.com/topic/COINTELPRO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">COINTELPRO\u003c/a>, the FBI counterintelligence program that aimed to discredit individuals considered subversive to the U.S. government. COINTELPRO used tactics such as psychological warfare, harassment and had extensive files on many Black Panther Party members.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Making the Black Panther Party’s History More Accessible in the Bay Area \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In the late ’90s, shortly after Dr. Huey P. Newton’s papers were acquired by Stanford University for an \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/pr/96/960306panthers.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">undisclosed amount\u003c/a>, Billy X Jennings started “\u003ca href=\"http://www.itsabouttimebpp.com/BPP_Newspapers/htm/Its_About_Time_The_Archives_of_Billy_X_Jennings.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">It’s About Time,\u003c/a>” an online archive with a physical space in Sacramento. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I made a promise at the time that we were going to start our own archives, and we did,” he told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Jennings, access is the main issue. He wants people to be able to find the information wherever they are, especially those in Oakland. His own interest in archiving and preserving is in part because the history has been “distorted,” he said, referring to \u003ca href=\"https://www.britannica.com/topic/COINTELPRO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">COINTELPRO\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m still participating in the struggle because in the Black Panther Party it was ‘each one, teach one.’ I have knowledge and experience to pass on,” Jennings said. “It’s very important to have the correct information to educate people about the legacy of the party … even though the party is not here today, the party has lessons to be taught.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fredrika Newton, widow of Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton, said the \u003ca href=\"https://hueypnewtonfoundation.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation\u003c/a> is working to digitize more archives and create public art to share the party’s history. She also said librarians have told her the Black Panther Party archives at Stanford libraries are some of the most visited. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Fredrika Newton, widow of Huey P. Newton, a co-founder of the Black Panther Party\"]‘Every member of the Black Panther Party has a false narrative courtesy of COINTELPRO … Lives were destroyed, relationships were destroyed, when people talk about: Did they just end? The party was destroyed.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Members of the party, as well as their supporters, often have a “false narrative courtesy of COINTELPRO,” Fredrika Newton said. “Lives were destroyed, relationships were destroyed, when people talk about: Did they just end? The party was destroyed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Displaying some of this history as public art is a major project of the foundation, to help reclaim the narrative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s exactly what we did in the Black Panther Party: using art as education,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Rebalancing History Through Public Art\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>For some supporters, that also means rebalancing the narrative, including the important role that women played in the party. Jilchristina Vest is the visionary and owner of the house with a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11858928/west-oakland-mural-honors-women-of-black-panther-party\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">mural honoring those women\u003c/a>. She said balancing the narrative doesn’t take anything away, but provides a more holistic story.[aside postID=news_11858928]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What we need to understand, and the reason why I created the mural, was I was in such a deep place of grief and rage last summer,” Vest said, “and I needed to find balance and I needed to find joy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873904\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873904\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48943_023_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48943_023_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48943_023_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48943_023_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48943_023_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48943_023_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Beilal Chatila, Buffalo and Jilchristina Vest look at Buffalo’s Black Panther Party memorabilia on Center and Ninth streets in Oakland on May 7, 2021, in front of a mural honoring the women of the Black Panther Party by Oakland-based muralist Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She recently launched a \u003ca href=\"https://westoaklandmuralproject.org/pages/mini-museum-the-mural\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">new website\u003c/a>, and tickets are now available for a new pop-up exhibit open for the first time Juneteenth weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve gone too long with this negative false narrative of who the Black Panther Party was,” Vest said. “The Black Panther Party was systematically destroyed in ways in which that is still happening to people today.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873909\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873909\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48938_016_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48938_016_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48938_016_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48938_016_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48938_016_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48938_016_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Black Panther photos and posters at at the home of Jilchristina Vest on Center and Ninth streets in Oakland on May 7, 2021. Vest is making the ground floor of her home into a Black Panther Museum. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She echoes both Jennings and Buffalo in her view that much could be learned from the party’s legacy today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was nothing that we were doing then, that cannot be done times 10 today,” Vest said. “They were a group of humanitarians that were trying to save people, feed people, clothe people, house people, educate people, protect people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after unveiling the mural in February, Vest called her friend \u003ca href=\"http://www.thealliance.media/profile/lisbet-tellefsen/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lisbet Tellefsen\u003c/a>, who she describes as “the cream of the crop archivist for the Black Panther Party.” Tellefsen brought over some banners that had been sitting in storage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11874964\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11874964\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48934_012_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48934_012_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48934_012_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48934_012_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48934_012_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48934_012_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Buffalo tours the future site of a Black Panther Museum to be opened by Jilchristina Vest at her home on Center and Ninth streets in Oakland on May 7, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Vest would like to see a permanent museum in Oakland, a permanent staff and dedicated researchers preserving the legacy of the party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we continue to allow somebody else to tell us where we come from, then we’ll never know where we’re going,” she said. [aside tag=\"black-panther-party, oakland\" label=\"More Related Stories\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, Vest said she’ll see how the pop-up museum goes and potentially keep it up longer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s our opportunity right now to unpack our own history and look at these archives and these photographs and the essays and speeches and remind ourselves that we’re descendants of,” she said, “in my opinion, one of the greatest groups of humanitarians that ever existed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since Chatila launched the GoFundMe on behalf of Buffalo, they’ve raised nearly $25,000 of their goal of $100,000. As Chatila wrote in a recent update, “For now, he [Buffalo] is staying at Airbnb’s and is looking to buy a wheelchair accessible van for his medical advocacy work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chatila said he’s going to make sure Buffalo has everything he needs and they’d like to be able to put money toward a house that can be used as an example of the collective senior housing Buffalo envisioned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Without us as a society providing health care and housing, and taking care of the basic needs of the elders, we’re losing a part of history,” Chatila said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And since starting the GoFundMe, a company called \u003ca href=\"https://www.ripcord.com/about/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ripcord\u003c/a> has offered assistance in digitizing the Black Panther Party documents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As KQED took photos in early May, Buffalo and Vest, who used to be neighbors, chatted about their time in the party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She joked that perhaps he should sit in one of the rooms of the pop up — as a part of the museum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873905\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873905\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48925_003_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48925_003_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48925_003_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48925_003_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48925_003_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48925_003_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Buffalo, 73, stands on Center and Ninth streets in Oakland on May 7, 2021, in front of a mural honoring the women of the Black Panther Party by Oakland-based muralist Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n",
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"title": "How Some Elders are Working to Preserve the Legacy of the Black Panther Party in Oakland | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Buffalo Sojourn, who just goes by Buffalo, has been a community advocate for decades. He’s also a former member of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense and has served as a medical advocate for the past 15 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lately, he’s focused in particular on pushing for co-housing models for seniors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area, where Buffalo has lived for over 40 years, can be a challenging place for seniors to find affordable housing. “Generally speaking, this is no place for old folks and it’s a hard place for old Panthers,” he said. Buffalo, 73, has been unhoused on and off for the past 20 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About three years ago, housing lawyer Beilal Chatila moved to West Oakland from Detroit. Chatila said he first met Buffalo while he was hanging out on the porch — they would sit and talk for hours. Eventually, Buffalo told Chatila about the many Black Panther Party-related documents he had in storage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I found out that he was without shelter, it came as a shock because I knew at the time that he was helping people who had cancer,” Chatila said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chatila recently started a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/black-panther-party-member-needs-our-help\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GoFundMe\u003c/a> on Buffalo’s behalf, detailing his financial situation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Buffalo receives about $700 a month in government aid, but he spends $480 of that per month on a storage unit, where he has preserved thousands of important documents and other memorabilia related to the Black Panther Party,” Chatila wrote on the page.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873911\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873911\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48929_007_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48929_007_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48929_007_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48929_007_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48929_007_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48929_007_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Buffalo and attorney Beilal Chatila on Center and Ninth streets in Oakland on May 6, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In Buffalo’s view, one of the most important things he can do is continue to preserve the legacy of the Black Panther Party for the generations to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Buffalo’s story brings up a larger issue of ownership, power and historical narrative when it comes to preserving and sharing the legacy of the Black Panther Party in Oakland, and the broader Bay Area. He’s one of many people eager to ensure the history of the Black Panther Party is accessible and available to the public.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Buffalo and the Black Panther Party\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Buffalo’s relationship with the Black Panther Party spanned the course of several years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My higher education came through the Ministry of Information as led by the multimedia master and free speech developer [Leroy] Eldridge Cleaver,” Buffalo said. “Mumia [Abu-Jamal] is my junior brother.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Buffalo also helped start a Black Panther Party chapter in Portland, Oregon, but eventually returned to San Francisco, where he last served the party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m an alumnus of Grove Street College,” he said. In the late ’60s and ’70s, the \u003ca href=\"https://sfbayview.com/2017/09/grove-street-college/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Grove Street College\u003c/a> student body included Black Panther Party co-founders Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. Grove Street eventually turned into Merritt College, and a version of this evolved into what is now North Peralta Community College.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When considering his own documentation of his years in the party, Buffalo spoke to the idea of value — who is valuing what, and the broader need to train the next generation of archivists. “I’m part of a group that we’re training people, persuading people to gain knowledge in library and information science so that we have a group of archivists,” Buffalo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Who is telling the story, and how heavily police documents and FBI files are consulted, also forms the lens through which the story of the Black Panther Party is told. “There’s a number of additions and corrections to history as we know it,” Buffalo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chatila added, “It’s basically the concept of controlling the narrative at least as it relates to the value of these artifacts,” with the idea to pass along the lessons to people today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Buffalo has many different documents in his storage unit, he highlighted a few specific pieces: “We have two or three collage posters about Mumia made in three cities, in three decades, on two coasts,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873903\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873903\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48945_025_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48945_025_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48945_025_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48945_025_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48945_025_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48945_025_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Buffalo holds a Mumia Abu-Jamal poster on Center and Ninth streets in Oakland on May 7, 2021, in front of a mural honoring the women of the Black Panther Party by Oakland-based muralist Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I have a number of things that, either Mumia gets out alive, and I give to him, or else he dies and I give to his kinfolks,” Buffalo said. He also noted that since Abu-Jamal’s birthday, earlier this year, there’s been renewed efforts to call for his freedom. \u003ca href=\"https://www.democracynow.org/topics/mumia_abu_jamal\">Abu-Jamal\u003c/a> is a journalist and \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/57926.Mumia_Abu_Jamal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">author\u003c/a> currently serving a prison sentence for the alleged murder of a police officer in 1982 after a trial that failed to meet international standards, \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20081201103126/http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/001/2000\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">according to rights group Amnesty International\u003c/a>. Many national and international celebrities \u003ca href=\"https://whyy.org/articles/supporters-of-mumia-abu-jamal-rally-on-his-67th-birthday-for-his-release/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">believe he was framed\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cases like Abu-Jamal’s continue to highlight the importance of having a reliable place to find information about the Black Panther Party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Buffalo added that they’d “love to release it all and put it on the digital archive.” Then the public would be able to see any discrepancy — specifically with what may have been reported by \u003ca href=\"https://www.britannica.com/topic/COINTELPRO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">COINTELPRO\u003c/a>, the FBI counterintelligence program that aimed to discredit individuals considered subversive to the U.S. government. COINTELPRO used tactics such as psychological warfare, harassment and had extensive files on many Black Panther Party members.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Making the Black Panther Party’s History More Accessible in the Bay Area \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In the late ’90s, shortly after Dr. Huey P. Newton’s papers were acquired by Stanford University for an \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/pr/96/960306panthers.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">undisclosed amount\u003c/a>, Billy X Jennings started “\u003ca href=\"http://www.itsabouttimebpp.com/BPP_Newspapers/htm/Its_About_Time_The_Archives_of_Billy_X_Jennings.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">It’s About Time,\u003c/a>” an online archive with a physical space in Sacramento. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I made a promise at the time that we were going to start our own archives, and we did,” he told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Jennings, access is the main issue. He wants people to be able to find the information wherever they are, especially those in Oakland. His own interest in archiving and preserving is in part because the history has been “distorted,” he said, referring to \u003ca href=\"https://www.britannica.com/topic/COINTELPRO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">COINTELPRO\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m still participating in the struggle because in the Black Panther Party it was ‘each one, teach one.’ I have knowledge and experience to pass on,” Jennings said. “It’s very important to have the correct information to educate people about the legacy of the party … even though the party is not here today, the party has lessons to be taught.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fredrika Newton, widow of Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton, said the \u003ca href=\"https://hueypnewtonfoundation.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation\u003c/a> is working to digitize more archives and create public art to share the party’s history. She also said librarians have told her the Black Panther Party archives at Stanford libraries are some of the most visited. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘Every member of the Black Panther Party has a false narrative courtesy of COINTELPRO … Lives were destroyed, relationships were destroyed, when people talk about: Did they just end? The party was destroyed.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Members of the party, as well as their supporters, often have a “false narrative courtesy of COINTELPRO,” Fredrika Newton said. “Lives were destroyed, relationships were destroyed, when people talk about: Did they just end? The party was destroyed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Displaying some of this history as public art is a major project of the foundation, to help reclaim the narrative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s exactly what we did in the Black Panther Party: using art as education,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Rebalancing History Through Public Art\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>For some supporters, that also means rebalancing the narrative, including the important role that women played in the party. Jilchristina Vest is the visionary and owner of the house with a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11858928/west-oakland-mural-honors-women-of-black-panther-party\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">mural honoring those women\u003c/a>. She said balancing the narrative doesn’t take anything away, but provides a more holistic story.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What we need to understand, and the reason why I created the mural, was I was in such a deep place of grief and rage last summer,” Vest said, “and I needed to find balance and I needed to find joy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873904\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873904\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48943_023_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48943_023_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48943_023_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48943_023_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48943_023_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48943_023_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Beilal Chatila, Buffalo and Jilchristina Vest look at Buffalo’s Black Panther Party memorabilia on Center and Ninth streets in Oakland on May 7, 2021, in front of a mural honoring the women of the Black Panther Party by Oakland-based muralist Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She recently launched a \u003ca href=\"https://westoaklandmuralproject.org/pages/mini-museum-the-mural\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">new website\u003c/a>, and tickets are now available for a new pop-up exhibit open for the first time Juneteenth weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve gone too long with this negative false narrative of who the Black Panther Party was,” Vest said. “The Black Panther Party was systematically destroyed in ways in which that is still happening to people today.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873909\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873909\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48938_016_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48938_016_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48938_016_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48938_016_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48938_016_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48938_016_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Black Panther photos and posters at at the home of Jilchristina Vest on Center and Ninth streets in Oakland on May 7, 2021. Vest is making the ground floor of her home into a Black Panther Museum. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She echoes both Jennings and Buffalo in her view that much could be learned from the party’s legacy today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was nothing that we were doing then, that cannot be done times 10 today,” Vest said. “They were a group of humanitarians that were trying to save people, feed people, clothe people, house people, educate people, protect people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after unveiling the mural in February, Vest called her friend \u003ca href=\"http://www.thealliance.media/profile/lisbet-tellefsen/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lisbet Tellefsen\u003c/a>, who she describes as “the cream of the crop archivist for the Black Panther Party.” Tellefsen brought over some banners that had been sitting in storage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11874964\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11874964\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48934_012_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48934_012_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48934_012_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48934_012_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48934_012_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48934_012_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Buffalo tours the future site of a Black Panther Museum to be opened by Jilchristina Vest at her home on Center and Ninth streets in Oakland on May 7, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Vest would like to see a permanent museum in Oakland, a permanent staff and dedicated researchers preserving the legacy of the party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we continue to allow somebody else to tell us where we come from, then we’ll never know where we’re going,” she said. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, Vest said she’ll see how the pop-up museum goes and potentially keep it up longer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s our opportunity right now to unpack our own history and look at these archives and these photographs and the essays and speeches and remind ourselves that we’re descendants of,” she said, “in my opinion, one of the greatest groups of humanitarians that ever existed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since Chatila launched the GoFundMe on behalf of Buffalo, they’ve raised nearly $25,000 of their goal of $100,000. As Chatila wrote in a recent update, “For now, he [Buffalo] is staying at Airbnb’s and is looking to buy a wheelchair accessible van for his medical advocacy work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chatila said he’s going to make sure Buffalo has everything he needs and they’d like to be able to put money toward a house that can be used as an example of the collective senior housing Buffalo envisioned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Without us as a society providing health care and housing, and taking care of the basic needs of the elders, we’re losing a part of history,” Chatila said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And since starting the GoFundMe, a company called \u003ca href=\"https://www.ripcord.com/about/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ripcord\u003c/a> has offered assistance in digitizing the Black Panther Party documents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As KQED took photos in early May, Buffalo and Vest, who used to be neighbors, chatted about their time in the party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She joked that perhaps he should sit in one of the rooms of the pop up — as a part of the museum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873905\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873905\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48925_003_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48925_003_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48925_003_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48925_003_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48925_003_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48925_003_Oakland_Buffalo_05062021-qut.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Buffalo, 73, stands on Center and Ninth streets in Oakland on May 7, 2021, in front of a mural honoring the women of the Black Panther Party by Oakland-based muralist Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "San Jose VTA Shooting: How to Help Victims, Families and Those Personally Affected",
"title": "San Jose VTA Shooting: How to Help Victims, Families and Those Personally Affected",
"headTitle": "KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Go to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#access\">How to find support for yourself\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#help\">Ways to help victims and others who've been affected\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>A day after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11875404/official-multiple-people-killed-in-shooting-at-san-jose-vta-railyard\">a mass shooting left 10 people dead in San Jose\u003c/a>, officials said the focus now needs to be on how to support those personally touched by the tragedy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On NPR's Morning Edition, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/05/27/1000893749/san-jose-shooting-victims-names-released-gunman-set-fire-to-his-own-home\">the community is feeling \"numb.\"\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We've got families who have lost loved ones, and co-workers who have lost friends,\" said Liccardo. \"And I think our task now is to do everything we can to support them, and to help them begin the path of healing.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you're personally seeking support after this event, or looking for ways to support people who've been directly impacted, read on for links to use and share. We'll continue to update these resources as we find them.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca id=\"access\">\u003c/a>How to Find Support for Yourself or Others\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Family Assistance Center\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Victim Services Unit for the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office has set up a Family Assistance Center (FAC), which is ready to assist victims, family members, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority employees and anyone else who has been impacted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The FAC is open Thursday at the American Red Cross Silicon Valley Chapter at 2731 N. 1st St. in San Jose from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (408) 209-8356.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Jose district attorney has confirmed that there are Spanish speakers onsite, and a language line is available.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Services available include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Counseling and other support services\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Resources around accessing the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/victim-services/restitution-vcgcb/\">California Victim Compensation Program\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/SantaClaraDA/status/1397945344709693444?s=20\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kasey Halcon, director of Victim Services, said there are crisis counselors, licensed clinicians, peer counselors and victim advocates at the FAC site. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The idea being that we want to co-locate collaborative resources in one center for victims and their families,\" said Halcon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Representatives from the California Victim Compensation Program are also on-hand to provide support. Halcon said family members can typically tap into the program for assistance with funeral and burial costs. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The services are free and those seeking help will not be asked for their immigration status.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Other Support Services Available\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community members looking for emotional support can contact the Suicide and Crisis Hotline at 1-855-278-4204 or Santa Clara County \u003ca href=\"https://bhsd.sccgov.org/get-help/services-myself\">Behavioral Health Services\u003c/a> at 1-800-704-0900.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Support is also available by texting RENEW to 741741. (Text services available in English only).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The FAC is available to those who were directly impacted by the incident — including those who witnessed the shooting or who fled. But Halcon said it is also available to the community at large. This may include members of the community who have been impacted by other acts of violence, including those who are still recovering from the 2019 mass shooting in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11763883/active-shooting-reported-at-gilroy-garlic-festival\">Gilroy\u003c/a>. Halcon said counselors were deployed to south Santa Clara County to help the first responders who worked during the Gilroy incident and were triggered by the VTA shooting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"You can have a shooting, you can have it in the community.. [and] you can have thousands of people that are deeply impacted by the crime that occurred,\" said Halcon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Halcon said the VTA shooting comes at an extremely challenging time — more than a year into the coronavirus pandemic. And mental health is an issue that communities are continuing to grapple with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Something like a mass victimization incident can trigger people on different levels that can make them feel unsafe, it can make them want to isolate,\" said Halcon. \"Counseling is available. Mental health counseling is really important. And if you need help, you should ask for it. Everybody deserves to have a safe space to go to.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A VTA spokesperson said that the agency’s human resources department will also be reaching out to the families of all the victims to help them \"navigate the multiple benefits and resources that they will need to cope with the days ahead.\"\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID=\"news_11764070\"]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a press event Thursday, Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez commended the county’s behavioral health department and the district attorney’s victim advocates group for providing families with crucial support in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, and urged the community to access the help they're entitled to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I just want to say to everybody who’s listening, if you need help, reach out. There are so many ways to get services and we don’t want a single person to go without the services that they need,\" she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca id=\"help\">\u003c/a>How to Support Victims and Others Who've Been Affected\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Make a Donation\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://act.wpusa.org/vta_victims_support_fund\">Donations in support of victims and their families\u003c/a> can be made through \u003ca href=\"https://act.wpusa.org/vta_victims_support_fund\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Working Partnerships USA\u003c/a>'s Union Community Resources program, to their VTA Solidarity Fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Working Partnerships is a community public policy and organizing group based in the South Bay that works closely with the labor movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We have a program that can provide both financial assistance, but also counseling and support,\" said Jeff Barrera, communications director for Working Partnerships USA. \"During tragedies like this one, we can use that program to pretty quickly provide broader relief.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Working Partnerships fund was created on behalf of the workers and their families. Barrera said it will provide whatever support and assistance is needed for families to get through this crisis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Working Partnerships USA also offers a multilingual support line: (408) 809-2122.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another fund is being set up by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.atu.org/media/releases/help-atu-members-impacted-by-the-san-jose-shootings\">Amalgamated Transit Union\u003c/a>, which represents workers at VTA, including some of the victims. The group called on its members and others to donate through its \u003ca href=\"https://www.atu.org/media/releases/help-atu-members-impacted-by-the-san-jose-shootings\">Disaster Relief Fund.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are currently fundraisers being shared online. But officials urge potential donors to vet the online fundraisers before giving money. GoFundMe has \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/san-jose-shooting-fundraisers?pc=ig_social&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bcgfm_ig_fund_san-jose-shooting-fundraisers\">a list of vetted fundraisers\u003c/a> posted on its website. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community members can also donate to local nonprofits that provide support during mass shooting events. This includes the \u003ca href=\"https://www.billwilsoncenter.org/\">Bill Wilson Center\u003c/a>, a critical incident response agency providing support to victims, witnesses and first responders. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Donating blood to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.redcross.org/local/california/northern-california-coastal/about-us/locations/silicon-valley.html\">American Red Cross\u003c/a> is also another way to help. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Attend a Vigil\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A vigil will be held at the San Jose City Hall Plaza on Thursday at 6 p.m. to honor those whose lives were lost to the shooting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/sliccardo/status/1397989666217873408\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elected officials, local leaders and other community members are expected to attend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Matthew Green contributed to this post.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Go to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#access\">How to find support for yourself\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#help\">Ways to help victims and others who've been affected\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>A day after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11875404/official-multiple-people-killed-in-shooting-at-san-jose-vta-railyard\">a mass shooting left 10 people dead in San Jose\u003c/a>, officials said the focus now needs to be on how to support those personally touched by the tragedy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On NPR's Morning Edition, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/05/27/1000893749/san-jose-shooting-victims-names-released-gunman-set-fire-to-his-own-home\">the community is feeling \"numb.\"\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We've got families who have lost loved ones, and co-workers who have lost friends,\" said Liccardo. \"And I think our task now is to do everything we can to support them, and to help them begin the path of healing.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you're personally seeking support after this event, or looking for ways to support people who've been directly impacted, read on for links to use and share. We'll continue to update these resources as we find them.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca id=\"access\">\u003c/a>How to Find Support for Yourself or Others\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Family Assistance Center\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Victim Services Unit for the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office has set up a Family Assistance Center (FAC), which is ready to assist victims, family members, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority employees and anyone else who has been impacted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The FAC is open Thursday at the American Red Cross Silicon Valley Chapter at 2731 N. 1st St. in San Jose from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (408) 209-8356.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Jose district attorney has confirmed that there are Spanish speakers onsite, and a language line is available.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Services available include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Counseling and other support services\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Resources around accessing the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/victim-services/restitution-vcgcb/\">California Victim Compensation Program\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Kasey Halcon, director of Victim Services, said there are crisis counselors, licensed clinicians, peer counselors and victim advocates at the FAC site. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The idea being that we want to co-locate collaborative resources in one center for victims and their families,\" said Halcon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Representatives from the California Victim Compensation Program are also on-hand to provide support. Halcon said family members can typically tap into the program for assistance with funeral and burial costs. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The services are free and those seeking help will not be asked for their immigration status.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Other Support Services Available\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community members looking for emotional support can contact the Suicide and Crisis Hotline at 1-855-278-4204 or Santa Clara County \u003ca href=\"https://bhsd.sccgov.org/get-help/services-myself\">Behavioral Health Services\u003c/a> at 1-800-704-0900.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Support is also available by texting RENEW to 741741. (Text services available in English only).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The FAC is available to those who were directly impacted by the incident — including those who witnessed the shooting or who fled. But Halcon said it is also available to the community at large. This may include members of the community who have been impacted by other acts of violence, including those who are still recovering from the 2019 mass shooting in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11763883/active-shooting-reported-at-gilroy-garlic-festival\">Gilroy\u003c/a>. Halcon said counselors were deployed to south Santa Clara County to help the first responders who worked during the Gilroy incident and were triggered by the VTA shooting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"You can have a shooting, you can have it in the community.. [and] you can have thousands of people that are deeply impacted by the crime that occurred,\" said Halcon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Halcon said the VTA shooting comes at an extremely challenging time — more than a year into the coronavirus pandemic. And mental health is an issue that communities are continuing to grapple with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Something like a mass victimization incident can trigger people on different levels that can make them feel unsafe, it can make them want to isolate,\" said Halcon. \"Counseling is available. Mental health counseling is really important. And if you need help, you should ask for it. Everybody deserves to have a safe space to go to.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A VTA spokesperson said that the agency’s human resources department will also be reaching out to the families of all the victims to help them \"navigate the multiple benefits and resources that they will need to cope with the days ahead.\"\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a press event Thursday, Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez commended the county’s behavioral health department and the district attorney’s victim advocates group for providing families with crucial support in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, and urged the community to access the help they're entitled to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I just want to say to everybody who’s listening, if you need help, reach out. There are so many ways to get services and we don’t want a single person to go without the services that they need,\" she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca id=\"help\">\u003c/a>How to Support Victims and Others Who've Been Affected\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Make a Donation\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://act.wpusa.org/vta_victims_support_fund\">Donations in support of victims and their families\u003c/a> can be made through \u003ca href=\"https://act.wpusa.org/vta_victims_support_fund\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Working Partnerships USA\u003c/a>'s Union Community Resources program, to their VTA Solidarity Fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Working Partnerships is a community public policy and organizing group based in the South Bay that works closely with the labor movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We have a program that can provide both financial assistance, but also counseling and support,\" said Jeff Barrera, communications director for Working Partnerships USA. \"During tragedies like this one, we can use that program to pretty quickly provide broader relief.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Working Partnerships fund was created on behalf of the workers and their families. Barrera said it will provide whatever support and assistance is needed for families to get through this crisis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Working Partnerships USA also offers a multilingual support line: (408) 809-2122.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another fund is being set up by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.atu.org/media/releases/help-atu-members-impacted-by-the-san-jose-shootings\">Amalgamated Transit Union\u003c/a>, which represents workers at VTA, including some of the victims. The group called on its members and others to donate through its \u003ca href=\"https://www.atu.org/media/releases/help-atu-members-impacted-by-the-san-jose-shootings\">Disaster Relief Fund.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are currently fundraisers being shared online. But officials urge potential donors to vet the online fundraisers before giving money. GoFundMe has \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/san-jose-shooting-fundraisers?pc=ig_social&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bcgfm_ig_fund_san-jose-shooting-fundraisers\">a list of vetted fundraisers\u003c/a> posted on its website. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community members can also donate to local nonprofits that provide support during mass shooting events. This includes the \u003ca href=\"https://www.billwilsoncenter.org/\">Bill Wilson Center\u003c/a>, a critical incident response agency providing support to victims, witnesses and first responders. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Donating blood to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.redcross.org/local/california/northern-california-coastal/about-us/locations/silicon-valley.html\">American Red Cross\u003c/a> is also another way to help. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Attend a Vigil\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A vigil will be held at the San Jose City Hall Plaza on Thursday at 6 p.m. to honor those whose lives were lost to the shooting.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "the-real-history-behind-the-myths-and-mystery-of-stanfords-searsville-lake",
"title": "The Real History Behind the Myths and Mystery of Stanford's Searsville Lake",
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"headTitle": "The Real History Behind the Myths and Mystery of Stanford’s Searsville Lake | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Rohnert Park resident David Mattea remembers fondly when he was a boy in the 1970s, how his family would drive half an hour south to escape foggy Daly City. They would head to a place called Searsville Lake for some fun in the sun. When the weather was good, the man-made playground would regularly draw thousands of people from all over the Bay Area for water sports, summer camps, picnics and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriouspodcastinfo]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Whatever became of Searsville Lake on the Peninsula?” Mattea wants to know.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The Great Water Grab of the 19th Century\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the years following the Gold Rush, San Francisco’s growing population was thirsty for drinking water. The Spring Valley Water Company bought up a lot of the farmland on the Peninsula south of the city to take advantage of all the creek water pouring off the Santa Cruz Mountains. They built dams to collect the water in reservoirs like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11747125/the-not-so-crystal-clean-history-of-san-franciscos-drinking-water-2\">Crystal Springs \u003c/a>and directed it to San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, around this time, the railroad baron Leland Stanford was building a brand new university. He bought a small reservoir from the Spring Valley Water Company for use on his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11781771/how-stanford-became-the-largest-landowner-in-silicon-valley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sprawling, 8,200-acre campus\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11871596\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11871596\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16562202803_c583eefd4c_b.jpg\" alt=\"The dam was built in 1892 by the Spring Valley Water Company, but the reservoir never proved to be a reliable source of palatable drinking water and was acquired by Stanford University in 1919. \" width=\"1024\" height=\"612\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16562202803_c583eefd4c_b.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16562202803_c583eefd4c_b-800x478.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16562202803_c583eefd4c_b-1020x610.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16562202803_c583eefd4c_b-160x96.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The dam was built in 1892 by the Spring Valley Water Company, but the reservoir never proved to be a reliable source of palatable drinking water and was acquired by Stanford University in 1919. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Stanford University Archives)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A handful of creeks feed the little reservoir on the campus, according to Tom Zigterman, director of water resources and civil infrastructure at Stanford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s four or five, depends on where you’re doing the counting, but it’s a number of creeks that merge right there at that canyon,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, this reservoir proved to be a major disappointment as a drinking water source because one of the creeks that fed into it, Corte Madera Creek, also carried tons of silt and sediment down from the mountains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The water smelled awful,” says Julie Cain, a historian for Stanford Heritage Services, which is responsible for the campus archaeology program. Cain is co-writing a book with another local historian, Nancy Lund, about Searsville Dam. “The water tasted awful. All of the porcelain sinks and bathtubs had yellow or brownish stains that could not be removed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cain says Stanford’s early campus manager “figured out relatively quickly that this water was really going to only be good for irrigation and fire protection.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even though the reservoir couldn’t deliver potable water, it was still a pretty sweet place to hang out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There were about 200 families living in the area, roughly, and the lake became an immediate unofficial recreational spot with people that lived nearby,” Cain says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11871597\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11871597\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/17180724472_97b8ec665b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Searsville Dam may be man-made, but it's still pretty and fascinating to natural scientists. The dam is surrounded by grasslands, chaparral, oak woodland, mixed evergreen forest, and even freshwater wetlands. \" width=\"1024\" height=\"665\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/17180724472_97b8ec665b_b.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/17180724472_97b8ec665b_b-800x520.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/17180724472_97b8ec665b_b-1020x662.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/17180724472_97b8ec665b_b-160x104.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Searsville Dam may be man-made, but it’s still pretty to many and fascinating to natural scientists. The dam is surrounded by grasslands, chaparral, oak woodland, mixed evergreen forest, and even freshwater wetlands. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Dan Quinn)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 1922, a Stanford couple leased the property so they could teach water sports and run a summer camp. Ernst and Greta Brandsten were both Swedish immigrants and Olympic divers. They called it Camp Searsville.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Greta was the first woman ever to win an Olympic gold medal for \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greta_Johansson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">high diving in 1912\u003c/a>!” Cain notes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts camped on the property. Tons of sand was brought in to create a man-made beach. 1,500 people might show up on a Sunday, 2,500 people on a holiday weekend. It was a scene, “for not just the local community, but really anybody within the Bay Area. I have photos of, I think Memorial Day, and it looks like \u003ca href=\"http://www.pdxhistory.com/html/coney_island.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Coney Island\u003c/a>,” Cain says.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Debunking Urban Myths\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Near the lake, there was a tiny town called Searsville that doesn’t exist anymore. It’s a myth, however, that the town was flooded by the construction of the reservoir. That was a rumor started by Ernst Brandsten, who loved to scare his diving students by telling them they could hit their heads on an old Searsville rooftop if they weren’t careful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also untrue: a legendary concert in 1968 that baby boomers who spent summer days at Searsville Lake as children and teenagers recall. They remember hearing \u003cem>about\u003c/em> \u003cem>it\u003c/em>, but nobody could have \u003cem>attended\u003c/em> \u003cem>it\u003c/em>, because as historian Julie Cain explains, the university got wind of it while it was being organized and shut the concert down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(A legendary concert that DID happen in 1963 featured the famous folk singer Pete Seeger. But Searsville – again, contrary to rumor – did not become a rock concert venue.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11871599\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11871599\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16559944954_0ba30159ea_b.jpg\" alt=\"Searsville Dam is a concrete gravity structure made of interlocking concrete blocks. \" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16559944954_0ba30159ea_b.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16559944954_0ba30159ea_b-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16559944954_0ba30159ea_b-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16559944954_0ba30159ea_b-160x106.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Searsville Dam is a concrete gravity structure made of interlocking concrete blocks. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Philippe Cohen)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They would have had great people, though,” Cain says. “Country Joe and the Fish, Joan Baez, everybody and their dog that was anybody in San Francisco was on that list.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What happened to the Coney Island of Stanford University, Then?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As decades passed, the university’s biology department grew tired of having to share its 1,200-acre biological preserve with the swimming, boating, picnicking party animals of the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stanford researchers use the land to study everything from Bay \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/news/2002/may15/butterfly-515.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">checkerspot butterflies\u003c/a> to climate change and invasive plants. A lot of this didn’t mean much to Searsville Lake visitors, who unwittingly trampled on a lot of science projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Which really, has continued to this day with local kids who got nothing better to do,” Cain says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1976, the university bought out the camp’s lease and closed the beloved swimming spot down. You can still take docent-led tours of what’s now called the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, but mostly, the party is over.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After more decades passed, the dam caught the eye of a different group of locals for very different reasons. In 2013, two environmental groups brought a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/7035/environmentalists-sue-stanford-over-dam\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lawsuit\u003c/a> against Stanford, arguing Searsville Dam, particularly its diversion of water from the San Francisquito Creek Watershed, damaged the habitat and threatened local fauna.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11871600\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 613px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11871600\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/17156443456_8de7bb384f_z.jpg\" alt=\"The Searsville Dam is located within the San Francisquito Creek watershed, which encompasses about 50 square miles and more than 20 creeks. Over thousands of years, the creek has carried sediment downstream from the Santa Cruz Mountains to create the alluvial fan upon which Atherton, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, East Palo Alto and Stanford were developed.\" width=\"613\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/17156443456_8de7bb384f_z.jpg 613w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/17156443456_8de7bb384f_z-160x167.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 613px) 100vw, 613px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Searsville Dam is located within the San Francisquito Creek Watershed, which encompasses about 50 square miles and more than 20 creeks. Over thousands of years, the creek has carried sediment downstream from the Santa Cruz Mountains to create the alluvial fan upon which Atherton, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, East Palo Alto and Stanford were developed. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Oakland Museum)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Fish biologist Matt Stoecker grew up in Portola Valley, one of several Peninsula cities that popped up near Stanford. His parents swam in Searsville Lake. He remembers playing in the creeks that fed the reservoir when he was a boy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was a steelhead run that used to run from the Bay all the way up to Windy Hill and Portola Valley, where I lived,” Stoecker says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He remembers one brave little steelhead trout in particular.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This was actually a steelhead that had come from the ocean and may have swum from as far away as, you know, off the coast of Japan, all the way back to the stream it was born in and this useless dam that’s not serving a function anymore is preventing it from swimming back to its home,” Stoecker says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a grown-up, Stoecker started a group called \u003ca href=\"http://www.beyondsearsvilledam.org/Beyond_Searsville_Dam/Home.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Beyond Searsville Dam\u003c/a>, which has spent 20 years trying to get Stanford to restore the local watershed to something like its original glory.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The university did budge, kind of. It’s come up with a \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/news/2015/may/searsville-preferred-plan-050115.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">plan\u003c/a> — not to get rid of Searsville Dam altogether, which is what Stoecker wants — but to open a hole in the bottom of the dam.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11871593\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11871593\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2013/01/16562202473_dbbd4e6bbd_b.jpg\" alt=\"Two environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit against Stanford University, claiming Searsville Dam harms threatened steelhead trout.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"638\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2013/01/16562202473_dbbd4e6bbd_b.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2013/01/16562202473_dbbd4e6bbd_b-800x498.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2013/01/16562202473_dbbd4e6bbd_b-1020x636.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2013/01/16562202473_dbbd4e6bbd_b-160x100.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Two environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit against Stanford University, claiming Searsville Dam harms threatened steelhead trout. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Philippe Cohen)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That would let the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/endangered-species-conservation/central-california-coast-steelhead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">steelhead trout\u003c/a> returning from the bay go upstream, and it would let the water go downstream.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even so, you can anticipate Stanford will engage in a lot of meetings in the years to come with the public and various agencies before anything finally happens on the ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So it’s not a total success story, but it’s a partial success story,” writes plaintiff’s attorney Chris Sproul, who notes the lawsuit has been resolved. “The environment organizations I represent are happy with the progress so far and hopeful that the big prize will be attained (steelhead being able to freely utilize the entire Corte Madera Creek watershed — there is some absolutely beautiful habitat up above Searsville) in the not-too-distant future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve been meeting with the resource agencies at the state and federal level: (Army) Corps of Engineers, National Marine Fisheries (Service), the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, (San Francisco Bay) Regional Water Quality Control Board. They’re all involved,” says Zigterman, director of water resources and civil infrastructure for Stanford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, I gotta give the last word to historian Julie Cain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m probably going to put words in somebody’s mouth,” she says, “but I’m sure somebody at Stanford is shaking his or her head, going, ‘What in the hell did we buy that place for?'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Some of the shoreline along Searsville Dam used to be a man-made, beach-like playground open to the public on the Stanford campus. Over the years rumors and myths about the place have taken root.",
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"title": "The Real History Behind the Myths and Mystery of Stanford's Searsville Lake | KQED",
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"subhead": "Did Leland Stanford really flood a town? What about that legendary concert in 1968?",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Rohnert Park resident David Mattea remembers fondly when he was a boy in the 1970s, how his family would drive half an hour south to escape foggy Daly City. They would head to a place called Searsville Lake for some fun in the sun. When the weather was good, the man-made playground would regularly draw thousands of people from all over the Bay Area for water sports, summer camps, picnics and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003caside class=\"alignleft utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__bayCuriousPodcastShortcode__bayCurious\">\u003cimg src=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bayCuriousLogo.png alt=\"Bay Curious Podcast\" loading=\"lazy\" />\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a> is a podcast that answers your questions about the Bay Area.\n Subscribe on \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>,\n \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NPR One\u003c/a> or your favorite podcast platform.\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Whatever became of Searsville Lake on the Peninsula?” Mattea wants to know.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The Great Water Grab of the 19th Century\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the years following the Gold Rush, San Francisco’s growing population was thirsty for drinking water. The Spring Valley Water Company bought up a lot of the farmland on the Peninsula south of the city to take advantage of all the creek water pouring off the Santa Cruz Mountains. They built dams to collect the water in reservoirs like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11747125/the-not-so-crystal-clean-history-of-san-franciscos-drinking-water-2\">Crystal Springs \u003c/a>and directed it to San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, around this time, the railroad baron Leland Stanford was building a brand new university. He bought a small reservoir from the Spring Valley Water Company for use on his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11781771/how-stanford-became-the-largest-landowner-in-silicon-valley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sprawling, 8,200-acre campus\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11871596\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11871596\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16562202803_c583eefd4c_b.jpg\" alt=\"The dam was built in 1892 by the Spring Valley Water Company, but the reservoir never proved to be a reliable source of palatable drinking water and was acquired by Stanford University in 1919. \" width=\"1024\" height=\"612\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16562202803_c583eefd4c_b.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16562202803_c583eefd4c_b-800x478.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16562202803_c583eefd4c_b-1020x610.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16562202803_c583eefd4c_b-160x96.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The dam was built in 1892 by the Spring Valley Water Company, but the reservoir never proved to be a reliable source of palatable drinking water and was acquired by Stanford University in 1919. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Stanford University Archives)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A handful of creeks feed the little reservoir on the campus, according to Tom Zigterman, director of water resources and civil infrastructure at Stanford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s four or five, depends on where you’re doing the counting, but it’s a number of creeks that merge right there at that canyon,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, this reservoir proved to be a major disappointment as a drinking water source because one of the creeks that fed into it, Corte Madera Creek, also carried tons of silt and sediment down from the mountains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The water smelled awful,” says Julie Cain, a historian for Stanford Heritage Services, which is responsible for the campus archaeology program. Cain is co-writing a book with another local historian, Nancy Lund, about Searsville Dam. “The water tasted awful. All of the porcelain sinks and bathtubs had yellow or brownish stains that could not be removed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cain says Stanford’s early campus manager “figured out relatively quickly that this water was really going to only be good for irrigation and fire protection.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even though the reservoir couldn’t deliver potable water, it was still a pretty sweet place to hang out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There were about 200 families living in the area, roughly, and the lake became an immediate unofficial recreational spot with people that lived nearby,” Cain says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11871597\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11871597\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/17180724472_97b8ec665b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Searsville Dam may be man-made, but it's still pretty and fascinating to natural scientists. The dam is surrounded by grasslands, chaparral, oak woodland, mixed evergreen forest, and even freshwater wetlands. \" width=\"1024\" height=\"665\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/17180724472_97b8ec665b_b.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/17180724472_97b8ec665b_b-800x520.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/17180724472_97b8ec665b_b-1020x662.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/17180724472_97b8ec665b_b-160x104.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Searsville Dam may be man-made, but it’s still pretty to many and fascinating to natural scientists. The dam is surrounded by grasslands, chaparral, oak woodland, mixed evergreen forest, and even freshwater wetlands. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Dan Quinn)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 1922, a Stanford couple leased the property so they could teach water sports and run a summer camp. Ernst and Greta Brandsten were both Swedish immigrants and Olympic divers. They called it Camp Searsville.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Greta was the first woman ever to win an Olympic gold medal for \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greta_Johansson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">high diving in 1912\u003c/a>!” Cain notes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts camped on the property. Tons of sand was brought in to create a man-made beach. 1,500 people might show up on a Sunday, 2,500 people on a holiday weekend. It was a scene, “for not just the local community, but really anybody within the Bay Area. I have photos of, I think Memorial Day, and it looks like \u003ca href=\"http://www.pdxhistory.com/html/coney_island.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Coney Island\u003c/a>,” Cain says.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Debunking Urban Myths\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Near the lake, there was a tiny town called Searsville that doesn’t exist anymore. It’s a myth, however, that the town was flooded by the construction of the reservoir. That was a rumor started by Ernst Brandsten, who loved to scare his diving students by telling them they could hit their heads on an old Searsville rooftop if they weren’t careful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also untrue: a legendary concert in 1968 that baby boomers who spent summer days at Searsville Lake as children and teenagers recall. They remember hearing \u003cem>about\u003c/em> \u003cem>it\u003c/em>, but nobody could have \u003cem>attended\u003c/em> \u003cem>it\u003c/em>, because as historian Julie Cain explains, the university got wind of it while it was being organized and shut the concert down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(A legendary concert that DID happen in 1963 featured the famous folk singer Pete Seeger. But Searsville – again, contrary to rumor – did not become a rock concert venue.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11871599\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11871599\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16559944954_0ba30159ea_b.jpg\" alt=\"Searsville Dam is a concrete gravity structure made of interlocking concrete blocks. \" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16559944954_0ba30159ea_b.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16559944954_0ba30159ea_b-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16559944954_0ba30159ea_b-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/16559944954_0ba30159ea_b-160x106.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Searsville Dam is a concrete gravity structure made of interlocking concrete blocks. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Philippe Cohen)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They would have had great people, though,” Cain says. “Country Joe and the Fish, Joan Baez, everybody and their dog that was anybody in San Francisco was on that list.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What happened to the Coney Island of Stanford University, Then?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As decades passed, the university’s biology department grew tired of having to share its 1,200-acre biological preserve with the swimming, boating, picnicking party animals of the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stanford researchers use the land to study everything from Bay \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/news/2002/may15/butterfly-515.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">checkerspot butterflies\u003c/a> to climate change and invasive plants. A lot of this didn’t mean much to Searsville Lake visitors, who unwittingly trampled on a lot of science projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Which really, has continued to this day with local kids who got nothing better to do,” Cain says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1976, the university bought out the camp’s lease and closed the beloved swimming spot down. You can still take docent-led tours of what’s now called the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, but mostly, the party is over.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After more decades passed, the dam caught the eye of a different group of locals for very different reasons. In 2013, two environmental groups brought a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/7035/environmentalists-sue-stanford-over-dam\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lawsuit\u003c/a> against Stanford, arguing Searsville Dam, particularly its diversion of water from the San Francisquito Creek Watershed, damaged the habitat and threatened local fauna.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11871600\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 613px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11871600\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/17156443456_8de7bb384f_z.jpg\" alt=\"The Searsville Dam is located within the San Francisquito Creek watershed, which encompasses about 50 square miles and more than 20 creeks. Over thousands of years, the creek has carried sediment downstream from the Santa Cruz Mountains to create the alluvial fan upon which Atherton, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, East Palo Alto and Stanford were developed.\" width=\"613\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/17156443456_8de7bb384f_z.jpg 613w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/17156443456_8de7bb384f_z-160x167.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 613px) 100vw, 613px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Searsville Dam is located within the San Francisquito Creek Watershed, which encompasses about 50 square miles and more than 20 creeks. Over thousands of years, the creek has carried sediment downstream from the Santa Cruz Mountains to create the alluvial fan upon which Atherton, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, East Palo Alto and Stanford were developed. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Oakland Museum)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Fish biologist Matt Stoecker grew up in Portola Valley, one of several Peninsula cities that popped up near Stanford. His parents swam in Searsville Lake. He remembers playing in the creeks that fed the reservoir when he was a boy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was a steelhead run that used to run from the Bay all the way up to Windy Hill and Portola Valley, where I lived,” Stoecker says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He remembers one brave little steelhead trout in particular.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This was actually a steelhead that had come from the ocean and may have swum from as far away as, you know, off the coast of Japan, all the way back to the stream it was born in and this useless dam that’s not serving a function anymore is preventing it from swimming back to its home,” Stoecker says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a grown-up, Stoecker started a group called \u003ca href=\"http://www.beyondsearsvilledam.org/Beyond_Searsville_Dam/Home.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Beyond Searsville Dam\u003c/a>, which has spent 20 years trying to get Stanford to restore the local watershed to something like its original glory.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The university did budge, kind of. It’s come up with a \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/news/2015/may/searsville-preferred-plan-050115.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">plan\u003c/a> — not to get rid of Searsville Dam altogether, which is what Stoecker wants — but to open a hole in the bottom of the dam.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11871593\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11871593\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2013/01/16562202473_dbbd4e6bbd_b.jpg\" alt=\"Two environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit against Stanford University, claiming Searsville Dam harms threatened steelhead trout.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"638\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2013/01/16562202473_dbbd4e6bbd_b.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2013/01/16562202473_dbbd4e6bbd_b-800x498.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2013/01/16562202473_dbbd4e6bbd_b-1020x636.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2013/01/16562202473_dbbd4e6bbd_b-160x100.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Two environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit against Stanford University, claiming Searsville Dam harms threatened steelhead trout. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Philippe Cohen)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That would let the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/endangered-species-conservation/central-california-coast-steelhead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">steelhead trout\u003c/a> returning from the bay go upstream, and it would let the water go downstream.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even so, you can anticipate Stanford will engage in a lot of meetings in the years to come with the public and various agencies before anything finally happens on the ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So it’s not a total success story, but it’s a partial success story,” writes plaintiff’s attorney Chris Sproul, who notes the lawsuit has been resolved. “The environment organizations I represent are happy with the progress so far and hopeful that the big prize will be attained (steelhead being able to freely utilize the entire Corte Madera Creek watershed — there is some absolutely beautiful habitat up above Searsville) in the not-too-distant future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve been meeting with the resource agencies at the state and federal level: (Army) Corps of Engineers, National Marine Fisheries (Service), the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, (San Francisco Bay) Regional Water Quality Control Board. They’re all involved,” says Zigterman, director of water resources and civil infrastructure for Stanford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, I gotta give the last word to historian Julie Cain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m probably going to put words in somebody’s mouth,” she says, “but I’m sure somebody at Stanford is shaking his or her head, going, ‘What in the hell did we buy that place for?'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Thousands March for 'Free Palestine' in San Francisco as Airstrikes and Rocket Attacks Continue",
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"content": "\u003cp>Sabreen Imtair rallied in San Francisco for her people’s freedom more than 7,000 miles away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Imtair said she was born in Palestine. Her mother and siblings first lived in the Kalandia refugee camp in East Jerusalem, a place rife with overcrowding, unemployment and “frequent incursions by Israeli Forces,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/kalandia-camp\">according to the United Nations\u003c/a>. Her grandmother has often spoken reverently of caring for the land, like the olive trees her grandfather used to nurture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Saturday, as Imtair joined several thousand others at a rally and march in the city, violence continued in Israel and Gaza, disproportionally hurting Palestinian lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am worried about them,” Imtair said of her family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The march in the Mission District took place in solidarity \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/15/world/middleeast/nakba-day.html\">with similar demonstrations around the world\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like Imtair, many at the demonstration in San Francisco were from across the Bay Area and other parts of the state, but trace roots back to Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. Many of them called on President Biden to reduce aid to Israel because of its military assault.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873866\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11873866 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49048_017_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49048_017_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49048_017_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49048_017_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49048_017_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49048_017_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thousands march in solidarity with Palestinians in San Francisco’s Mission District on Saturday, May 15, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Beginning with speakers and poetry at 16th and Valencia streets, the swelling crowd later marched down Mission Street, shouting “free, free Palestine!” and waving Palestinian flags, blanketing the street in red, black, white and green.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For days, Israeli airstrikes have leveled buildings in Gaza, and Hamas rockets have rained down on Israeli cities. Violence has erupted in mixed communities where Jews and Palestinians live.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After close to a week of violence, 188 people in Gaza have been killed, and eight Israelis killed, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/israel-west-bank-gaza-middle-east-israel-palestinian-conflict-7974cc0c03897b8b21e5fc2f8c7d8a79\">according to the Associated Press\u003c/a> as of Sunday morning. More than 900 have reportedly been wounded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rally’s date, May 15, also marked the Nakba, which to Palestinians means disaster or catastrophe, and refers to the displacement of about 750,000 Palestinians, \u003ca href=\"https://www.unrwa.org/palestine-refugees\">according to estimates from the United Nations\u003c/a>, shortly after the establishment of Israel in 1948.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/kentkessinger/status/1393701688112943106\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Thousands marched in the Free Palestine protest in San Francisco on Saturday, as seen in the citizen video footage above. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back in San Francisco, Eman Ghaith, a Tracy resident, said she marched to push for the liberation of her people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ghaith says her family lives in a small village just 10 minutes away from Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/10/world/middleeast/jerusalem-protests-aqsa-palestinians.html\">which saw Israeli police raids\u003c/a> last week that left hundreds of Palestinians wounded. She says her family is under constant police surveillance and it can take two hours for them to cross through barricades to reach the mosque to pray.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873867\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11873867 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49049_018_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49049_018_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49049_018_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49049_018_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49049_018_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49049_018_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thousands march in solidarity with Palestinians in San Francisco’s Mission District on Saturday, May 15, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ghaith’s father was pushed from his home in \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2007/06/04/10619929/six-day-war-shaping-the-modern-middle-east\">the Six-Day War of 1967\u003c/a> and came to the United States, she said. Laws regarding who is allowed to return home — and who is not — after other such battles partly sparked the latest violence, as Palestinians living in areas settled afterward \u003ca href=\"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-15/palestinian-families-living-in-sheikh-jarrah/100133672\">say they’re victims of discriminatory housing laws that favor Israelis\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ghaith said just who has power, and who doesn’t, makes a difference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t like calling it conflict. It’s not a conflict. It’s a colonized apartheid that has been going on since the ’40s,” Ghaith said. “You can’t call that conflict when one person is the oppressing class and one person is an oppressor. And we all know the rest is history.” [ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mahmoud Shaqqour was also at the rally. He traces his mother’s roots back to Ramallah and his father’s to Nablus, both cities in the West Bank. Shaqqour said his family was displaced to Jordan and he eventually moved to Belmont.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the U.S. has given billions of dollars to Israel for decades \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/israel-bombing-gaza-stop-hamas-rockets-shows-why-its-u-ncna1267381\">to stave off threats from neighboring countries,\u003c/a> Shaqqour says the money also goes toward violence against his former home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wish U.S. is more responsible when they are giving aids to Israel,” he said. “I wish they look at fact and see that they used this money to kill children, and women.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873868\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11873868 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49034_002_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49034_002_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49034_002_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49034_002_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49034_002_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49034_002_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thousands march in solidarity with Palestinians in San Francisco’s Mission District on Saturday, May 15, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Israeli consulate in San Francisco calls Hamas, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/israel-west-bank-gaza-middle-east-israel-palestinian-conflict-7974cc0c03897b8b21e5fc2f8c7d8a79\">the militant group fighting from Gaza\u003c/a>, a violent terrorist organization responsible for attacking Israel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As long as we see rockets fired, killing Israeli civilians and targeting the Israeli population, it is very difficult to talk about ceasefire,” said Matan Zamir, deputy consul general of the Israeli Consulate to the Pacific Northwest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not only our right, I think it’s our duty our citizens,” Zamir said. “It’s our obligation to make sure that we don’t see 1,100 rockets fired at our civilians. I don’t see any other country in the world allowing such a thing to happen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The United Nations Security Council met Sunday to discuss the ongoing violence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/UNWebTV/status/1393841630457774080?s=20\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Sabreen Imtair rallied in San Francisco for her people’s freedom more than 7,000 miles away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Imtair said she was born in Palestine. Her mother and siblings first lived in the Kalandia refugee camp in East Jerusalem, a place rife with overcrowding, unemployment and “frequent incursions by Israeli Forces,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/kalandia-camp\">according to the United Nations\u003c/a>. Her grandmother has often spoken reverently of caring for the land, like the olive trees her grandfather used to nurture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Saturday, as Imtair joined several thousand others at a rally and march in the city, violence continued in Israel and Gaza, disproportionally hurting Palestinian lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am worried about them,” Imtair said of her family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The march in the Mission District took place in solidarity \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/15/world/middleeast/nakba-day.html\">with similar demonstrations around the world\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like Imtair, many at the demonstration in San Francisco were from across the Bay Area and other parts of the state, but trace roots back to Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. Many of them called on President Biden to reduce aid to Israel because of its military assault.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873866\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11873866 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49048_017_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49048_017_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49048_017_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49048_017_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49048_017_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49048_017_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thousands march in solidarity with Palestinians in San Francisco’s Mission District on Saturday, May 15, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Beginning with speakers and poetry at 16th and Valencia streets, the swelling crowd later marched down Mission Street, shouting “free, free Palestine!” and waving Palestinian flags, blanketing the street in red, black, white and green.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For days, Israeli airstrikes have leveled buildings in Gaza, and Hamas rockets have rained down on Israeli cities. Violence has erupted in mixed communities where Jews and Palestinians live.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After close to a week of violence, 188 people in Gaza have been killed, and eight Israelis killed, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/israel-west-bank-gaza-middle-east-israel-palestinian-conflict-7974cc0c03897b8b21e5fc2f8c7d8a79\">according to the Associated Press\u003c/a> as of Sunday morning. More than 900 have reportedly been wounded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rally’s date, May 15, also marked the Nakba, which to Palestinians means disaster or catastrophe, and refers to the displacement of about 750,000 Palestinians, \u003ca href=\"https://www.unrwa.org/palestine-refugees\">according to estimates from the United Nations\u003c/a>, shortly after the establishment of Israel in 1948.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Thousands marched in the Free Palestine protest in San Francisco on Saturday, as seen in the citizen video footage above. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back in San Francisco, Eman Ghaith, a Tracy resident, said she marched to push for the liberation of her people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ghaith says her family lives in a small village just 10 minutes away from Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/10/world/middleeast/jerusalem-protests-aqsa-palestinians.html\">which saw Israeli police raids\u003c/a> last week that left hundreds of Palestinians wounded. She says her family is under constant police surveillance and it can take two hours for them to cross through barricades to reach the mosque to pray.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873867\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11873867 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49049_018_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49049_018_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49049_018_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49049_018_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49049_018_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49049_018_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thousands march in solidarity with Palestinians in San Francisco’s Mission District on Saturday, May 15, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ghaith’s father was pushed from his home in \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2007/06/04/10619929/six-day-war-shaping-the-modern-middle-east\">the Six-Day War of 1967\u003c/a> and came to the United States, she said. Laws regarding who is allowed to return home — and who is not — after other such battles partly sparked the latest violence, as Palestinians living in areas settled afterward \u003ca href=\"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-15/palestinian-families-living-in-sheikh-jarrah/100133672\">say they’re victims of discriminatory housing laws that favor Israelis\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ghaith said just who has power, and who doesn’t, makes a difference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t like calling it conflict. It’s not a conflict. It’s a colonized apartheid that has been going on since the ’40s,” Ghaith said. “You can’t call that conflict when one person is the oppressing class and one person is an oppressor. And we all know the rest is history.” \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mahmoud Shaqqour was also at the rally. He traces his mother’s roots back to Ramallah and his father’s to Nablus, both cities in the West Bank. Shaqqour said his family was displaced to Jordan and he eventually moved to Belmont.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the U.S. has given billions of dollars to Israel for decades \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/israel-bombing-gaza-stop-hamas-rockets-shows-why-its-u-ncna1267381\">to stave off threats from neighboring countries,\u003c/a> Shaqqour says the money also goes toward violence against his former home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wish U.S. is more responsible when they are giving aids to Israel,” he said. “I wish they look at fact and see that they used this money to kill children, and women.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873868\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11873868 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49034_002_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49034_002_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49034_002_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49034_002_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49034_002_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49034_002_SanFrancisco_PalestineRally_05152021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thousands march in solidarity with Palestinians in San Francisco’s Mission District on Saturday, May 15, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Israeli consulate in San Francisco calls Hamas, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/israel-west-bank-gaza-middle-east-israel-palestinian-conflict-7974cc0c03897b8b21e5fc2f8c7d8a79\">the militant group fighting from Gaza\u003c/a>, a violent terrorist organization responsible for attacking Israel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As long as we see rockets fired, killing Israeli civilians and targeting the Israeli population, it is very difficult to talk about ceasefire,” said Matan Zamir, deputy consul general of the Israeli Consulate to the Pacific Northwest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not only our right, I think it’s our duty our citizens,” Zamir said. “It’s our obligation to make sure that we don’t see 1,100 rockets fired at our civilians. I don’t see any other country in the world allowing such a thing to happen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The United Nations Security Council met Sunday to discuss the ongoing violence.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"headTitle": "The Year When Singing Became Dangerous | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>There’s nothing Alyse Whitney likes to do more than hit a karaoke bar with her friends, have a few drinks and sing her heart out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Feeling the presence of being kind of a rock star for the night is really fun and makes me realize that, hey, I’m good at something. This is my thing,” the Los Angeles resident told KQED in a recent video interview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The last time Whitney went out karaokeing was right before the pandemic shut down all the bars. She and her friend were the only customers in the place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We sang almost all of Celine’s [Dion] catalog. We changed the words to Enrique Iglesias’ ‘Escape’ to say, ‘You can run, you can hide, but you can’t escape COVID!’ ” recalled Whitney. “And we didn’t realize it was going to be such a big deal and how impactful that night would have been as a last hurrah.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873303\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11873303 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48981_IMG_7026-qut-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48981_IMG_7026-qut-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48981_IMG_7026-qut-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48981_IMG_7026-qut-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48981_IMG_7026-qut-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48981_IMG_7026-qut-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48981_IMG_7026-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alyse Whitney enjoying a night out at a karaoke bar. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alyse Whitney)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Whitney and her friend staggered out of there at four in the morning. They closed the place down — literally, as it turned out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This was March 6, 2020,” Whitney said. “And my karaoke drought started March 7.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The drought Whitney is talking about didn’t just affect people who like sing in karaoke bars. COVID-19 impacted vocalists across the state — both amateur and professional — in community centers, schools, churches, recording studios, theaters, clubs and concert halls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Last year was going to be a pretty big year in terms of my singing engagements,” said vocalist, singing teacher and actress \u003ca href=\"https://cjsings.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Candace Johnson\u003c/a>. “So I was really looking forward to the [concert] calendar. And then — BOOM — it was all gone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873304\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11873304 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48985_candace-qut-800x441.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48985_candace-qut-800x441.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48985_candace-qut-1020x563.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48985_candace-qut-160x88.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48985_candace-qut-1536x847.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48985_candace-qut.jpg 1914w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Singer and teacher Candace Johnson leading a class on Zoom during the pandemic. \u003ccite>(Zoom screenshot)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The blow to singers across the state wasn’t just financial as their gigs dried up. They also mourned the loss of connection and community. And on top of that, they were forced to confront a devastating truth: This beloved, healthy, everyday activity had become a killer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that COVID-19 is caused by a transmission of the virus primarily through aerosol particles, and about three times as many aerosols are emitted during singing compared to talking,” said \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">UC Davis \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">civil and environmental engineering professor \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://faculty.engineering.ucdavis.edu/cappa/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chris Cappa\u003c/a>, who’s been studying how COVID-19 is spread. “\u003c/span>This means that singing is inherently a riskier activity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most singing in public stopped. But it didn’t go away entirely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout this pandemic, KQED has been chronicling the journeys of individuals and singing groups across California. Read on to find out how singing transformed over the past year, and went from almost disappearing entirely, to helping many across the state maintain solidarity, social purpose and a sense of humor through these dark, dark times.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>March 2020\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>On the morning of March 11, 2020, Americans awoke to the latest in a deluge of coffee-spilling headlines: Despite practicing social distancing, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/13/us/coronavirus-washington-choir-outbreak-trnd/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">53 members of a community choir in Washington state\u003c/a> tested positive for COVID-19 and started showing symptoms of the coronavirus after attending a rehearsal the previous evening. Two members died.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time this superspreader event occurred, COVID-19 tests were hard to come by, and health officials didn’t truly know how the virus was spread. In the early days, public messaging focused on things like telling people to avoid shaking hands with others, disinfecting surfaces and keeping their fingers off their faces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regardless, the wildfire-like spread of the coronavirus over a couple of hours of choral singing inside a Washington church was enough to send shockwaves throughout the singing community in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873305\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873305\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48980_001-Sunrise-Jamie-Pham-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48980_001-Sunrise-Jamie-Pham-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48980_001-Sunrise-Jamie-Pham-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48980_001-Sunrise-Jamie-Pham-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48980_001-Sunrise-Jamie-Pham-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48980_001-Sunrise-Jamie-Pham-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Los Angeles Master Chorale performed its last live concert on Jan. 26, 2020. \u003ccite>(Jamie Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“That was a real warning shot for us,” said \u003ca href=\"https://lamasterchorale.org/jean-davidson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jean Davidson\u003c/a>, president and CEO of the \u003ca href=\"https://lamasterchorale.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Los Angeles Master Chorale\u003c/a>, one of the most high-profile classical vocal ensembles in the state. “And we erred on the side of caution and canceled all of our rehearsals and performances.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The chorale’s last live, in-person concert took place on Jan. 26, 2020. Its last rehearsal was March 4, 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>May 2020\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In those first desolate and bewildering months of lockdown, singing retreated almost entirely indoors and became mostly a solitary act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But despite the extraordinary circumstances and significant health risks, singers weren’t completely willing to give up on the idea of rehearsing together or even singing in public. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"J. T. Williams\"]‘The audience has helped me get through very dark and difficult days.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last May, in San Francisco, bass-baritone J. T. Williams started appearing on their balcony most late afternoons to sing opera arias. They soon started streaming the concerts on \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/OperaFromTheBalcony/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Facebook\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>J. T. said they’d been struggling with suicidal thoughts near the start of the pandemic. They found healing in the smiles, waves and applause of the people who listened from neighboring homes or stopped by while out walking their dogs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873306\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 552px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11873306 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48983_J-T-Williams-qut-e1621018557411.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"552\" height=\"599\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48983_J-T-Williams-qut-e1621018557411.jpg 552w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48983_J-T-Williams-qut-e1621018557411-160x174.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 552px) 100vw, 552px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">J. T. Williams started singing opera arias on their balcony soon after the pandemic hit. \u003ccite>(Zoom screenshot)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The audience has helped me get through very dark and difficult days,” Williams said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, singers were starting to figure out how to make music together online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many turned to platforms like \u003ca href=\"https://zoom.us/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zoom\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://hangouts.google.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Google Hangouts\u003c/a>. But they were not built for making music. The delays caused by varying data transfer speeds made it almost impossible for people in different locations to sing together in sync.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Groups like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.piedmontchoirs.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir\u003c/a> forged ahead with online rehearsals, even though it was slow going.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a practice held via Zoom KQED sat in on in May 2020, the group’s artistic director, \u003ca href=\"https://www.piedmontchoirs.org/staff/eric-tuan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eric Tuan\u003c/a>, tried to get the young singers to build a chord from the bottom up. “Actually mute yourselves,” he was forced to admit. “It’s not going to work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11810148\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11810148\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42474_eric-leading-online-rehearsal-qut-800x537.jpg\" alt=\"Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir artistic director Eric Tuan leads a virtual rehearsal via Zoom on March 30, 2020.\" width=\"800\" height=\"537\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42474_eric-leading-online-rehearsal-qut-800x537.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42474_eric-leading-online-rehearsal-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42474_eric-leading-online-rehearsal-qut-1020x684.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42474_eric-leading-online-rehearsal-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir Artistic Director Eric Tuan leads a virtual rehearsal via Zoom. \u003ccite>(Zoom screenshot)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But for others, virtual collaboration wasn’t even an option.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Singing teacher \u003ca href=\"http://www.bethwilmurt.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Beth Wilmurt\u003c/a> spent the early months of the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders making short instructional videos for the young members of the \u003ca href=\"https://sfcmc.org/youth/group-classes-and-ensembles/#childrens-chorus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco Community Music Center Children’s Chorus\u003c/a> she leads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Hi everybody. It’s just me and my ukulele,” Wilmurt said at the top of one of her very first videos. “I thought you could sing with me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"CMC Children's Chorus: Warm-up and "Ride This Train" with Beth Wilmurt\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/7B7WCRSwt8I?start=223&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the 8-12 year-olds in Wilmurt’s group come from low-income households. They don’t all have access to internet connections fast enough for online meetups. In the absence of in-person get-togethers for singing, Wilmurt’s videos provided the students with a way to learn songs in their own time from home. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Beth Wilmurt\"]‘It’s palpable, the energy that choirs bring singing together, there’s just nothing like it. And, we can’t do it with the technology yet.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Days can really blend one into the other here,” said Yaron Milgrom, the father of three young singers in Wilmurt’s chorus. “Music and singing songs, it’s just part of keeping a sense of normalcy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilmurt has been teaching this children’s choir for over 20 years. She said what keeps her sticking with it is the sense of connection the kids feel when they get to meet up in person to sing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s palpable, the energy that choirs bring singing together, there’s just nothing like it,” Wilmurt said. “And, we can’t do it with the technology yet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>June 2020\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>As the pitiless Spring dragged on, it became increasingly clear that breaking into song around others was one of the most unsafe things a person could do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even though California was beginning to emerge from the shelter-in-place orders, infections were on the rise. The state’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Department of Public Health\u003c/a> started \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/COVID-19/Guidance-for-the-Prevention-of-COVID-19-Transmission-for-Gatherings--en.pdf#search=singing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">issuing warnings\u003c/a> against singing in public, and it continued to do this throughout the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when Californians took to the streets in protest after George Floyd was murdered by a policeman in Minneapolis, they sang anyway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the San Francisco Bay Area, people marched to the late Oakland-born rapper Mac Dre’s “Feelin’ Myself.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In L.A., they sang “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar. The song has been embraced at Black Lives Matter rallies around the country in recent years because it speaks to hope in difficult times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"LA riots 2020 GOERGE Floyd Los Angeles protest Kendrick Lamar we’re gonna be all right turn up\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/M9sDwLV_eQc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also in June, in the wake of Floyd’s death, Vallejo-born R&B artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hermusicofficial/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">H.E.R.\u003c/a> released the song “I Can’t Breathe.” The singer’s gut-wrenching performance won the \u003ca href=\"https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/her-wins-song-of-the-year-2021-winner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Song of the Year Award at this year’s Grammys\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around the same time as many Californians took to the streets, many others stayed indoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.novajimenez.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nova Jimenez\u003c/a> was among them. The singer and vocal music teacher said she felt so sad at the start of the pandemic that she just locked herself in her room and sang. “It felt like the end of the world,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One day, Jimenez had an idea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Here I am singing by myself, and I thought, well, maybe, maybe someone wants to hear me, I don’t know,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a professional singer, Jimenez realized in that moment maybe she could use her talent to help others overcome their feelings of exhaustion, loneliness and despair. So she placed an online ad offering her services for free to front-line workers, or anyone homebound or isolated due to the pandemic, and in need of a little uplift.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vocalist has performed nearly 100 “\u003ca href=\"https://www.novajimenez.com/news\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sidewalk Serenades\u003c/a>” through the pandemic for front-line workers and people who are isolated in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One Sunday, KQED caught up with Jimenez as she was serenading elders outside a retirement home called \u003ca href=\"https://channinghouse.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Channing House\u003c/a> in Palo Alto.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873310\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873310\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47195_nova-1-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47195_nova-1-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47195_nova-1-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47195_nova-1-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47195_nova-1-qut-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47195_nova-1-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nova Jimenez performs a sidewalk serenade outside Channing House in Palo Alto. \u003ccite>(Chloe Veltman/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Hello, Channing House!” she said after setting up her microphone, music stand and portable amp on the sidewalk across from the drab concrete building. “Oh, dear friends, I’m so happy to see you!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dozens of residents appeared on their balconies and in the parking lot to listen. “It’s so exciting to have Nova come and sing for us,” said resident Nancy Fiene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wearing a dress emblazoned with red peonies and white daisies, Jimenez exuded the spirit of warmth and romance as she sang old-time favorites like “Solamente Una Vez” and “La Vie en Rose.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Life has been far from rosy for the residents of Channing House this past year. They’ve been rocked by two COVID-19 outbreaks and five people have died. It’s been a time of loss and confinement. Fiene said Jimenez’s performances at Channing House have provided a break from all of that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She’s got a lot of pizzazz,” said Fiene. “It’s a little bit of a breath of fresh air from the outside world,” said Fiene’s husband, Tom. “We’ve been pretty well isolated here for months.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873311\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873311\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47193_george-nancy-tom-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47193_george-nancy-tom-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47193_george-nancy-tom-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47193_george-nancy-tom-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47193_george-nancy-tom-qut-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47193_george-nancy-tom-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Channing House residents Nancy Fiene, Tom Fiene and George Young. \u003ccite>(Chloe Veltman/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>To add to the sense of community, Jimenez’s concerts often end with singalongs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want you to feel like you’re going to just let it out and sing to the heavens!” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The singer launched into her rendition of “Brand New Day” from the musical “The Wiz.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly everyone joined in for the choruses. They waved their arms and clapped. Some even danced around in the parking lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Afterward, the Channing House parking lot erupted in claps, cheers and cries of “Encore! Encore!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Thank you Channing House. Te amo! Te amo! I love you!” said Jimenez. Then the performer packed up her gear and the residents went back inside, maybe feeling just a bit more hopeful about the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>July 2020\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In July, state officials put \u003ca href=\"https://files.covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-places-of-worship.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">limitations on places of worship\u003c/a> after they were the site of several superspreader events. Indoor services had to be restricted to a maximum of 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is lower, and there was a total ban on singing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new rules incensed \u003ca href=\"https://www.actsfullgospel.org/bishop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Robert L. Jackson\u003c/a>, senior pastor of \u003ca href=\"https://www.actsfullgospel.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Acts Full Gospel Church\u003c/a> in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873727\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873727\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48990_bishop-bob-qut-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48990_bishop-bob-qut-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48990_bishop-bob-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48990_bishop-bob-qut.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Acts Full Gospel Church senior pastor Robert L. Jackson. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Acts Full Gospel Church)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s like trying to play basketball without a basketball. It’s like playing football without a football,” Jackson said. “You just can’t have a service, a worship service to God, without singing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like many other faith leaders, Jackson moved his services online and outdoors. He said singing was a regular part of his Sunday “drive-in” services out in the church parking lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People were singing in their cars,” said Jackson. “Most of them had the windows down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>August 2020\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Live vocal performances continued to be a rarity for the rest of last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Californians started to come up with creative ways, often involving technology, to keep singing going as the pandemic restrictions dragged on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j63FFPh-loo\">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j63FFPh-loo\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Starting last August, \u003ca href=\"https://www.fox.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fox\u003c/a> managed to tape two seasons of “\u003ca href=\"https://www.fox.com/the-masked-singer/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Masked Singer\u003c/a>” in Los Angeles using cleverly edited virtual audiences. The hit reality TV show turned out to be the ultimate entertainment for these pandemic times with its mask-wearing celebrity contestants, like an appearance by Long Beach native and Olympic snowboarder \u003ca href=\"https://www.teamusa.org/us-ski-and-snowboard/athletes/Chloe-Kim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chloe Kim\u003c/a>, disguised as a cute, green jellyfish.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>September 2020\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In September, the Silicon Valley-based \u003ca href=\"https://ragazzi.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ragazzi Boys Chorus\u003c/a> went from struggling to sing together during remote rehearsals to being able to sing perfectly in sync online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"JackTrip Virtual Studio demo\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/N-tQy_hdJHk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The transformation happened because a of choir member’s parent. Watching his kid struggle with online rehearsals on Zoom inspired entrepreneur Mike Dickey to develop a new technology called \u003ca href=\"https://www.jacktrip.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">JackTrip\u003c/a>. The free, open-source software, created in partnership with \u003ca href=\"https://ccrma.stanford.edu/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stanford University\u003c/a>, allows singers to sync their voices online from their homes in real time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Solutions to the latency problem for musicians have existed for years, but they’re complicated and expensive to set up. “The idea with JackTrip is to help make online music performance and education as easy and accessible as possible,” Dickey said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>December 2020\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>As the statewide COVID-19 daily case count was hitting an all-time high at the end of the year, a San Francisco theater company decided it would do whatever it took to put on a show. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"J. P. Gonzalez, cast member\"]‘I can reach people with my voice. I love singing. I love music. It’s so healing and it’s so powerful. That’s like the ultimate goal for me is to make people feel good.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In December, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfplayhouse.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco Playhouse\u003c/a> became the first professional performing arts company on the west coast (one of only a couple in the entire country) to produce a musical with a full cast in an indoor venue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company’s production of “\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfplayhouse.org/sfph/2020-2021-season/songs-for-a-new-world/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Songs for a New World\u003c/a>” was quite an undertaking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://vimeo.com/491741601\">https://vimeo.com/491741601\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had to test three times before we even showed up,” said cast member \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfplayhouse.org/sfph/actor/john-paul-gonzalez/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">J. P. Gonzalez\u003c/a>, a native of Lompoc, north of Santa Barbara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They all podded up — actors and stage management in one pod, director and designers in another. “So basically we never mixed,” said Gonzalez.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They prerecorded all of the songs. “We couldn’t sing live on stage,” Gonzalez said. “So we had two days to record all the music.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once on stage, they lip-synched their way through the performance. And the stage was partitioned to further protect cast members from the potential for flying aerosols even while lip-synching.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873316\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873316\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48984_phpto-by-Jessica-Palopoli-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48984_phpto-by-Jessica-Palopoli-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48984_phpto-by-Jessica-Palopoli-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48984_phpto-by-Jessica-Palopoli-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48984_phpto-by-Jessica-Palopoli-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48984_phpto-by-Jessica-Palopoli-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The cast of ‘Songs for a New World’ at SF Playhouse. \u003ccite>(Jessica Palopoli)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We had plexiglass dividers on stage,” said Gonzalez.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also, they didn’t share dressing rooms and wore masks when not singing or filming. “We were masked completely the entire time,” Gonzalez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>COVID spikes in December meant that there was no live audience in the theater. The entire production was filmed and distributed online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gonzalez said he was very glad to be part of the production, despite the unorthodox process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can reach people with my voice. I love singing. I love music. It’s so healing and it’s so powerful,” said Gonzalez. “That’s like the ultimate goal for me is to make people feel good.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>January 2021\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Before the pandemic, the \u003ca href=\"https://hospiceslo.org/services/threshold-singers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Threshold Singers\u003c/a> in San Luis Obispo on the central coast (one of many “\u003ca href=\"https://thresholdchoir.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">threshold choirs\u003c/a>” around the country) sang at the bedsides of terminally ill patients in hospices and homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January of this year, even as COVID-19 cases continued to spike in California, and bedside singing had by then been out of the question for many months, the choir members figured out how to meet to sing together in person — from the safety of their own cars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873317\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873317\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48987_unnamed-qut-800x558.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"558\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48987_unnamed-qut-800x558.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48987_unnamed-qut-1020x712.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48987_unnamed-qut-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48987_unnamed-qut.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The members of the Threshold Singers of San Luis Obispo meet in the parking lot of the local hospice. \u003ccite>(Ruth Baillie)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This time when we sing it, I really want us to think about who we’re singing for,” said Ruth Baillie, the group’s director, speaking into the microphone from her vehicle parked outside the local hospice during a rehearsal. Half a dozen other cars were parked in a semi-circle opposite hers. “So let’s think about being at the bedside. Can you picture somebody you want us to sing this to?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then Baillie sounded the starting note of “Rest Easy,” a slow and soothing song by \u003ca href=\"https://gesundheitpublishing.com/about/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Marilyn Power Scott\u003c/a>, and the singers started to sing in harmony, a cappella, from their cars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.drivewaychoir.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Driveway choirs\u003c/a> like this one have been springing up around the country during the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Singers connect from their vehicles with the help of a cheap FM transmitter that hooks into a mixer. The participants use microphones and can hear each other when tuned to the same frequency on their car radios. Baillie said the person receiving the song in the hospice can join in, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can hand them a radio and they can listen to the radio,” Baillie said. “And if we give them a microphone, we can talk to them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>February 2021\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In February, the state health department restrictions on places of worship involving singing came to a head when \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/20pdf/20a136_bq7c.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a case\u003c/a> brought by a \u003ca href=\"https://southbaypentecostal.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Diego church\u003c/a> reached the Supreme Court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Churches in California had been hitting back against the rules imposed in July 2020 with a string of lawsuits, saying they infringed on their constitutional rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873790\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873790\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49032_acts-full-gospel-church-choir-qut-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49032_acts-full-gospel-church-choir-qut-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49032_acts-full-gospel-church-choir-qut-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49032_acts-full-gospel-church-choir-qut-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49032_acts-full-gospel-church-choir-qut-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49032_acts-full-gospel-church-choir-qut.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Acts Full Gospel Church praise choir singing in pre-pandemic times. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Acts Full Gospel Church)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-to-3 decision that California could no longer restrict indoor church services. But the justices upheld the state’s ban on singing and chanting, which angered faith leaders around the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even though we have all the safety precautions, they still say, ‘OK, you can assemble, according to the Supreme Court. But no singing and no chanting.’ And I’m saying, ‘Hey, we have to be able to sing,’ said Bishop Jackson of Ask Full Gospel Church in Oakland. “So now we’re trying to figure it out — how we can sing and still be in accordance with what the law is asking us to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>April 2021\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>On April 2, Acts Full Gospel went ahead with its Good Friday service. \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=197116925509640&ref=watch_permalink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Viewers watching on Facebook\u003c/a> could see it was held indoors, in a masked, socially distanced setting complete with plexiglass barriers — and plenty of singing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has since reversed its ban on singing and chanting in places of worship. The state is still recommending religious groups don’t do these things though — especially indoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>May 2021\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>At this point, \u003ca href=\"https://covid19.ca.gov/vaccination-progress-data/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">well over half\u003c/a> of California’s residents are now fully or partially vaccinated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even though California is reopening on many fronts, singing has been slower than most other activities to make a return to the public sphere, though groups like the \u003ca href=\"https://sfopera.com/on-stage/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco Opera\u003c/a> have already started experimenting with live performances in socially distanced settings, like the recent drive-in production of “Barber of Seville” and concert series featuring members of the the company’s young artists program, the Adler Fellows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873319\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873319\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48986_Adler_rehearsal_2_lores-qut-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48986_Adler_rehearsal_2_lores-qut-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48986_Adler_rehearsal_2_lores-qut-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48986_Adler_rehearsal_2_lores-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48986_Adler_rehearsal_2_lores-qut.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Opera’s Adler Fellows rehearse for outdoor performances at the Marin Civic Center. \u003ccite>(Kristen Loken)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One person who’s been waiting for a long time for singing to make a comeback is Alyse Whitney — the karaoke queen in L.A.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an interview via Zoom from her apartment, Whitney recalled the day she tried karaoke for the very first time. It was on the east coast where she grew up, on a field trip to New York City for kids like her, who had been adopted from Korea. She was around 11 or 12 at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We went to a buffet of Korean food in Flushing. There was a karaoke private room. And I remember singing ‘N Sync. I believe it was ‘Bye Bye Bye,’ ” Whitney said. “We just had a really fun time and that memory stuck with me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After that, her adoptive parents bought Whitney a home karaoke machine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It had a tape deck and it was the hit of every party, every sleepover that I hosted as a kid,” she said.\u003cbr>\n[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Alyse Whitney\"]‘Even though this year was really hard, there’s that light at the end of the tunnel … And I think it’s a disco light.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whitney said that tape deck is still in her childhood bedroom at her parents’ house. She thought about bringing it with her when she moved to Los Angeles last September to work as managing editor for celebrity and entrepreneur Chrissy Teigen’s \u003ca href=\"https://cravingsbychrissyteigen.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lifestyle and cooking website\u003c/a>. On top of the weirdness of starting a new job in a new city in the middle of the pandemic was the sadness of not being able to karaoke with her friends back east.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I thought about hosting a karaoke virtually,” said Whitney. “I talked to friends about it, but we thought it was weird with the feedback on Zoom and the delays. It wouldn’t have worked.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since Whitney couldn’t get out and explore the karaoke scene in her new city during the pandemic, her mom treated her to some shiny new gear for her birthday last October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a big gold karaoke machine that sits under my TV,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873318\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873318\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48982_IMG_8109-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48982_IMG_8109-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48982_IMG_8109-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48982_IMG_8109-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48982_IMG_8109-qut-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48982_IMG_8109-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Snapshots from Alyse Whitney’s collection depicting many good times doing karaoke with friends. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alyse Whitney)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And in recent months, she’s been putting that big gold karaoke machine to good use, hosting karaoke parties in her apartment for her neighbors. They live in the same fourplex and included Whitney in their pod after she moved in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I moved in my neighbors came over and they said, ‘Welcome to the neighborhood.’ They brought croissants and wine. They were so sweet,” Whitney said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They even formed a band.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We call ourselves D5. And we all have a pose and our position in the band,” said Whitney. “It’s a fun time.” [aside tag=\"singing, choir\" label=\"More Related Stories\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But she said singing at home isn’t the same.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s what I’m looking forward to when I can emerge into the world and go back and do a karaoke room, and celebrate, and remember that even though this year was really hard, there’s that light at the end of the tunnel,” Whitney said. “And I think it’s a disco light.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, Whitney was finally able to visit an L.A. karaoke bar for the first time: \u003ca href=\"https://maxkaraokestudio.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Max Karaoke\u003c/a> in Little Tokyo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The smiley, bespectacled 30-year-old wore her sparkly jumpsuit, did high kicks on the dance floor (which she said she regretted the following day) and sang her signature song — “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was exhilarating,” Whitney said. “I can’t wait to go back.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Throughout the pandemic, KQED has been following what happened to singing across California — from karaoke to choir — and how it went from almost disappearing to helping people maintain solidarity, social purpose and a sense of humor through these dark times.",
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"title": "The Year When Singing Became Dangerous | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>There’s nothing Alyse Whitney likes to do more than hit a karaoke bar with her friends, have a few drinks and sing her heart out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Feeling the presence of being kind of a rock star for the night is really fun and makes me realize that, hey, I’m good at something. This is my thing,” the Los Angeles resident told KQED in a recent video interview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The last time Whitney went out karaokeing was right before the pandemic shut down all the bars. She and her friend were the only customers in the place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We sang almost all of Celine’s [Dion] catalog. We changed the words to Enrique Iglesias’ ‘Escape’ to say, ‘You can run, you can hide, but you can’t escape COVID!’ ” recalled Whitney. “And we didn’t realize it was going to be such a big deal and how impactful that night would have been as a last hurrah.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873303\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11873303 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48981_IMG_7026-qut-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48981_IMG_7026-qut-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48981_IMG_7026-qut-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48981_IMG_7026-qut-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48981_IMG_7026-qut-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48981_IMG_7026-qut-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48981_IMG_7026-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alyse Whitney enjoying a night out at a karaoke bar. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alyse Whitney)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Whitney and her friend staggered out of there at four in the morning. They closed the place down — literally, as it turned out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This was March 6, 2020,” Whitney said. “And my karaoke drought started March 7.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The drought Whitney is talking about didn’t just affect people who like sing in karaoke bars. COVID-19 impacted vocalists across the state — both amateur and professional — in community centers, schools, churches, recording studios, theaters, clubs and concert halls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Last year was going to be a pretty big year in terms of my singing engagements,” said vocalist, singing teacher and actress \u003ca href=\"https://cjsings.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Candace Johnson\u003c/a>. “So I was really looking forward to the [concert] calendar. And then — BOOM — it was all gone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873304\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11873304 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48985_candace-qut-800x441.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48985_candace-qut-800x441.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48985_candace-qut-1020x563.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48985_candace-qut-160x88.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48985_candace-qut-1536x847.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48985_candace-qut.jpg 1914w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Singer and teacher Candace Johnson leading a class on Zoom during the pandemic. \u003ccite>(Zoom screenshot)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The blow to singers across the state wasn’t just financial as their gigs dried up. They also mourned the loss of connection and community. And on top of that, they were forced to confront a devastating truth: This beloved, healthy, everyday activity had become a killer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that COVID-19 is caused by a transmission of the virus primarily through aerosol particles, and about three times as many aerosols are emitted during singing compared to talking,” said \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">UC Davis \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">civil and environmental engineering professor \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://faculty.engineering.ucdavis.edu/cappa/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chris Cappa\u003c/a>, who’s been studying how COVID-19 is spread. “\u003c/span>This means that singing is inherently a riskier activity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most singing in public stopped. But it didn’t go away entirely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout this pandemic, KQED has been chronicling the journeys of individuals and singing groups across California. Read on to find out how singing transformed over the past year, and went from almost disappearing entirely, to helping many across the state maintain solidarity, social purpose and a sense of humor through these dark, dark times.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>March 2020\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>On the morning of March 11, 2020, Americans awoke to the latest in a deluge of coffee-spilling headlines: Despite practicing social distancing, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/13/us/coronavirus-washington-choir-outbreak-trnd/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">53 members of a community choir in Washington state\u003c/a> tested positive for COVID-19 and started showing symptoms of the coronavirus after attending a rehearsal the previous evening. Two members died.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time this superspreader event occurred, COVID-19 tests were hard to come by, and health officials didn’t truly know how the virus was spread. In the early days, public messaging focused on things like telling people to avoid shaking hands with others, disinfecting surfaces and keeping their fingers off their faces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regardless, the wildfire-like spread of the coronavirus over a couple of hours of choral singing inside a Washington church was enough to send shockwaves throughout the singing community in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873305\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873305\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48980_001-Sunrise-Jamie-Pham-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48980_001-Sunrise-Jamie-Pham-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48980_001-Sunrise-Jamie-Pham-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48980_001-Sunrise-Jamie-Pham-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48980_001-Sunrise-Jamie-Pham-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48980_001-Sunrise-Jamie-Pham-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Los Angeles Master Chorale performed its last live concert on Jan. 26, 2020. \u003ccite>(Jamie Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“That was a real warning shot for us,” said \u003ca href=\"https://lamasterchorale.org/jean-davidson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jean Davidson\u003c/a>, president and CEO of the \u003ca href=\"https://lamasterchorale.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Los Angeles Master Chorale\u003c/a>, one of the most high-profile classical vocal ensembles in the state. “And we erred on the side of caution and canceled all of our rehearsals and performances.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The chorale’s last live, in-person concert took place on Jan. 26, 2020. Its last rehearsal was March 4, 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>May 2020\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In those first desolate and bewildering months of lockdown, singing retreated almost entirely indoors and became mostly a solitary act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But despite the extraordinary circumstances and significant health risks, singers weren’t completely willing to give up on the idea of rehearsing together or even singing in public. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last May, in San Francisco, bass-baritone J. T. Williams started appearing on their balcony most late afternoons to sing opera arias. They soon started streaming the concerts on \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/OperaFromTheBalcony/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Facebook\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>J. T. said they’d been struggling with suicidal thoughts near the start of the pandemic. They found healing in the smiles, waves and applause of the people who listened from neighboring homes or stopped by while out walking their dogs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873306\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 552px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11873306 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48983_J-T-Williams-qut-e1621018557411.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"552\" height=\"599\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48983_J-T-Williams-qut-e1621018557411.jpg 552w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48983_J-T-Williams-qut-e1621018557411-160x174.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 552px) 100vw, 552px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">J. T. Williams started singing opera arias on their balcony soon after the pandemic hit. \u003ccite>(Zoom screenshot)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The audience has helped me get through very dark and difficult days,” Williams said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, singers were starting to figure out how to make music together online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many turned to platforms like \u003ca href=\"https://zoom.us/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zoom\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://hangouts.google.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Google Hangouts\u003c/a>. But they were not built for making music. The delays caused by varying data transfer speeds made it almost impossible for people in different locations to sing together in sync.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Groups like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.piedmontchoirs.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir\u003c/a> forged ahead with online rehearsals, even though it was slow going.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a practice held via Zoom KQED sat in on in May 2020, the group’s artistic director, \u003ca href=\"https://www.piedmontchoirs.org/staff/eric-tuan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eric Tuan\u003c/a>, tried to get the young singers to build a chord from the bottom up. “Actually mute yourselves,” he was forced to admit. “It’s not going to work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11810148\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11810148\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42474_eric-leading-online-rehearsal-qut-800x537.jpg\" alt=\"Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir artistic director Eric Tuan leads a virtual rehearsal via Zoom on March 30, 2020.\" width=\"800\" height=\"537\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42474_eric-leading-online-rehearsal-qut-800x537.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42474_eric-leading-online-rehearsal-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42474_eric-leading-online-rehearsal-qut-1020x684.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42474_eric-leading-online-rehearsal-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir Artistic Director Eric Tuan leads a virtual rehearsal via Zoom. \u003ccite>(Zoom screenshot)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But for others, virtual collaboration wasn’t even an option.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Singing teacher \u003ca href=\"http://www.bethwilmurt.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Beth Wilmurt\u003c/a> spent the early months of the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders making short instructional videos for the young members of the \u003ca href=\"https://sfcmc.org/youth/group-classes-and-ensembles/#childrens-chorus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco Community Music Center Children’s Chorus\u003c/a> she leads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Hi everybody. It’s just me and my ukulele,” Wilmurt said at the top of one of her very first videos. “I thought you could sing with me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"CMC Children's Chorus: Warm-up and "Ride This Train" with Beth Wilmurt\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/7B7WCRSwt8I?start=223&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the 8-12 year-olds in Wilmurt’s group come from low-income households. They don’t all have access to internet connections fast enough for online meetups. In the absence of in-person get-togethers for singing, Wilmurt’s videos provided the students with a way to learn songs in their own time from home. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Days can really blend one into the other here,” said Yaron Milgrom, the father of three young singers in Wilmurt’s chorus. “Music and singing songs, it’s just part of keeping a sense of normalcy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilmurt has been teaching this children’s choir for over 20 years. She said what keeps her sticking with it is the sense of connection the kids feel when they get to meet up in person to sing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s palpable, the energy that choirs bring singing together, there’s just nothing like it,” Wilmurt said. “And, we can’t do it with the technology yet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>June 2020\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>As the pitiless Spring dragged on, it became increasingly clear that breaking into song around others was one of the most unsafe things a person could do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even though California was beginning to emerge from the shelter-in-place orders, infections were on the rise. The state’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Department of Public Health\u003c/a> started \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/COVID-19/Guidance-for-the-Prevention-of-COVID-19-Transmission-for-Gatherings--en.pdf#search=singing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">issuing warnings\u003c/a> against singing in public, and it continued to do this throughout the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when Californians took to the streets in protest after George Floyd was murdered by a policeman in Minneapolis, they sang anyway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the San Francisco Bay Area, people marched to the late Oakland-born rapper Mac Dre’s “Feelin’ Myself.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In L.A., they sang “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar. The song has been embraced at Black Lives Matter rallies around the country in recent years because it speaks to hope in difficult times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"LA riots 2020 GOERGE Floyd Los Angeles protest Kendrick Lamar we’re gonna be all right turn up\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/M9sDwLV_eQc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also in June, in the wake of Floyd’s death, Vallejo-born R&B artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hermusicofficial/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">H.E.R.\u003c/a> released the song “I Can’t Breathe.” The singer’s gut-wrenching performance won the \u003ca href=\"https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/her-wins-song-of-the-year-2021-winner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Song of the Year Award at this year’s Grammys\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around the same time as many Californians took to the streets, many others stayed indoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.novajimenez.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nova Jimenez\u003c/a> was among them. The singer and vocal music teacher said she felt so sad at the start of the pandemic that she just locked herself in her room and sang. “It felt like the end of the world,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One day, Jimenez had an idea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Here I am singing by myself, and I thought, well, maybe, maybe someone wants to hear me, I don’t know,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a professional singer, Jimenez realized in that moment maybe she could use her talent to help others overcome their feelings of exhaustion, loneliness and despair. So she placed an online ad offering her services for free to front-line workers, or anyone homebound or isolated due to the pandemic, and in need of a little uplift.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vocalist has performed nearly 100 “\u003ca href=\"https://www.novajimenez.com/news\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sidewalk Serenades\u003c/a>” through the pandemic for front-line workers and people who are isolated in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One Sunday, KQED caught up with Jimenez as she was serenading elders outside a retirement home called \u003ca href=\"https://channinghouse.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Channing House\u003c/a> in Palo Alto.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873310\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873310\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47195_nova-1-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47195_nova-1-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47195_nova-1-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47195_nova-1-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47195_nova-1-qut-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47195_nova-1-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nova Jimenez performs a sidewalk serenade outside Channing House in Palo Alto. \u003ccite>(Chloe Veltman/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Hello, Channing House!” she said after setting up her microphone, music stand and portable amp on the sidewalk across from the drab concrete building. “Oh, dear friends, I’m so happy to see you!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dozens of residents appeared on their balconies and in the parking lot to listen. “It’s so exciting to have Nova come and sing for us,” said resident Nancy Fiene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wearing a dress emblazoned with red peonies and white daisies, Jimenez exuded the spirit of warmth and romance as she sang old-time favorites like “Solamente Una Vez” and “La Vie en Rose.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Life has been far from rosy for the residents of Channing House this past year. They’ve been rocked by two COVID-19 outbreaks and five people have died. It’s been a time of loss and confinement. Fiene said Jimenez’s performances at Channing House have provided a break from all of that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She’s got a lot of pizzazz,” said Fiene. “It’s a little bit of a breath of fresh air from the outside world,” said Fiene’s husband, Tom. “We’ve been pretty well isolated here for months.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873311\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873311\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47193_george-nancy-tom-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47193_george-nancy-tom-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47193_george-nancy-tom-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47193_george-nancy-tom-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47193_george-nancy-tom-qut-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS47193_george-nancy-tom-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Channing House residents Nancy Fiene, Tom Fiene and George Young. \u003ccite>(Chloe Veltman/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>To add to the sense of community, Jimenez’s concerts often end with singalongs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want you to feel like you’re going to just let it out and sing to the heavens!” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The singer launched into her rendition of “Brand New Day” from the musical “The Wiz.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly everyone joined in for the choruses. They waved their arms and clapped. Some even danced around in the parking lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Afterward, the Channing House parking lot erupted in claps, cheers and cries of “Encore! Encore!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Thank you Channing House. Te amo! Te amo! I love you!” said Jimenez. Then the performer packed up her gear and the residents went back inside, maybe feeling just a bit more hopeful about the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>July 2020\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In July, state officials put \u003ca href=\"https://files.covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-places-of-worship.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">limitations on places of worship\u003c/a> after they were the site of several superspreader events. Indoor services had to be restricted to a maximum of 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is lower, and there was a total ban on singing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new rules incensed \u003ca href=\"https://www.actsfullgospel.org/bishop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Robert L. Jackson\u003c/a>, senior pastor of \u003ca href=\"https://www.actsfullgospel.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Acts Full Gospel Church\u003c/a> in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873727\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873727\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48990_bishop-bob-qut-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48990_bishop-bob-qut-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48990_bishop-bob-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48990_bishop-bob-qut.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Acts Full Gospel Church senior pastor Robert L. Jackson. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Acts Full Gospel Church)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s like trying to play basketball without a basketball. It’s like playing football without a football,” Jackson said. “You just can’t have a service, a worship service to God, without singing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like many other faith leaders, Jackson moved his services online and outdoors. He said singing was a regular part of his Sunday “drive-in” services out in the church parking lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People were singing in their cars,” said Jackson. “Most of them had the windows down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>August 2020\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Live vocal performances continued to be a rarity for the rest of last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Californians started to come up with creative ways, often involving technology, to keep singing going as the pandemic restrictions dragged on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j63FFPh-loo\">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j63FFPh-loo\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Starting last August, \u003ca href=\"https://www.fox.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fox\u003c/a> managed to tape two seasons of “\u003ca href=\"https://www.fox.com/the-masked-singer/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Masked Singer\u003c/a>” in Los Angeles using cleverly edited virtual audiences. The hit reality TV show turned out to be the ultimate entertainment for these pandemic times with its mask-wearing celebrity contestants, like an appearance by Long Beach native and Olympic snowboarder \u003ca href=\"https://www.teamusa.org/us-ski-and-snowboard/athletes/Chloe-Kim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chloe Kim\u003c/a>, disguised as a cute, green jellyfish.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>September 2020\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In September, the Silicon Valley-based \u003ca href=\"https://ragazzi.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ragazzi Boys Chorus\u003c/a> went from struggling to sing together during remote rehearsals to being able to sing perfectly in sync online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"JackTrip Virtual Studio demo\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/N-tQy_hdJHk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The transformation happened because a of choir member’s parent. Watching his kid struggle with online rehearsals on Zoom inspired entrepreneur Mike Dickey to develop a new technology called \u003ca href=\"https://www.jacktrip.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">JackTrip\u003c/a>. The free, open-source software, created in partnership with \u003ca href=\"https://ccrma.stanford.edu/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stanford University\u003c/a>, allows singers to sync their voices online from their homes in real time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Solutions to the latency problem for musicians have existed for years, but they’re complicated and expensive to set up. “The idea with JackTrip is to help make online music performance and education as easy and accessible as possible,” Dickey said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>December 2020\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>As the statewide COVID-19 daily case count was hitting an all-time high at the end of the year, a San Francisco theater company decided it would do whatever it took to put on a show. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In December, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfplayhouse.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco Playhouse\u003c/a> became the first professional performing arts company on the west coast (one of only a couple in the entire country) to produce a musical with a full cast in an indoor venue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company’s production of “\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfplayhouse.org/sfph/2020-2021-season/songs-for-a-new-world/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Songs for a New World\u003c/a>” was quite an undertaking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://vimeo.com/491741601\">https://vimeo.com/491741601\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had to test three times before we even showed up,” said cast member \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfplayhouse.org/sfph/actor/john-paul-gonzalez/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">J. P. Gonzalez\u003c/a>, a native of Lompoc, north of Santa Barbara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They all podded up — actors and stage management in one pod, director and designers in another. “So basically we never mixed,” said Gonzalez.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They prerecorded all of the songs. “We couldn’t sing live on stage,” Gonzalez said. “So we had two days to record all the music.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once on stage, they lip-synched their way through the performance. And the stage was partitioned to further protect cast members from the potential for flying aerosols even while lip-synching.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873316\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873316\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48984_phpto-by-Jessica-Palopoli-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48984_phpto-by-Jessica-Palopoli-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48984_phpto-by-Jessica-Palopoli-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48984_phpto-by-Jessica-Palopoli-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48984_phpto-by-Jessica-Palopoli-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48984_phpto-by-Jessica-Palopoli-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The cast of ‘Songs for a New World’ at SF Playhouse. \u003ccite>(Jessica Palopoli)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We had plexiglass dividers on stage,” said Gonzalez.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also, they didn’t share dressing rooms and wore masks when not singing or filming. “We were masked completely the entire time,” Gonzalez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>COVID spikes in December meant that there was no live audience in the theater. The entire production was filmed and distributed online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gonzalez said he was very glad to be part of the production, despite the unorthodox process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can reach people with my voice. I love singing. I love music. It’s so healing and it’s so powerful,” said Gonzalez. “That’s like the ultimate goal for me is to make people feel good.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>January 2021\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Before the pandemic, the \u003ca href=\"https://hospiceslo.org/services/threshold-singers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Threshold Singers\u003c/a> in San Luis Obispo on the central coast (one of many “\u003ca href=\"https://thresholdchoir.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">threshold choirs\u003c/a>” around the country) sang at the bedsides of terminally ill patients in hospices and homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January of this year, even as COVID-19 cases continued to spike in California, and bedside singing had by then been out of the question for many months, the choir members figured out how to meet to sing together in person — from the safety of their own cars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873317\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873317\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48987_unnamed-qut-800x558.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"558\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48987_unnamed-qut-800x558.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48987_unnamed-qut-1020x712.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48987_unnamed-qut-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48987_unnamed-qut.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The members of the Threshold Singers of San Luis Obispo meet in the parking lot of the local hospice. \u003ccite>(Ruth Baillie)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This time when we sing it, I really want us to think about who we’re singing for,” said Ruth Baillie, the group’s director, speaking into the microphone from her vehicle parked outside the local hospice during a rehearsal. Half a dozen other cars were parked in a semi-circle opposite hers. “So let’s think about being at the bedside. Can you picture somebody you want us to sing this to?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then Baillie sounded the starting note of “Rest Easy,” a slow and soothing song by \u003ca href=\"https://gesundheitpublishing.com/about/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Marilyn Power Scott\u003c/a>, and the singers started to sing in harmony, a cappella, from their cars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.drivewaychoir.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Driveway choirs\u003c/a> like this one have been springing up around the country during the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Singers connect from their vehicles with the help of a cheap FM transmitter that hooks into a mixer. The participants use microphones and can hear each other when tuned to the same frequency on their car radios. Baillie said the person receiving the song in the hospice can join in, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can hand them a radio and they can listen to the radio,” Baillie said. “And if we give them a microphone, we can talk to them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>February 2021\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In February, the state health department restrictions on places of worship involving singing came to a head when \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/20pdf/20a136_bq7c.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a case\u003c/a> brought by a \u003ca href=\"https://southbaypentecostal.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Diego church\u003c/a> reached the Supreme Court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Churches in California had been hitting back against the rules imposed in July 2020 with a string of lawsuits, saying they infringed on their constitutional rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873790\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873790\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49032_acts-full-gospel-church-choir-qut-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49032_acts-full-gospel-church-choir-qut-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49032_acts-full-gospel-church-choir-qut-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49032_acts-full-gospel-church-choir-qut-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49032_acts-full-gospel-church-choir-qut-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS49032_acts-full-gospel-church-choir-qut.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Acts Full Gospel Church praise choir singing in pre-pandemic times. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Acts Full Gospel Church)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-to-3 decision that California could no longer restrict indoor church services. But the justices upheld the state’s ban on singing and chanting, which angered faith leaders around the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even though we have all the safety precautions, they still say, ‘OK, you can assemble, according to the Supreme Court. But no singing and no chanting.’ And I’m saying, ‘Hey, we have to be able to sing,’ said Bishop Jackson of Ask Full Gospel Church in Oakland. “So now we’re trying to figure it out — how we can sing and still be in accordance with what the law is asking us to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>April 2021\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>On April 2, Acts Full Gospel went ahead with its Good Friday service. \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=197116925509640&ref=watch_permalink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Viewers watching on Facebook\u003c/a> could see it was held indoors, in a masked, socially distanced setting complete with plexiglass barriers — and plenty of singing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has since reversed its ban on singing and chanting in places of worship. The state is still recommending religious groups don’t do these things though — especially indoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>May 2021\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>At this point, \u003ca href=\"https://covid19.ca.gov/vaccination-progress-data/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">well over half\u003c/a> of California’s residents are now fully or partially vaccinated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even though California is reopening on many fronts, singing has been slower than most other activities to make a return to the public sphere, though groups like the \u003ca href=\"https://sfopera.com/on-stage/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco Opera\u003c/a> have already started experimenting with live performances in socially distanced settings, like the recent drive-in production of “Barber of Seville” and concert series featuring members of the the company’s young artists program, the Adler Fellows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873319\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873319\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48986_Adler_rehearsal_2_lores-qut-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48986_Adler_rehearsal_2_lores-qut-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48986_Adler_rehearsal_2_lores-qut-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48986_Adler_rehearsal_2_lores-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48986_Adler_rehearsal_2_lores-qut.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Opera’s Adler Fellows rehearse for outdoor performances at the Marin Civic Center. \u003ccite>(Kristen Loken)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One person who’s been waiting for a long time for singing to make a comeback is Alyse Whitney — the karaoke queen in L.A.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an interview via Zoom from her apartment, Whitney recalled the day she tried karaoke for the very first time. It was on the east coast where she grew up, on a field trip to New York City for kids like her, who had been adopted from Korea. She was around 11 or 12 at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We went to a buffet of Korean food in Flushing. There was a karaoke private room. And I remember singing ‘N Sync. I believe it was ‘Bye Bye Bye,’ ” Whitney said. “We just had a really fun time and that memory stuck with me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After that, her adoptive parents bought Whitney a home karaoke machine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It had a tape deck and it was the hit of every party, every sleepover that I hosted as a kid,” she said.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘Even though this year was really hard, there’s that light at the end of the tunnel … And I think it’s a disco light.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whitney said that tape deck is still in her childhood bedroom at her parents’ house. She thought about bringing it with her when she moved to Los Angeles last September to work as managing editor for celebrity and entrepreneur Chrissy Teigen’s \u003ca href=\"https://cravingsbychrissyteigen.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lifestyle and cooking website\u003c/a>. On top of the weirdness of starting a new job in a new city in the middle of the pandemic was the sadness of not being able to karaoke with her friends back east.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I thought about hosting a karaoke virtually,” said Whitney. “I talked to friends about it, but we thought it was weird with the feedback on Zoom and the delays. It wouldn’t have worked.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since Whitney couldn’t get out and explore the karaoke scene in her new city during the pandemic, her mom treated her to some shiny new gear for her birthday last October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a big gold karaoke machine that sits under my TV,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873318\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873318\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48982_IMG_8109-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48982_IMG_8109-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48982_IMG_8109-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48982_IMG_8109-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48982_IMG_8109-qut-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/RS48982_IMG_8109-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Snapshots from Alyse Whitney’s collection depicting many good times doing karaoke with friends. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alyse Whitney)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And in recent months, she’s been putting that big gold karaoke machine to good use, hosting karaoke parties in her apartment for her neighbors. They live in the same fourplex and included Whitney in their pod after she moved in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I moved in my neighbors came over and they said, ‘Welcome to the neighborhood.’ They brought croissants and wine. They were so sweet,” Whitney said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They even formed a band.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We call ourselves D5. And we all have a pose and our position in the band,” said Whitney. “It’s a fun time.” \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But she said singing at home isn’t the same.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s what I’m looking forward to when I can emerge into the world and go back and do a karaoke room, and celebrate, and remember that even though this year was really hard, there’s that light at the end of the tunnel,” Whitney said. “And I think it’s a disco light.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, Whitney was finally able to visit an L.A. karaoke bar for the first time: \u003ca href=\"https://maxkaraokestudio.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Max Karaoke\u003c/a> in Little Tokyo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The smiley, bespectacled 30-year-old wore her sparkly jumpsuit, did high kicks on the dance floor (which she said she regretted the following day) and sang her signature song — “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was exhilarating,” Whitney said. “I can’t wait to go back.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "cultural-brokers-for-our-families-young-vietnamese-americans-fight-online-misinformation-for-the-community",
"title": "‘Cultural Brokers for Our Families’: Young Vietnamese Americans Fight Online Misinformation for the Community",
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"headTitle": "‘Cultural Brokers for Our Families’: Young Vietnamese Americans Fight Online Misinformation for the Community | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Two years ago, Dr. Tung Nguyen launched \u003ca href=\"https://www.pivotnetwork.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PIVOT\u003c/a>, a progressive nonprofit that provides information to Vietnamese readers about everything from politics to American culture. Then came the pandemic, and he noticed family members and people in his community spouting misinformation. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Christina Johnson, Vietnamese American Roundtable secretary\"]‘We’ve grown up being cultural brokers, informational brokers for our families. Now we’re really utilizing that skill and expanding it to do it for our communities.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Particularly on YouTube, there are some very high trafficked [sites], and I’m not sure where they are coming from,” said Nguyen, an internal medicine specialist at UCSF. “They seem to have a lot of people listening to what they say, and a lot of what they say is not accurate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So in December, right before the vaccine became available for distribution, Nguyen launched an offshoot of PIVOT, \u003ca href=\"https://www.vietcovid.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">VietCOVID.org\u003c/a>, to share accurate information in Vietnamese about the virus, how it spreads and what people can do to protect themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many younger Vietnamese Americans with a limited grasp of medical vocabulary in Vietnamese, he explains, face a credibility gap speaking to their elders. “The younger people may know the science, but they can’t explain it in a way that actually makes them credible in Vietnamese. Of course, if they do it in English, the older people won’t know or care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nguyen says his goal to help younger Vietnamese Americans speak with authority to their elders about the virus and the vaccine. “We create materials in both English and Vietnamese so that the English speaking people can read it and understand what it says and can point the Vietnamese part to their family members,” Nguyen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873175\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873175\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/VietCovid-Facebook-Post-800x800.jpeg\" alt=\"VietCOVID.org presents information in both English and Vietnamese so that younger and older Vietnamese readers can understand the virus and the vaccine.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/VietCovid-Facebook-Post-800x800.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/VietCovid-Facebook-Post-1020x1020.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/VietCovid-Facebook-Post-160x160.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/VietCovid-Facebook-Post.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">VietCOVID.org presents information in both English and Vietnamese so that younger and older Vietnamese readers can understand the virus and the vaccine.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>San Jose is home to one of the largest Vietnamese American communities in the country, and it’s one of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-12-31/filipino-vietnamese-americans-coronavirus-silicon-valley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hardest hit by the COVID-19\u003c/a> pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Misinformation and YouTube\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>A YouTube spokeswoman told KQED the social media giant employs more than 20,000 content screeners globally, but declined to specify how many of those focus specifically on Vietnamese content, either in Vietnam or in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not difficult to find YouTube channels spouting misinformation about the pandemic in Vietnamese – misinformation that’s often couched as personal opinion – to tens of thousands of subscribers. And YouTube’s \u003ca href=\"https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9891785?hl=en&ref_topic=9282436\">community guidelines\u003c/a> don’t always stop certain channels from spreading harmful content.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED brought one such video in Vietnamese to YouTube’s attention. It was from a channel with more than 96,000 subscribers which has been suspended twice for violating YouTube’s content guidelines. YouTube didn’t remove the video from its website because a spokeswoman said it didn’t violate its guidelines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Nick Nguyen, a board member with PIVOT and a writer for Viet Fact Check, worries the video still spreads harmful misinformation. He argues YouTube’s promise to combat misinformation takes a back seat to its monetization of popular channels, especially when the channels operate in languages other than English. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If they are responsive to our small community, then they will have to spend time and money on other groups who fairly ask, ‘Why aren’t you taking down this content in Farsi or Spanish?’ ” Nick Nguyen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Cultural Brokers in a Pandemic\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In the absence of effective misinformation control, a number of young Vietnamese Americans have been taking matters into their own hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Peter Lai in Connecticut started an Instagram account called \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/viet.fake.news.buster/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Viet Fake News Buster\u003c/a>, where he \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CMdvek4hxtX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pinpoints parts of YouTube videos\u003c/a> that spread misinformation and encourages his followers to flag the videos for YouTube to take down. In Southern California, young Vietnamese American volunteers translate news articles from English into Vietnamese for \u003ca href=\"https://www.the-interpreter.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Interpreter\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873355\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/christina-johnson-1.jpeg\" alt=\"Christina Johnson, secretary for the Vietnamese American Roundtable, felt resources on the pandemic provided by local health officials weren't understandable to her community. So she created resources herself.\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11873355\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/christina-johnson-1.jpeg 500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/christina-johnson-1-160x160.jpeg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christina Johnson, secretary for the Vietnamese American Roundtable, thought resources on the pandemic provided by local health officials weren’t understandable to her community. So she and the VAR team created them. \u003ccite>(Courtesy VAR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the South Bay, there’s the \u003ca href=\"https://varoundtable.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vietnamese American Roundtable\u003c/a>, which had organized webinars for local Vietnamese American business owners on shelter-in-place guidelines on \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/VARoundtable/?ref=page_internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Facebook\u003c/a>, and sent those who sign up for them vaccination alerts in Vietnamese.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This information needs to be out in Vietnamese and there’s no one go-to, or yellow page, or a one-page resource for all our community that is translated into Vietnamese,” said Vietnamese American Roundtable Secretary Christina Johnson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She added that the information needs to be more than accurate, but culturally nuanced, too. For instance, she points to Santa Clara County information about \u003ca href=\"https://covid19.sccgov.org/home-vietnamese\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">COVID-19 and sheltering in place in Vietnamese\u003c/a> as technically accurate, but culturally “clumsy.” [aside tag=\"covid, vietnamese\" label=\"More COVID Stories\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Consider the word “census.” In Vietnamese, too, it means a count of people. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But the word could also be used as investigation,” Johnson said. “When Vietnamese people, like older folks, hear the word ‘investigation,’ it harks back to the communist era. ‘Why are you investigating me? Why do you need to know this information? How is it going to be used?’ ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve grown up being cultural brokers, informational brokers for our families,” Johnson said. “Now we’re really utilizing that skill and expanding it to do it for our communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regardless of misinformation, she says familiar peer pressure is a strong driver for vaccine skeptics to overcome their doubts and get the jab. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“After my husband got it, my grandparents got it, her sister and her brother got it. It was, like, “OK, people around me are getting it so now I’m going to get it,’ ” Johnson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story has been updated.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Two years ago, Dr. Tung Nguyen launched \u003ca href=\"https://www.pivotnetwork.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PIVOT\u003c/a>, a progressive nonprofit that provides information to Vietnamese readers about everything from politics to American culture. Then came the pandemic, and he noticed family members and people in his community spouting misinformation. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Particularly on YouTube, there are some very high trafficked [sites], and I’m not sure where they are coming from,” said Nguyen, an internal medicine specialist at UCSF. “They seem to have a lot of people listening to what they say, and a lot of what they say is not accurate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So in December, right before the vaccine became available for distribution, Nguyen launched an offshoot of PIVOT, \u003ca href=\"https://www.vietcovid.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">VietCOVID.org\u003c/a>, to share accurate information in Vietnamese about the virus, how it spreads and what people can do to protect themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many younger Vietnamese Americans with a limited grasp of medical vocabulary in Vietnamese, he explains, face a credibility gap speaking to their elders. “The younger people may know the science, but they can’t explain it in a way that actually makes them credible in Vietnamese. Of course, if they do it in English, the older people won’t know or care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nguyen says his goal to help younger Vietnamese Americans speak with authority to their elders about the virus and the vaccine. “We create materials in both English and Vietnamese so that the English speaking people can read it and understand what it says and can point the Vietnamese part to their family members,” Nguyen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873175\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11873175\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/VietCovid-Facebook-Post-800x800.jpeg\" alt=\"VietCOVID.org presents information in both English and Vietnamese so that younger and older Vietnamese readers can understand the virus and the vaccine.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/VietCovid-Facebook-Post-800x800.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/VietCovid-Facebook-Post-1020x1020.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/VietCovid-Facebook-Post-160x160.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/VietCovid-Facebook-Post.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">VietCOVID.org presents information in both English and Vietnamese so that younger and older Vietnamese readers can understand the virus and the vaccine.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>San Jose is home to one of the largest Vietnamese American communities in the country, and it’s one of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-12-31/filipino-vietnamese-americans-coronavirus-silicon-valley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hardest hit by the COVID-19\u003c/a> pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Misinformation and YouTube\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>A YouTube spokeswoman told KQED the social media giant employs more than 20,000 content screeners globally, but declined to specify how many of those focus specifically on Vietnamese content, either in Vietnam or in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not difficult to find YouTube channels spouting misinformation about the pandemic in Vietnamese – misinformation that’s often couched as personal opinion – to tens of thousands of subscribers. And YouTube’s \u003ca href=\"https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9891785?hl=en&ref_topic=9282436\">community guidelines\u003c/a> don’t always stop certain channels from spreading harmful content.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED brought one such video in Vietnamese to YouTube’s attention. It was from a channel with more than 96,000 subscribers which has been suspended twice for violating YouTube’s content guidelines. YouTube didn’t remove the video from its website because a spokeswoman said it didn’t violate its guidelines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Nick Nguyen, a board member with PIVOT and a writer for Viet Fact Check, worries the video still spreads harmful misinformation. He argues YouTube’s promise to combat misinformation takes a back seat to its monetization of popular channels, especially when the channels operate in languages other than English. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If they are responsive to our small community, then they will have to spend time and money on other groups who fairly ask, ‘Why aren’t you taking down this content in Farsi or Spanish?’ ” Nick Nguyen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Cultural Brokers in a Pandemic\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In the absence of effective misinformation control, a number of young Vietnamese Americans have been taking matters into their own hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Peter Lai in Connecticut started an Instagram account called \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/viet.fake.news.buster/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Viet Fake News Buster\u003c/a>, where he \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CMdvek4hxtX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pinpoints parts of YouTube videos\u003c/a> that spread misinformation and encourages his followers to flag the videos for YouTube to take down. In Southern California, young Vietnamese American volunteers translate news articles from English into Vietnamese for \u003ca href=\"https://www.the-interpreter.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Interpreter\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11873355\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/christina-johnson-1.jpeg\" alt=\"Christina Johnson, secretary for the Vietnamese American Roundtable, felt resources on the pandemic provided by local health officials weren't understandable to her community. So she created resources herself.\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11873355\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/christina-johnson-1.jpeg 500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/christina-johnson-1-160x160.jpeg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christina Johnson, secretary for the Vietnamese American Roundtable, thought resources on the pandemic provided by local health officials weren’t understandable to her community. So she and the VAR team created them. \u003ccite>(Courtesy VAR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the South Bay, there’s the \u003ca href=\"https://varoundtable.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vietnamese American Roundtable\u003c/a>, which had organized webinars for local Vietnamese American business owners on shelter-in-place guidelines on \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/VARoundtable/?ref=page_internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Facebook\u003c/a>, and sent those who sign up for them vaccination alerts in Vietnamese.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This information needs to be out in Vietnamese and there’s no one go-to, or yellow page, or a one-page resource for all our community that is translated into Vietnamese,” said Vietnamese American Roundtable Secretary Christina Johnson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She added that the information needs to be more than accurate, but culturally nuanced, too. For instance, she points to Santa Clara County information about \u003ca href=\"https://covid19.sccgov.org/home-vietnamese\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">COVID-19 and sheltering in place in Vietnamese\u003c/a> as technically accurate, but culturally “clumsy.” \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Consider the word “census.” In Vietnamese, too, it means a count of people. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But the word could also be used as investigation,” Johnson said. “When Vietnamese people, like older folks, hear the word ‘investigation,’ it harks back to the communist era. ‘Why are you investigating me? Why do you need to know this information? How is it going to be used?’ ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve grown up being cultural brokers, informational brokers for our families,” Johnson said. “Now we’re really utilizing that skill and expanding it to do it for our communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regardless of misinformation, she says familiar peer pressure is a strong driver for vaccine skeptics to overcome their doubts and get the jab. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“After my husband got it, my grandparents got it, her sister and her brother got it. It was, like, “OK, people around me are getting it so now I’m going to get it,’ ” Johnson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story has been updated.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "why-donuts-chinese-food-a-very-californian-combination",
"title": "Why Donuts + Chinese Food = A Very Californian Combination",
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"content": "\u003cp> \u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]B[/dropcap]ay Curious listener Jaimie Cohen wants to learn more about the \u003ca href=\"https://time.com/2837756/donut-or-doughnut/\">doughnut\u003c/a> and Chinese food shops she’s seen around the Bay Area:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Why are there restaurants that serve Chinese food, doughnuts and burgers all in one location? And why are there so many of them specifically in the Bay Area? What is the history of it happening here?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriouspodcastinfo]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Doughnuts have long been a favorite \u003ca href=\"https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-history-of-the-doughnut-150405177/\">American treat\u003c/a>. But what if you could get some lo mein or fried rice while grabbing a dozen of your favorite crullers? It’s a uniquely Californian combination with an unexpected history.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Inside the Mission District’s ‘China Express and Donut’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Those passing through the 24th Street / Mission BART station may have seen the doughnut shop that first piqued Jaimie Cohen’s curiosity. It sits right on the corner: “Chinese Food and Donuts” in bold red lettering.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The shop’s owner, Jolly Chan, immigrated from Cambodia in 1981. He started off in Los Angeles, where he lived until 1985 when he moved up to San Francisco and started China Express and Donut in 1993. “I continue until now,” Chan says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The walls of Chan’s shop flash with neon signs spotlighting the two wildly different foods he serves. He points to his daily array of doughnuts: glazed, sugar and sprinkles. A few feet away, he also offers a buffet of Chinese food classics, including chicken fried rice, pot stickers and sweet and sour pork.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11871927\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11871927 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts3.jpg\" alt=\"People wait for the bus across the street from China Express, a restaurant serving chinese food and donuts, on 24th and Mission Streets in San Francisco\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts3.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts3-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts3-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People wait for the bus across the street from China Express, a restaurant serving Chinese food and doughnuts, on 24th and Mission Streets in San Francisco on March 19, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“A little spicy, a little sweet,” he laughs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The beauty of his operation is that regulars can grab their coffee and a doughnut in the morning and a plate of orange chicken in the afternoon — all for under $10, he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chan learned the ins and outs of this deep fried duo when he first immigrated to Los Angeles. While working at a Chinese restaurant, he learned to make doughnuts from friends who had also recently immigrated from Cambodia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those friends, he said, learned from one very unlikely entrepreneur: “Ted Ngoy, the king of doughnut.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Ted Ngoy, the Donut King, Sweeps California\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Donut King is largely responsible for building a doughnut dynasty across California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ted Ngoy fled Cambodia after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/countries/cambodia/case-study/background/origins-of-the-khmer-rouge\">Khmer Rouge\u003c/a> rose to power during the country’s civil war. In 1975, he arrived at Camp Pendleton, a refugee camp in San Diego County, without a penny to his name. Ngoy was working at a gas station in Tustin, California to support his wife and three children when he smelled a sweet aroma from a nearby doughnut shop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I remember it was a slow night, about midnight, and there was no traffic,” says Ngoy in \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10214496/\">\u003cem>The Donut King\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a recent documentary about his life by filmmaker Alice Gu (premiering on KQED Channel 9, May 24, 2021 at 10pm). “I ran real fast to come to this window right here. I say, ‘Lady, I would like to buy some doughnut.’ She said, ‘Okay, I’ll sell you a dozen doughnut.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"480\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/sY2jXx0OP88\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was love at first bite. Ngoy set out to learn how to make doughnuts himself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He applied and got accepted to a training program with \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchell%27s_Donuts\">Winchell’s Donut House\u003c/a>, then the leading doughnut chain in California. The company gave him a store to manage, and before long, Ngoy scraped together the money to buy his own shop. Then he bought another and another. Within a decade, he owned 70 doughnut shops across California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those iconic pink doughnut boxes were his idea. Before Ngoy came along, doughnuts in the U.S were typically sold in a white box.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One day I asked the salesman, ‘How about we create some kind of pink box?'” Ngoy says in The Donut King. “The pink box costs a lot less. Even a dime or two dimes. We can save a lot of money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ngoy was a shrewd businessman who shared his fortune with other immigrants. He sponsored over 100 Cambodian families to immigrate to the United States and even welcomed them to stay in his mansion when they first arrived.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ngoy also taught dozens of Cambodian immigrants to make doughnuts. At one point, there were \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-10-29/review-the-donut-king-documentary\">reportedly over 5,000\u003c/a> independent doughnut shops sprinkled across the state — roughly 90 percent of them owned by Cambodians. Initially, most of these immigrant-owned, mom and pop shops were concentrated in Southern California, but it was only a matter of time before they began migrating up to the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Supporting One Another to Get Ahead\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Decades after Ngoy took California’s doughnut scene by storm, these fried sweet treats still represent the promise of a better life. Dorothy Chow of B & H Bakery Distributors, a Cambodian-American-owned company, supplies doughnut ingredients throughout Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11871926\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11871926 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts2.jpg\" alt=\"The donut case at China Express and Donuts on Mission Street in San Francisco\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The doughnut case at China Express and Donut on Mission Street in San Francisco on April 16, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Basically [B&H] started to try and create another option to help our own people,” says Chow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chow’s dad started running the business decades ago as an alternative to the giant companies that held a monopoly on doughnut supplies, Chow says. As a survivor of the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian_Civil_War\">Cambodian Civil War\u003c/a> and resulting \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian_genocide\">genocide\u003c/a>, his singular motivation was to support refugees like himself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My dad is actually one of the first groups that escaped out of Cambodia,” says Chow. “He was caught into the labor camps that were happening at the time. He’s seen really horrific things. And I’m sure a lot of these doughnut shop owners have their own experiences.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Going to her dad’s warehouse and selling doughnuts in the summer, Chow spent a lot of time with people who had just come from Cambodia. They worked hard to get a better life for their kids. And took advantage of the resources and knowledge around them in their community, learning to cook new cuisines and how to run businesses in America.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you’ve gone through war and you’ve been able to escape,” says Chow. “If you’ve lost your family and you’ve seen terrible things, owning a doughnut shop is a piece of cake.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Adapting to Survive and Thrive\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]M[/dropcap]ost Cambodian-owned doughnut shops focus on the dessert. However, others have the space, skills and equipment to make high-profit fast foods that cater to American tastes, like hot dogs and hamburgers. Chow says a majority of these doughnut crossover shops are in urban spaces, including San Francisco and Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For China Express and Donut owner Jolly Chan, the combination of the two tasty treats came out of necessity. Everything in the Bay Area is so expensive, he says, “We have to sell more stuff to make up the rent and the expense.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Doughnut shops in less expensive areas can afford to close when they’ve sold out, but that’s not an option for Chan. He decided to incorporate another food option to appeal to the lunch crowd. He says he considered burgers, but that would mean competing with the McDonald’s across the street. He thought Chinese food would help his shop stand out on a crowded corner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11871932\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11871932\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts5.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts5-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts5-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">China Express employee Kyi Sin Hnin Htet helps a customer at the restaurant on 24th and Mission Streets in San Francisco on March 19, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Chan says the majority of his customers are locals and commuters — 80 percent are Latino.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They love it,” he said. However, he has noticed a drop in business since the Mission District started gentrifying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chan says once Valencia Street started changing, younger people moved to the area. And they have different tastes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They don’t like the food that we sell, the doughnuts that we sell. They eat different food,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chan’s shop specializes in old fashioned treats, like gooey raspberry jelly doughnuts or cake doughnuts with rainbow sprinkles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What doughnuts used to be,” he says. “The traditional doughnut.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Neighboring independent doughnut shops like \u003ca href=\"https://dynamodonut.com/\">Dynamo Donut\u003c/a> that sell artisanal, seasonal and organic doughnuts at a much higher price point than Chan’s doughnuts are the new trend. And Chan says during the coronavirus shutdowns, his sales dropped more than 50 percent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His business used to be a 50-50 split between customers who would do takeaway and those who would eat inside. During the pandemic, the takeaway orders didn’t make up for the loss of indoor dining.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a Cambodian entrepreneur, Chan is no stranger to thriving under difficult circumstances. But, he says that if things don’t look up soon he’s not sure he can continue to adapt. He worries his shop won’t survive the next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We cannot make it,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is Bay Curious, the show that answers listener questions about the San Francisco Bay Area. I’m Olivia Allen-Price.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You know how most offices have a “food table?” Some communal spot where you might find extra lemons from someone’s tree … or a bag of leftover Halloween candy … or, on a lucky day, the fresh scones your baking-obsessed colleague whipped together that morning. At KQED, I can’t walk by our food table without taking a glance. You know, just in case something delicious is on offer. Nothing gets me quite as excited as when I spot a \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">little pink cardboard box. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under the flap await a dozen golden doughnuts – just waiting to become my second breakfast.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This particular pink box is from a shop just a few blocks away in San Francisco’s Mission District that’s grabbed the attention of our question asker today, Jaime Cohen. Because they have more than donuts for sale…\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Jamie Cohen: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So my question is, why are there restaurants that serve Chinese food, doughnuts, and burgers all in one location?\u003c/span>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a winning combination Jamie has only seen in California and she wants to know why. Today on the show, we’re exploring the fascinating history and the \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">donut king\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> behind it all. This story first aired in 2021, but its one that still makes my mouth water. Stick around. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[[SPONSOR MESSAGE]]\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reporter Asal Ehsanipour called Jamie Cohen to find out more about her obsession with donut places that \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">also \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">serve Chinese food.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paint me a picture. Can you remember the first time that you saw a sign that said Chinese food and doughnuts, or doughnuts and hamburgers or whatever the combination is? What were you thinking? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jamie Cohen:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So the very first time we ever–I ever noticed it, it was my husband and I. We pointed it out to each other and it said doughnuts and Chinese food and hamburgers. Why are there so many of them? And specifically in the Bay Area– what is the history of it happening here?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I’ll see if I can find out. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jamie Cohen: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I want to know the history. What’s the history? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">OK, you got it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jamie Cohen: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Okay, cool.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[STREET NOISE]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you’ve ever gotten off at the 24th Street / Mission BART station, you’ve probably seen the doughnut shop that first piqued Jaime’s curiosity. It’s right on the corner: “Chinese Food and Donuts” in bold red lettering. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Did you eat breakfast today?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Yes. Early mornings, sometimes I feel hungry. I just grab a doughnut. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[laugh]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is Jolly Chan, the owner of China Express and Donut.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I’m an immigrant from Cambodia. I came to United States in 1981 and I have my small business started in 1985 in Los Angeles. And I move up to San Francisco and have this corner store in early 1993. And continue until now.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jolly’s shop is understated. On the wall there are neon signs flashing the two wildly different foods he serves. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The doughnut that we have every day – have glaze, have sugar.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doughnut holes, sprinkles, there’s chocolate. A few feet away — there’s a buffet style array of Chinese food classics. Like chicken fried rice, pot stickers, and sweet and sour pork. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most popular item for the Chinese food is the hot chicken wings, the teriyaki chicken and the broccoli beef. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What’s your favorite?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hot wings and the broccoli. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jolly says the beauty of this operation is that people can buy lunch and dinner for under 10 bucks. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yeah because it’s a local customer. Yeah. it’s not a tourist spot. It’s a local. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regulars can grab their coffee and a doughnut in the morning… And a plate of orange chicken in the afternoon. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A little spicy, a little sweet.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To some, it may seem like an unconventional pairing. But for \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jolly, this deep fried duo makes perfect sense. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yeah, because I know both. Donut and Chinese food. I used to cook Chinese food in Los Angeles.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">…Which is also where he learned how to make doughnuts. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yeah I learned it from my friend and the friend learned, yeah, it from each other. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And those friends learned from one very unlikely entrepreneur: \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ted Ngoy, the king of donut. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[laugh]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ted Ngoy. The Donut \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">King\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Donut King: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Donut time!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Donut King is pretty much single-handedly responsible for building a doughnut dynasty across California. Ted was a refugee who fled Cambodia after the Khmer Rouge rose to power during the country’s civil war. In 1975, he arrived in California without a penny to his name. One day, he was working at a gas station when he smelled a sweet aroma from a nearby doughnut shop. Here he is in a recent documentary made by Alice Gu, aptly called “The Donut King.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ted Ngoy:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I remember it was a slow night, about midnight and there’s no traffic. I ran real fast to come to this window right here. I say, ‘Lady, I would like to buy some doughnut.’ She said, ‘Okay, I’ll sell you a dozen doughnut.’ I fell in love with doughnuts from that moment that I had a bite. Doughnuts remind me of a cake called nom-ko in Cambodia. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was love at first bite. Ted applied and got accepted to a training program with Winchell’s Donut House. Before long he’d scraped together the money to buy his own shop. And then another. And then another. Within a decade, he owned 70 doughnut shops across California. And, get this… Those iconic pink boxes? That was Ted. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ted Ngoy: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before we come to the picture, American people always use a white box. One day I asked the salesman, say ‘How about we create some kind of pink box? The pink box costs a lot less. Even a dime or two dime. We can save a lot of money.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ted had a knack for business and he shared his fortune with other immigrants. He sponsored over 100 Cambodian families to immigrate to the US and when they arrived he would literally open up his mansion to them. And he taught them how to make donuts. At one point, there were reportedly over 5,000 independent doughnut shops sprinkled around the state. Roughly 90 percent were owned by Cambodians. Most were concentrated in Southern California but pretty soon these immigrant-owned mom and pop shops started opening up in the Bay Area. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dorothy Chow: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We distribute currently all throughout Northern California. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is Dorothy Chow of B and H Bakery Distributors, a Cambodian American-owned company that supplies doughnut ingredients\u003c/span>\u003cb>. \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dorothy Chow: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Basically the whole purpose is it started to just try and create another option to help our own people. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dorothy’s dad started running the business decades ago as an alternative to the giant companies that held a monopoly on doughnut supplies. His singular motivation was to support Cambodian refugees like himself. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dorothy Chow: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My dad is actually one of the first groups that escaped out of Cambodia. And on top of that he was caught into the labor camps that were happening at the time. He’s seen really, really horrific things and I’m sure a lot of these doughnut shop owners have their own experiences. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Going to her dad’s warehouse and selling donuts in the summer, Dorothy spent a lot of time with people who had just come from Cambodia. They worked hard to get a better life for their kids. And took advantage of the resources and knowledge around them in their community, learning to cook new cuisines and run businesses. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dorothy Chow: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I mean if you’ve gone through war and you’ve been able to escape. You’ve lost your family and you’ve seen terrible things, you know, owning a doughnuts shop is a piece of cake. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, most of these shops deal strictly in doughnuts. But others have the space, skills, and equipment to make high profit fast foods that cater to Americans tastes, like hot dogs and hamburgers. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dorothy Chow:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Why not make something that can make more money? You know, doughnuts are fast food that you can get. And they’re trying to do the same thing with that lunch category. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dorothy says there are more donut-Chinese crossover shops in urban areas – like San Francisco and Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reason why? It’s back at Jolly Chan’s restaurant near the 24th Street Bart station. Hi, can I get a veggie deluxe please? And I’ll get a \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">doughnut\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, too.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jolly Chan says, for him – the combination of doughnuts and Chinese food came out of necessity. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The rent, the cost of employee, the cost of everything in Bay Area is higher than other places. We have to sell more stuff to make up the rent and the expense. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doughnut shops in less expensive areas can \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">afford\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to close when they’ve sold out. But closing at noon is impossible in urban areas where the rents are higher. So Jolly had to incorporate another food option to appeal to the lunch crowd. He considered burgers, but that would mean competing with the McDonalds across the street. He already knew how to make Chinese food from his early days in the US, and it helped his shop stand out on a crowded corner. Jolly says his customers are local to the Mission District. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">80 percent Latino. 80 percent Latino. They love it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or, the folks that used to be local. That’s all changing now.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the 90s a lot of Latino, a lot of live in this Mission District. But now after they develop the Valencia, yeah a lot of younger people. They are coming and they don’t like the way that we sell. The food that we sell. The donuts that we sell. They eat different food.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jolly says he’s struggled to keep up with the changes in the Mission. He specializes in the good old fashioned stuff. Like – those gooey raspberry jelly donuts, or cake donuts with rainbow sprinkles. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What donut used to be.\u003c/span>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What did donuts used to be?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The traditional donut. Not the one that they make up like a cake like a decoration that cost more than the regular one, yeah.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He’s talking about shops like Dynamo Donuts on 24th Street just a few blocks over. They sell donuts that are local, artisanal, seasonal, organic – you get it. And that competition has been hard for Jolly. Cambodian entrepreneurs like Jolly Chan are survivors. They left their homeland. And through sheer grit, they were able to thrive here in California. But, according to Jolly, everything is changing so fast. And after all this time, he’s not sure he has the energy to keep up.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That was reporter Asal Ehsanipour. We do have an update since this story aired. China Express and Donut DID survive the challenges of the pandemic. Jolly Chan still owns the shop, though he is looking for his next step. Retirement perhaps. The business is for sale. So if you’re interested, give him a call.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We’ve got a brand new voting round to kick off the new year – Here’s what’s up for consideration: \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who is “Stevens” and why is Stevens Creek in San Jose and Cupertino named after him or her?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why does San Jose have such a high concentration of Vietnamese people?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I see peacocks sometimes in the East Foothills of San Jose. They certainly are not native to California. How did they get here?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Head to BayCuriuos.org to vote for which question you’d like to hear on the program. It only takes a few seconds! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This episode of Bay Curious was made in 2021 by Katie McMurran, Suzie Racho and Katrina Schwartz. It was updated this week by Christopher Beale, Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font and Ana De Almeida Amaral. Our show is a production of member-supported KQED in San Francisco. I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Have a great week!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Small businesses that sell doughnuts and Chinese food are a common sight in California. Many of their owners are Cambodian immigrants who escaped the Khamer Rouge.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp> \u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">B\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>ay Curious listener Jaimie Cohen wants to learn more about the \u003ca href=\"https://time.com/2837756/donut-or-doughnut/\">doughnut\u003c/a> and Chinese food shops she’s seen around the Bay Area:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Why are there restaurants that serve Chinese food, doughnuts and burgers all in one location? And why are there so many of them specifically in the Bay Area? What is the history of it happening here?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003caside class=\"alignleft utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__bayCuriousPodcastShortcode__bayCurious\">\u003cimg src=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bayCuriousLogo.png alt=\"Bay Curious Podcast\" loading=\"lazy\" />\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a> is a podcast that answers your questions about the Bay Area.\n Subscribe on \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>,\n \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NPR One\u003c/a> or your favorite podcast platform.\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Doughnuts have long been a favorite \u003ca href=\"https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-history-of-the-doughnut-150405177/\">American treat\u003c/a>. But what if you could get some lo mein or fried rice while grabbing a dozen of your favorite crullers? It’s a uniquely Californian combination with an unexpected history.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Inside the Mission District’s ‘China Express and Donut’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Those passing through the 24th Street / Mission BART station may have seen the doughnut shop that first piqued Jaimie Cohen’s curiosity. It sits right on the corner: “Chinese Food and Donuts” in bold red lettering.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The shop’s owner, Jolly Chan, immigrated from Cambodia in 1981. He started off in Los Angeles, where he lived until 1985 when he moved up to San Francisco and started China Express and Donut in 1993. “I continue until now,” Chan says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The walls of Chan’s shop flash with neon signs spotlighting the two wildly different foods he serves. He points to his daily array of doughnuts: glazed, sugar and sprinkles. A few feet away, he also offers a buffet of Chinese food classics, including chicken fried rice, pot stickers and sweet and sour pork.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11871927\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11871927 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts3.jpg\" alt=\"People wait for the bus across the street from China Express, a restaurant serving chinese food and donuts, on 24th and Mission Streets in San Francisco\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts3.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts3-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts3-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People wait for the bus across the street from China Express, a restaurant serving Chinese food and doughnuts, on 24th and Mission Streets in San Francisco on March 19, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“A little spicy, a little sweet,” he laughs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The beauty of his operation is that regulars can grab their coffee and a doughnut in the morning and a plate of orange chicken in the afternoon — all for under $10, he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chan learned the ins and outs of this deep fried duo when he first immigrated to Los Angeles. While working at a Chinese restaurant, he learned to make doughnuts from friends who had also recently immigrated from Cambodia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those friends, he said, learned from one very unlikely entrepreneur: “Ted Ngoy, the king of doughnut.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Ted Ngoy, the Donut King, Sweeps California\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">T\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>he Donut King is largely responsible for building a doughnut dynasty across California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ted Ngoy fled Cambodia after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/countries/cambodia/case-study/background/origins-of-the-khmer-rouge\">Khmer Rouge\u003c/a> rose to power during the country’s civil war. In 1975, he arrived at Camp Pendleton, a refugee camp in San Diego County, without a penny to his name. Ngoy was working at a gas station in Tustin, California to support his wife and three children when he smelled a sweet aroma from a nearby doughnut shop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I remember it was a slow night, about midnight, and there was no traffic,” says Ngoy in \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10214496/\">\u003cem>The Donut King\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a recent documentary about his life by filmmaker Alice Gu (premiering on KQED Channel 9, May 24, 2021 at 10pm). “I ran real fast to come to this window right here. I say, ‘Lady, I would like to buy some doughnut.’ She said, ‘Okay, I’ll sell you a dozen doughnut.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"480\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/sY2jXx0OP88\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was love at first bite. Ngoy set out to learn how to make doughnuts himself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He applied and got accepted to a training program with \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchell%27s_Donuts\">Winchell’s Donut House\u003c/a>, then the leading doughnut chain in California. The company gave him a store to manage, and before long, Ngoy scraped together the money to buy his own shop. Then he bought another and another. Within a decade, he owned 70 doughnut shops across California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those iconic pink doughnut boxes were his idea. Before Ngoy came along, doughnuts in the U.S were typically sold in a white box.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One day I asked the salesman, ‘How about we create some kind of pink box?'” Ngoy says in The Donut King. “The pink box costs a lot less. Even a dime or two dimes. We can save a lot of money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ngoy was a shrewd businessman who shared his fortune with other immigrants. He sponsored over 100 Cambodian families to immigrate to the United States and even welcomed them to stay in his mansion when they first arrived.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ngoy also taught dozens of Cambodian immigrants to make doughnuts. At one point, there were \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-10-29/review-the-donut-king-documentary\">reportedly over 5,000\u003c/a> independent doughnut shops sprinkled across the state — roughly 90 percent of them owned by Cambodians. Initially, most of these immigrant-owned, mom and pop shops were concentrated in Southern California, but it was only a matter of time before they began migrating up to the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Supporting One Another to Get Ahead\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Decades after Ngoy took California’s doughnut scene by storm, these fried sweet treats still represent the promise of a better life. Dorothy Chow of B & H Bakery Distributors, a Cambodian-American-owned company, supplies doughnut ingredients throughout Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11871926\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11871926 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts2.jpg\" alt=\"The donut case at China Express and Donuts on Mission Street in San Francisco\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The doughnut case at China Express and Donut on Mission Street in San Francisco on April 16, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Basically [B&H] started to try and create another option to help our own people,” says Chow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chow’s dad started running the business decades ago as an alternative to the giant companies that held a monopoly on doughnut supplies, Chow says. As a survivor of the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian_Civil_War\">Cambodian Civil War\u003c/a> and resulting \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian_genocide\">genocide\u003c/a>, his singular motivation was to support refugees like himself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My dad is actually one of the first groups that escaped out of Cambodia,” says Chow. “He was caught into the labor camps that were happening at the time. He’s seen really horrific things. And I’m sure a lot of these doughnut shop owners have their own experiences.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Going to her dad’s warehouse and selling doughnuts in the summer, Chow spent a lot of time with people who had just come from Cambodia. They worked hard to get a better life for their kids. And took advantage of the resources and knowledge around them in their community, learning to cook new cuisines and how to run businesses in America.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you’ve gone through war and you’ve been able to escape,” says Chow. “If you’ve lost your family and you’ve seen terrible things, owning a doughnut shop is a piece of cake.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Adapting to Survive and Thrive\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">M\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>ost Cambodian-owned doughnut shops focus on the dessert. However, others have the space, skills and equipment to make high-profit fast foods that cater to American tastes, like hot dogs and hamburgers. Chow says a majority of these doughnut crossover shops are in urban spaces, including San Francisco and Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For China Express and Donut owner Jolly Chan, the combination of the two tasty treats came out of necessity. Everything in the Bay Area is so expensive, he says, “We have to sell more stuff to make up the rent and the expense.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Doughnut shops in less expensive areas can afford to close when they’ve sold out, but that’s not an option for Chan. He decided to incorporate another food option to appeal to the lunch crowd. He says he considered burgers, but that would mean competing with the McDonald’s across the street. He thought Chinese food would help his shop stand out on a crowded corner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11871932\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11871932\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts5.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts5-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts5-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Chinese-and-donuts5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">China Express employee Kyi Sin Hnin Htet helps a customer at the restaurant on 24th and Mission Streets in San Francisco on March 19, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Chan says the majority of his customers are locals and commuters — 80 percent are Latino.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They love it,” he said. However, he has noticed a drop in business since the Mission District started gentrifying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chan says once Valencia Street started changing, younger people moved to the area. And they have different tastes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They don’t like the food that we sell, the doughnuts that we sell. They eat different food,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chan’s shop specializes in old fashioned treats, like gooey raspberry jelly doughnuts or cake doughnuts with rainbow sprinkles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What doughnuts used to be,” he says. “The traditional doughnut.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Neighboring independent doughnut shops like \u003ca href=\"https://dynamodonut.com/\">Dynamo Donut\u003c/a> that sell artisanal, seasonal and organic doughnuts at a much higher price point than Chan’s doughnuts are the new trend. And Chan says during the coronavirus shutdowns, his sales dropped more than 50 percent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His business used to be a 50-50 split between customers who would do takeaway and those who would eat inside. During the pandemic, the takeaway orders didn’t make up for the loss of indoor dining.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a Cambodian entrepreneur, Chan is no stranger to thriving under difficult circumstances. But, he says that if things don’t look up soon he’s not sure he can continue to adapt. He worries his shop won’t survive the next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We cannot make it,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-content post-body\">\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is Bay Curious, the show that answers listener questions about the San Francisco Bay Area. I’m Olivia Allen-Price.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You know how most offices have a “food table?” Some communal spot where you might find extra lemons from someone’s tree … or a bag of leftover Halloween candy … or, on a lucky day, the fresh scones your baking-obsessed colleague whipped together that morning. At KQED, I can’t walk by our food table without taking a glance. You know, just in case something delicious is on offer. Nothing gets me quite as excited as when I spot a \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">little pink cardboard box. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under the flap await a dozen golden doughnuts – just waiting to become my second breakfast.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This particular pink box is from a shop just a few blocks away in San Francisco’s Mission District that’s grabbed the attention of our question asker today, Jaime Cohen. Because they have more than donuts for sale…\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Jamie Cohen: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So my question is, why are there restaurants that serve Chinese food, doughnuts, and burgers all in one location?\u003c/span>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a winning combination Jamie has only seen in California and she wants to know why. Today on the show, we’re exploring the fascinating history and the \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">donut king\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> behind it all. This story first aired in 2021, but its one that still makes my mouth water. Stick around. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[[SPONSOR MESSAGE]]\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reporter Asal Ehsanipour called Jamie Cohen to find out more about her obsession with donut places that \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">also \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">serve Chinese food.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paint me a picture. Can you remember the first time that you saw a sign that said Chinese food and doughnuts, or doughnuts and hamburgers or whatever the combination is? What were you thinking? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jamie Cohen:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So the very first time we ever–I ever noticed it, it was my husband and I. We pointed it out to each other and it said doughnuts and Chinese food and hamburgers. Why are there so many of them? And specifically in the Bay Area– what is the history of it happening here?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I’ll see if I can find out. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jamie Cohen: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I want to know the history. What’s the history? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">OK, you got it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jamie Cohen: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Okay, cool.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[STREET NOISE]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you’ve ever gotten off at the 24th Street / Mission BART station, you’ve probably seen the doughnut shop that first piqued Jaime’s curiosity. It’s right on the corner: “Chinese Food and Donuts” in bold red lettering. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Did you eat breakfast today?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Yes. Early mornings, sometimes I feel hungry. I just grab a doughnut. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[laugh]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is Jolly Chan, the owner of China Express and Donut.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I’m an immigrant from Cambodia. I came to United States in 1981 and I have my small business started in 1985 in Los Angeles. And I move up to San Francisco and have this corner store in early 1993. And continue until now.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jolly’s shop is understated. On the wall there are neon signs flashing the two wildly different foods he serves. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The doughnut that we have every day – have glaze, have sugar.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doughnut holes, sprinkles, there’s chocolate. A few feet away — there’s a buffet style array of Chinese food classics. Like chicken fried rice, pot stickers, and sweet and sour pork. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most popular item for the Chinese food is the hot chicken wings, the teriyaki chicken and the broccoli beef. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What’s your favorite?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hot wings and the broccoli. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jolly says the beauty of this operation is that people can buy lunch and dinner for under 10 bucks. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yeah because it’s a local customer. Yeah. it’s not a tourist spot. It’s a local. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regulars can grab their coffee and a doughnut in the morning… And a plate of orange chicken in the afternoon. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A little spicy, a little sweet.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To some, it may seem like an unconventional pairing. But for \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jolly, this deep fried duo makes perfect sense. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yeah, because I know both. Donut and Chinese food. I used to cook Chinese food in Los Angeles.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">…Which is also where he learned how to make doughnuts. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yeah I learned it from my friend and the friend learned, yeah, it from each other. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And those friends learned from one very unlikely entrepreneur: \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ted Ngoy, the king of donut. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[laugh]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ted Ngoy. The Donut \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">King\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Donut King: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Donut time!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Donut King is pretty much single-handedly responsible for building a doughnut dynasty across California. Ted was a refugee who fled Cambodia after the Khmer Rouge rose to power during the country’s civil war. In 1975, he arrived in California without a penny to his name. One day, he was working at a gas station when he smelled a sweet aroma from a nearby doughnut shop. Here he is in a recent documentary made by Alice Gu, aptly called “The Donut King.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ted Ngoy:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I remember it was a slow night, about midnight and there’s no traffic. I ran real fast to come to this window right here. I say, ‘Lady, I would like to buy some doughnut.’ She said, ‘Okay, I’ll sell you a dozen doughnut.’ I fell in love with doughnuts from that moment that I had a bite. Doughnuts remind me of a cake called nom-ko in Cambodia. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was love at first bite. Ted applied and got accepted to a training program with Winchell’s Donut House. Before long he’d scraped together the money to buy his own shop. And then another. And then another. Within a decade, he owned 70 doughnut shops across California. And, get this… Those iconic pink boxes? That was Ted. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ted Ngoy: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before we come to the picture, American people always use a white box. One day I asked the salesman, say ‘How about we create some kind of pink box? The pink box costs a lot less. Even a dime or two dime. We can save a lot of money.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ted had a knack for business and he shared his fortune with other immigrants. He sponsored over 100 Cambodian families to immigrate to the US and when they arrived he would literally open up his mansion to them. And he taught them how to make donuts. At one point, there were reportedly over 5,000 independent doughnut shops sprinkled around the state. Roughly 90 percent were owned by Cambodians. Most were concentrated in Southern California but pretty soon these immigrant-owned mom and pop shops started opening up in the Bay Area. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dorothy Chow: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We distribute currently all throughout Northern California. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is Dorothy Chow of B and H Bakery Distributors, a Cambodian American-owned company that supplies doughnut ingredients\u003c/span>\u003cb>. \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dorothy Chow: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Basically the whole purpose is it started to just try and create another option to help our own people. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dorothy’s dad started running the business decades ago as an alternative to the giant companies that held a monopoly on doughnut supplies. His singular motivation was to support Cambodian refugees like himself. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dorothy Chow: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My dad is actually one of the first groups that escaped out of Cambodia. And on top of that he was caught into the labor camps that were happening at the time. He’s seen really, really horrific things and I’m sure a lot of these doughnut shop owners have their own experiences. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Going to her dad’s warehouse and selling donuts in the summer, Dorothy spent a lot of time with people who had just come from Cambodia. They worked hard to get a better life for their kids. And took advantage of the resources and knowledge around them in their community, learning to cook new cuisines and run businesses. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dorothy Chow: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I mean if you’ve gone through war and you’ve been able to escape. You’ve lost your family and you’ve seen terrible things, you know, owning a doughnuts shop is a piece of cake. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, most of these shops deal strictly in doughnuts. But others have the space, skills, and equipment to make high profit fast foods that cater to Americans tastes, like hot dogs and hamburgers. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dorothy Chow:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Why not make something that can make more money? You know, doughnuts are fast food that you can get. And they’re trying to do the same thing with that lunch category. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dorothy says there are more donut-Chinese crossover shops in urban areas – like San Francisco and Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reason why? It’s back at Jolly Chan’s restaurant near the 24th Street Bart station. Hi, can I get a veggie deluxe please? And I’ll get a \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">doughnut\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, too.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jolly Chan says, for him – the combination of doughnuts and Chinese food came out of necessity. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The rent, the cost of employee, the cost of everything in Bay Area is higher than other places. We have to sell more stuff to make up the rent and the expense. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doughnut shops in less expensive areas can \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">afford\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to close when they’ve sold out. But closing at noon is impossible in urban areas where the rents are higher. So Jolly had to incorporate another food option to appeal to the lunch crowd. He considered burgers, but that would mean competing with the McDonalds across the street. He already knew how to make Chinese food from his early days in the US, and it helped his shop stand out on a crowded corner. Jolly says his customers are local to the Mission District. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">80 percent Latino. 80 percent Latino. They love it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or, the folks that used to be local. That’s all changing now.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the 90s a lot of Latino, a lot of live in this Mission District. But now after they develop the Valencia, yeah a lot of younger people. They are coming and they don’t like the way that we sell. The food that we sell. The donuts that we sell. They eat different food.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jolly says he’s struggled to keep up with the changes in the Mission. He specializes in the good old fashioned stuff. Like – those gooey raspberry jelly donuts, or cake donuts with rainbow sprinkles. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What donut used to be.\u003c/span>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What did donuts used to be?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jolly Chan: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The traditional donut. Not the one that they make up like a cake like a decoration that cost more than the regular one, yeah.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Asal Ehsanipour: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He’s talking about shops like Dynamo Donuts on 24th Street just a few blocks over. They sell donuts that are local, artisanal, seasonal, organic – you get it. And that competition has been hard for Jolly. Cambodian entrepreneurs like Jolly Chan are survivors. They left their homeland. And through sheer grit, they were able to thrive here in California. But, according to Jolly, everything is changing so fast. And after all this time, he’s not sure he has the energy to keep up.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That was reporter Asal Ehsanipour. We do have an update since this story aired. China Express and Donut DID survive the challenges of the pandemic. Jolly Chan still owns the shop, though he is looking for his next step. Retirement perhaps. The business is for sale. So if you’re interested, give him a call.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We’ve got a brand new voting round to kick off the new year – Here’s what’s up for consideration: \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who is “Stevens” and why is Stevens Creek in San Jose and Cupertino named after him or her?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why does San Jose have such a high concentration of Vietnamese people?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I see peacocks sometimes in the East Foothills of San Jose. They certainly are not native to California. How did they get here?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Head to BayCuriuos.org to vote for which question you’d like to hear on the program. It only takes a few seconds! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This episode of Bay Curious was made in 2021 by Katie McMurran, Suzie Racho and Katrina Schwartz. It was updated this week by Christopher Beale, Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font and Ana De Almeida Amaral. Our show is a production of member-supported KQED in San Francisco. I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Have a great week!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>"
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"slug": "a-moral-obligation-south-asian-diaspora-assist-covid-in-india-with-money-and-time",
"title": "‘A Moral Obligation’: South Asian Diaspora Assists COVID Efforts in India With Money and Time",
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"headTitle": "‘A Moral Obligation’: South Asian Diaspora Assists COVID Efforts in India With Money and Time | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>As the South Asian diaspora continues to witness the \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-science-coronavirus-business-health-c2a72c4d2ab29aa163e785ca98181023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">horrific scenes\u003c/a> of mass funeral pyres and overrun hospitals in India, many in the Bay Area and across the country are finding ways to contribute to ongoing relief efforts rooted in community-based organizations in India.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re pioneering creative ways of providing help and assistance, like cross-continental video chats for doctor’s visits. As the country’s official death toll nears 220,000, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/04/30/992451165/india-is-counting-thousands-of-daily-covid-deaths-how-many-is-it-missing\">with many saying that is an undercount\u003c/a>, the need to help is only mounting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is totally surreal,” said Harish Ramadas, president of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of \u003ca href=\"https://aidindia.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Association for India’s Development\u003c/a>, on the contrast between the ease of getting a vaccine in the Bay Area and the pain and suffering in many parts of India.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ramadas said he and many fellow AID volunteers cope with the disconnect between their lives in the rapidly reopening Bay Area and horrors in India by volunteering and fundraising as much as possible, and using their privileged position to advocate on behalf of others.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Zain Alam, co-creator of Doctors in Diaspora\"]‘We have the access to technology, we have WhatsApp, we have phones, we have the internet, we can be creative and make a difference.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AID is a mainly volunteer-run organization that has supported traditional development efforts in India for nearly 30 years. Ramadas said their focus is on grassroots partnerships, working in areas of social and environmental justice, health care, education and labor rights. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We learn from them and the solutions that we help implement are all community-driven as opposed to a sort of top-down, paternalistic colonial approach,” Ramadas said. AID works directly with communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shrinaath Chidambaram, who lives in Los Altos, is on the board of directors for AID. For him, it’s about more than the current news media cycle. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think first thing is for people to just go beyond the headlines and recognize that this is a multidimensional problem,” he said. “Hospital scenes and the crematorium scenes are heartbreaking, but there is a much bigger crisis yet to come,” Chidambaram said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AID is taking a multipronged approach — looking at four main aspects: oxygen shortages, supporting medical help desks, helping people stay home and promoting vaccine awareness. For \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/31/822642382/coronavirus-lockdown-sends-migrant-workers-on-a-long-and-risky-trip-home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">daily wage earners, and migrant laborers\u003c/a>, earning enough money and buying supplies in advance can be a challenge and nearly impossible in some cases. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If not controlled in some form, it’s going to really lead to a disaster of epic proportions,” Chidambaram said of COVID-19 in India. The impact is already being \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-europe-business-global-trade-coronavirus-e95f0515b68ed20ea1f0a53bdea3ffae\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">felt in neighboring Bangladesh\u003c/a>, as the federal government bans vaccine exports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While AID has existed for many years and is a reliable grassroots organization serving many parts of India, others in the Bay Area are focusing donations and assistance to specific marginalized communities, like the transgender community, or \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2014/04/18/304548675/a-journey-of-pain-and-beauty-on-becoming-transgender-in-india\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cem>hijra\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While we recognize that everybody is in panic and running around, our community is being left behind,” Anjali Rimi told KQED. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They are starving,” Rimi said of the trans community in India. “Other communities still have access to the internet to be able to order delivery or be able to go out.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rimi is encouraging people to give to a specific GoFundMe, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-indian-trans-lives-covid-relief\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Save Indian Trans Lives: COVID Relief\u003c/a>, organized by \u003ca href=\"https://parivarbayarea.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Parivar Bay Area\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have now over 6,000 trans folks that have reached out for help,” Rimi said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to Bay Area efforts, newer initiatives have popped up across the country in the last week to meet the immediate needs of those in search of doctors and medical attention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zain Alam, along with members of the South Asian diaspora mostly based in New York, started \u003ca href=\"http://doctorsindiaspora.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Doctors in Diaspora\u003c/a> just last week to connect volunteer doctors virtually to people in India facing a medical professional shortages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were really, just really, really struck by what we were hearing from our families and India about the total lack of a response on the part of the state there,” Alam said. They are urging doctors from the Indian diaspora to sign up, as well as doctors in less impacted locations in India. Based on availability, doctors are then matched with those needing assistance in India for remote consultations. Others interested in supporting the project are also welcome, and Alam said they’ve just had the first round of calls this weekend. But they will soon be using an app designed for the pandemic, which will allow doctors and patients to speak without the need to reveal personal contact information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alam said the initial calls between doctors and patients underlined how critical this work is. Though they estimated each call would be closer to 10 minutes, Alam said most were closer to 20 minutes. “There’s just not enough medical professionals in India right now to speak to people — they don’t have time to talk to anyone,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alam and others involved in the project hope to take advantage of the wealth, knowledge and resources of the diaspora. “We have a very specific ability to speak to the needs in India right now,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While he acknowledged that often the American way to give aid is “throwing money at a problem,” he said, “this is a way that we can give that is a little bit more pointed than just giving money.” [aside tag=\"india, covid\" label=\"More Related Stories\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this case, the ease in which many in India and abroad are able to access technology makes the project possible. “We have the access to technology, we have WhatsApp, we have phones, we have the Internet, we can be creative and make a difference,” Alam said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back in the Bay Area, members of AID are also suggesting those in the U.S. lobby members of Congress to get the federal government \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/01/05/953653373/some-experts-say-temporary-halt-on-drug-patents-is-needed-to-stop-pandemic-world\">to release vaccine patents\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a situation where we really have a moral obligation to just put in everything we’ve got to help the people of India and other parts of the world that are in similarly difficult situations,” Ramadas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "'This is a situation where we really have a moral obligation to just put in everything we've got to help the people of India — and other parts of the world that are in similarly difficult situations,' said Harish Ramadas, president of the San Francisco chapter of Association for India’s Development.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As the South Asian diaspora continues to witness the \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-science-coronavirus-business-health-c2a72c4d2ab29aa163e785ca98181023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">horrific scenes\u003c/a> of mass funeral pyres and overrun hospitals in India, many in the Bay Area and across the country are finding ways to contribute to ongoing relief efforts rooted in community-based organizations in India.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re pioneering creative ways of providing help and assistance, like cross-continental video chats for doctor’s visits. As the country’s official death toll nears 220,000, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/04/30/992451165/india-is-counting-thousands-of-daily-covid-deaths-how-many-is-it-missing\">with many saying that is an undercount\u003c/a>, the need to help is only mounting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is totally surreal,” said Harish Ramadas, president of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of \u003ca href=\"https://aidindia.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Association for India’s Development\u003c/a>, on the contrast between the ease of getting a vaccine in the Bay Area and the pain and suffering in many parts of India.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ramadas said he and many fellow AID volunteers cope with the disconnect between their lives in the rapidly reopening Bay Area and horrors in India by volunteering and fundraising as much as possible, and using their privileged position to advocate on behalf of others.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AID is a mainly volunteer-run organization that has supported traditional development efforts in India for nearly 30 years. Ramadas said their focus is on grassroots partnerships, working in areas of social and environmental justice, health care, education and labor rights. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We learn from them and the solutions that we help implement are all community-driven as opposed to a sort of top-down, paternalistic colonial approach,” Ramadas said. AID works directly with communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shrinaath Chidambaram, who lives in Los Altos, is on the board of directors for AID. For him, it’s about more than the current news media cycle. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think first thing is for people to just go beyond the headlines and recognize that this is a multidimensional problem,” he said. “Hospital scenes and the crematorium scenes are heartbreaking, but there is a much bigger crisis yet to come,” Chidambaram said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AID is taking a multipronged approach — looking at four main aspects: oxygen shortages, supporting medical help desks, helping people stay home and promoting vaccine awareness. For \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/31/822642382/coronavirus-lockdown-sends-migrant-workers-on-a-long-and-risky-trip-home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">daily wage earners, and migrant laborers\u003c/a>, earning enough money and buying supplies in advance can be a challenge and nearly impossible in some cases. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If not controlled in some form, it’s going to really lead to a disaster of epic proportions,” Chidambaram said of COVID-19 in India. The impact is already being \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-europe-business-global-trade-coronavirus-e95f0515b68ed20ea1f0a53bdea3ffae\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">felt in neighboring Bangladesh\u003c/a>, as the federal government bans vaccine exports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While AID has existed for many years and is a reliable grassroots organization serving many parts of India, others in the Bay Area are focusing donations and assistance to specific marginalized communities, like the transgender community, or \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2014/04/18/304548675/a-journey-of-pain-and-beauty-on-becoming-transgender-in-india\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cem>hijra\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While we recognize that everybody is in panic and running around, our community is being left behind,” Anjali Rimi told KQED. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They are starving,” Rimi said of the trans community in India. “Other communities still have access to the internet to be able to order delivery or be able to go out.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rimi is encouraging people to give to a specific GoFundMe, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-indian-trans-lives-covid-relief\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Save Indian Trans Lives: COVID Relief\u003c/a>, organized by \u003ca href=\"https://parivarbayarea.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Parivar Bay Area\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have now over 6,000 trans folks that have reached out for help,” Rimi said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to Bay Area efforts, newer initiatives have popped up across the country in the last week to meet the immediate needs of those in search of doctors and medical attention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zain Alam, along with members of the South Asian diaspora mostly based in New York, started \u003ca href=\"http://doctorsindiaspora.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Doctors in Diaspora\u003c/a> just last week to connect volunteer doctors virtually to people in India facing a medical professional shortages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were really, just really, really struck by what we were hearing from our families and India about the total lack of a response on the part of the state there,” Alam said. They are urging doctors from the Indian diaspora to sign up, as well as doctors in less impacted locations in India. Based on availability, doctors are then matched with those needing assistance in India for remote consultations. Others interested in supporting the project are also welcome, and Alam said they’ve just had the first round of calls this weekend. But they will soon be using an app designed for the pandemic, which will allow doctors and patients to speak without the need to reveal personal contact information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alam said the initial calls between doctors and patients underlined how critical this work is. Though they estimated each call would be closer to 10 minutes, Alam said most were closer to 20 minutes. “There’s just not enough medical professionals in India right now to speak to people — they don’t have time to talk to anyone,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alam and others involved in the project hope to take advantage of the wealth, knowledge and resources of the diaspora. “We have a very specific ability to speak to the needs in India right now,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this case, the ease in which many in India and abroad are able to access technology makes the project possible. “We have the access to technology, we have WhatsApp, we have phones, we have the Internet, we can be creative and make a difference,” Alam said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back in the Bay Area, members of AID are also suggesting those in the U.S. lobby members of Congress to get the federal government \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/01/05/953653373/some-experts-say-temporary-halt-on-drug-patents-is-needed-to-stop-pandemic-world\">to release vaccine patents\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a situation where we really have a moral obligation to just put in everything we’ve got to help the people of India and other parts of the world that are in similarly difficult situations,” Ramadas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Becoming a Teen YouTuber in the Times of COVID",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This article is adapted from an interview between KQED’s Brian Watt and San Francisco high school student Jimmy Luong. It was produced as part of KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/youthtakeover\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Youth Takeover Week.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many high school students in the Bay Area have been learning online for over a year. Jimmy Luong, a junior at Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco, used the time indoors to revive a passion from his younger days. He’s \u003ca href=\"https://youtube.com/channel/UCk4OuGnGEcY0fVlAA8jEDmw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">making videos\u003c/a> about video games on YouTube.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luong, 17, spent several hours a day running a YouTube channel in ninth grade. At the time, the video game Fortnite was all the rage among young people. Luong said he had a niche that gave him a great idea for a YouTube series.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“See, most people played Fortnite on their computers or consoles like the PS4 or Xbox, but I played on my phone,” he said during an interview with KQED’s Brian Watt. “I was a mobile gamer and I happened to be really good. So I had my own thing. I stood out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fortnite, a Battle Royale game that has \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/05/05/608164530/the-fortnite-craze-might-be-here-to-stay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">swept\u003c/a> the video game world since its release in 2017, garnered more than \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/FortniteGame/status/1258079550321446912\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">350 million\u003c/a> registered players as of May 2020, during the early months of the pandemic. In a typical game, about 100 people play in a video game “lobby,” and the last one standing wins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/FortniteGame/status/1258079550321446912?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luong found a group of followers: people who both wanted to be good at playing Fortnite on their phones and who wanted to excel at it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The way I played the game, I liked to get as many kills as I could while also landing that victory,” he said. “I’ve tended to get about 20 to 30 kills out of 100. So that’s a big percentage of the lobby. That’s what most of my viewers came to watch.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But staying up past midnight for over 11 months to edit and post YouTube videos proved to be too much time for one single hobby. So Luong decided to stop and focus on school and off-screen hobbies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then the pandemic hit. Luong found himself again in front of screens — like most Americans in lockdown — this time for hours and hours at a time without alternative activities. He decided to give his video game channel another shot, but this time with a newer game in the Call of Duty franchise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This time around, I don’t feel as … guilty of gaming for so long, because I do it anyways I’m not forced to go outside because, well — I can’t,” he said. “Since I’m already just gaming, I might as well just record it and edit and upload.” [aside tag=\"youth, youth-takover, education\" label=\"More Related Stories\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.businessinsider.com/american-kids-youtube-star-astronauts-survey-2019-7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2019 poll\u003c/a>, YouTuber or vlogger was the most popular dream career among U.S. kids surveyed. Luong, whose channel reached 15,000 subscribers at its peak, aspired toward that career goal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reason I think my channel really blew up was because I was super dedicated. I wanted this to be my job,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luong quickly realized he could easily monetize his channel. But to do that, he would need to provide bank information that he didn’t have and that his parents refused to provide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lately, he’s considering other career options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I really want to get into movie acting. I think I like working in the entertainment industry. That’s why I like YouTube so much,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This article is adapted from an interview between KQED’s Brian Watt and San Francisco high school student Jimmy Luong. It was produced as part of KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/youthtakeover\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Youth Takeover Week.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many high school students in the Bay Area have been learning online for over a year. Jimmy Luong, a junior at Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco, used the time indoors to revive a passion from his younger days. He’s \u003ca href=\"https://youtube.com/channel/UCk4OuGnGEcY0fVlAA8jEDmw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">making videos\u003c/a> about video games on YouTube.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luong, 17, spent several hours a day running a YouTube channel in ninth grade. At the time, the video game Fortnite was all the rage among young people. Luong said he had a niche that gave him a great idea for a YouTube series.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“See, most people played Fortnite on their computers or consoles like the PS4 or Xbox, but I played on my phone,” he said during an interview with KQED’s Brian Watt. “I was a mobile gamer and I happened to be really good. So I had my own thing. I stood out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fortnite, a Battle Royale game that has \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/05/05/608164530/the-fortnite-craze-might-be-here-to-stay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">swept\u003c/a> the video game world since its release in 2017, garnered more than \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/FortniteGame/status/1258079550321446912\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">350 million\u003c/a> registered players as of May 2020, during the early months of the pandemic. In a typical game, about 100 people play in a video game “lobby,” and the last one standing wins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Luong found a group of followers: people who both wanted to be good at playing Fortnite on their phones and who wanted to excel at it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The way I played the game, I liked to get as many kills as I could while also landing that victory,” he said. “I’ve tended to get about 20 to 30 kills out of 100. So that’s a big percentage of the lobby. That’s what most of my viewers came to watch.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But staying up past midnight for over 11 months to edit and post YouTube videos proved to be too much time for one single hobby. So Luong decided to stop and focus on school and off-screen hobbies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then the pandemic hit. Luong found himself again in front of screens — like most Americans in lockdown — this time for hours and hours at a time without alternative activities. He decided to give his video game channel another shot, but this time with a newer game in the Call of Duty franchise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This time around, I don’t feel as … guilty of gaming for so long, because I do it anyways I’m not forced to go outside because, well — I can’t,” he said. “Since I’m already just gaming, I might as well just record it and edit and upload.” \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.businessinsider.com/american-kids-youtube-star-astronauts-survey-2019-7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2019 poll\u003c/a>, YouTuber or vlogger was the most popular dream career among U.S. kids surveyed. Luong, whose channel reached 15,000 subscribers at its peak, aspired toward that career goal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reason I think my channel really blew up was because I was super dedicated. I wanted this to be my job,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luong quickly realized he could easily monetize his channel. But to do that, he would need to provide bank information that he didn’t have and that his parents refused to provide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lately, he’s considering other career options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I really want to get into movie acting. I think I like working in the entertainment industry. That’s why I like YouTube so much,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "'Each Hour Matters': Bay Area Couple Fundraises for India's Oxygen Crisis",
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"content": "\u003cp>For the fifth straight day, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/health-india-coronavirus-1bda2318594d65be400074da41fa13c6\">India set a global daily record of new coronavirus infections\u003c/a> on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Social media has been filled with desperate pleas from those in India seeking hospital beds and oxygen concentrators. \u003ca href=\"https://www.bloombergquint.com/coronavirus-outbreak/hope-and-heartbreak-on-indian-covid-twitter\">One journalist, Vinay Srivastava, even live-tweeted his declining oxygen levels until he died\u003c/a>. And on Sunday, the National Security Council announced that \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/04/25/990676453/u-s-pledges-medical-aid-to-india-where-covid-19-is-overwhelming-hospitals\">the United States will now make more medical aid available to India\u003c/a> in an effort to fight the spike in COVID-19 cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Indians and Indian Americans in the Bay Area, what many are experiencing in daily life — the excitement of getting the vaccine and reopening businesses — contrasts starkly with the reality of family and friends sick and dying in New Delhi and other parts of the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every Indian you speak to will tell you we know somebody who has passed away in the last few days because they weren’t able to find a hospital to take them — or they weren’t able to get access to oxygen,” said Palo Alto resident Kanika Mediratta, who has family and friends in New Delhi. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Kanika Mediratta, started CovidReliefIndia.com\"]‘Every Indian you speak to will tell you we know somebody who has passed away in the last few days because they weren’t able to find a hospital to take them — or they weren’t able to get access to oxygen.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just 10 minutes ago I got a call from one of my very close friends asking if we knew of any supply for a patient [in India] who has oxygen only for the next three hours,” Mediratta said. “Without that, they will die.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mediratta’s brother-in-law — her husband Rohit’s brother — is a neurosurgeon at Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, and told the Palo Alto couple of his firsthand experiences with the region’s severe oxygen shortage that was being mirrored across India. So the Medirattas decided to take action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They started a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/oxygen-concentrators-for-delhi?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GoFundMe\u003c/a> to raise money for the \u003ca href=\"https://savelifefoundation.org/covid19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Save Life Foundation,\u003c/a> a nonprofit working with the New Delhi government. In about 48 hours they raised enough money to procure 200 units of oxygen. They’ve also created the website \u003ca href=\"http://covidreliefindia.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CovidReliefIndia.com\u003c/a> which explains the severity of India’s need for oxygen and \u003ca href=\"http://covidreliefindia.com/faqs/\">how people can help\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s expected that this first shipment of oxygen units will start reaching the people in need in public hospitals “in the next week or so,” said Rohit Mediratta.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their campaign has been amplified by people including Bay Area Congressman Ro Khanna, whose California District 17 encompasses Silicon Valley. Thus far, through their networks, the couple say they’ve seen people donating money from around the world — Australia, UK, the Middle East. “People who know people, who know people, have been contacting us,” Kanika Mediratta said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/RoKhanna/status/1385794794186813443?s=20\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the \u003ca href=\"https://savelifefoundation.org/covid19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Save Life Foundation,\u003c/a> the Medirattas are also directing donations to the humanitarian nonprofit organization \u003ca href=\"https://www.sewausa.org/Kanikas-Campaign-for-COVID-19-Relief-India\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sewa International\u003c/a>. For those unsure which place to donate to, Kanika Mediratta gave some guidance: “If you’re looking to donate specifically for the Delhi region, then Save Life Foundation is working with the Delhi government, and is probably the biggest impact that we will have,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for Bay Area residents wanting their donations to go beyond government agencies, or into other cities and regions in India, Sewa International is a good choice, say the Medirattas. Both organizations are registered nonprofits in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Thousands of people are dying every single day” in India, said Gitesh Desai, a Texas-based spokesperson for Sewa International on the COVID-19 crisis. According to Johns Hopkins University data, \u003ca href=\"https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/region/india\">on April 25 alone there were 2,812 deaths\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desai said Sewa International is buying oxygen concentrators and has already bought 400 that will be given to hospitals in India. With additional funds raised, Desai said they will be providing food and medicine to families as well as other basic needs to orphanages and senior citizen homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We all want our money to get used in the best way possible and as quickly as possible, because each hour matters right now,” Kanika Mediratta said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She added that it’s not just hours that count right now — it’s minutes. “We don’t have till Monday morning, or Tuesday morning, for action to be taken. If you have the capacity to contribute, to participate, to volunteer, we need the help and we need it now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t have a moment to lose right now,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Whatever we can do to help, if we can do anything at all, it’s still not enough,” her husband Rohit added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>The Severity of COVID-19 in India\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>As of April 25, the country had over 16.9 million recorded cases, second behind only the United States. \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/health-india-religion-coronavirus-c644fc9eb09beb04e16d0215a6693886\">The Health Ministry reported another 2,767 deaths in the past 24 hours\u003c/a>, pushing India’s fatalities to 192,311.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet experts say this toll could be a huge undercount, as suspected cases are not included, and many COVID-19 deaths are being attributed to underlying conditions. [aside tag=\"india, coronavirus\" label=\"More Related Stories\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The unfolding crisis is most visceral in India’s overwhelmed graveyards and crematoriums, and in heartbreaking images of gasping patients dying on their way to hospitals due to lack of oxygen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Burial grounds in the capital New Delhi are running out of space. The situation is equally grim at unbearably full hospitals, where desperate people are dying in line — sometimes on the roads outside — waiting to see doctors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health officials are scrambling to expand critical care units and stock up on dwindling supplies of oxygen. Hospitals and patients alike are struggling to procure scarce medical equipment that’s being sold on the black market at an exponential markup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The drama is in direct contrast with \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/health-india-religion-coronavirus-c644fc9eb09beb04e16d0215a6693886\">government claims that “nobody in the country was left without oxygen,”\u003c/a> in a statement made Saturday by India’s Solicitor General Tushar Mehta before the Delhi High Court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The breakdown is a stark failure for a country whose prime minister only in January had declared victory over COVID-19, and which boasted of being the “world’s pharmacy” as a global producer of vaccines and a model for other developing nations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article includes additional reporting from the Associated Press.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>For the fifth straight day, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/health-india-coronavirus-1bda2318594d65be400074da41fa13c6\">India set a global daily record of new coronavirus infections\u003c/a> on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Social media has been filled with desperate pleas from those in India seeking hospital beds and oxygen concentrators. \u003ca href=\"https://www.bloombergquint.com/coronavirus-outbreak/hope-and-heartbreak-on-indian-covid-twitter\">One journalist, Vinay Srivastava, even live-tweeted his declining oxygen levels until he died\u003c/a>. And on Sunday, the National Security Council announced that \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/04/25/990676453/u-s-pledges-medical-aid-to-india-where-covid-19-is-overwhelming-hospitals\">the United States will now make more medical aid available to India\u003c/a> in an effort to fight the spike in COVID-19 cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Indians and Indian Americans in the Bay Area, what many are experiencing in daily life — the excitement of getting the vaccine and reopening businesses — contrasts starkly with the reality of family and friends sick and dying in New Delhi and other parts of the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every Indian you speak to will tell you we know somebody who has passed away in the last few days because they weren’t able to find a hospital to take them — or they weren’t able to get access to oxygen,” said Palo Alto resident Kanika Mediratta, who has family and friends in New Delhi. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just 10 minutes ago I got a call from one of my very close friends asking if we knew of any supply for a patient [in India] who has oxygen only for the next three hours,” Mediratta said. “Without that, they will die.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mediratta’s brother-in-law — her husband Rohit’s brother — is a neurosurgeon at Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, and told the Palo Alto couple of his firsthand experiences with the region’s severe oxygen shortage that was being mirrored across India. So the Medirattas decided to take action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They started a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/oxygen-concentrators-for-delhi?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GoFundMe\u003c/a> to raise money for the \u003ca href=\"https://savelifefoundation.org/covid19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Save Life Foundation,\u003c/a> a nonprofit working with the New Delhi government. In about 48 hours they raised enough money to procure 200 units of oxygen. They’ve also created the website \u003ca href=\"http://covidreliefindia.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CovidReliefIndia.com\u003c/a> which explains the severity of India’s need for oxygen and \u003ca href=\"http://covidreliefindia.com/faqs/\">how people can help\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s expected that this first shipment of oxygen units will start reaching the people in need in public hospitals “in the next week or so,” said Rohit Mediratta.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their campaign has been amplified by people including Bay Area Congressman Ro Khanna, whose California District 17 encompasses Silicon Valley. Thus far, through their networks, the couple say they’ve seen people donating money from around the world — Australia, UK, the Middle East. “People who know people, who know people, have been contacting us,” Kanika Mediratta said.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>In addition to the \u003ca href=\"https://savelifefoundation.org/covid19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Save Life Foundation,\u003c/a> the Medirattas are also directing donations to the humanitarian nonprofit organization \u003ca href=\"https://www.sewausa.org/Kanikas-Campaign-for-COVID-19-Relief-India\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sewa International\u003c/a>. For those unsure which place to donate to, Kanika Mediratta gave some guidance: “If you’re looking to donate specifically for the Delhi region, then Save Life Foundation is working with the Delhi government, and is probably the biggest impact that we will have,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for Bay Area residents wanting their donations to go beyond government agencies, or into other cities and regions in India, Sewa International is a good choice, say the Medirattas. Both organizations are registered nonprofits in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Thousands of people are dying every single day” in India, said Gitesh Desai, a Texas-based spokesperson for Sewa International on the COVID-19 crisis. According to Johns Hopkins University data, \u003ca href=\"https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/region/india\">on April 25 alone there were 2,812 deaths\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desai said Sewa International is buying oxygen concentrators and has already bought 400 that will be given to hospitals in India. With additional funds raised, Desai said they will be providing food and medicine to families as well as other basic needs to orphanages and senior citizen homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We all want our money to get used in the best way possible and as quickly as possible, because each hour matters right now,” Kanika Mediratta said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She added that it’s not just hours that count right now — it’s minutes. “We don’t have till Monday morning, or Tuesday morning, for action to be taken. If you have the capacity to contribute, to participate, to volunteer, we need the help and we need it now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t have a moment to lose right now,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Whatever we can do to help, if we can do anything at all, it’s still not enough,” her husband Rohit added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>The Severity of COVID-19 in India\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>As of April 25, the country had over 16.9 million recorded cases, second behind only the United States. \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/health-india-religion-coronavirus-c644fc9eb09beb04e16d0215a6693886\">The Health Ministry reported another 2,767 deaths in the past 24 hours\u003c/a>, pushing India’s fatalities to 192,311.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet experts say this toll could be a huge undercount, as suspected cases are not included, and many COVID-19 deaths are being attributed to underlying conditions. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The unfolding crisis is most visceral in India’s overwhelmed graveyards and crematoriums, and in heartbreaking images of gasping patients dying on their way to hospitals due to lack of oxygen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Burial grounds in the capital New Delhi are running out of space. The situation is equally grim at unbearably full hospitals, where desperate people are dying in line — sometimes on the roads outside — waiting to see doctors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health officials are scrambling to expand critical care units and stock up on dwindling supplies of oxygen. Hospitals and patients alike are struggling to procure scarce medical equipment that’s being sold on the black market at an exponential markup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The drama is in direct contrast with \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/health-india-religion-coronavirus-c644fc9eb09beb04e16d0215a6693886\">government claims that “nobody in the country was left without oxygen,”\u003c/a> in a statement made Saturday by India’s Solicitor General Tushar Mehta before the Delhi High Court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The breakdown is a stark failure for a country whose prime minister only in January had declared victory over COVID-19, and which boasted of being the “world’s pharmacy” as a global producer of vaccines and a model for other developing nations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article includes additional reporting from the Associated Press.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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