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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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"content": "\u003cp>Front-line workers in the Bay Area and other parts of California say their bosses often fail to inform them of their rights during the pandemic, and sometimes even retaliate when they ask for COVID-19 protections, according to a new survey of hundreds of workers in the restaurant, home health care, janitorial and other industries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.advancingjustice-alc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ALC-Workers-Rights-COVID-Report-202103-R7_digital.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">report\u003c/a>, which was published Wednesday, polled more than 630 mostly low-wage workers as coronavirus cases spiked last fall. It found a troubling lack of workplace protections for reducing the spread of COVID-19, with many employees worried they were putting their lives at risk to earn a paycheck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About two-thirds of the survey’s respondents were concentrated in the Bay Area, and included many immigrants and people of color. Many feared contracting the virus at work and infecting others at home, as well as not being able to support their families if they got sick.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, employers \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/coronavirus/ETS.html#:~:text=California%20recently%20approved%20Cal%2FOSHA,OSHA's%20Aerosol%20Transmissible%20Diseases%20standard.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">must\u003c/a> provide health and safety information and training, and let workers know of coronavirus-related benefits available to them, such as paid sick leave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But more than half of the surveyed workers said their employer did not inform them what to do if they had COVID-19 symptoms or exposure. And three in five surveyed said they weren’t informed about their right to use paid sick leave for COVID-19, according to the report titled “Few Options, Many Risks.” [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Winnie Kao, attorney with the Asian Law Caucus\"]‘Workers really feel that they’re risking their livelihood to push back in any way, and that if you speak up either about your symptoms or about lack of protections, you’re potentially losing your job.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The results are troubling for efforts to contain the virus, since one in three respondents felt uncomfortable reporting coronavirus symptoms to their bosses, said Winnie Kao, an attorney with San Francisco’s Asian Law Caucus and one of the authors of the report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There might be protections out there on paper, but many folks don’t know about them,” said Kao, who leads her organization’s workers rights project. “Workers really feel that they’re risking their livelihood to push back in any way, and that if you speak up either about your symptoms or about lack of protections, you’re potentially losing your job.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kao said many workers are not speaking up about COVID-19 concerns out of fear of retaliation or doubt that their employer will address the problem. But even worse, dozens of workers who did ask for COVID-19 protections, such as masks or paid leave, reported retaliation from their employers, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11870819\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11870819\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/View20recent20photos-800x919.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"919\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/View20recent20photos-800x919.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/View20recent20photos-160x184.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/View20recent20photos.jpeg 828w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lorena Velazquez, a mother of two sons, says her employer retaliated by cutting her hours after she took time off to get her COVID-19 vaccine and recover from side effects. \u003ccite>(Fight for $15 campaign)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The survey was disseminated through nonprofit groups serving immigrants and low-wage workers, and about 40% of respondents identified as Asian, with another 40% Latinos. The vast majority of participants responded to the survey in Chinese or Spanish, suggesting they were immigrants, said Kao.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lower-income communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by the virus. For example, since the beginning of the pandemic, 10,400 working-age Latinos in California have died from COVID-19, four times the number of white people in the same age group, according to California Department of Public Health figures. People who work outside the home face a higher risk of exposure to the virus, say public health experts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But basic prevention measures were not available to many of the workers surveyed, with 33% of all respondents — including more than half of restaurant workers — saying they could not physically distance most of the time at work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Employers in California are responsible for providing masks or reimbursing employees who buy their own, but 12% of respondents said they did not receive face coverings or protective equipment from their bosses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another troubling finding of the report: nearly one in five workers reported being paid less than the state’s minimum wage. The report authors say that’s often a signal of other violations in the workplace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokeswoman for the California Department of Industrial Relations said the agency’s enforcement divisions have been working hard to educate employers about their responsibilities and to investigate workplace complaints.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the beginning of the pandemic, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has issued more than $4.6 million in citations for COVID-related health and safety violations, said Erika Monterroza, with the Department of Industrial Relations. She added that the Labor Commissioner’s Office is investigating more than 1,200 wage and retaliation complaints connected to the coronavirus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unsafe working conditions, wage theft and employer retaliation are long-standing problems for the lowest paid workers in the state. But the pandemic has brought a new urgency to addressing these abuses, and fixing them will require more funding, staffing and attention at the government agencies that enforce labor laws, said Alejandra Domenzain, a co-author of the report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"large\" align=\"center\" citation=\"Alejandra Domenzain, program coordinator, Labor Occupational Health Program, UC Berkeley\"]‘As long as there is no vigorous enforcement of labor laws, employers will continue to violate workers’ rights.[/pullquote]\u003cbr>\n“As long as there is no vigorous enforcement of labor laws, employers will continue to violate workers’ rights,” said Domenzain, a program coordinator at the Labor Occupational Health Program at UC Berkeley. “If an employer knows that there will be absolutely no accountability, then there’s very little incentive for a lot of these low-wage employers to comply with the law.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, workers \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/covid/paid-sick-leave.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">are entitled\u003c/a> to up to 80 hours of paid sick leave (depending on the size of their employer) if they have coronavirus symptoms, must care for a relative with COVID-19 or have vaccine-related side effects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when Lorena Velazquez took time off to get her vaccine on April 6 and then recover from an ensuing fever and arm pain, she said her employer at a McDonald’s in Oakland retaliated by cutting her hours in half.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I used to work four days per week regularly, but then they only gave me two days,” said Velazquez, 45, in Spanish. “Now I’m worried about paying my bills and rent.” [aside tag=\"workers-rights, low-wage\" label=\"More Related Stories\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the help of worker advocates, Velazquez filed a complaint about the alleged retaliation with the Labor Commissioner’s Office this week. Other workers at the same McDonald’s also filed complaints with Cal/OSHA, alleging their employer failed to notify them of potential exposure to co-workers confirmed with COVID-19, \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/coronavirus/AB6852020FAQs.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">as required\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant’s manager was not available to respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, Velazquez, who has two young sons to support, rallied with other fast food workers outside the McDonald’s on E. 12th St. in Oakland in support of a state bill that aims to improve conditions for fast food workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB257\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Assembly Bill 257\u003c/a>, by Democratic Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego, would also make fast food franchisors liable for violations of employment, safety and other laws by their franchisees.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Resources:\u003c/h3>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Additional information on reporting a labor violation can be found \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/DLSE/Know_Your_Rights.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a> (available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Tagalog and Vietnamese).\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Report a labor law violation \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/HowToReportViolationtoBOFE.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>How to file a retaliation/discrimination complaint can be found \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/HowToFileRetaliationComplaint.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kao said many workers are not speaking up about COVID-19 concerns out of fear of retaliation or doubt that their employer will address the problem. But even worse, dozens of workers who did ask for COVID-19 protections, such as masks or paid leave, reported retaliation from their employers, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11870819\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11870819\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/View20recent20photos-800x919.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"919\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/View20recent20photos-800x919.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/View20recent20photos-160x184.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/View20recent20photos.jpeg 828w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lorena Velazquez, a mother of two sons, says her employer retaliated by cutting her hours after she took time off to get her COVID-19 vaccine and recover from side effects. \u003ccite>(Fight for $15 campaign)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The survey was disseminated through nonprofit groups serving immigrants and low-wage workers, and about 40% of respondents identified as Asian, with another 40% Latinos. The vast majority of participants responded to the survey in Chinese or Spanish, suggesting they were immigrants, said Kao.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lower-income communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by the virus. For example, since the beginning of the pandemic, 10,400 working-age Latinos in California have died from COVID-19, four times the number of white people in the same age group, according to California Department of Public Health figures. People who work outside the home face a higher risk of exposure to the virus, say public health experts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But basic prevention measures were not available to many of the workers surveyed, with 33% of all respondents — including more than half of restaurant workers — saying they could not physically distance most of the time at work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Employers in California are responsible for providing masks or reimbursing employees who buy their own, but 12% of respondents said they did not receive face coverings or protective equipment from their bosses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another troubling finding of the report: nearly one in five workers reported being paid less than the state’s minimum wage. The report authors say that’s often a signal of other violations in the workplace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokeswoman for the California Department of Industrial Relations said the agency’s enforcement divisions have been working hard to educate employers about their responsibilities and to investigate workplace complaints.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the beginning of the pandemic, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has issued more than $4.6 million in citations for COVID-related health and safety violations, said Erika Monterroza, with the Department of Industrial Relations. She added that the Labor Commissioner’s Office is investigating more than 1,200 wage and retaliation complaints connected to the coronavirus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unsafe working conditions, wage theft and employer retaliation are long-standing problems for the lowest paid workers in the state. But the pandemic has brought a new urgency to addressing these abuses, and fixing them will require more funding, staffing and attention at the government agencies that enforce labor laws, said Alejandra Domenzain, a co-author of the report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the help of worker advocates, Velazquez filed a complaint about the alleged retaliation with the Labor Commissioner’s Office this week. Other workers at the same McDonald’s also filed complaints with Cal/OSHA, alleging their employer failed to notify them of potential exposure to co-workers confirmed with COVID-19, \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/coronavirus/AB6852020FAQs.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">as required\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant’s manager was not available to respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, Velazquez, who has two young sons to support, rallied with other fast food workers outside the McDonald’s on E. 12th St. in Oakland in support of a state bill that aims to improve conditions for fast food workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB257\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Assembly Bill 257\u003c/a>, by Democratic Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego, would also make fast food franchisors liable for violations of employment, safety and other laws by their franchisees.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Resources:\u003c/h3>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Additional information on reporting a labor violation can be found \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/DLSE/Know_Your_Rights.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a> (available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Tagalog and Vietnamese).\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Report a labor law violation \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/HowToReportViolationtoBOFE.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>How to file a retaliation/discrimination complaint can be found \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/HowToFileRetaliationComplaint.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>These days, if I want to get to Santa Cruz from my San Francisco apartment, I hop in my hatchback, head south on Interstate 280, then cut over to Highway 17. Ninety minutes later (pandemic aside), I’m watching the Giant Dipper roller coaster dive into free fall, fish tacos in hand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11869428\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11869428\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Route.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1115\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Route.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Route-160x223.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The South Pacific Coast Railroad Route, which debuted in 1880, could take passengers from Alameda to Santa Cruz in just under four hours. \u003ccite>(Wikimedia Commons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But, 150 years ago, that same trip would have meant rattling around in a horse-drawn carriage for four days. The long, expensive journey meant only upper-class people could afford to go. All that changed when a guy named \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Graham_Fair\">James Graham Fair\u003c/a> got the audacious idea to build a railroad through the Santa Cruz Mountains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fair, or “Slippery Jim” as he was known in business circles, made his fortune mining silver in Nevada. But he saw railroad barons like Leland Stanford getting rich in the railroad business and he wanted a piece of the action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If there’s only one person you need to know, it’s probably him,” says local historian Derek Whaley, who grew up in Santa Cruz County and \u003ca href=\"https://www.santacruztrains.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wrote two books\u003c/a> about the railroad. “He had a lot of money, a lot of influence and just a huge vision.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Railroads were big business in the late 19th century. Everything from shipping to logging, mining, farming and tourism depended on them. Fair’s “vision” was to compete with the big train lines — namely the Central Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads — that had staked claim across the western United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rich with redwood timber and strategically located between San Francisco Bay and the port of Santa Cruz, Fair identified the Santa Cruz Mountains as the ideal place for his railroad. The problem was, he didn’t know much about trains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriouspodcastinfo]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But he also had a bit of a henchman who was the on-the-ground person that was overseeing daily operations,” Whaley says. The henchman’s name was \u003ca href=\"http://www.spcrr.org/HistorySPCRR.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alfred Davis\u003c/a>, but everyone called him “Hog.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He was an interesting guy, apparently quite friendly most of the time,” Whaley says. “But he also had a bit of an attitude when he wanted to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Davis also had a ton of railroad savvy. What came to be known as the “Mountain Route” never would have gotten built without the combination of Fair’s deep pockets and Davis’ know-how, says Whaley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11869422\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11869422\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Train-Wrights-800x469.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"469\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Train-Wrights-800x469.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Train-Wrights-1020x598.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Train-Wrights-160x94.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Train-Wrights.jpg 1338w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A group visits the town of Wrights, a major stop on the South Pacific Coast Railroad, on a push car, circa 1880. \u003ccite>(Rodolph Brandt/The Bancroft Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.abandonedrails.com/south-pacific-coast-railroad\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">South Pacific Coast Railroad\u003c/a> was an engineering marvel for its day. Laying tracks through 25 miles of rugged mountain terrain was a massive undertaking. While standard train tracks measure about 5-feet wide, the “narrow gauge” tracks of the Mountain Route measured just 3-feet wide, making it easier to curve around the rolling hills. To make it through the steepest grades, laborers dug eight tunnels through the mountains. To cross the region’s winding creek beds, they built just as many trestles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Santa Cruz Weekly Sentinel described the construction in 1879:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>“With its great bores … its powerful bridges … its heavy rails, its easy curves … its expensive right of way, its smell of money from one end of the line to the other, we say .. . nobody else would build this road. Few can do it.”\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Tragedy in the Tunnels\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The South Pacific Coast Railroad featured two tunnels that spanned over a mile. Carved along the San Andreas Fault, the Summit Tunnel near the town of Wrights Station, measured over 6,000 feet and once held the record for the longest railroad tunnel in all of California. But digging it came at considerable human cost: the lives of dozens of Chinese migrant workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inseparable from the story of California’s railroads is the exploitation of Chinese migrants, who often did the most dangerous jobs for a fraction of what white laborers were paid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his book “Chinese Gold: The Chinese in the Monterey Bay Region,” \u003ca href=\"http://www.sandylydon.com/new-page-18\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">local historian Sandy Lydon\u003c/a> wrote that, “Between 1875 and 1880, the Chinese built three separate railroads, laid 42 miles of track, drilled 2.6 miles of tunnels to stitch Santa Cruz County together. For every mile of railroad, one Chinese died.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11869537\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11869537\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Tunnel-800x442.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"442\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Tunnel-800x442.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Tunnel-1020x563.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Tunnel-160x88.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Tunnel-1536x848.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Tunnel-672x372.jpg 672w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Tunnel.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crews haul mud from the Summit Tunnel, circa 1880. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Derek Whaley)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Construction of the Summit Tunnel began in 1878 and was plagued from the start. Underground, crews complained of suffocating fumes and oil oozing from the earth. The air got so bad that workers began to pass out. Eventually, methane gas that had been building up inside the cavern ignited into a fireball.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6988949/wrights-tunnel-22-nov-1879/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Santa Cruz Weekly Sentinel article\u003c/a> dated Nov. 18, 1879 described its devastation:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>“The explosion was followed by a sheet of lurid flame, which the great mountain belched forth, consuming everything before it.”\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>The blast killed 32 Chinese workers. “Most of their bodies were returned to China,” Whaley says. “But there were several years where there was a Chinese cemetery up in the mountains where some of the workers had been buried.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the explosion, the gas leak was fixed. But for years the tunnel was said to be haunted by the ghosts of those who died digging it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>The Railroad Opens for Business\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In May of 1880, the South Pacific Coast Railroad opened for business. Despite the ghastly death toll leading up to its debut, the train was an overnight success. Riders lined up to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11549263/the-island-ghost-town-in-the-middle-of-san-francisco-bay\">escape city life\u003c/a> for an afternoon taking in Santa Cruz’s sandy beaches and Boardwalk amusements. San Franciscans took a ferry across the bay to Alameda, before hopping on a train that took them south. In the 1920s, the line earned the nickname “The \u003ca href=\"https://www.santacruztrains.com/2019/09/curiosities-sun-tan-special.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sun Tan Special\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Especially during the summer,” Whaley says, “it would bring tourists from all over the Bay Area, thousands of people on busy days.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For others, the pristine wilderness and fresh air of the Santa Cruz Mountains was the main draw. Mountain retreats and picnic areas, like Sunset Park, drew crowds on the weekends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11869412\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 714px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11869412\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Hiln-Mill.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"714\" height=\"558\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Hiln-Mill.png 714w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Hiln-Mill-160x125.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 714px) 100vw, 714px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The main yard at the Frederick A. Hihn sawmill at Laurel in 1902. The South Pacific Coast Railroad’s biggest exported was redwood timber processed at mills along the route. \u003ccite>(Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The ride is one which rivals anything up the Shasta division or over the Sierras, for tho’ the mountain groups are not so massive, the effects are equally fine,” wrote H.S. Kneedler in his 1895 book “Through Storyland to Sunset Seas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along with tourism, industry flourished. Owners of sand quarries, quicksilver mines and a gunpowder factory used the train to ship their goods. Farmers shipped apples and sugar beets. There was even a brief oil boom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the railroad’s biggest export was the sturdy lumber harvested from redwood trees. Builders used the timber to construct San Francisco houses, and lumber companies shipped their boards all over the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They had lumber sent over to Hawaii,” Whaley says. “They had it sent down to Mexico.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11869415\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11869415 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Hiln-Mill-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1245\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Hiln-Mill-2.png 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Hiln-Mill-2-800x623.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Hiln-Mill-2-1020x794.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Hiln-Mill-2-160x125.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Hiln-Mill-2-1536x1195.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The first band saw in California operating at the Hihn sawmill at Laurel in 1902. \u003ccite>(Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Logging, tourism and other industries gave life to towns like Alma, Wrights and Laurel, which was known for its sawmill. Stops along the route become destinations in themselves, including one named Call of the Wild. Its log cabin station invoked a scene from Jack London’s Gold Rush-era novel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1887, with business booming, Fair sold his upstart railroad to the Southern Pacific Transportation Company, one of the industry giants he’d set out to challenge. The sale earned Fair a reported $6 million, which is roughly the equivalent of $160 million today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fair’s legacy in the Bay Area outlasted his stake in the railroad. His daughter built the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fairmont.com/our-story/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fairmont Hotel\u003c/a> atop San Francisco’s Nob Hill and named it in his honor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>The End of the Mountain Route\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1940, California built Highway 17, a paved road that ran parallel to much of the train line. As car ownership soared, the railroad’s profits plummeted. To make matters worse, loggers had stripped the mountains of redwood trees, the railroad’s major export. Whaley says the redwoods we see in the mountains today are primarily second growth trees, unlike the 1,000-year-old trees found in places like Muir Woods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11869545\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11869545\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Fair.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Fair.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Fair-160x171.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A portrait of James Graham Fair, one of the founders of the South Pacific Coast Railroad. \u003ccite>(Library of Congress)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In February of 1940, with the railroad barely scraping by, a storm hit the Santa Cruz Mountains. Without trees to hold the hillside in place, the earth collapsed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It caused huge chunks of the line to sink,” Whaley says. “There’s a couple of spots where you can actually see the tracks hanging off the ledge.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the storm, Southern Pacific decided the repairs weren’t worth the cost. Most of the tunnels were sealed with dynamite or left to decay. And the once-booming mountain towns faded off the map. The town of Alma, arguably the most bustling stop on the line, was eventually flooded to create what’s now the Lexington Reservoir south of downtown Los Gatos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The final stretch of the track between Felton and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk survived the storm. These days, \u003ca href=\"https://www.roaringcamp.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Roaring Camp Railroads\u003c/a> runs trains on the weekends for tourists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Railroad Revival?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As traffic on Highway 17 has picked up over the years, some locals have discussed reviving the old railroad. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors \u003ca href=\"https://goodtimes.sc/santa-cruz-news/isnt-train-san-jose/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">debated the idea\u003c/a> in the 1990s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Almost every feasibility study has said that, yes, the route through the mountains is a good idea,” Whaley says. “And the current existing route is probably the most logical one.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But these efforts have been opposed by groups arguing that a commuter train would spoil Santa Cruz’ identity as a locals-only beach town. Whaley believes Santa Cruz has already become a satellite community of Silicon Valley, and that an alternative to Highway 17 would make everyone’s life better. He dreams of one day riding a train that traces the same sharp curves as the old Mountain Route.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "A train once carried eager beach goers from San Francisco to Santa Cruz. The remnants of the 'Mountain Route' can still be seen off small roads in the Santa Cruz Mountains.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>These days, if I want to get to Santa Cruz from my San Francisco apartment, I hop in my hatchback, head south on Interstate 280, then cut over to Highway 17. Ninety minutes later (pandemic aside), I’m watching the Giant Dipper roller coaster dive into free fall, fish tacos in hand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11869428\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11869428\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Route.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1115\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Route.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Route-160x223.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The South Pacific Coast Railroad Route, which debuted in 1880, could take passengers from Alameda to Santa Cruz in just under four hours. \u003ccite>(Wikimedia Commons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But, 150 years ago, that same trip would have meant rattling around in a horse-drawn carriage for four days. The long, expensive journey meant only upper-class people could afford to go. All that changed when a guy named \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Graham_Fair\">James Graham Fair\u003c/a> got the audacious idea to build a railroad through the Santa Cruz Mountains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fair, or “Slippery Jim” as he was known in business circles, made his fortune mining silver in Nevada. But he saw railroad barons like Leland Stanford getting rich in the railroad business and he wanted a piece of the action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If there’s only one person you need to know, it’s probably him,” says local historian Derek Whaley, who grew up in Santa Cruz County and \u003ca href=\"https://www.santacruztrains.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wrote two books\u003c/a> about the railroad. “He had a lot of money, a lot of influence and just a huge vision.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Railroads were big business in the late 19th century. Everything from shipping to logging, mining, farming and tourism depended on them. Fair’s “vision” was to compete with the big train lines — namely the Central Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads — that had staked claim across the western United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rich with redwood timber and strategically located between San Francisco Bay and the port of Santa Cruz, Fair identified the Santa Cruz Mountains as the ideal place for his railroad. The problem was, he didn’t know much about trains.\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>“But he also had a bit of a henchman who was the on-the-ground person that was overseeing daily operations,” Whaley says. The henchman’s name was \u003ca href=\"http://www.spcrr.org/HistorySPCRR.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alfred Davis\u003c/a>, but everyone called him “Hog.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He was an interesting guy, apparently quite friendly most of the time,” Whaley says. “But he also had a bit of an attitude when he wanted to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Davis also had a ton of railroad savvy. What came to be known as the “Mountain Route” never would have gotten built without the combination of Fair’s deep pockets and Davis’ know-how, says Whaley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11869422\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11869422\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Train-Wrights-800x469.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"469\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Train-Wrights-800x469.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Train-Wrights-1020x598.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Train-Wrights-160x94.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Train-Wrights.jpg 1338w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A group visits the town of Wrights, a major stop on the South Pacific Coast Railroad, on a push car, circa 1880. \u003ccite>(Rodolph Brandt/The Bancroft Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.abandonedrails.com/south-pacific-coast-railroad\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">South Pacific Coast Railroad\u003c/a> was an engineering marvel for its day. Laying tracks through 25 miles of rugged mountain terrain was a massive undertaking. While standard train tracks measure about 5-feet wide, the “narrow gauge” tracks of the Mountain Route measured just 3-feet wide, making it easier to curve around the rolling hills. To make it through the steepest grades, laborers dug eight tunnels through the mountains. To cross the region’s winding creek beds, they built just as many trestles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Santa Cruz Weekly Sentinel described the construction in 1879:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>“With its great bores … its powerful bridges … its heavy rails, its easy curves … its expensive right of way, its smell of money from one end of the line to the other, we say .. . nobody else would build this road. Few can do it.”\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Tragedy in the Tunnels\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The South Pacific Coast Railroad featured two tunnels that spanned over a mile. Carved along the San Andreas Fault, the Summit Tunnel near the town of Wrights Station, measured over 6,000 feet and once held the record for the longest railroad tunnel in all of California. But digging it came at considerable human cost: the lives of dozens of Chinese migrant workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inseparable from the story of California’s railroads is the exploitation of Chinese migrants, who often did the most dangerous jobs for a fraction of what white laborers were paid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his book “Chinese Gold: The Chinese in the Monterey Bay Region,” \u003ca href=\"http://www.sandylydon.com/new-page-18\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">local historian Sandy Lydon\u003c/a> wrote that, “Between 1875 and 1880, the Chinese built three separate railroads, laid 42 miles of track, drilled 2.6 miles of tunnels to stitch Santa Cruz County together. For every mile of railroad, one Chinese died.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11869537\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11869537\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Tunnel-800x442.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"442\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Tunnel-800x442.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Tunnel-1020x563.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Tunnel-160x88.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Tunnel-1536x848.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Tunnel-672x372.jpg 672w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Tunnel.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crews haul mud from the Summit Tunnel, circa 1880. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Derek Whaley)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Construction of the Summit Tunnel began in 1878 and was plagued from the start. Underground, crews complained of suffocating fumes and oil oozing from the earth. The air got so bad that workers began to pass out. Eventually, methane gas that had been building up inside the cavern ignited into a fireball.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6988949/wrights-tunnel-22-nov-1879/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Santa Cruz Weekly Sentinel article\u003c/a> dated Nov. 18, 1879 described its devastation:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>“The explosion was followed by a sheet of lurid flame, which the great mountain belched forth, consuming everything before it.”\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>The blast killed 32 Chinese workers. “Most of their bodies were returned to China,” Whaley says. “But there were several years where there was a Chinese cemetery up in the mountains where some of the workers had been buried.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the explosion, the gas leak was fixed. But for years the tunnel was said to be haunted by the ghosts of those who died digging it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>The Railroad Opens for Business\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In May of 1880, the South Pacific Coast Railroad opened for business. Despite the ghastly death toll leading up to its debut, the train was an overnight success. Riders lined up to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11549263/the-island-ghost-town-in-the-middle-of-san-francisco-bay\">escape city life\u003c/a> for an afternoon taking in Santa Cruz’s sandy beaches and Boardwalk amusements. San Franciscans took a ferry across the bay to Alameda, before hopping on a train that took them south. In the 1920s, the line earned the nickname “The \u003ca href=\"https://www.santacruztrains.com/2019/09/curiosities-sun-tan-special.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sun Tan Special\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Especially during the summer,” Whaley says, “it would bring tourists from all over the Bay Area, thousands of people on busy days.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For others, the pristine wilderness and fresh air of the Santa Cruz Mountains was the main draw. Mountain retreats and picnic areas, like Sunset Park, drew crowds on the weekends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11869412\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 714px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11869412\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Hiln-Mill.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"714\" height=\"558\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Hiln-Mill.png 714w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Hiln-Mill-160x125.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 714px) 100vw, 714px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The main yard at the Frederick A. Hihn sawmill at Laurel in 1902. The South Pacific Coast Railroad’s biggest exported was redwood timber processed at mills along the route. \u003ccite>(Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The ride is one which rivals anything up the Shasta division or over the Sierras, for tho’ the mountain groups are not so massive, the effects are equally fine,” wrote H.S. Kneedler in his 1895 book “Through Storyland to Sunset Seas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along with tourism, industry flourished. Owners of sand quarries, quicksilver mines and a gunpowder factory used the train to ship their goods. Farmers shipped apples and sugar beets. There was even a brief oil boom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the railroad’s biggest export was the sturdy lumber harvested from redwood trees. Builders used the timber to construct San Francisco houses, and lumber companies shipped their boards all over the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They had lumber sent over to Hawaii,” Whaley says. “They had it sent down to Mexico.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11869415\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11869415 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Hiln-Mill-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1245\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Hiln-Mill-2.png 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Hiln-Mill-2-800x623.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Hiln-Mill-2-1020x794.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Hiln-Mill-2-160x125.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Railroad-Hiln-Mill-2-1536x1195.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The first band saw in California operating at the Hihn sawmill at Laurel in 1902. \u003ccite>(Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Logging, tourism and other industries gave life to towns like Alma, Wrights and Laurel, which was known for its sawmill. Stops along the route become destinations in themselves, including one named Call of the Wild. Its log cabin station invoked a scene from Jack London’s Gold Rush-era novel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1887, with business booming, Fair sold his upstart railroad to the Southern Pacific Transportation Company, one of the industry giants he’d set out to challenge. The sale earned Fair a reported $6 million, which is roughly the equivalent of $160 million today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fair’s legacy in the Bay Area outlasted his stake in the railroad. His daughter built the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fairmont.com/our-story/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fairmont Hotel\u003c/a> atop San Francisco’s Nob Hill and named it in his honor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>The End of the Mountain Route\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1940, California built Highway 17, a paved road that ran parallel to much of the train line. As car ownership soared, the railroad’s profits plummeted. To make matters worse, loggers had stripped the mountains of redwood trees, the railroad’s major export. Whaley says the redwoods we see in the mountains today are primarily second growth trees, unlike the 1,000-year-old trees found in places like Muir Woods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11869545\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11869545\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Fair.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Fair.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Fair-160x171.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A portrait of James Graham Fair, one of the founders of the South Pacific Coast Railroad. \u003ccite>(Library of Congress)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In February of 1940, with the railroad barely scraping by, a storm hit the Santa Cruz Mountains. Without trees to hold the hillside in place, the earth collapsed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It caused huge chunks of the line to sink,” Whaley says. “There’s a couple of spots where you can actually see the tracks hanging off the ledge.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the storm, Southern Pacific decided the repairs weren’t worth the cost. Most of the tunnels were sealed with dynamite or left to decay. And the once-booming mountain towns faded off the map. The town of Alma, arguably the most bustling stop on the line, was eventually flooded to create what’s now the Lexington Reservoir south of downtown Los Gatos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The final stretch of the track between Felton and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk survived the storm. These days, \u003ca href=\"https://www.roaringcamp.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Roaring Camp Railroads\u003c/a> runs trains on the weekends for tourists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Railroad Revival?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As traffic on Highway 17 has picked up over the years, some locals have discussed reviving the old railroad. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors \u003ca href=\"https://goodtimes.sc/santa-cruz-news/isnt-train-san-jose/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">debated the idea\u003c/a> in the 1990s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Almost every feasibility study has said that, yes, the route through the mountains is a good idea,” Whaley says. “And the current existing route is probably the most logical one.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But these efforts have been opposed by groups arguing that a commuter train would spoil Santa Cruz’ identity as a locals-only beach town. Whaley believes Santa Cruz has already become a satellite community of Silicon Valley, and that an alternative to Highway 17 would make everyone’s life better. He dreams of one day riding a train that traces the same sharp curves as the old Mountain Route.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "the-same-hands-that-feed-us-san-franciscans-rally-in-solidarity-with-indias-farmers-protest",
"title": "'The Same Hands That Feed Us': San Franciscans Rally in Solidarity With India's Farmers Protest",
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"headTitle": "‘The Same Hands That Feed Us’: San Franciscans Rally in Solidarity With India’s Farmers Protest | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Hundreds of people demonstrated at the Golden Gate Bridge on Saturday to show solidarity with farmers in India.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thousands of farmers have been camped out at the edges of India’s capital of New Delhi for more than four months now — more recently drawing attention from the likes of celebrities such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-55931894\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rihanna\u003c/a> and more local figures, like San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/meenaharris/status/1357376550803369986\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Meena Harris,\u003c/a> the niece of Vice President Harris.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For many protesting in solidarity, the issues are personal. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Mandee Banga, from San Francisco\"]‘Those people out on the borders of New Delhi are actually our grandparents, our grandmothers, our uncles, our aunts, our mothers … We want to show them we’re here for them because those are the same hands that feed us.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those people out on the borders of New Delhi are actually our grandparents, our grandmothers, our uncles, our aunts, our mothers,” said Mandee Banga, who is from San Francisco. “We want to show them we’re here for them because those are the same hands that feed us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amar Singh, who is from San Jose, said he also has aunts and uncles protesting in India. The people are protesting on local highways there for miles and miles, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s equivalent of 101 from the San Francisco airport to San Jose … full of farmers, that’s what’s been going on for the past four months,” Singh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These recent protests in India initially began over a set of farm bills that critics say would make it harder for farmers to earn a living wage. As author Mallika Kaur \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11849926/why-farmers-drove-a-tractor-to-protest-at-the-indian-consulate-in-san-francisco\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">told KQED in December\u003c/a>, “The spark might be the new laws, but the pain and outrage is decades old and due to devastating policies that have taken too many lives the [Indian] state considers expendable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because many have traveled several miles to reach the protest, Singh said many on the front lines in New Delhi have been returning home to do fieldwork, and are then going back to the protests — rotating to continue protesting and farming. [aside postID=news_11850784,news_11849926]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I remember what they’re going through, it just really energizes me, gives me that much more motivation,” Singh said. “If they’re being suppressed, I’ll be the voice.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/03/world/asia/india-modi-farmer-protest-censorship.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">criticized for blocking the internet to quell the protests and for using a heavy hand when it comes to punishing dissent and journalists\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Speaking to the crowd, Harbir K. Bhatia encouraged people to keep the conversation alive. She called on both American leadership and Indian leadership to listen and understand the perspective of those protesting in India. Bhatia reminded the crowd of the importance of the bills passed by India’s Modi government, as well as the more recent history of farmer suicides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re dying because they cannot make ends meet, they cannot pay back their loans,” she said, adding that “more than 65% of India’s population are dealing with farming either as workers or farm owners.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bhatia also brought it back to something tangible. “If anybody here opens up their cabinet, there is a spice that’s from India,” she said, connecting the global spice trade to the importance of farmers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If the largest democracy does not follow democratic principles … it will affect this nation [U.S.],” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bhatia finished her speech by asking the audience what they would be doing to support farmers in India. “Are you telling your local officials, are you calling your city council members? … What are you doing to help this movement?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11868972\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11868972\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/01_RS48444_008_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/01_RS48444_008_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/01_RS48444_008_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/01_RS48444_008_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/01_RS48444_008_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/01_RS48444_008_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brianna Kaur is a member of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.influencedbysikhi.com/our-story\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Black Sikh Initiative\u003c/a> advocating for inclusivity for Black, Dalit and other marginalized voices. ‘It doesn’t have to directly affect you or your community in order for you to care,’ she said. ‘It’s more important to physically show up. I am Black and Sikh — there’s no where else I’d want to be,’ she said on April 10, 2021. ‘We’re going to continue to show up until the farmers bill is thrown out completely.’ \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11868973\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11868973\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/02_RS48447_011_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/02_RS48447_011_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/02_RS48447_011_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/02_RS48447_011_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/02_RS48447_011_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/02_RS48447_011_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Twin sisters Mehakk Kaur and Meharr Kaur Natt rap about the struggle of farmers in India during a rally near the Gate Bridge in San Francisco on April 10, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11868974\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11868974\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/03_RS48453_020_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/03_RS48453_020_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/03_RS48453_020_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/03_RS48453_020_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/03_RS48453_020_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/03_RS48453_020_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A demonstrator holds a sign saying ‘330 deaths, 136 days, repeal the 3 bills Modi’ as protesters march from Crissy Field to the Golden Gate Bridge on April 10, 2021 in solidarity with farmers in India. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11868977\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11868977\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/06_RS48470_042_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/06_RS48470_042_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/06_RS48470_042_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/06_RS48470_042_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/06_RS48470_042_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/06_RS48470_042_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Demonstrators listen to speakers before marching on the Golden Gate Bridge during a rally on April 10, 2021 in solidarity with farmers in India. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11868978\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11868978\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/07_RS48474_046_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/07_RS48474_046_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/07_RS48474_046_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/07_RS48474_046_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/07_RS48474_046_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/07_RS48474_046_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Neha Jammu wears a face mask that says, ‘I Stand with Farmers,’ during a rally in solidarity with farmers in India on April 10, 2021 in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11868979\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11868979\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/08_RS48446_010_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/08_RS48446_010_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/08_RS48446_010_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/08_RS48446_010_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/08_RS48446_010_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/08_RS48446_010_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Demonstrators march from Crissy Field to the Golden Gate Bridge in solidarity with farmers in India on April 10, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n",
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"title": "'The Same Hands That Feed Us': San Franciscans Rally in Solidarity With India's Farmers Protest | KQED",
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"headline": "'The Same Hands That Feed Us': San Franciscans Rally in Solidarity With India's Farmers Protest",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Hundreds of people demonstrated at the Golden Gate Bridge on Saturday to show solidarity with farmers in India.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thousands of farmers have been camped out at the edges of India’s capital of New Delhi for more than four months now — more recently drawing attention from the likes of celebrities such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-55931894\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rihanna\u003c/a> and more local figures, like San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/meenaharris/status/1357376550803369986\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Meena Harris,\u003c/a> the niece of Vice President Harris.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For many protesting in solidarity, the issues are personal. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘Those people out on the borders of New Delhi are actually our grandparents, our grandmothers, our uncles, our aunts, our mothers … We want to show them we’re here for them because those are the same hands that feed us.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those people out on the borders of New Delhi are actually our grandparents, our grandmothers, our uncles, our aunts, our mothers,” said Mandee Banga, who is from San Francisco. “We want to show them we’re here for them because those are the same hands that feed us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amar Singh, who is from San Jose, said he also has aunts and uncles protesting in India. The people are protesting on local highways there for miles and miles, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s equivalent of 101 from the San Francisco airport to San Jose … full of farmers, that’s what’s been going on for the past four months,” Singh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These recent protests in India initially began over a set of farm bills that critics say would make it harder for farmers to earn a living wage. As author Mallika Kaur \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11849926/why-farmers-drove-a-tractor-to-protest-at-the-indian-consulate-in-san-francisco\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">told KQED in December\u003c/a>, “The spark might be the new laws, but the pain and outrage is decades old and due to devastating policies that have taken too many lives the [Indian] state considers expendable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because many have traveled several miles to reach the protest, Singh said many on the front lines in New Delhi have been returning home to do fieldwork, and are then going back to the protests — rotating to continue protesting and farming. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I remember what they’re going through, it just really energizes me, gives me that much more motivation,” Singh said. “If they’re being suppressed, I’ll be the voice.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/03/world/asia/india-modi-farmer-protest-censorship.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">criticized for blocking the internet to quell the protests and for using a heavy hand when it comes to punishing dissent and journalists\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Speaking to the crowd, Harbir K. Bhatia encouraged people to keep the conversation alive. She called on both American leadership and Indian leadership to listen and understand the perspective of those protesting in India. Bhatia reminded the crowd of the importance of the bills passed by India’s Modi government, as well as the more recent history of farmer suicides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re dying because they cannot make ends meet, they cannot pay back their loans,” she said, adding that “more than 65% of India’s population are dealing with farming either as workers or farm owners.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bhatia also brought it back to something tangible. “If anybody here opens up their cabinet, there is a spice that’s from India,” she said, connecting the global spice trade to the importance of farmers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If the largest democracy does not follow democratic principles … it will affect this nation [U.S.],” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bhatia finished her speech by asking the audience what they would be doing to support farmers in India. “Are you telling your local officials, are you calling your city council members? … What are you doing to help this movement?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11868972\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11868972\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/01_RS48444_008_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/01_RS48444_008_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/01_RS48444_008_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/01_RS48444_008_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/01_RS48444_008_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/01_RS48444_008_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brianna Kaur is a member of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.influencedbysikhi.com/our-story\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Black Sikh Initiative\u003c/a> advocating for inclusivity for Black, Dalit and other marginalized voices. ‘It doesn’t have to directly affect you or your community in order for you to care,’ she said. ‘It’s more important to physically show up. I am Black and Sikh — there’s no where else I’d want to be,’ she said on April 10, 2021. ‘We’re going to continue to show up until the farmers bill is thrown out completely.’ \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11868973\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11868973\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/02_RS48447_011_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/02_RS48447_011_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/02_RS48447_011_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/02_RS48447_011_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/02_RS48447_011_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/02_RS48447_011_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Twin sisters Mehakk Kaur and Meharr Kaur Natt rap about the struggle of farmers in India during a rally near the Gate Bridge in San Francisco on April 10, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11868974\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11868974\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/03_RS48453_020_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/03_RS48453_020_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/03_RS48453_020_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/03_RS48453_020_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/03_RS48453_020_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/03_RS48453_020_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A demonstrator holds a sign saying ‘330 deaths, 136 days, repeal the 3 bills Modi’ as protesters march from Crissy Field to the Golden Gate Bridge on April 10, 2021 in solidarity with farmers in India. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11868977\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11868977\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/06_RS48470_042_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/06_RS48470_042_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/06_RS48470_042_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/06_RS48470_042_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/06_RS48470_042_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/06_RS48470_042_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Demonstrators listen to speakers before marching on the Golden Gate Bridge during a rally on April 10, 2021 in solidarity with farmers in India. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11868978\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11868978\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/07_RS48474_046_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/07_RS48474_046_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/07_RS48474_046_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/07_RS48474_046_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/07_RS48474_046_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/07_RS48474_046_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Neha Jammu wears a face mask that says, ‘I Stand with Farmers,’ during a rally in solidarity with farmers in India on April 10, 2021 in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11868979\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11868979\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/08_RS48446_010_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/08_RS48446_010_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/08_RS48446_010_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/08_RS48446_010_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/08_RS48446_010_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/08_RS48446_010_SanFrancisco_IndiaFarmerProtest_04102021-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Demonstrators march from Crissy Field to the Golden Gate Bridge in solidarity with farmers in India on April 10, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is working to prioritize public safety for Asian American and Pacific Islander seniors in the city’s upcoming budget, and has resolved to come up with an action plan by the end of May in an effort to prevent anti-Asian crimes, while also working to better coordinate support for victims of hate and violence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a public meeting Thursday, city agencies shared some of the ways San Francisco is already working to combat anti-Asian attacks. These include a network of neighborhood ambassadors and a new internal data dashboard to track hate crimes, with a focus on AAPI elders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This was in direct response to community concerns regarding hate-based incidents, which were not being reflected in the reported hate crime statistics,” said Daryl Fong, San Francisco Police Department community engagement division commander.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Nikita Saini, deputy public defender\"]‘Rather than relying on a broken system that has failed us, we must invest in community-based solutions.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around 360 incidents – nearly 40% of the Bay Area’s AAPI hate incidents over the past year, have occurred in San Francisco, said a member of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cycsf.org/program/ccsj/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Coalition for Community Safety and Justice\u003c/a> during Thursday’s day-long hearing. Community advocates like Deputy Public Defender Nikita Saini said the city could do better.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Rather than relying on a broken system that has failed us, we must invest in community-based solutions,” Saini said during the public comments portion of the hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many speakers called for greater coordination between city agencies and community groups to counteract and prevent crimes targeting AAPI residents, improved cultural and linguistic competency, particularly for first responders, and more cross-racial solidarity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So often our communities are being pitted against each other,” said Cynthia Choi, co-executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action and co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate. “We want to understand the divisions, particularly around the Chinese and Black community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shakirah Simley, \u003ca href=\"https://www.racialequitysf.org/staff/shakirah-simley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">director of San Francisco’s Office of Racial Equity\u003c/a>, also gave a presentation to the board. Simley said many structural issues and problems existed before COVID-19, but the pandemic has created a more intense “pressure cooker.” She noted the importance of looking at all facets: before, during and after an incident, while also emphasizing the “tremendous” amount of race-based structural violence AAPI residents are facing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that there’s a tremendous amount of race-based structural violence that our AAPI residents face every day from housing conditions or work conditions and access to health care and other services,” she said, adding that expanding preventative education, countering anti-immigrant narratives and white supremacist extremism are also important parts of combating the problem. “And we do need systemic policy change in public services to remedy this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adrienne Pon, executive director of the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://sfgov.org/oceia/immigrant-rights-commission\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs\u003c/a> echoed the importance of an intersectional approach — noting how racial, economic, health and housing equity intersect with other facets, such as criminal justice and access to services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Addressing the hate and violence has to be about all these things,” she said. “It’s not enough to have a conversation when something bad happens. We need to have ongoing conversations and collaborations about how to solve these problems.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside tag=\"anti-asian-attacks, anti-asian-violence\" label=\"Related Stories\"]While the overall discussions will eventually be refined into what may go into a budget, Pon said “it isn’t always about more. It’s about where you put the investment and how you sustain that support for community-based organizations that are doing the hard lifting, and for victims’ rights and services.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Catherine Stefani said she wanted the AAPI community to know that she will work to find ways to address that issue, “regardless of budgets,” and that prevention is just one aspect of safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is absolutely critical that every person in our city, every person visiting our city, especially those in our Asian community right now, feel safe at all times — feel that they have someone that they can go to to report crimes and feel that they have someone that can be there for them as cases go through the system,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Gordon Mar, who convened Thursday’s hearing, said it was the most comprehensive step the city has taken to date to address the rising crime statistics against AAPI community members. While he acknowledged that community-based organizations have truly stepped up to meet a large gap in rapid victim response, Mar said the onus should not just be on community organizations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We as a city also need to step up,” he said. “We need to ensure that where prejudice-based [crimes] and hate crimes exist, that barriers are removed, investigations are adequate and there are fair and effective consequences.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mar said he plans to hold another hearing later this month, and to review the draft action plan at another hearing in June.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is working to prioritize public safety for Asian American and Pacific Islander seniors in the city’s upcoming budget, and has resolved to come up with an action plan by the end of May in an effort to prevent anti-Asian crimes, while also working to better coordinate support for victims of hate and violence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a public meeting Thursday, city agencies shared some of the ways San Francisco is already working to combat anti-Asian attacks. These include a network of neighborhood ambassadors and a new internal data dashboard to track hate crimes, with a focus on AAPI elders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This was in direct response to community concerns regarding hate-based incidents, which were not being reflected in the reported hate crime statistics,” said Daryl Fong, San Francisco Police Department community engagement division commander.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many speakers called for greater coordination between city agencies and community groups to counteract and prevent crimes targeting AAPI residents, improved cultural and linguistic competency, particularly for first responders, and more cross-racial solidarity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So often our communities are being pitted against each other,” said Cynthia Choi, co-executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action and co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate. “We want to understand the divisions, particularly around the Chinese and Black community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shakirah Simley, \u003ca href=\"https://www.racialequitysf.org/staff/shakirah-simley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">director of San Francisco’s Office of Racial Equity\u003c/a>, also gave a presentation to the board. Simley said many structural issues and problems existed before COVID-19, but the pandemic has created a more intense “pressure cooker.” She noted the importance of looking at all facets: before, during and after an incident, while also emphasizing the “tremendous” amount of race-based structural violence AAPI residents are facing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that there’s a tremendous amount of race-based structural violence that our AAPI residents face every day from housing conditions or work conditions and access to health care and other services,” she said, adding that expanding preventative education, countering anti-immigrant narratives and white supremacist extremism are also important parts of combating the problem. “And we do need systemic policy change in public services to remedy this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adrienne Pon, executive director of the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://sfgov.org/oceia/immigrant-rights-commission\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs\u003c/a> echoed the importance of an intersectional approach — noting how racial, economic, health and housing equity intersect with other facets, such as criminal justice and access to services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Addressing the hate and violence has to be about all these things,” she said. “It’s not enough to have a conversation when something bad happens. We need to have ongoing conversations and collaborations about how to solve these problems.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>While the overall discussions will eventually be refined into what may go into a budget, Pon said “it isn’t always about more. It’s about where you put the investment and how you sustain that support for community-based organizations that are doing the hard lifting, and for victims’ rights and services.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Catherine Stefani said she wanted the AAPI community to know that she will work to find ways to address that issue, “regardless of budgets,” and that prevention is just one aspect of safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is absolutely critical that every person in our city, every person visiting our city, especially those in our Asian community right now, feel safe at all times — feel that they have someone that they can go to to report crimes and feel that they have someone that can be there for them as cases go through the system,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Gordon Mar, who convened Thursday’s hearing, said it was the most comprehensive step the city has taken to date to address the rising crime statistics against AAPI community members. While he acknowledged that community-based organizations have truly stepped up to meet a large gap in rapid victim response, Mar said the onus should not just be on community organizations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We as a city also need to step up,” he said. “We need to ensure that where prejudice-based [crimes] and hate crimes exist, that barriers are removed, investigations are adequate and there are fair and effective consequences.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mar said he plans to hold another hearing later this month, and to review the draft action plan at another hearing in June.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Many of us have come to appreciate the beauty of the Bay Area even more during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re outside, we’re walking more, and we’re noticing things we maybe didn’t have time to note before. Of course, all eyes are on the bay itself, which has led to some questions about the vessels floating there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Curious listener Christian Garvin lives in San Francisco, but works in San Leandro. He crosses the Bay Bridge every day, so he’s got time to take in the sweeping views. Recently, that view has been a little … cluttered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriouspodcastinfo]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As I sit in traffic, I look over to my left and think: That’s a lot of cargo ships just sitting there,” Christian said. “As a business person, it makes me wonder, how is that efficient? What’s going on?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Christian is right, there \u003cem>are\u003c/em> more ships in the bay than usual. Under ideal circumstances, says Robert Bernardo, a spokesperson for the Port of Oakland, there would be zero ships anchored in the bay waiting to be unloaded. But in the last several weeks there have been as many as 13 ships. (If you’re curious about what each ship in the bay does, check out this \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11730890/san-francisco-bay-is-filled-with-boats-but-what-do-they-do\">Bay Curious breakdown\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Asian factories are shipping goods in record numbers to replenish store shelves and assembly lines,” Bernardo said. “Retailers and manufacturers, consumers, they’re all driving this surge and that’s the phenomena that we’re experiencing right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Remember at the start of the pandemic when it was nearly impossible to get toilet paper? That was mostly because people were hoarding it, but it \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/04/03/826945396/why-are-stores-are-running-low-on-toilet-paper-its-not-just-hoarding\">caused a hiccup in a supply chain meant for stable demand\u003c/a>. That’s just one example of a disruption, but it has been happening throughout the manufacturing industry ever since the pandemic started. Now, companies are racing to catch up, but the shipping schedules are off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Turns out, shipping is a delicate web of networks that depend on a reliable schedule. If a ship arrives late or can’t dock immediately to unload, it backs up the whole schedule. That’s at least part of why there are more cargo ships in the bay than usual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maEbR4GRJAY\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Port of Oakland has 14 berths that are fully operational. It seems logical that when cargo ships are backed up, all 14 would be in use at the same time. But that’s not how it works, Bernardo says. The port \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandseaport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/PoOak_Apr-2019_Seaport-Map.pdf\">leases its berths to different marine terminal operators\u003c/a>, who in turn have their own long-standing contracts with shippers. So, a ship waiting in the bay to be unloaded can’t just go to any berth, it has to go to one at a marine terminal with which it is contracted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Delays that happen elsewhere in the world, like with \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56567985\">the cargo ship that was stuck in the Suez Canal\u003c/a>, or \u003ca href=\"https://www.marketplace.org/2021/03/08/dozens-container-ships-waiting-unloaded-port-los-angeles/\">backups at the Long Beach\u003c/a> or Los Angeles ports, eventually affect Oakland as well. In normal times, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11606579/what-gets-shipped-through-the-port-of-oakland\">Oakland exports almost as many goods as it imports\u003c/a> — largely agricultural products. But Bernardo says right now, they’re sending empty containers back to Asia. It’s all a desperate effort to get back on schedule.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not good for the port because any type of logjam hinders trade,” Bernardo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The maritime community is predicting that the backup will last at least through summer, and could affect what we see on our shelves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Many of us have come to appreciate the beauty of the Bay Area even more during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re outside, we’re walking more, and we’re noticing things we maybe didn’t have time to note before. Of course, all eyes are on the bay itself, which has led to some questions about the vessels floating there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Curious listener Christian Garvin lives in San Francisco, but works in San Leandro. He crosses the Bay Bridge every day, so he’s got time to take in the sweeping views. Recently, that view has been a little … cluttered.\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>“As I sit in traffic, I look over to my left and think: That’s a lot of cargo ships just sitting there,” Christian said. “As a business person, it makes me wonder, how is that efficient? What’s going on?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Christian is right, there \u003cem>are\u003c/em> more ships in the bay than usual. Under ideal circumstances, says Robert Bernardo, a spokesperson for the Port of Oakland, there would be zero ships anchored in the bay waiting to be unloaded. But in the last several weeks there have been as many as 13 ships. (If you’re curious about what each ship in the bay does, check out this \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11730890/san-francisco-bay-is-filled-with-boats-but-what-do-they-do\">Bay Curious breakdown\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Asian factories are shipping goods in record numbers to replenish store shelves and assembly lines,” Bernardo said. “Retailers and manufacturers, consumers, they’re all driving this surge and that’s the phenomena that we’re experiencing right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Remember at the start of the pandemic when it was nearly impossible to get toilet paper? That was mostly because people were hoarding it, but it \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/04/03/826945396/why-are-stores-are-running-low-on-toilet-paper-its-not-just-hoarding\">caused a hiccup in a supply chain meant for stable demand\u003c/a>. That’s just one example of a disruption, but it has been happening throughout the manufacturing industry ever since the pandemic started. Now, companies are racing to catch up, but the shipping schedules are off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Turns out, shipping is a delicate web of networks that depend on a reliable schedule. If a ship arrives late or can’t dock immediately to unload, it backs up the whole schedule. That’s at least part of why there are more cargo ships in the bay than usual.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/maEbR4GRJAY'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/maEbR4GRJAY'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>The Port of Oakland has 14 berths that are fully operational. It seems logical that when cargo ships are backed up, all 14 would be in use at the same time. But that’s not how it works, Bernardo says. The port \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandseaport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/PoOak_Apr-2019_Seaport-Map.pdf\">leases its berths to different marine terminal operators\u003c/a>, who in turn have their own long-standing contracts with shippers. So, a ship waiting in the bay to be unloaded can’t just go to any berth, it has to go to one at a marine terminal with which it is contracted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Delays that happen elsewhere in the world, like with \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56567985\">the cargo ship that was stuck in the Suez Canal\u003c/a>, or \u003ca href=\"https://www.marketplace.org/2021/03/08/dozens-container-ships-waiting-unloaded-port-los-angeles/\">backups at the Long Beach\u003c/a> or Los Angeles ports, eventually affect Oakland as well. In normal times, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11606579/what-gets-shipped-through-the-port-of-oakland\">Oakland exports almost as many goods as it imports\u003c/a> — largely agricultural products. But Bernardo says right now, they’re sending empty containers back to Asia. It’s all a desperate effort to get back on schedule.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not good for the port because any type of logjam hinders trade,” Bernardo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The maritime community is predicting that the backup will last at least through summer, and could affect what we see on our shelves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>The Bay Area is starting to return to normal with vaccine distribution continuing at a good pace and Gov. Gavin Newsom announcing that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11868240/newsom-announces-plan-to-open-up-business-as-usual-in-california-by-june-15\">California could fully open up its economy by June 15, 2021\u003c/a>. But, the past year has impacted every area of life, including how we consume resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriouspodcastinfo]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Curious listener Kelly Runyon was curious how the pandemic impacted how people in the Bay Area use water, electricity and landfill space. And, his question won a voting round, so it’s clear many people are interested in the answer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Resource use has fluctuated over the past year as counties have opened up more businesses or closed them down again. But in the most general sense, consumption shifted from commercial to residential use. We’ll look at water, electricity and landfill use one by one.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Water Use\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Commercial and tourism hubs like San Francisco saw the biggest decreases in water use. That’s because thousands of non-residents flow into San Francisco to work and play every day. They all use water when they’re in the city, but since hotels, restaurants and big office buildings have been largely shut down or are operating at a reduced capacity, there’s been a lot less water use in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Residential water use in San Francisco is up 5%, and commercial water use is down 38%. That means overall the city used 8% less water, says Will Reisman, press secretary for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfwater.org/\">San Francisco Public Utilities Commission\u003c/a>, which provides the city’s water. It might seem like the drop should be bigger, given the gap between those two numbers, but Reisman says there are far more residences than businesses, which offset the decrease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other parts of the Bay Area, the water picture looks different. More residential counties, like Marin and parts of the East Bay, saw fairly steady water usage from before the pandemic to now. Trends there are driven more by the seasons — people water their yards more in the summer — and whether there’s a drought or not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The SFPUC provides wholesale water to several other communities on the peninsula, so Reisman had a little more insight into water usage there, where he says trends were not uniform. In Burlingame and Palo Alto, usage was down, but in Hillsborough and Redwood City usage was up.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Electricity Use\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11868497\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11868497\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/RS42845_GettyImages-1217248264-qut.jpg\" alt=\"San Francisco MUNI buses sit parked at an SF Municipal Railway yard during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on April 06, 2020 in San Francisco, California. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) announced that they are cutting service to a majority of their 89 bus lines in the City of San Francisco as ridership plummets due to the coronavirus shelter in place. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/RS42845_GettyImages-1217248264-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/RS42845_GettyImages-1217248264-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/RS42845_GettyImages-1217248264-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/RS42845_GettyImages-1217248264-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/RS42845_GettyImages-1217248264-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Muni buses sit parked at a San Francisco Municipal Railway yard during the coronavirus pandemic on April 6, 2020 in San Francisco. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency announced that they are cutting service to a majority of their 89 bus lines in the city of San Francisco as ridership plummets due to the coronavirus shelter in place. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://sfwater.org/index.aspx?page=70\">SFPUC provides power to most municipal buildings\u003c/a> in the city, as well as big power users like Muni and San Francisco International Airport. Reisman says they saw a decrease of 17% overall, which makes sense because Muni has cut back service, many city workers have been working from home and SFO hasn’t been nearly as busy. Reisman did note, however, the decrease wasn’t uniform; there were upticks in power used for sewage treatment, public hospitals and street lights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also had some insight into the shift in residential and commercial usage patterns because of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cleanpowersf.org/\">CleanPowerSF program\u003c/a>, which provides renewable energy to about 380,000 San Francisco residents and businesses. He says there they saw predictable shifts: Residential use went up 7% and commercial use went down 18%. That means, overall, CleanPowerSF customers used 8% less electricity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were, I think, a little surprised that the commercial usage wasn’t down more,” Reisman said. “But I think you understand that some of these big buildings have to keep the lights on to an extent.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also thinks it points to the resilience of many San Francisco businesses. Even under difficult circumstances, restaurants and other businesses were operating, and thus using power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E is another big power provider in the Bay Area. They also saw declines in consumption, although they wouldn’t break the numbers out by city or region. A PG&E spokesperson said from March 2020 through the end of the year, power usage was down 2% across all 5.1 million PG&E accounts.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Trash and Landfill Space\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>“For the first six months of the pandemic, it was about a 10% total reduction in the amount of waste that was being disposed in California landfills,” said Mark Murray, executive director of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cawrecycles.org/\">Californians Against Waste\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He says households are producing more waste, but commercial waste streams make up between 40% and 45% of California’s waste. Due to the shutdowns, businesses produced far less waste during the first six months of 2020, leading to the overall decline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.recology.com/\">Recology\u003c/a>, San Francisco’s curbside waste contractor, confirmed this trend. When they compared the last quarter of 2019 to the same period in 2020, they found that commercial waste was down 33%, while residential waste was only up 2%. That means for that quarter, Recology sent 14% less trash to the landfill. That’s about six huge 18-wheeler truck loads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recology also noted that recyclables collected on mostly residential routes were up, and they’re proud to have continued their recycling and composting programs during the pandemic when other cities suspended these services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The increase in recycling could be due, in part, to what Murray calls “the Amazon effect.” Online shopping was popular before the pandemic, but it only went up as people stayed home. That means more cardboard boxes, flexible plastic containers that cannot be recycled and a fairly inefficient delivery system. He hopes retailers like Amazon will start using materials that can be more easily recycled. But, he thinks it’s important consumers know the impact they’re having, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This whole pandemic does represent a window into what might be if we were actually to change behavior and change systems so that we reduced our consumption,” Murray said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The Bay Area is starting to return to normal with vaccine distribution continuing at a good pace and Gov. Gavin Newsom announcing that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11868240/newsom-announces-plan-to-open-up-business-as-usual-in-california-by-june-15\">California could fully open up its economy by June 15, 2021\u003c/a>. But, the past year has impacted every area of life, including how we consume resources.\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>Bay Curious listener Kelly Runyon was curious how the pandemic impacted how people in the Bay Area use water, electricity and landfill space. And, his question won a voting round, so it’s clear many people are interested in the answer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Resource use has fluctuated over the past year as counties have opened up more businesses or closed them down again. But in the most general sense, consumption shifted from commercial to residential use. We’ll look at water, electricity and landfill use one by one.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Water Use\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Commercial and tourism hubs like San Francisco saw the biggest decreases in water use. That’s because thousands of non-residents flow into San Francisco to work and play every day. They all use water when they’re in the city, but since hotels, restaurants and big office buildings have been largely shut down or are operating at a reduced capacity, there’s been a lot less water use in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Residential water use in San Francisco is up 5%, and commercial water use is down 38%. That means overall the city used 8% less water, says Will Reisman, press secretary for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfwater.org/\">San Francisco Public Utilities Commission\u003c/a>, which provides the city’s water. It might seem like the drop should be bigger, given the gap between those two numbers, but Reisman says there are far more residences than businesses, which offset the decrease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other parts of the Bay Area, the water picture looks different. More residential counties, like Marin and parts of the East Bay, saw fairly steady water usage from before the pandemic to now. Trends there are driven more by the seasons — people water their yards more in the summer — and whether there’s a drought or not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The SFPUC provides wholesale water to several other communities on the peninsula, so Reisman had a little more insight into water usage there, where he says trends were not uniform. In Burlingame and Palo Alto, usage was down, but in Hillsborough and Redwood City usage was up.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Electricity Use\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11868497\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11868497\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/RS42845_GettyImages-1217248264-qut.jpg\" alt=\"San Francisco MUNI buses sit parked at an SF Municipal Railway yard during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on April 06, 2020 in San Francisco, California. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) announced that they are cutting service to a majority of their 89 bus lines in the City of San Francisco as ridership plummets due to the coronavirus shelter in place. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/RS42845_GettyImages-1217248264-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/RS42845_GettyImages-1217248264-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/RS42845_GettyImages-1217248264-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/RS42845_GettyImages-1217248264-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/RS42845_GettyImages-1217248264-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Muni buses sit parked at a San Francisco Municipal Railway yard during the coronavirus pandemic on April 6, 2020 in San Francisco. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency announced that they are cutting service to a majority of their 89 bus lines in the city of San Francisco as ridership plummets due to the coronavirus shelter in place. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://sfwater.org/index.aspx?page=70\">SFPUC provides power to most municipal buildings\u003c/a> in the city, as well as big power users like Muni and San Francisco International Airport. Reisman says they saw a decrease of 17% overall, which makes sense because Muni has cut back service, many city workers have been working from home and SFO hasn’t been nearly as busy. Reisman did note, however, the decrease wasn’t uniform; there were upticks in power used for sewage treatment, public hospitals and street lights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also had some insight into the shift in residential and commercial usage patterns because of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cleanpowersf.org/\">CleanPowerSF program\u003c/a>, which provides renewable energy to about 380,000 San Francisco residents and businesses. He says there they saw predictable shifts: Residential use went up 7% and commercial use went down 18%. That means, overall, CleanPowerSF customers used 8% less electricity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were, I think, a little surprised that the commercial usage wasn’t down more,” Reisman said. “But I think you understand that some of these big buildings have to keep the lights on to an extent.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also thinks it points to the resilience of many San Francisco businesses. Even under difficult circumstances, restaurants and other businesses were operating, and thus using power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E is another big power provider in the Bay Area. They also saw declines in consumption, although they wouldn’t break the numbers out by city or region. A PG&E spokesperson said from March 2020 through the end of the year, power usage was down 2% across all 5.1 million PG&E accounts.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Trash and Landfill Space\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>“For the first six months of the pandemic, it was about a 10% total reduction in the amount of waste that was being disposed in California landfills,” said Mark Murray, executive director of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cawrecycles.org/\">Californians Against Waste\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He says households are producing more waste, but commercial waste streams make up between 40% and 45% of California’s waste. Due to the shutdowns, businesses produced far less waste during the first six months of 2020, leading to the overall decline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.recology.com/\">Recology\u003c/a>, San Francisco’s curbside waste contractor, confirmed this trend. When they compared the last quarter of 2019 to the same period in 2020, they found that commercial waste was down 33%, while residential waste was only up 2%. That means for that quarter, Recology sent 14% less trash to the landfill. That’s about six huge 18-wheeler truck loads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recology also noted that recyclables collected on mostly residential routes were up, and they’re proud to have continued their recycling and composting programs during the pandemic when other cities suspended these services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The increase in recycling could be due, in part, to what Murray calls “the Amazon effect.” Online shopping was popular before the pandemic, but it only went up as people stayed home. 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"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
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},
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"id": "baycurious",
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"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
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},
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},
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"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
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"order": 8
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"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
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"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"order": 1
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"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 9
},
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"meta": {
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"source": "WNYC"
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"hidden-brain": {
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"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
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"source": "NPR"
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"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
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"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"order": 18
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},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
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