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"content": "\u003cp>More than 70 passionate community members, activists and organizational leaders gathered at the Japanese Cultural Community Center of Northern California in San Francisco’s Japantown to rebuke the use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">President Donald Trump\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The room buzzed with a sense of urgency after Trump invoked the centuries-old law to \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/03/16/g-s1-54154/alien-enemies-el-salvador-trump\">deport more than 200 people\u003c/a> with alleged ties to a notorious Venezuelan gang last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For many at the cultural center on Thursday, the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown carried troubling echoes of history. The last time the Alien Enemies Act was invoked was 84 years ago, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The act, which led to the detention of Japanese, German and Italian nationals, was the precursor to the incarceration of over 120,000 people with Japanese ancestry during World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It authorized then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt to detain any Japanese national who was suspected of sabotage or espionage and allowed the FBI to raid Japanese homes and businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In 1941, our religious leaders, our community leaders, our school teachers were branded criminals,” Jon Osaki, executive director of the Japanese Community Youth Council, said at the event. “We need to make sure that those who are targeted in this country right now know that there are people who support them and are looking out for them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the weeks leading up to Trump’s inauguration, many \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021919/bay-area-japanese-americans-draw-on-wwii-trauma-resist-deportation-threats\">Bay Area Japanese American community members had been on edge\u003c/a>, fearing he would follow through on his campaign promise to resurrect the dormant law — which has been used only three times during wartime — as a tool for mass deportation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032501\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032501\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Annie Lee (center), from Chinese for Affirmative Action, speaks at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A week ago, those fears became reality. Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act to justify removing alleged Venezuelan gang members, likening them to a foreign invasion despite \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/03/15/nx-s1-5246028/trump-alien-enemies-act-tren-de-aragua-deportation\">a federal court order\u003c/a> to halt the deportations and the use of wartime powers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, Japanese American community members say the stakes couldn’t be any clearer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re no longer in the place where we’re bracing,” Carl Takei of the Asian Law Caucus, told KQED. “This is the point where fundamental aspects of our freedoms are very clearly at risk.”[aside postID=news_12021919 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-47-1020x680.jpg']A panel that included representatives from social justice organizations such as Tsuru for Solidarity, Chinese for Affirmative Action and the San Francisco Labor Council drew parallels between Trump’s anti-immigration policies and the injustices Japanese Americans endured years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some audience members were moved to tears. Others cheered as speakers urged people to take action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mano Raju, one of the panelists and San Francisco’s Public Defender, underscored the troubling scope of Trump’s power grab. By invoking the Alien Enemies Act, he asserted, Trump had effectively stripped immigrants of their right to due process — critical protections for anyone accused of criminal activity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some of the people — who were essentially kidnapped by the U.S. government and shipped off to El Salvador in violation of a federal court order — have pending civil court dates in order to obtain their immigration status,” Raju said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Having represented individuals accused of gang affiliation, Raju called the mass deportations without a day in court “terrifying and outrageous.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If I were representing any of those individuals, I would actually be digging deep to understand the dynamics of who they are, and I bet you a lot of times we’re going to find that these allegations against them are actually not true,” Raju told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032493\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032493\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju speaking at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Takei noted the chilling similarities between the deportations and the targeting of Japanese immigrants during World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These initial roundups of Japanese immigrants who were not U.S. citizens were based on very thin evidence,” said Takei, who shared how the FBI targeted his great-grandfather for speaking to civilian ship captains who were mistaken for Japanese naval officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Takei said last weekend’s deportations could be the first step in a dangerous progression that mirrors the blueprint of the gradual expansion of arrests and detentions during World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The first stage is the one that looks very much like what is happening right now — that is the roundups of the Issei (immigrant) generation on the basis of the Alien Enemies invocation, and the phase that came after that was a much bigger roundup of everybody, citizens and noncitizens alike,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032498\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032498\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Japanese Cultural and Community Center. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That second phase came when Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066. A majority of the Japanese people sent to prison camps were American citizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Knowing that progression took place during World War II is one of the reasons why Japanese Americans are so angered and afraid by what is going on right now,” said Takei, who warned that if the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act stands in the courts, the implications could be serious for other immigrant groups since it blurs the line between state and non-state actors who can be deemed an invasive enemy of the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Derrlyn Tom, a resident of San Francisco’s Mission District, said she attended the meeting because she wants to be an ally to vulnerable immigrant groups. She said that sense of responsibility came from her time as a science teacher at Mission High School, where she taught for over 25 years, and the majority of the student population was Latino. Many students were refugees and had minimal connections or access to resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032495\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032495\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Attendees clap for speaker Joyce Nakamura. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Tom told KQED that she also attended to connect more deeply with her Japanese heritage by witnessing how the Japanese American community was mobilizing on behalf of others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel it’s an honor to just be here, to see that this is happening,” Tom, 67, said. “I feel like I can and should be proud of this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rev. Deborah Lee of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity emphasized that Japanese Americans speaking up now will be crucial to resisting the Trump administration’s efforts to upend the nation’s immigration system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their history is a marker on the U.S. It’s one of the few times the United States has ever \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11906015/how-japanese-americans-in-the-bay-area-are-carrying-forward-the-legacy-of-reparations\">admitted doing wrong and apologized\u003c/a>,” Lee said. “It’s so powerful to see the way they’re using their experience. Each community in the United States has some piece of the story.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032497\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032497\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Derrlyn Tom (right) speaks with friends at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Satsuki Ina, co-founder of Tsuru for Solidarity, a group that seeks to eliminate detention centers, said Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act should be a last-straw moment for Japanese Americans, a wake-up call to speak out on behalf of others facing the same fate their families once did — and to be the kind of allies that the Japanese community needed and did not have during World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent weeks, she said, Japanese American community members, including elderly survivors of World War II incarceration, have increasingly stepped forward to resist Trump’s immigration policies. Some have joined her group and are participating in know-your-rights training to take action, such as serving as witnesses to Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her co-founder, Mike Ishii, echoed that call to resistance, emphasizing that standing up against injustice is a long-standing tradition in the Japanese American community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This moment may feel especially fraught with anxiety, but our community has risen to the occasion many times,” he said. “We are strong, powerful, loving and resilient people. And you should not make us angry. Because when our righteous indignation is activated, we become a force to be reckoned with.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>More than 70 passionate community members, activists and organizational leaders gathered at the Japanese Cultural Community Center of Northern California in San Francisco’s Japantown to rebuke the use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">President Donald Trump\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The room buzzed with a sense of urgency after Trump invoked the centuries-old law to \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/03/16/g-s1-54154/alien-enemies-el-salvador-trump\">deport more than 200 people\u003c/a> with alleged ties to a notorious Venezuelan gang last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For many at the cultural center on Thursday, the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown carried troubling echoes of history. The last time the Alien Enemies Act was invoked was 84 years ago, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The act, which led to the detention of Japanese, German and Italian nationals, was the precursor to the incarceration of over 120,000 people with Japanese ancestry during World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It authorized then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt to detain any Japanese national who was suspected of sabotage or espionage and allowed the FBI to raid Japanese homes and businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In 1941, our religious leaders, our community leaders, our school teachers were branded criminals,” Jon Osaki, executive director of the Japanese Community Youth Council, said at the event. “We need to make sure that those who are targeted in this country right now know that there are people who support them and are looking out for them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the weeks leading up to Trump’s inauguration, many \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021919/bay-area-japanese-americans-draw-on-wwii-trauma-resist-deportation-threats\">Bay Area Japanese American community members had been on edge\u003c/a>, fearing he would follow through on his campaign promise to resurrect the dormant law — which has been used only three times during wartime — as a tool for mass deportation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032501\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032501\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Annie Lee (center), from Chinese for Affirmative Action, speaks at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A week ago, those fears became reality. Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act to justify removing alleged Venezuelan gang members, likening them to a foreign invasion despite \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/03/15/nx-s1-5246028/trump-alien-enemies-act-tren-de-aragua-deportation\">a federal court order\u003c/a> to halt the deportations and the use of wartime powers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, Japanese American community members say the stakes couldn’t be any clearer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re no longer in the place where we’re bracing,” Carl Takei of the Asian Law Caucus, told KQED. “This is the point where fundamental aspects of our freedoms are very clearly at risk.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>A panel that included representatives from social justice organizations such as Tsuru for Solidarity, Chinese for Affirmative Action and the San Francisco Labor Council drew parallels between Trump’s anti-immigration policies and the injustices Japanese Americans endured years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some audience members were moved to tears. Others cheered as speakers urged people to take action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mano Raju, one of the panelists and San Francisco’s Public Defender, underscored the troubling scope of Trump’s power grab. By invoking the Alien Enemies Act, he asserted, Trump had effectively stripped immigrants of their right to due process — critical protections for anyone accused of criminal activity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some of the people — who were essentially kidnapped by the U.S. government and shipped off to El Salvador in violation of a federal court order — have pending civil court dates in order to obtain their immigration status,” Raju said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Having represented individuals accused of gang affiliation, Raju called the mass deportations without a day in court “terrifying and outrageous.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If I were representing any of those individuals, I would actually be digging deep to understand the dynamics of who they are, and I bet you a lot of times we’re going to find that these allegations against them are actually not true,” Raju told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032493\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032493\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju speaking at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Takei noted the chilling similarities between the deportations and the targeting of Japanese immigrants during World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These initial roundups of Japanese immigrants who were not U.S. citizens were based on very thin evidence,” said Takei, who shared how the FBI targeted his great-grandfather for speaking to civilian ship captains who were mistaken for Japanese naval officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Takei said last weekend’s deportations could be the first step in a dangerous progression that mirrors the blueprint of the gradual expansion of arrests and detentions during World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The first stage is the one that looks very much like what is happening right now — that is the roundups of the Issei (immigrant) generation on the basis of the Alien Enemies invocation, and the phase that came after that was a much bigger roundup of everybody, citizens and noncitizens alike,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032498\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032498\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Japanese Cultural and Community Center. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That second phase came when Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066. A majority of the Japanese people sent to prison camps were American citizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Knowing that progression took place during World War II is one of the reasons why Japanese Americans are so angered and afraid by what is going on right now,” said Takei, who warned that if the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act stands in the courts, the implications could be serious for other immigrant groups since it blurs the line between state and non-state actors who can be deemed an invasive enemy of the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Derrlyn Tom, a resident of San Francisco’s Mission District, said she attended the meeting because she wants to be an ally to vulnerable immigrant groups. She said that sense of responsibility came from her time as a science teacher at Mission High School, where she taught for over 25 years, and the majority of the student population was Latino. Many students were refugees and had minimal connections or access to resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032495\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032495\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Attendees clap for speaker Joyce Nakamura. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Tom told KQED that she also attended to connect more deeply with her Japanese heritage by witnessing how the Japanese American community was mobilizing on behalf of others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel it’s an honor to just be here, to see that this is happening,” Tom, 67, said. “I feel like I can and should be proud of this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rev. Deborah Lee of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity emphasized that Japanese Americans speaking up now will be crucial to resisting the Trump administration’s efforts to upend the nation’s immigration system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their history is a marker on the U.S. It’s one of the few times the United States has ever \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11906015/how-japanese-americans-in-the-bay-area-are-carrying-forward-the-legacy-of-reparations\">admitted doing wrong and apologized\u003c/a>,” Lee said. “It’s so powerful to see the way they’re using their experience. Each community in the United States has some piece of the story.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032497\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032497\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Derrlyn Tom (right) speaks with friends at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Satsuki Ina, co-founder of Tsuru for Solidarity, a group that seeks to eliminate detention centers, said Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act should be a last-straw moment for Japanese Americans, a wake-up call to speak out on behalf of others facing the same fate their families once did — and to be the kind of allies that the Japanese community needed and did not have during World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent weeks, she said, Japanese American community members, including elderly survivors of World War II incarceration, have increasingly stepped forward to resist Trump’s immigration policies. Some have joined her group and are participating in know-your-rights training to take action, such as serving as witnesses to Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her co-founder, Mike Ishii, echoed that call to resistance, emphasizing that standing up against injustice is a long-standing tradition in the Japanese American community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This moment may feel especially fraught with anxiety, but our community has risen to the occasion many times,” he said. “We are strong, powerful, loving and resilient people. And you should not make us angry. Because when our righteous indignation is activated, we become a force to be reckoned with.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "san-jose-district-3-special-election-whos-running-and-how-to-vote",
"title": "San José District 3 Special Election: Who’s Running and How to Vote",
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"headTitle": "San José District 3 Special Election: Who’s Running and How to Vote | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Voting is underway in the April 8 special election to fill the District 3 seat on the San José City Council. The election was called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013122/san-jose-councilmember-omar-torres-resigns-arrested\">after former Councilmember Omar Torres resigned\u003c/a> in November amid multiple criminal charges of child sex abuse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January, engineering executive Carl Salas was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12024327/san-jose-council-taps-engineering-executive-carl-salas-vacant-seat\">appointed to temporarily represent the district\u003c/a>, which includes the city’s downtown and Japantown neighborhoods. Seven candidates are vying to represent the seat through 2026. If a candidate receives over 50% of the vote, they win the special election and take office before the end of April. If no candidate claims a majority, the top two finishers will compete in a runoff election on June 24.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s a guide to who is running and how to cast your ballot:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>The candidates \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabby Chavez-Lopez\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Executive Director, Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Key Supporters: State Sen. Dave Cortese, South Bay Labor Council, Santa Clara County Democratic Party\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030412\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030412\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1348\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-2-KQED-800x539.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-2-KQED-1020x687.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-2-KQED-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-2-KQED-1536x1035.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-2-KQED-1920x1294.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> City Council District 3 candidate, Gabby Chavez-Lopez, speaks at a candidates forum at the San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> Woman’s Club in San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> on March 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Philip Dolan\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Knife sharpener salesman\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Key Supporters: N/A\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030414\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030414\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-4-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-4-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-4-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-4-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-4-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-4-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-4-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> City Council District 3 candidate, Philip Dolan, speaks at a candidates forum at the San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> Woman’s Club in San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> on March 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adam Duran \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Retired lieutenant, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Key Supporters: Former Santa Clara County Undersheriff Ken Binder, former Santa Clara County Department of Corrections Deputy Director Bob Conroy, former Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Kevin Jensen.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030415\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030415\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-5-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-5-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-5-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-5-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-5-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-5-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-5-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> City Council District 3 candidate, Adam Duran, speaks at a candidates forum at the San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> Woman’s Club in San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> on March 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Matthew Quevedo\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Deputy Chief of Staff, San José Mayor’s Office\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Key Supporters: San José Mayor Matt Mahan, Rep. Sam Liccardo, former San José Mayor Tom McEnery.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030418\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030418\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-13-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-13-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-13-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> City Council District 3 candidate, Matthew Quevedo, speaks at a candidates forum at the San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> Woman’s Club in San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> on March 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Irene Smith \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Financial analyst\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Key Supporters: Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility. Families & Homes SJ.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030416\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030416\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-8-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-8-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-8-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> City Council District 3 candidate, Irene Smith, speaks at a candidates forum at the San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> Woman’s Club in San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> on March 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Anthony Tordillos\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Chair, San José Planning Commission\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Key Supporters: Former Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager, Santa Clara County Democratic Party, South Bay YIMBY.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030417\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030417\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1288\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-10-KQED-800x515.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-10-KQED-1020x657.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-10-KQED-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-10-KQED-1536x989.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-10-KQED-1920x1236.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> City Council District 3 candidate, Anthony Tordillos, speaks at a candidates forum at the San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> Woman’s Club in San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> on March 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tyrone Wade \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Retired family counselor\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Key Supporters: N/A\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Positions on key issues \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>San José faces a modest budget shortfall of $45.7 million in the upcoming fiscal year and deficits in future years. What is your plan to balance the city budget for the long haul? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chavez-Lopez \u003c/strong>supports the conversion of office buildings to apartments to bring more people downtown. “Once you make a destination desirable to visitors and really center that experience, it makes for a better quality of life for those that live here,” Chavez-Lopez said. “Because people who live here want to come downstairs out of their condos or their apartments.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dolan \u003c/strong>faulted the city for “giving essential services away.” He questioned how San José is “going to be able to take care of the homeless when we have to close that gap,” adding, “I don’t think government should be there to give essential services away unless it’s a time of need and a time of war or there’s an economic depression.”[aside postID=news_12026772 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67526_20230801-SJCityHall-01-JYKQED-1020x680.jpg']\u003cstrong>Duran \u003c/strong>pointed to his experience managing large teams of sergeants and deputies in the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. “That was a lot of money to be managing because a lieutenant really is a manager position,” he said. Looking at the city budget, Duran said, “Before we get to cuts, let’s get more revenue,” which he believes will come if the city focuses police enforcement downtown and cuts business regulation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Quevedo \u003c/strong>said long-term fiscal health will come by focusing spending on a few core issues: building interim housing for people experiencing homelessness, hiring police officers, funding housing construction and suspending taxes for small businesses for the first three years of the business. “Anything else, we have to really have an open and honest conversation on whether or not the city can provide those services,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Smith \u003c/strong>touted her experience as a financial analyst with IBM and proposed implementing zero-based budgeting for one city department each year, requiring all expenses to be reapproved rather than using the previous budget as a baseline. Right now, she argued, “We don’t have that feedback loop that tells us what’s being successful and what’s not being successful.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tordillos \u003c/strong>called for more housing development to bolster the city’s property tax base. And he supported exploring changes to the city’s businesses tax to potentially bring in more dollars from the largest companies. “San José’s business tax is much more regressive than what we see in some other cities throughout the Bay Area,” Tordillos said. “And it brings in a lot less revenue than other cities in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Wade \u003c/strong>said the council should “revisit the budget and examine how we’re spending all that and make sure that we’re not doing anything wasteful.” He called for an initiative to encourage small businesses downtown to hire recent graduates from San José State University. “Have them work with the small business mom-and-pop businesses to increase their revenue and their marketing so that they can get past the first five years of development or incorporation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030419\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030419\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-14-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-14-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-14-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-14-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-14-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-14-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-14-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> District 3 voters attend a District 3 City Council candidates forum at the San José Women’s Club in San José on March 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>San José Mayor Matt Mahan has proposed \u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026437/san-jose-mayor-proposes-permanent-shift-homeless-funding-from-housing-shelter\">\u003cstrong>permanently shifting Measure E tax dollars\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong> to fund interim housing and shelter instead of permanent housing. Do you agree with his plan? How would you spend city dollars to reduce homelessness? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chavez-Lopez \u003c/strong>opposed Mahan’s plan and said “permanent supportive [housing] should be prioritized” in city spending. Chavez-Lopez recalled her experience campaigning for the Measure E real estate transfer tax in 2020. “We were telling [voters] that it was for permanent supportive housing and prevention,” she said. “So, for me, in a time when trust is at an all-time low, why are we going back on that commitment to voters?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dolan \u003c/strong>criticized spending on both interim and permanent housing and said his focus would be on prioritizing city dollars for families with children who are experiencing homelessness.“If you’re a single man, you’re kind of out of luck. You need to go get a job. If it’s drugs, you need to really pick yourself up. We can’t take care of everybody,” he said.[aside postID=news_12029843 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240620-AffordableHousingPresser-10-BL_qed-1-1020x680.jpg']\u003cstrong>Duran \u003c/strong>said his top priority for city dollars would be to open mental health and drug treatment facilities, in coordination with the state and county government, instead of providing housing first. “Providing a home for them while leaving them in their addiction to me is the opposite of compassion,” Duran said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Quevedo \u003c/strong>supported Mahan’s plan and said, “Interim [housing] should definitely be the priority.” He also voiced support for rental assistance to keep people from entering homelessness. “But let’s make sure that for the population that exists on the streets right now, that we’re building the housing that they need and providing the services to help them get off the streets.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Smith \u003c/strong>supported Mahan’s plan and said proponents of affordable housing “haven’t been able to build big enough or fast enough. So we have to have interim solutions for folks who are living on the streets and living in tents.” Smith diverged from Mahan in her preference for spending on large congregate shelters instead of tiny homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tordillos \u003c/strong>opposed Mahan’s plan to permanently shift the Measure E dollars toward interim housing because it would “ignore the will of the voters who impose this tax on themselves.” He supported increased funding for interim housing in the short term but said, “Over time, we need to make sure that we’re getting back to a balanced allocation of Measure E dollars between both shelter spending as well as affordable housing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Wade \u003c/strong>said his experience working in homeless shelters for San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> Urban Ministries taught him that city spending should be tailored to the specific needs of each unhoused person, which could be counseling, treatment or job training. “It’s not a question of homes or temporary housing,” Wade added. “It’s an experience that has to be followed and coached until someone is stable enough to maintain their own lifestyle.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What will you do to restore trust in city government and strengthen communication \u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12014643/omar-torres-resigns-from-san-jose-city-council-is-arrested\">\u003cstrong>with District 3 residents after the Torres scandal\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chavez-Lopez \u003c/strong>pointed to the fact she hasn’t run for office or served in government. “It is a real plus because I have been serving in the community and really establishing deep-rooted relationships here.” She referred to herself as “a community organizer at heart” who “will continue to make sure that residents are informed that they have all the information available to them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dolan \u003c/strong>supported creating an easily accessible online directory that could store information about city departments, making it easier for residents to find where to report specific issues. “So a person … can get on there and say, ‘Bumpers in the street,’ and the search will take you to the [department] and why they’re putting these little bumpers in the street. I want everything to be so transparent.”[aside postID=news_12014643 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241016-OMAR-TORRES-GH-1-KQED-1020x680.jpg']\u003cstrong>Duran \u003c/strong>said “the bruise to the community” from the Torres scandal was deep. He cited his work in the county jail as evidence of his commitment to public service. “I was always that guy trying to serve, even inside behind the walls … so this is all part of my journey in helping people and serving my community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Quevedo \u003c/strong>said that trust will be built if residents receive high-quality services. “I think long before even the [Torres] incident that occurred, there has been an erosion of trust in providing services,” he said. He said the council’s decision to fill the seat through a special election rather than a longer-term appointment will make residents feel that their voice is being heard at City Hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Smith\u003c/strong> called for more opportunities for public feedback on development and criticized the city’s recent elimination of public hearings for housing in already-developed areas, known as infill development. “Where does infill go? That goes into D3,” Smith said. “So they’ve completely eliminated our voice on public infill.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tordillos \u003c/strong>said he would gain voter trust through his decision not to accept campaign donations from corporations or lobbyists. “Some folks in our community feel like special interests often have more of a voice at City Hall than actual residents and community members,” Tordillos said. “So I’m running and rejecting corporate money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Wade \u003c/strong>proposed developing an advisory board of residents and groups, including “community activists, community leaders, churches, schools [and] nonprofits” that would propose ideas to inform his work. “The community has a better feel for what they want and need to be done, and they can direct those services,” he added.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>How to vote? \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Election officials are mailing ballots to registered voters in District 3, which also includes the Washington-Guadalupe, Naglee Park and Northside communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ballots can be returned at drop boxes at the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters’ office, San José City Hall, Biblioteca Latinoamericana Branch Library, Joyce Ellington Branch Library, East San José Carnegie Library and the Santa Clara County Civic Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>In-person voting\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For voters who prefer to cast in-person ballots, the county is opening two voting locations on March 29. The location will be open daily from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. through April 7 and from 7 a.m.–8 p.m. on election day, April 8.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Joyce Ellington Branch Library Community Room\u003c/strong>, 491 East Empire St., San José.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Olinder Community Center Community Room\u003c/strong>, 848 East William St., San José.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>A third voting location will open on April 5. The location will be open daily from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. April 5–7 and from 7 a.m.–8 p.m. on April 8.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Center for Employment Training Banquet Room\u003c/strong>, 701 Vine St., San José.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Voting is underway in the April 8 special election to fill the District 3 seat on the San José City Council. The election was called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013122/san-jose-councilmember-omar-torres-resigns-arrested\">after former Councilmember Omar Torres resigned\u003c/a> in November amid multiple criminal charges of child sex abuse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January, engineering executive Carl Salas was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12024327/san-jose-council-taps-engineering-executive-carl-salas-vacant-seat\">appointed to temporarily represent the district\u003c/a>, which includes the city’s downtown and Japantown neighborhoods. Seven candidates are vying to represent the seat through 2026. If a candidate receives over 50% of the vote, they win the special election and take office before the end of April. If no candidate claims a majority, the top two finishers will compete in a runoff election on June 24.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s a guide to who is running and how to cast your ballot:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>The candidates \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabby Chavez-Lopez\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Executive Director, Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Key Supporters: State Sen. Dave Cortese, South Bay Labor Council, Santa Clara County Democratic Party\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030412\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030412\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1348\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-2-KQED-800x539.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-2-KQED-1020x687.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-2-KQED-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-2-KQED-1536x1035.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-2-KQED-1920x1294.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> City Council District 3 candidate, Gabby Chavez-Lopez, speaks at a candidates forum at the San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> Woman’s Club in San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> on March 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Philip Dolan\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Knife sharpener salesman\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Key Supporters: N/A\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030414\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030414\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-4-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-4-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-4-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-4-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-4-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-4-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-4-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> City Council District 3 candidate, Philip Dolan, speaks at a candidates forum at the San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> Woman’s Club in San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> on March 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adam Duran \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Retired lieutenant, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Key Supporters: Former Santa Clara County Undersheriff Ken Binder, former Santa Clara County Department of Corrections Deputy Director Bob Conroy, former Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Kevin Jensen.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030415\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030415\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-5-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-5-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-5-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-5-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-5-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-5-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-5-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> City Council District 3 candidate, Adam Duran, speaks at a candidates forum at the San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> Woman’s Club in San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> on March 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Matthew Quevedo\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Deputy Chief of Staff, San José Mayor’s Office\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Key Supporters: San José Mayor Matt Mahan, Rep. Sam Liccardo, former San José Mayor Tom McEnery.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030418\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030418\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-13-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-13-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-13-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> City Council District 3 candidate, Matthew Quevedo, speaks at a candidates forum at the San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> Woman’s Club in San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> on March 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Irene Smith \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Financial analyst\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Key Supporters: Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility. Families & Homes SJ.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030416\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030416\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-8-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-8-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-8-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> City Council District 3 candidate, Irene Smith, speaks at a candidates forum at the San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> Woman’s Club in San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> on March 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Anthony Tordillos\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Chair, San José Planning Commission\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Key Supporters: Former Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager, Santa Clara County Democratic Party, South Bay YIMBY.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030417\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030417\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1288\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-10-KQED-800x515.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-10-KQED-1020x657.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-10-KQED-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-10-KQED-1536x989.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-10-KQED-1920x1236.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> City Council District 3 candidate, Anthony Tordillos, speaks at a candidates forum at the San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> Woman’s Club in San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> on March 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tyrone Wade \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Retired family counselor\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Key Supporters: N/A\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Positions on key issues \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>San José faces a modest budget shortfall of $45.7 million in the upcoming fiscal year and deficits in future years. What is your plan to balance the city budget for the long haul? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chavez-Lopez \u003c/strong>supports the conversion of office buildings to apartments to bring more people downtown. “Once you make a destination desirable to visitors and really center that experience, it makes for a better quality of life for those that live here,” Chavez-Lopez said. “Because people who live here want to come downstairs out of their condos or their apartments.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dolan \u003c/strong>faulted the city for “giving essential services away.” He questioned how San José is “going to be able to take care of the homeless when we have to close that gap,” adding, “I don’t think government should be there to give essential services away unless it’s a time of need and a time of war or there’s an economic depression.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Duran \u003c/strong>pointed to his experience managing large teams of sergeants and deputies in the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. “That was a lot of money to be managing because a lieutenant really is a manager position,” he said. Looking at the city budget, Duran said, “Before we get to cuts, let’s get more revenue,” which he believes will come if the city focuses police enforcement downtown and cuts business regulation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Quevedo \u003c/strong>said long-term fiscal health will come by focusing spending on a few core issues: building interim housing for people experiencing homelessness, hiring police officers, funding housing construction and suspending taxes for small businesses for the first three years of the business. “Anything else, we have to really have an open and honest conversation on whether or not the city can provide those services,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Smith \u003c/strong>touted her experience as a financial analyst with IBM and proposed implementing zero-based budgeting for one city department each year, requiring all expenses to be reapproved rather than using the previous budget as a baseline. Right now, she argued, “We don’t have that feedback loop that tells us what’s being successful and what’s not being successful.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tordillos \u003c/strong>called for more housing development to bolster the city’s property tax base. And he supported exploring changes to the city’s businesses tax to potentially bring in more dollars from the largest companies. “San José’s business tax is much more regressive than what we see in some other cities throughout the Bay Area,” Tordillos said. “And it brings in a lot less revenue than other cities in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Wade \u003c/strong>said the council should “revisit the budget and examine how we’re spending all that and make sure that we’re not doing anything wasteful.” He called for an initiative to encourage small businesses downtown to hire recent graduates from San José State University. “Have them work with the small business mom-and-pop businesses to increase their revenue and their marketing so that they can get past the first five years of development or incorporation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030419\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030419\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-14-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-14-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-14-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-14-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-14-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-14-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250306_SANJOSEDISTRICT3_GC-14-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> District 3 voters attend a District 3 City Council candidates forum at the San José Women’s Club in San José on March 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>San José Mayor Matt Mahan has proposed \u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026437/san-jose-mayor-proposes-permanent-shift-homeless-funding-from-housing-shelter\">\u003cstrong>permanently shifting Measure E tax dollars\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong> to fund interim housing and shelter instead of permanent housing. Do you agree with his plan? How would you spend city dollars to reduce homelessness? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chavez-Lopez \u003c/strong>opposed Mahan’s plan and said “permanent supportive [housing] should be prioritized” in city spending. Chavez-Lopez recalled her experience campaigning for the Measure E real estate transfer tax in 2020. “We were telling [voters] that it was for permanent supportive housing and prevention,” she said. “So, for me, in a time when trust is at an all-time low, why are we going back on that commitment to voters?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dolan \u003c/strong>criticized spending on both interim and permanent housing and said his focus would be on prioritizing city dollars for families with children who are experiencing homelessness.“If you’re a single man, you’re kind of out of luck. You need to go get a job. If it’s drugs, you need to really pick yourself up. We can’t take care of everybody,” he said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Duran \u003c/strong>said his top priority for city dollars would be to open mental health and drug treatment facilities, in coordination with the state and county government, instead of providing housing first. “Providing a home for them while leaving them in their addiction to me is the opposite of compassion,” Duran said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Quevedo \u003c/strong>supported Mahan’s plan and said, “Interim [housing] should definitely be the priority.” He also voiced support for rental assistance to keep people from entering homelessness. “But let’s make sure that for the population that exists on the streets right now, that we’re building the housing that they need and providing the services to help them get off the streets.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Smith \u003c/strong>supported Mahan’s plan and said proponents of affordable housing “haven’t been able to build big enough or fast enough. So we have to have interim solutions for folks who are living on the streets and living in tents.” Smith diverged from Mahan in her preference for spending on large congregate shelters instead of tiny homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tordillos \u003c/strong>opposed Mahan’s plan to permanently shift the Measure E dollars toward interim housing because it would “ignore the will of the voters who impose this tax on themselves.” He supported increased funding for interim housing in the short term but said, “Over time, we need to make sure that we’re getting back to a balanced allocation of Measure E dollars between both shelter spending as well as affordable housing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Wade \u003c/strong>said his experience working in homeless shelters for San Jos\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">é\u003c/span> Urban Ministries taught him that city spending should be tailored to the specific needs of each unhoused person, which could be counseling, treatment or job training. “It’s not a question of homes or temporary housing,” Wade added. “It’s an experience that has to be followed and coached until someone is stable enough to maintain their own lifestyle.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What will you do to restore trust in city government and strengthen communication \u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12014643/omar-torres-resigns-from-san-jose-city-council-is-arrested\">\u003cstrong>with District 3 residents after the Torres scandal\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chavez-Lopez \u003c/strong>pointed to the fact she hasn’t run for office or served in government. “It is a real plus because I have been serving in the community and really establishing deep-rooted relationships here.” She referred to herself as “a community organizer at heart” who “will continue to make sure that residents are informed that they have all the information available to them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dolan \u003c/strong>supported creating an easily accessible online directory that could store information about city departments, making it easier for residents to find where to report specific issues. “So a person … can get on there and say, ‘Bumpers in the street,’ and the search will take you to the [department] and why they’re putting these little bumpers in the street. I want everything to be so transparent.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Duran \u003c/strong>said “the bruise to the community” from the Torres scandal was deep. He cited his work in the county jail as evidence of his commitment to public service. “I was always that guy trying to serve, even inside behind the walls … so this is all part of my journey in helping people and serving my community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Quevedo \u003c/strong>said that trust will be built if residents receive high-quality services. “I think long before even the [Torres] incident that occurred, there has been an erosion of trust in providing services,” he said. He said the council’s decision to fill the seat through a special election rather than a longer-term appointment will make residents feel that their voice is being heard at City Hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Smith\u003c/strong> called for more opportunities for public feedback on development and criticized the city’s recent elimination of public hearings for housing in already-developed areas, known as infill development. “Where does infill go? That goes into D3,” Smith said. “So they’ve completely eliminated our voice on public infill.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tordillos \u003c/strong>said he would gain voter trust through his decision not to accept campaign donations from corporations or lobbyists. “Some folks in our community feel like special interests often have more of a voice at City Hall than actual residents and community members,” Tordillos said. “So I’m running and rejecting corporate money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Wade \u003c/strong>proposed developing an advisory board of residents and groups, including “community activists, community leaders, churches, schools [and] nonprofits” that would propose ideas to inform his work. “The community has a better feel for what they want and need to be done, and they can direct those services,” he added.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>How to vote? \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Election officials are mailing ballots to registered voters in District 3, which also includes the Washington-Guadalupe, Naglee Park and Northside communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ballots can be returned at drop boxes at the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters’ office, San José City Hall, Biblioteca Latinoamericana Branch Library, Joyce Ellington Branch Library, East San José Carnegie Library and the Santa Clara County Civic Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>In-person voting\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For voters who prefer to cast in-person ballots, the county is opening two voting locations on March 29. The location will be open daily from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. through April 7 and from 7 a.m.–8 p.m. on election day, April 8.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Joyce Ellington Branch Library Community Room\u003c/strong>, 491 East Empire St., San José.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Olinder Community Center Community Room\u003c/strong>, 848 East William St., San José.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>A third voting location will open on April 5. The location will be open daily from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. April 5–7 and from 7 a.m.–8 p.m. on April 8.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Center for Employment Training Banquet Room\u003c/strong>, 701 Vine St., San José.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Thousands of SF Homes Destroyed Decades Ago During 'Redevelopment' Could Be Rebuilt for Lower-Income Residents",
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"headTitle": "Thousands of SF Homes Destroyed Decades Ago During ‘Redevelopment’ Could Be Rebuilt for Lower-Income Residents | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Decades after San Francisco bulldozed thousands of homes in the name of redevelopment, a state bill could boost efforts to repair that damage and make it easier for displaced families to regain a foothold in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The push comes as San Francisco faces a state-mandated obligation to produce nearly 46,000 units for very low, low and moderate-income households in the next eight years. Supporters of the bill say it could make a dent in an area that many Bay Area housing and racial justice advocates assert is long overdue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But success isn’t guaranteed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some West Coast cities have seen mixed results from their efforts to remedy similar urban infrastructure projects during the 1960s and 1970s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“San Francisco went through a very ugly period where in the name of ‘urban renewal,’ the city bulldozed and destroyed thousands and thousands of homes, primarily in Black, Japanese and Filipino neighborhoods,” said state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who authored \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB593\">Senate Bill 593\u003c/a>. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco)\"]‘San Francisco went through a very ugly period where in the name of ‘urban renewal,’ the city bulldozed and destroyed thousands and thousands of homes, primarily in Black, Japanese and Filipino neighborhoods.’[/pullquote] The bill aims to fund the production of nearly 6,000 affordable housing units that were destroyed during the mid-century redevelopment era in San Francisco’s Western Addition, Fillmore, Japantown and SoMa neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was just a horrific situation and San Francisco has a legal responsibility to replace the homes that were destroyed when redevelopment ended a decade ago,” Wiener said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SB 593 cleared the California Legislature on Wednesday and is now awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature. The bill would allow residual property tax dollars to remain in the city’s Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund, rather than be redistributed to the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure could then issue bonds to construct or add 5,800 units of replacement housing that were never rebuilt after redevelopment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San Francisco, there are between 500–900 units in the city’s own pipeline for affordable housing construction that could benefit from the new financing structure. The city will also solicit projects and developers that could maximize the number of new affordable units.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11960806\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11960806 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230911-MattieScottFreedomWest-014-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230911-MattieScottFreedomWest-014-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230911-MattieScottFreedomWest-014-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230911-MattieScottFreedomWest-014-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230911-MattieScottFreedomWest-014-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230911-MattieScottFreedomWest-014-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230911-MattieScottFreedomWest-014-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Homes at Freedom West, a housing cooperative, seen from the interior courtyard in the Fillmore District on Sept. 11, 2023. The property will be redeveloped in what is referred to as ‘Freedom West 2.0,’ with new buildings for current residents and community facilities. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There are a number of housing projects in the works that could seek funding if they are approved. Among them is Freedom West cooperative in the Western Addition, which is currently working on a renovation and expansion project with the developer MacFarlane Partners to replace 382 co-op units and add 133 affordable homes to the site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mattie Scott is a longtime resident of the Western Addition and president of the Freedom West Housing Cooperative in San Francisco, which supports Wiener’s bill. She remembers growing up in the neighborhood before redevelopment cleared it out to make way for new expressways and shopping centers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was just wonderful being a teenager to have that experience with so much diversity,” Scott told KQED of the variety of businesses and restaurants near the Western Addition in the early 1960s. “Fillmore was the Harlem of the West at that time. You couldn’t wait to get to Fillmore Street with your families on any given day. There were Italian meat markets, Jewish delis and Japanese restaurants.” [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Mattie Scott, president, Freedom West Housing Cooperative\"]‘Fillmore was the Harlem of the West at that time. You couldn’t wait to get to Fillmore Street with your families on any given day. There were Italian meat markets, Jewish delis and Japanese restaurants.’[/pullquote] When the U.S. federal government began implementing the National Housing Act of 1949, San Francisco’s Western Addition and Japantown were among the first areas selected for redevelopment in the name of addressing so-called “urban blight.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To make way for a widened Geary Boulevard, the government bulldozed thousands of homes in the area that were predominantly owned and lived in by Black, Filipino, Japanese and some Jewish residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, San Franciscans like Scott who remember the vibrant neighborhoods that were destroyed say the urgency to rebuild the lost homes is long overdue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They called it urban renewal, but I call it urban removal,” Scott said. “All of a sudden, you just see your neighborhood just demolished, you know, homes demolished, Victorian houses demolished, whole communities. Grocery stores down the block where you go to eat with your family were no longer there. To me, as a young person, it was very devastating.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Families in nearby Japantown have passed on similar stories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The community had just returned from concentration camps during World War II, and a lot of businesses and homes had already been lost. Then redevelopment happened, so it was this one-two punch that really devastated Japantown,” said Jeremy Chan, a board member with the Japantown Task Force. “The creation of the Geary Expressway created this physical barrier that divided Japantown from our African American neighbors in the Fillmore, and we’re still struggling to repair and rebuild those connections to this day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11960803\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11960803 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-16-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-16-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-16-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-16-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-16-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-16-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-16-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jeremy Chan (left) and Glynis Nakahara stand in a residential area of Japantown in San Francisco on Sept. 7, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Back then, the city promised to rebuild homes and give preference to families who had to flee. But it’s largely failed to follow through with promises to rebuild those homes, and only a small fraction of people have used their opportunity to return.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People were forced to leave Japantown and then they were later unable to return either because they were priced out or because they ended up being disqualified for the certificates of preference they received,” Chan explained.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Redressing redevelopment\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To address the displacement redevelopment caused, San Francisco and other cities have given preference for affordable housing to people who lost their homes and to their descendants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the 1960s, San Francisco has distributed 6,957 “\u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/data/dashboard-certificate-preference-eligible-waitlist-opportunities#how-to-use-the-dashboard\">certificates of preference\u003c/a>” to residents and descendants of residents who lost homes due to redevelopment, according to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. The certificates provide \u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/data/dashboard-certificate-preference-eligible-waitlist-opportunities#how-to-use-the-dashboard\">priority for certain housing units\u003c/a> in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But out of the nearly 7,000 certificates of preference issued by the city, less than 1,500 of those have been utilized as of Aug. 18, city data shows. [aside postID=news_11957757 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/GettyImages-1408881472-for-wp-1020x760.jpg'] Those who do want to use their certificate often face long wait lists. There are approximately 115,000 applicants wait-listed for the 28,500 public housing units eligible for the certificates, according to the mayor’s office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to those 28,500 units, the city is also listing 1,274 home-ownership and rental units that certificate holders can apply for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of Sept. 7, there were nine below-market-rate homeownership units available for certificate holders, and one rental unit available, according to data from the Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SB 593 would increase the production of units that are eligible for the certificates and aims to prevent further displacement for families who are currently in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“San Francisco has actually, for a while, had this commitment to restore the units that were demolished during urban renewal, and this bill would provide some of the funding that’s required to help restore that,” said Sujata Srivastava, housing and planning director at the local public policy nonprofit, SPUR.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11960804\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11960804\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-17-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-17-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-17-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-17-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-17-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-17-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-17-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of the Japantown Peace Plaza in San Francisco on Sept. 7, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But many families who were displaced during that era have left, establishing lives, businesses and communities elsewhere, as affordable housing in San Francisco has lagged to meet a growing demand. When homes and businesses were destroyed, trust also eroded between the city and the communities it forced out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is an argument for thinking more expansively about what it might look like if you were really trying to help, especially Black and African American households that were displaced from redevelopment,” Srivastava said. “How do you actually think about correcting those harms?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters of SB 593 don’t expect the bill to lead to a wave of migration back to San Francisco by families who were displaced decades ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there is a hope that it can mitigate the housing crisis and acknowledge the ways that crisis falls disproportionately on communities of color.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Rethinking Reparations\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California’s Reparations Task Force \u003ca href=\"http://oag.ca.gov/system/files/media/ch22-ca-reparations.pdf\">recommends giving preference to affordable housing, also known as “right to return” policies, for displaced African Americans (PDF)\u003c/a> as one of several ways to address lingering effects of racism and slavery on African Americans and broader society today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Predominantly white neighborhoods are that way for a clear reason: the history of racist housing policies,” said Dr. Jovan Scott Lewis, chair of the Geography Department at UC Berkeley and a member of California’s Reparations Task Force. “The only antidote to that is to create a justice-oriented housing policy. The first step is to give community members who were dispossessed a right to return.” [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín\"]‘We must face and rectify the wrongs of our City’s past and do right by those who were displaced. This policy will prioritize housing for those who have faced injustices, and restore the diversity of our community.’[/pullquote] Lewis pointed to places like Evanston, Illinois, which in 2021 became the first U.S. city to issue reparations for slavery through housing grants to Black residents. He said the effort was well-intended, but more limited in scale and scope than what he and other racial justice advocates want to see in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, other cities are putting forward policies that tie reparations to housing, but with different mechanisms for getting there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In July, the city of Berkeley adopted a \u003ca href=\"https://records.cityofberkeley.info/PublicAccess/api/Document/AR5OmrYC8r7A%C3%89N2HFiUv4RJEsSIWGVj4VrP3fd706J0hSXkyL2DAt1mrdqsXUoz6OGtf13qdxu%C3%89asqGqDxGiyGc%3D/\">housing preference policy (PDF)\u003c/a> that prioritizes affordable housing for current and former Berkeley residents, along with their descendants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkeley’s plan would prioritize people who were displaced because of BART construction, foreclosure anytime after 2005, or no-fault evictions and other factors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We must face and rectify the wrongs of our City’s past and do right by those who were displaced,” Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín said in a press release after the policy was announced. “This policy will prioritize housing for those who have faced injustices, and restore the diversity of our community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some are skeptical of the idea. [aside label='More Stories on Bay Area Housing' tag='housing'] Historian Darrell Millner saw how his city of Portland, Oregon, sought to \u003ca href=\"https://www.wweek.com/news/2022/05/25/the-city-of-portland-tried-to-undo-gentrification-black-portlanders-are-conflicted-about-the-results/\">slow gentrification and address redevelopment harms\u003c/a> by building new affordable housing to keep families in place and provide preference for housing to those who were displaced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The program helped hundreds of lower-income residents lease subsidized apartments and at least 110 families buy homes, 94 of which were Black Portlanders, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.portland.gov/phb/nne-oversight/documents/n-ne-annual-report-2022/download\">city report (PDF)\u003c/a>. But some criticized the effort for having a relatively small impact compared to the damage that was done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m glad for the people who could find some decent housing in a decent part of town. But you haven’t replaced what was destroyed,” said Darrell Millner, professor emeritus of Black Studies at Portland State University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This happened to so many communities and in so many areas here in the Bay Area. We are now shining a light of hope that we bring families back,” said Scott of the Freedom West Housing Cooperative. “This bill is going to help us in many ways to address those issues and allow working class families and seniors to be able to afford to stay in the city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Decades after San Francisco bulldozed thousands of homes in the name of redevelopment, a state bill could boost efforts to repair that damage and make it easier for displaced families to regain a foothold in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The push comes as San Francisco faces a state-mandated obligation to produce nearly 46,000 units for very low, low and moderate-income households in the next eight years. Supporters of the bill say it could make a dent in an area that many Bay Area housing and racial justice advocates assert is long overdue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But success isn’t guaranteed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some West Coast cities have seen mixed results from their efforts to remedy similar urban infrastructure projects during the 1960s and 1970s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> The bill aims to fund the production of nearly 6,000 affordable housing units that were destroyed during the mid-century redevelopment era in San Francisco’s Western Addition, Fillmore, Japantown and SoMa neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was just a horrific situation and San Francisco has a legal responsibility to replace the homes that were destroyed when redevelopment ended a decade ago,” Wiener said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SB 593 cleared the California Legislature on Wednesday and is now awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature. The bill would allow residual property tax dollars to remain in the city’s Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund, rather than be redistributed to the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure could then issue bonds to construct or add 5,800 units of replacement housing that were never rebuilt after redevelopment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San Francisco, there are between 500–900 units in the city’s own pipeline for affordable housing construction that could benefit from the new financing structure. The city will also solicit projects and developers that could maximize the number of new affordable units.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11960806\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11960806 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230911-MattieScottFreedomWest-014-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230911-MattieScottFreedomWest-014-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230911-MattieScottFreedomWest-014-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230911-MattieScottFreedomWest-014-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230911-MattieScottFreedomWest-014-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230911-MattieScottFreedomWest-014-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230911-MattieScottFreedomWest-014-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Homes at Freedom West, a housing cooperative, seen from the interior courtyard in the Fillmore District on Sept. 11, 2023. The property will be redeveloped in what is referred to as ‘Freedom West 2.0,’ with new buildings for current residents and community facilities. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There are a number of housing projects in the works that could seek funding if they are approved. Among them is Freedom West cooperative in the Western Addition, which is currently working on a renovation and expansion project with the developer MacFarlane Partners to replace 382 co-op units and add 133 affordable homes to the site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mattie Scott is a longtime resident of the Western Addition and president of the Freedom West Housing Cooperative in San Francisco, which supports Wiener’s bill. She remembers growing up in the neighborhood before redevelopment cleared it out to make way for new expressways and shopping centers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was just wonderful being a teenager to have that experience with so much diversity,” Scott told KQED of the variety of businesses and restaurants near the Western Addition in the early 1960s. “Fillmore was the Harlem of the West at that time. You couldn’t wait to get to Fillmore Street with your families on any given day. There were Italian meat markets, Jewish delis and Japanese restaurants.” \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘Fillmore was the Harlem of the West at that time. You couldn’t wait to get to Fillmore Street with your families on any given day. There were Italian meat markets, Jewish delis and Japanese restaurants.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> When the U.S. federal government began implementing the National Housing Act of 1949, San Francisco’s Western Addition and Japantown were among the first areas selected for redevelopment in the name of addressing so-called “urban blight.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To make way for a widened Geary Boulevard, the government bulldozed thousands of homes in the area that were predominantly owned and lived in by Black, Filipino, Japanese and some Jewish residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, San Franciscans like Scott who remember the vibrant neighborhoods that were destroyed say the urgency to rebuild the lost homes is long overdue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They called it urban renewal, but I call it urban removal,” Scott said. “All of a sudden, you just see your neighborhood just demolished, you know, homes demolished, Victorian houses demolished, whole communities. Grocery stores down the block where you go to eat with your family were no longer there. To me, as a young person, it was very devastating.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Families in nearby Japantown have passed on similar stories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The community had just returned from concentration camps during World War II, and a lot of businesses and homes had already been lost. Then redevelopment happened, so it was this one-two punch that really devastated Japantown,” said Jeremy Chan, a board member with the Japantown Task Force. “The creation of the Geary Expressway created this physical barrier that divided Japantown from our African American neighbors in the Fillmore, and we’re still struggling to repair and rebuild those connections to this day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11960803\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11960803 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-16-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-16-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-16-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-16-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-16-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-16-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-16-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jeremy Chan (left) and Glynis Nakahara stand in a residential area of Japantown in San Francisco on Sept. 7, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Back then, the city promised to rebuild homes and give preference to families who had to flee. But it’s largely failed to follow through with promises to rebuild those homes, and only a small fraction of people have used their opportunity to return.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People were forced to leave Japantown and then they were later unable to return either because they were priced out or because they ended up being disqualified for the certificates of preference they received,” Chan explained.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Redressing redevelopment\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To address the displacement redevelopment caused, San Francisco and other cities have given preference for affordable housing to people who lost their homes and to their descendants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the 1960s, San Francisco has distributed 6,957 “\u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/data/dashboard-certificate-preference-eligible-waitlist-opportunities#how-to-use-the-dashboard\">certificates of preference\u003c/a>” to residents and descendants of residents who lost homes due to redevelopment, according to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. The certificates provide \u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/data/dashboard-certificate-preference-eligible-waitlist-opportunities#how-to-use-the-dashboard\">priority for certain housing units\u003c/a> in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But out of the nearly 7,000 certificates of preference issued by the city, less than 1,500 of those have been utilized as of Aug. 18, city data shows. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> Those who do want to use their certificate often face long wait lists. There are approximately 115,000 applicants wait-listed for the 28,500 public housing units eligible for the certificates, according to the mayor’s office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to those 28,500 units, the city is also listing 1,274 home-ownership and rental units that certificate holders can apply for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of Sept. 7, there were nine below-market-rate homeownership units available for certificate holders, and one rental unit available, according to data from the Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SB 593 would increase the production of units that are eligible for the certificates and aims to prevent further displacement for families who are currently in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“San Francisco has actually, for a while, had this commitment to restore the units that were demolished during urban renewal, and this bill would provide some of the funding that’s required to help restore that,” said Sujata Srivastava, housing and planning director at the local public policy nonprofit, SPUR.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11960804\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11960804\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-17-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-17-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-17-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-17-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-17-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-17-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/230907-RightToReturn-17-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of the Japantown Peace Plaza in San Francisco on Sept. 7, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But many families who were displaced during that era have left, establishing lives, businesses and communities elsewhere, as affordable housing in San Francisco has lagged to meet a growing demand. When homes and businesses were destroyed, trust also eroded between the city and the communities it forced out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is an argument for thinking more expansively about what it might look like if you were really trying to help, especially Black and African American households that were displaced from redevelopment,” Srivastava said. “How do you actually think about correcting those harms?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters of SB 593 don’t expect the bill to lead to a wave of migration back to San Francisco by families who were displaced decades ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there is a hope that it can mitigate the housing crisis and acknowledge the ways that crisis falls disproportionately on communities of color.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Rethinking Reparations\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California’s Reparations Task Force \u003ca href=\"http://oag.ca.gov/system/files/media/ch22-ca-reparations.pdf\">recommends giving preference to affordable housing, also known as “right to return” policies, for displaced African Americans (PDF)\u003c/a> as one of several ways to address lingering effects of racism and slavery on African Americans and broader society today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Predominantly white neighborhoods are that way for a clear reason: the history of racist housing policies,” said Dr. Jovan Scott Lewis, chair of the Geography Department at UC Berkeley and a member of California’s Reparations Task Force. “The only antidote to that is to create a justice-oriented housing policy. The first step is to give community members who were dispossessed a right to return.” \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘We must face and rectify the wrongs of our City’s past and do right by those who were displaced. This policy will prioritize housing for those who have faced injustices, and restore the diversity of our community.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> Lewis pointed to places like Evanston, Illinois, which in 2021 became the first U.S. city to issue reparations for slavery through housing grants to Black residents. He said the effort was well-intended, but more limited in scale and scope than what he and other racial justice advocates want to see in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, other cities are putting forward policies that tie reparations to housing, but with different mechanisms for getting there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In July, the city of Berkeley adopted a \u003ca href=\"https://records.cityofberkeley.info/PublicAccess/api/Document/AR5OmrYC8r7A%C3%89N2HFiUv4RJEsSIWGVj4VrP3fd706J0hSXkyL2DAt1mrdqsXUoz6OGtf13qdxu%C3%89asqGqDxGiyGc%3D/\">housing preference policy (PDF)\u003c/a> that prioritizes affordable housing for current and former Berkeley residents, along with their descendants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkeley’s plan would prioritize people who were displaced because of BART construction, foreclosure anytime after 2005, or no-fault evictions and other factors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We must face and rectify the wrongs of our City’s past and do right by those who were displaced,” Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín said in a press release after the policy was announced. “This policy will prioritize housing for those who have faced injustices, and restore the diversity of our community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some are skeptical of the idea. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> Historian Darrell Millner saw how his city of Portland, Oregon, sought to \u003ca href=\"https://www.wweek.com/news/2022/05/25/the-city-of-portland-tried-to-undo-gentrification-black-portlanders-are-conflicted-about-the-results/\">slow gentrification and address redevelopment harms\u003c/a> by building new affordable housing to keep families in place and provide preference for housing to those who were displaced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The program helped hundreds of lower-income residents lease subsidized apartments and at least 110 families buy homes, 94 of which were Black Portlanders, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.portland.gov/phb/nne-oversight/documents/n-ne-annual-report-2022/download\">city report (PDF)\u003c/a>. But some criticized the effort for having a relatively small impact compared to the damage that was done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m glad for the people who could find some decent housing in a decent part of town. But you haven’t replaced what was destroyed,” said Darrell Millner, professor emeritus of Black Studies at Portland State University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This happened to so many communities and in so many areas here in the Bay Area. We are now shining a light of hope that we bring families back,” said Scott of the Freedom West Housing Cooperative. “This bill is going to help us in many ways to address those issues and allow working class families and seniors to be able to afford to stay in the city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "how-shuei-do-manju-shop-in-san-jose-inspires-a-cult-following-with-its-soft-pillowy-mochi",
"title": "How Shuei-Do Manju Shop in San José Inspires a Cult Following With Its Soft, Pillowy Mochi",
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"headTitle": "How Shuei-Do Manju Shop in San José Inspires a Cult Following With Its Soft, Pillowy Mochi | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/hidden-gems\">\u003cem>Read more from The California Report Magazine’s ‘Hidden Gems’ series.\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>To be honest, The Shuei-Do Manju Shop is not quite a \u003cem>hidden\u003c/em> gem. It was established in 1953, and word has been out for almost 70 years now. But hidden or not, it’s certainly a \u003cem>gem — \u003c/em>There’s almost always a line at this little shop on Jackson Street, the main drag in San José’s Japantown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mochi made here by hand is so soft, so pillowy, one Instagram follower described them as “baby cheeks,” and this journalist (cough) can confirm the description is accurate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re some of the best I’ve ever had. It’s always nice and fresh,” said Gene Takahashi from the Takahashi Market in San Mateo (\u003cem>another\u003c/em> hidden gem, by the way). “I have a legion of addicts that come shopping at my store, looking for this.” He drives down twice a week to pick up 40 pieces of mochi for his store on Thursdays, and 80 to 90 on Saturdays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Takahashi miscalculates demand, and the treats don’t sell out, he’ll be unable to resist eating what’s left, especially the Kinako (top row, center in the photo below): That’s the mochi filled with white lima bean paste, covered on the outside with a blizzard of soybean flour.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a trick to eating it,” Takahashi advised. “You have to make sure and take a breath first before you bite it, so you don’t inhale, and sneeze, and get brown powder in the air!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11886965\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11886965 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/IMG_0783-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"Six pieces of mochi, from top left, pink, sandy-colored with powder topping, white, dark gray, and two gray mochis with white sugar powder topping.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1919\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/IMG_0783-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/IMG_0783-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/IMG_0783-1020x765.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/IMG_0783-160x120.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/IMG_0783-1536x1151.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/IMG_0783-2048x1535.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/IMG_0783-1920x1439.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Which to pick? There’s no wrong choice at Shuei-Do Manju Shop in San José’s Japantown. \u003ccite>(Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Japanese teatime sweets are called \u003ca href=\"https://sakura.co/blog/what-is-japanese-wagashi/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wagashi,\u003c/a> and there are hundreds of varieties, many regional and seasonal. Here in the U.S., much of what you’ll find in supermarkets has been shipped directly from Japan. There are even Japanese chains like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kitchoan.com/shop/all/in-store-pickup/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">K. Minamoto\u003c/a> that feature stores in California and beyond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But stores run by Japanese Americans are a special breed, and there are a vanishing few. \u003ca href=\"http://www.benkyodocompany.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Benkyodo\u003c/a> in San Francisco’s Japantown is expected to close at the end of the year. More widely, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11837511/whats-lost-in-bay-area-asian-culture-when-sf-eviction-moratorium-ends\">the Japantown mall has had a rough pandemic\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tom and Judy Kumamaru, the owners at Shuei-Do, specialize in mochi. Those are the sweets made with glutinous rice pounded into a paste and steamed, sometimes flavored and cut into squares, more often molded into something the size of a golf ball, filled with white lima or red adzuki bean paste, and lightly dusted so they don’t stick to your hand or the little paper cups they come in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Kumamarus also make manju (baked) and chichi dango (made with rice flour, versus rice). On the day I visited, wobbly pink squares of strawberry chichi dango were the featured special.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their kitchen is tiny, packed with ancient copper kettles, giant steaming baskets, a baker’s oven and a simple wooden table for assembly. The two of them move with steady, practiced ease: pinching off the mochi paste, pressing with fingers to make a space for the filling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11886968\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11886968 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-06-20-AM-scaled.jpeg\" alt='A whiteboard details the treats at Shuei-Do, saying \"chichidango flavors\" in multicolored marker, with a drawing of a bear with a mask on top of a mochi pastry. ' width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-06-20-AM-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-06-20-AM-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-06-20-AM-1020x765.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-06-20-AM-160x120.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-06-20-AM-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-06-20-AM-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-06-20-AM-1920x1440.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The teatime treats at Shuei-Do are made fresh, sans preservatives. Plan to eat them within three days, presuming you make it home without having finished them all. \u003ccite>(Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There’s no real recipe. Everything is by look, feel and timing,” said Judy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=\"news_10459596,news_11636018,arts_13814125\" label=\"Related Coverage\"]The Kumamarus didn’t start out in sweets. Judy was a dental technician. Tom worked for an electronics company. It so happens, Judy’s parents were pals with the original husband-and-wife team, the Ozawas, who launched Shuei-Do Manju Shop in 1953. So when they were ready to retire, in the late 1980s, Judy’s parents lined up a transfer of ownership.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The shop was well known,” Tom explained. “It was already established. No competition. No other shops are around, until you go to San Francisco or LA or Fresno.” In short, they knew there was already an established, loyal customer base.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Tom and Judy had to say yes to taking over the business before the Ozawas taught them the trade, and it turns out to be a lot of work. “I get here about 5 [a.m.], and I don’t get home till 8, 9 [p.m.],” said Tom. The couple downsized the menu of varieties from around 20 to around a dozen, but still struggle to meet consumer demand. They pull all-nighters ahead of major holidays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While there are \u003ca href=\"https://www.taiwantrade.com/product/commercial-mochi-maker-machine-high-quality-good-design-1142679.html#\">machines now that can churn out thousands of mochi in an hour\u003c/a>, the Kumamarus looked into them years ago, and decided against the mechanical mochi-makers. They didn’t like the prospect of just running a wholesale business, spending their days on the computer, on the phone, managing accounts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11886969\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11886969\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-58-20-AM-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"Tom and Judy Kumamaru make the peanut butter mochi, introduced into their lineup by customer demand.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1922\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-58-20-AM-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-58-20-AM-800x601.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-58-20-AM-1020x766.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-58-20-AM-160x120.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-58-20-AM-1536x1153.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-58-20-AM-2048x1538.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-58-20-AM-1920x1442.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tom and Judy Kumamaru make the peanut butter mochi, introduced into their lineup by customer demand. \u003ccite>(Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Also, in a world where many mochi can be prettier to look at than tasty to eat, it matters to the Kumamarus that their preservative-free, “country-style” mochi tastes the way they like it: soft, fresh, not too sweet. They’re so particular, so focused on quality, they get relatives in Japan to ship them specialty ingredients that aren’t available in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Kumamarus like the simple delight it brings customers. “I love it when someone bites into it and they just go, ‘Ooooh.’ They like it, you know?” said Judy. She added she’s seen people open their boxes right outside the store and down several mochi immediately, unable to wait until they get home. They get customers from Los Angeles and Japan. NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster, \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/shueidomanju/posts/flashbackfriday-when-former-us-secretary-of-transportation-norman-mineta-and-act/10158660461832679/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">profiled the shop\u003c/a> a few years back, delighting Judy’s relatives in Japan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11886974\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11886974\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-10-43-06-AM-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"The outside of Shuei-Do, a mochi shop, with its door wide open. It has blue awning and beige lettering. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-10-43-06-AM-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-10-43-06-AM-800x556.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-10-43-06-AM-1020x709.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-10-43-06-AM-160x111.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-10-43-06-AM-1536x1068.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-10-43-06-AM-2048x1424.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-10-43-06-AM-1920x1335.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">When they first started, Tom and Judy Kumamaru were open six days a week, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Now, it’s four days a week, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. \u003ccite>(Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Somehow, 34 years have passed since the Kumamarus started. The original owners, the Ozawas, lasted 35 years. Who is going to continue this critical community service if Tom and Judy can’t convince their kids to?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are four kids to choose from. Like other family members, the Kumamaru “children” (they’re grown now) already help, when they aren’t busy with their own jobs. Like that \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/shueidomanju/\">Instagram account\u003c/a> keeping Shuei-Do current with younger foodies? That’s the kids. But it’s not a sure bet one of them wants do this for another 35 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The minute we get in here, it’s nonstop till we close. It’s hard for just one to take over. You would need a few people, in order to get all this done. So it’s still up in the air. They’re still not saying!” Judy said.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Shuei-Do (the name means \"gathering place\") is one of a handful of Japanese mochi makers left in the San Francisco Bay Area.",
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"title": "How Shuei-Do Manju Shop in San José Inspires a Cult Following With Its Soft, Pillowy Mochi | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/hidden-gems\">\u003cem>Read more from The California Report Magazine’s ‘Hidden Gems’ series.\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>To be honest, The Shuei-Do Manju Shop is not quite a \u003cem>hidden\u003c/em> gem. It was established in 1953, and word has been out for almost 70 years now. But hidden or not, it’s certainly a \u003cem>gem — \u003c/em>There’s almost always a line at this little shop on Jackson Street, the main drag in San José’s Japantown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mochi made here by hand is so soft, so pillowy, one Instagram follower described them as “baby cheeks,” and this journalist (cough) can confirm the description is accurate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re some of the best I’ve ever had. It’s always nice and fresh,” said Gene Takahashi from the Takahashi Market in San Mateo (\u003cem>another\u003c/em> hidden gem, by the way). “I have a legion of addicts that come shopping at my store, looking for this.” He drives down twice a week to pick up 40 pieces of mochi for his store on Thursdays, and 80 to 90 on Saturdays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Takahashi miscalculates demand, and the treats don’t sell out, he’ll be unable to resist eating what’s left, especially the Kinako (top row, center in the photo below): That’s the mochi filled with white lima bean paste, covered on the outside with a blizzard of soybean flour.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a trick to eating it,” Takahashi advised. “You have to make sure and take a breath first before you bite it, so you don’t inhale, and sneeze, and get brown powder in the air!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11886965\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11886965 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/IMG_0783-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"Six pieces of mochi, from top left, pink, sandy-colored with powder topping, white, dark gray, and two gray mochis with white sugar powder topping.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1919\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/IMG_0783-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/IMG_0783-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/IMG_0783-1020x765.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/IMG_0783-160x120.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/IMG_0783-1536x1151.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/IMG_0783-2048x1535.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/IMG_0783-1920x1439.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Which to pick? There’s no wrong choice at Shuei-Do Manju Shop in San José’s Japantown. \u003ccite>(Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Japanese teatime sweets are called \u003ca href=\"https://sakura.co/blog/what-is-japanese-wagashi/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wagashi,\u003c/a> and there are hundreds of varieties, many regional and seasonal. Here in the U.S., much of what you’ll find in supermarkets has been shipped directly from Japan. There are even Japanese chains like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kitchoan.com/shop/all/in-store-pickup/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">K. Minamoto\u003c/a> that feature stores in California and beyond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But stores run by Japanese Americans are a special breed, and there are a vanishing few. \u003ca href=\"http://www.benkyodocompany.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Benkyodo\u003c/a> in San Francisco’s Japantown is expected to close at the end of the year. More widely, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11837511/whats-lost-in-bay-area-asian-culture-when-sf-eviction-moratorium-ends\">the Japantown mall has had a rough pandemic\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tom and Judy Kumamaru, the owners at Shuei-Do, specialize in mochi. Those are the sweets made with glutinous rice pounded into a paste and steamed, sometimes flavored and cut into squares, more often molded into something the size of a golf ball, filled with white lima or red adzuki bean paste, and lightly dusted so they don’t stick to your hand or the little paper cups they come in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Kumamarus also make manju (baked) and chichi dango (made with rice flour, versus rice). On the day I visited, wobbly pink squares of strawberry chichi dango were the featured special.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their kitchen is tiny, packed with ancient copper kettles, giant steaming baskets, a baker’s oven and a simple wooden table for assembly. The two of them move with steady, practiced ease: pinching off the mochi paste, pressing with fingers to make a space for the filling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11886968\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11886968 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-06-20-AM-scaled.jpeg\" alt='A whiteboard details the treats at Shuei-Do, saying \"chichidango flavors\" in multicolored marker, with a drawing of a bear with a mask on top of a mochi pastry. ' width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-06-20-AM-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-06-20-AM-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-06-20-AM-1020x765.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-06-20-AM-160x120.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-06-20-AM-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-06-20-AM-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-06-20-AM-1920x1440.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The teatime treats at Shuei-Do are made fresh, sans preservatives. Plan to eat them within three days, presuming you make it home without having finished them all. \u003ccite>(Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There’s no real recipe. Everything is by look, feel and timing,” said Judy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The Kumamarus didn’t start out in sweets. Judy was a dental technician. Tom worked for an electronics company. It so happens, Judy’s parents were pals with the original husband-and-wife team, the Ozawas, who launched Shuei-Do Manju Shop in 1953. So when they were ready to retire, in the late 1980s, Judy’s parents lined up a transfer of ownership.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The shop was well known,” Tom explained. “It was already established. No competition. No other shops are around, until you go to San Francisco or LA or Fresno.” In short, they knew there was already an established, loyal customer base.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Tom and Judy had to say yes to taking over the business before the Ozawas taught them the trade, and it turns out to be a lot of work. “I get here about 5 [a.m.], and I don’t get home till 8, 9 [p.m.],” said Tom. The couple downsized the menu of varieties from around 20 to around a dozen, but still struggle to meet consumer demand. They pull all-nighters ahead of major holidays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While there are \u003ca href=\"https://www.taiwantrade.com/product/commercial-mochi-maker-machine-high-quality-good-design-1142679.html#\">machines now that can churn out thousands of mochi in an hour\u003c/a>, the Kumamarus looked into them years ago, and decided against the mechanical mochi-makers. They didn’t like the prospect of just running a wholesale business, spending their days on the computer, on the phone, managing accounts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11886969\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11886969\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-58-20-AM-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"Tom and Judy Kumamaru make the peanut butter mochi, introduced into their lineup by customer demand.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1922\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-58-20-AM-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-58-20-AM-800x601.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-58-20-AM-1020x766.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-58-20-AM-160x120.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-58-20-AM-1536x1153.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-58-20-AM-2048x1538.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-9-58-20-AM-1920x1442.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tom and Judy Kumamaru make the peanut butter mochi, introduced into their lineup by customer demand. \u003ccite>(Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Also, in a world where many mochi can be prettier to look at than tasty to eat, it matters to the Kumamarus that their preservative-free, “country-style” mochi tastes the way they like it: soft, fresh, not too sweet. They’re so particular, so focused on quality, they get relatives in Japan to ship them specialty ingredients that aren’t available in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Kumamarus like the simple delight it brings customers. “I love it when someone bites into it and they just go, ‘Ooooh.’ They like it, you know?” said Judy. She added she’s seen people open their boxes right outside the store and down several mochi immediately, unable to wait until they get home. They get customers from Los Angeles and Japan. NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster, \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/shueidomanju/posts/flashbackfriday-when-former-us-secretary-of-transportation-norman-mineta-and-act/10158660461832679/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">profiled the shop\u003c/a> a few years back, delighting Judy’s relatives in Japan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11886974\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11886974\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-10-43-06-AM-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"The outside of Shuei-Do, a mochi shop, with its door wide open. It has blue awning and beige lettering. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-10-43-06-AM-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-10-43-06-AM-800x556.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-10-43-06-AM-1020x709.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-10-43-06-AM-160x111.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-10-43-06-AM-1536x1068.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-10-43-06-AM-2048x1424.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Photo-Aug-19-10-43-06-AM-1920x1335.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">When they first started, Tom and Judy Kumamaru were open six days a week, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Now, it’s four days a week, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. \u003ccite>(Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Somehow, 34 years have passed since the Kumamarus started. The original owners, the Ozawas, lasted 35 years. Who is going to continue this critical community service if Tom and Judy can’t convince their kids to?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are four kids to choose from. Like other family members, the Kumamaru “children” (they’re grown now) already help, when they aren’t busy with their own jobs. Like that \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/shueidomanju/\">Instagram account\u003c/a> keeping Shuei-Do current with younger foodies? That’s the kids. But it’s not a sure bet one of them wants do this for another 35 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The minute we get in here, it’s nonstop till we close. It’s hard for just one to take over. You would need a few people, in order to get all this done. So it’s still up in the air. They’re still not saying!” Judy said.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Fueled by Volunteers, ‘Japantown Prepared’ Strives to Keep San Jose's Asian Seniors Safe",
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"content": "\u003cp>Jean Yoshida lives a few blocks from Japantown near downtown San Jose. She jogs around the neighborhood often, and these days, does so on high alert.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It really made me think that if I’m feeling this way, I couldn’t imagine how the senior population [is] feeling,” said Yoshida, a young Asian-American woman. “Just to get out of their house, go to the market, just run their daily errands.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recent attacks in Atlanta and in various parts of the Bay Area have alarmed members of the local Asian American community and prompted some of them to take measures into their own hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yoshida says she’s been worried about her elderly relatives in Milpitas and her parents in San Diego.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Rich Saito, head of Japantown Prepared\"]‘I don’t want people to be paranoid, but I want them to be aware of what’s around them.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was really one of the things that got me thinking I need to be out there, I need to be an extra set of eyes,” she said. “If I can help make them feel a little bit safer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So Yoshida joined \u003ca href=\"https://japantownprepared.wordpress.com/\">Japantown Prepared\u003c/a>, a group originally started by a retired San Jose police officer in 2011 to prepare residents for natural disasters. But last year, when \u003ca href=\"https://secureservercdn.net/104.238.69.231/a1w.90d.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Press-Statement-re_-Bay-Area-Elderly-Incidents-2.9.2021-1.pdf\">attacks against elderly Asian residents\u003c/a> began to rise, Rich Saito, who founded the group, grew increasingly concerned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I get angry that people take out their aggressions on unsuspecting, undeserving, defenseless people,” Saito said. “So, it makes me want to do things. Something!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The frequency of \u003ca href=\"https://www.csusb.edu/sites/default/files/FACT%20SHEET-%20Anti-Asian%20Hate%202020%203.2.21.pdf\">attacks against Asian Americans\u003c/a> more than doubled last year in San Jose alone, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]A few days after the mass shooting in Atlanta on March 16, in which six of the eight people killed were Asian women, Saito expanded his group’s emergency response routine to include a patrol unit. Now, volunteers wear bright red vests and walk the neighborhood during the day and night, introducing themselves to everyone on the streets, especially seniors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want people to be paranoid, but I want them to be aware of what’s around them,” Saito said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saito is modeling his program after the \u003ca href=\"https://unitedpeacecollaborative.org/about-us\">United Peace Collaborative\u003c/a>, a volunteer patrol group based in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Leanna Louie started the group early last year after the first spike in attacks against elderly Asian residents there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We love to believe that love solves all of the world’s problems, but we know that it hasn’t. Sometimes, you love them but they don’t love you back,” Louie said. “And when they come on the offense, you have to have a defense.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Louie, the mission is personal. Her mother was attacked and robbed three times in the past decade. She now wants to empower Asian elders to speak up and fight back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Always be alert. I see people, they’re looking at the floor, looking at their phone. They’re not paying attention to their surroundings, they’re not looking people in the eye,” Louie said. “You have to always be alert.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Related Stories\" postID=\"news_11866439,news_11865333,news_11865171\"]That’s the same advice Saito is giving elderly Asian residents in San Jose’s Japantown. Both Louie and Saito’s programs focus on de-escalation — an effort to reduce tensions and avoid conflict. But volunteers are also trained to call the police when it becomes clear that a situation is escalating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“During training, we explicitly tell our volunteers we are looking for unusual or suspicious behavior,” Saito said. “To make people feel welcome, I encourage [volunteers] to introduce themselves, explain what we are doing, and ask them if they have any questions or if there is anything we can do for them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Similar patrol programs have started in \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/new-oakland-chinatown-foot-patrol-forms-to-protect-asian-american-community/2481091/\">Oakland\u003c/a> and some other cities across the Bay Area. The San Jose Police Department has also increased patrols in Japantown and in \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/SJPD_PIO/status/1373420464672960514?s=20\">Little Saigon\u003c/a>, one of California’s largest Vietnamese American communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an effort to spread the word about Japantown Prepared among San Jose’s senior community, Saito is working with the \u003ca href=\"https://yuaikai.org/\">Yu-Ai Kai Senior Center\u003c/a> in Japantown, which serves about 700 seniors a week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The seniors and majority of the AAPI community are feeling on edge with their personal safety as AAPI hate crimes are in the news daily,” said Jennifer Masuda, the center’s executive director.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hope the patrol will give our elders the confidence and freedom to leave their home; to know it is safe to pick up their lunch, grocery shop, go to church — basically to do what they want,” Masuda said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since Saito recently started his patrol program, he says his email inbox has been overflowing with requests to volunteer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have over 330 emails of people interested in finding out about [the program],” he said. “There’s a lot of really good people out there who care about what’s going on, and they want to do something about it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Jean Yoshida lives a few blocks from Japantown near downtown San Jose. She jogs around the neighborhood often, and these days, does so on high alert.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It really made me think that if I’m feeling this way, I couldn’t imagine how the senior population [is] feeling,” said Yoshida, a young Asian-American woman. “Just to get out of their house, go to the market, just run their daily errands.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recent attacks in Atlanta and in various parts of the Bay Area have alarmed members of the local Asian American community and prompted some of them to take measures into their own hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yoshida says she’s been worried about her elderly relatives in Milpitas and her parents in San Diego.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was really one of the things that got me thinking I need to be out there, I need to be an extra set of eyes,” she said. “If I can help make them feel a little bit safer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So Yoshida joined \u003ca href=\"https://japantownprepared.wordpress.com/\">Japantown Prepared\u003c/a>, a group originally started by a retired San Jose police officer in 2011 to prepare residents for natural disasters. But last year, when \u003ca href=\"https://secureservercdn.net/104.238.69.231/a1w.90d.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Press-Statement-re_-Bay-Area-Elderly-Incidents-2.9.2021-1.pdf\">attacks against elderly Asian residents\u003c/a> began to rise, Rich Saito, who founded the group, grew increasingly concerned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I get angry that people take out their aggressions on unsuspecting, undeserving, defenseless people,” Saito said. “So, it makes me want to do things. Something!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The frequency of \u003ca href=\"https://www.csusb.edu/sites/default/files/FACT%20SHEET-%20Anti-Asian%20Hate%202020%203.2.21.pdf\">attacks against Asian Americans\u003c/a> more than doubled last year in San Jose alone, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>A few days after the mass shooting in Atlanta on March 16, in which six of the eight people killed were Asian women, Saito expanded his group’s emergency response routine to include a patrol unit. Now, volunteers wear bright red vests and walk the neighborhood during the day and night, introducing themselves to everyone on the streets, especially seniors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want people to be paranoid, but I want them to be aware of what’s around them,” Saito said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saito is modeling his program after the \u003ca href=\"https://unitedpeacecollaborative.org/about-us\">United Peace Collaborative\u003c/a>, a volunteer patrol group based in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Leanna Louie started the group early last year after the first spike in attacks against elderly Asian residents there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We love to believe that love solves all of the world’s problems, but we know that it hasn’t. Sometimes, you love them but they don’t love you back,” Louie said. “And when they come on the offense, you have to have a defense.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Louie, the mission is personal. Her mother was attacked and robbed three times in the past decade. She now wants to empower Asian elders to speak up and fight back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Always be alert. I see people, they’re looking at the floor, looking at their phone. They’re not paying attention to their surroundings, they’re not looking people in the eye,” Louie said. “You have to always be alert.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>That’s the same advice Saito is giving elderly Asian residents in San Jose’s Japantown. Both Louie and Saito’s programs focus on de-escalation — an effort to reduce tensions and avoid conflict. But volunteers are also trained to call the police when it becomes clear that a situation is escalating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“During training, we explicitly tell our volunteers we are looking for unusual or suspicious behavior,” Saito said. “To make people feel welcome, I encourage [volunteers] to introduce themselves, explain what we are doing, and ask them if they have any questions or if there is anything we can do for them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Similar patrol programs have started in \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/new-oakland-chinatown-foot-patrol-forms-to-protect-asian-american-community/2481091/\">Oakland\u003c/a> and some other cities across the Bay Area. The San Jose Police Department has also increased patrols in Japantown and in \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/SJPD_PIO/status/1373420464672960514?s=20\">Little Saigon\u003c/a>, one of California’s largest Vietnamese American communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an effort to spread the word about Japantown Prepared among San Jose’s senior community, Saito is working with the \u003ca href=\"https://yuaikai.org/\">Yu-Ai Kai Senior Center\u003c/a> in Japantown, which serves about 700 seniors a week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The seniors and majority of the AAPI community are feeling on edge with their personal safety as AAPI hate crimes are in the news daily,” said Jennifer Masuda, the center’s executive director.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hope the patrol will give our elders the confidence and freedom to leave their home; to know it is safe to pick up their lunch, grocery shop, go to church — basically to do what they want,” Masuda said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since Saito recently started his patrol program, he says his email inbox has been overflowing with requests to volunteer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have over 330 emails of people interested in finding out about [the program],” he said. “There’s a lot of really good people out there who care about what’s going on, and they want to do something about it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Could a New SF Commercial Eviction Ordinance Save Japantown?",
"title": "Could a New SF Commercial Eviction Ordinance Save Japantown?",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, 10:35 p.m., Tuesday: \u003c/strong>San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to pass the commercial eviction ordinance. The sponsors of the legislation are: Supervisors Aaron Peskin, Dean Preston, Gordon Mar, Shamann Walton, Ahsha Safaí, Hillary Ronen, Rafael Mandelman, Matt Haney, Sandra Lee Fewer and Norman Yee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original post: \u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nOn Tuesday, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors will vote on an ordinance that would extend the city’s existing commercial eviction moratorium through March 31, 2021, and provide a pathway for rent repayment negotiations between landlords and struggling business owners who continue to face tremendous revenue losses and growing debt during the coronavirus pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposed ordinance would be the city’s most robust lifeline yet for small business owners across the city, providing long-term tenant protections for retail businesses, including legacy mom-and-pop shops that community members say are the heartbeat of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11837511/whats-lost-in-bay-area-asian-culture-when-sf-eviction-moratorium-ends\">San Francisco’s beloved Asian cultural districts and neighborhoods\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Supervisor Aaron Peskin\"]'We as lawmakers have an imperative ... to make this a matter of law, to allow these businesses that are the backbone of our economy to make it through the pandemic.'[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vote comes on the heels of high anxieties for some San Francisco communities of color, in particular in Japantown where the fate of dozens of beloved businesses inside the Japan Center mall are in the hands of only two corporate landlords.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11837511/whats-lost-in-bay-area-asian-culture-when-sf-eviction-moratorium-ends\">As KQED reported in September\u003c/a>, attempts by business owners to negotiate a rent repayment structure with the landlords — including for the months when businesses were inoperable during the COVID-19 shutdown — have gone unanswered. Additionally, the landlords have \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/21524071/japantown-japan-center-restaurants-sf-rent-negotiations-takara-kui-shin-bo\">started to demand full and immediate repayment\u003c/a> from tenants, heightening eviction concerns that have galvanized community members, including generations of Bay Area Japanese Americans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new \u003ca href=\"https://sfgov.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=8907760&GUID=3F229F31-6F83-4709-85DD-BCCAF6CC3D6E\">ordinance\u003c/a>, sponsored by Supervisors Aaron Peskin, Dean Preston and Ahsha Safaí, would match the timing of the state’s current commercial eviction moratorium. Gov. Gavin Newsom has extended that statewide moratorium, which allows local jurisdictions to continue banning evictions of commercial tenants affected by the pandemic, until March 31.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_11837511 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44728_006_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1020x680.jpg']The city’s \u003ca href=\"https://oewd.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Guidance%20Temporary%20Moratorium%20on%20Commercial%20Evictions_v10.29.2020%20expires%2011.30.20.pdf\">current moratorium\u003c/a>, which has been extended by a series of monthly mayoral executive orders since the start of COVID-19-related shutdowns, is set to expire on Nov. 30.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chris Chin, owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.matchacafe-maiko.com/eng/store/index.html?country=usa®ion=ca&target=ca-sanfran\">Matcha Cafe Maiko\u003c/a>, is hoping the ordinance will pass so that he knows how to chart the territory ahead. He has three store locations in San Francisco, including in Chinatown and Japantown, and has had to lay off about 75% of his full-time employees. The popular cafe, which serves authentic Japanese desserts and treats, has suffered a 70% drop in business.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now it's really helped that we haven't paid any rent yet, but I know it's all gonna come down,” Chin said. He says it’s been a slow climb back as the city has gradually progressed in reopening, but the months of unpaid rent loom. “We're going to have to pay it all back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11846799\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11846799\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Japantown Peace Plaza outside of Japan Center mall, which houses specialty Japanese shops, including legacy businesses that have been around for decades. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The new ordinance pays particular attention to the hardships of San Francisco’s most vulnerable small businesses that have annual gross receipts that are equal to or less than $25 million based on 2019 figures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legislation has a tiered repayment approach: of top priority are commercial tenants that employ fewer than 10 full-time employees. If eligible, these \"Tier 1\" tenants would have up to 24 months after the statewide eviction moratorium’s end to pay back any unpaid rent, without facing the threat of eviction. They would also have the opportunity to terminate their leases early without penalty. Businesses that have between 10 and 24 employees would have 18 months to pay back unpaid rent, those that have between 25 and 49 employees would have one year and those that employ 50 or more would have until the moratorium’s expiration date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Peskin, during a Land Use and Transportation Committee meeting on Monday, said that about 80% of businesses in San Francisco employ fewer than 10 people, making this proposed ordinance broadly impactful across the city. He added that an estimated 164,000 people in San Francisco are employed by small businesses, according to his office’s calculations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We as lawmakers have an imperative, actually, to make this a matter of law, to allow these businesses that are the backbone of our economy to make it through the pandemic,” Peskin said during the meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Excluded from the ordinance’s protections are for-profit tenants in office spaces; the legislation is engineered to help retail businesses that don’t have the benefit of being able to operate remotely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Real estate attorney Allan Low of San Francisco-based law firm Perkins Coie is helping to represent the 41 tenants inside Japan Center Mall. He also helped advise the legislation, and said that \u003ca href=\"https://oewd.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Guidance%20Temporary%20Moratorium%20on%20Commercial%20Evictions_v10.29.2020%20expires%2011.30.20.pdf\">the current moratorium\u003c/a> hasn’t addressed the issue of mounting unpaid rent, which is why the new ordinance’s proposed repayment structure is especially significant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The mayor's order really relied on the good faith of the two parties to work out their deals, or to resolve their disputes,” said Low, who emphasized that hasn’t been largely the case. To address this, the ordinance functions “kind of like the guard rails on either side of the road, where hopefully you could meet somewhere in the middle of the road.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Low said many commercial landlords across the city are not coming to the negotiating table at all, which has left business owners — like Chin of Matcha Cafe Maiko — riddled with the anxiety of enormous debt, a burden that becomes heavier with each passing month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I'm not asking to not pay at all,” Chin said. “I don't know what's happening. The landlord is not really saying anything to us and we're just kinda hanging in the air right now ... they just send us the bills that say, ‘OK, this is how much you owe now, so make payments.’ OK, but how are we going to work this out?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11846801\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11846801\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44774_057_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Naoya Morishita, the store manager, works at the Kinokuniya Book Store in the Japan Center West Mall on Sep. 2, 2020.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44774_057_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44774_057_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44774_057_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44774_057_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44774_057_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Naoya Morishita, the store manager, works at the Kinokuniya Book Store in the Japan Center West Mall on Sep. 2, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Peskin adds that the ordinance addresses this problem head-on by providing a starting point for negotiations between landlords and tenants, in particular by giving leverage to small businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community members say leverage is desperately needed in Japantown’s Japan Center mall. Dozens of public comments were submitted in hearings ahead of Tuesday’s vote, as well as many emails, from generations of Bay Area residents who expressed their treasured memories of San Francisco’s Japantown and the cultural significance it plays in their lives. The neighborhood is one of only three remaining Japantowns in the entire country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To date, conversations with Japan Center’s two corporate landlords — Kinokuniya Bookstores of America and 3D Investments — have mostly stalled or been ignored: monthly invoices continue to be delivered to tenants and attempts by legal representation to negotiate rent repayment have gone unanswered. And now, demands for full and immediate repayment of all outstanding rent and charges have started, according to \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/21524071/japantown-japan-center-restaurants-sf-rent-negotiations-takara-kui-shin-bo\">a recent report from Eater SF\u003c/a>. Requests for comment from both Kinokuniya Bookstores of America and 3D Investments have not yet been returned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Low said business slowdown has resulted in his clients losing massive amounts of money each month, ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 per month. A particular point of contention are high common area maintenance (CAM) fees that have skyrocketed exponentially for many of the tenants over the years, and are included in the monthly outstanding invoices. According to Low, 3D Investments has already begun efforts to try to evict one Japan Center tenant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Low acknowledged that many landlords are hurting during the pandemic as well. He noted that the ordinance also offers protections for some commercial property owners: those who own less than 25,000 square feet in San Francisco, for example, can apply for a waiver demonstrating significant financial hardship and move forward with eviction for non-payment by tenants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He hopes, though, that the ordinance will highlight the necessity of keeping tenants in place, especially for larger landlords like Kinokuniya and 3D Investments. The survival of San Francisco’s Japantown, which was established centuries ago, depends on it: “It should incentivize landlords to realize that there’s not a line of tenants that are lined up to take the space,” he said, noting the deep uncertainty of economic recovery ahead without additional federal aid yet in sight. “Let’s try to work with the people that are already there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, 10:35 p.m., Tuesday: \u003c/strong>San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to pass the commercial eviction ordinance. The sponsors of the legislation are: Supervisors Aaron Peskin, Dean Preston, Gordon Mar, Shamann Walton, Ahsha Safaí, Hillary Ronen, Rafael Mandelman, Matt Haney, Sandra Lee Fewer and Norman Yee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original post: \u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nOn Tuesday, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors will vote on an ordinance that would extend the city’s existing commercial eviction moratorium through March 31, 2021, and provide a pathway for rent repayment negotiations between landlords and struggling business owners who continue to face tremendous revenue losses and growing debt during the coronavirus pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposed ordinance would be the city’s most robust lifeline yet for small business owners across the city, providing long-term tenant protections for retail businesses, including legacy mom-and-pop shops that community members say are the heartbeat of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11837511/whats-lost-in-bay-area-asian-culture-when-sf-eviction-moratorium-ends\">San Francisco’s beloved Asian cultural districts and neighborhoods\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "'We as lawmakers have an imperative ... to make this a matter of law, to allow these businesses that are the backbone of our economy to make it through the pandemic.'",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vote comes on the heels of high anxieties for some San Francisco communities of color, in particular in Japantown where the fate of dozens of beloved businesses inside the Japan Center mall are in the hands of only two corporate landlords.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11837511/whats-lost-in-bay-area-asian-culture-when-sf-eviction-moratorium-ends\">As KQED reported in September\u003c/a>, attempts by business owners to negotiate a rent repayment structure with the landlords — including for the months when businesses were inoperable during the COVID-19 shutdown — have gone unanswered. Additionally, the landlords have \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/21524071/japantown-japan-center-restaurants-sf-rent-negotiations-takara-kui-shin-bo\">started to demand full and immediate repayment\u003c/a> from tenants, heightening eviction concerns that have galvanized community members, including generations of Bay Area Japanese Americans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new \u003ca href=\"https://sfgov.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=8907760&GUID=3F229F31-6F83-4709-85DD-BCCAF6CC3D6E\">ordinance\u003c/a>, sponsored by Supervisors Aaron Peskin, Dean Preston and Ahsha Safaí, would match the timing of the state’s current commercial eviction moratorium. Gov. Gavin Newsom has extended that statewide moratorium, which allows local jurisdictions to continue banning evictions of commercial tenants affected by the pandemic, until March 31.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The city’s \u003ca href=\"https://oewd.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Guidance%20Temporary%20Moratorium%20on%20Commercial%20Evictions_v10.29.2020%20expires%2011.30.20.pdf\">current moratorium\u003c/a>, which has been extended by a series of monthly mayoral executive orders since the start of COVID-19-related shutdowns, is set to expire on Nov. 30.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chris Chin, owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.matchacafe-maiko.com/eng/store/index.html?country=usa®ion=ca&target=ca-sanfran\">Matcha Cafe Maiko\u003c/a>, is hoping the ordinance will pass so that he knows how to chart the territory ahead. He has three store locations in San Francisco, including in Chinatown and Japantown, and has had to lay off about 75% of his full-time employees. The popular cafe, which serves authentic Japanese desserts and treats, has suffered a 70% drop in business.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now it's really helped that we haven't paid any rent yet, but I know it's all gonna come down,” Chin said. He says it’s been a slow climb back as the city has gradually progressed in reopening, but the months of unpaid rent loom. “We're going to have to pay it all back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11846799\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11846799\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Japantown Peace Plaza outside of Japan Center mall, which houses specialty Japanese shops, including legacy businesses that have been around for decades. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The new ordinance pays particular attention to the hardships of San Francisco’s most vulnerable small businesses that have annual gross receipts that are equal to or less than $25 million based on 2019 figures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legislation has a tiered repayment approach: of top priority are commercial tenants that employ fewer than 10 full-time employees. If eligible, these \"Tier 1\" tenants would have up to 24 months after the statewide eviction moratorium’s end to pay back any unpaid rent, without facing the threat of eviction. They would also have the opportunity to terminate their leases early without penalty. Businesses that have between 10 and 24 employees would have 18 months to pay back unpaid rent, those that have between 25 and 49 employees would have one year and those that employ 50 or more would have until the moratorium’s expiration date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Peskin, during a Land Use and Transportation Committee meeting on Monday, said that about 80% of businesses in San Francisco employ fewer than 10 people, making this proposed ordinance broadly impactful across the city. He added that an estimated 164,000 people in San Francisco are employed by small businesses, according to his office’s calculations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We as lawmakers have an imperative, actually, to make this a matter of law, to allow these businesses that are the backbone of our economy to make it through the pandemic,” Peskin said during the meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Excluded from the ordinance’s protections are for-profit tenants in office spaces; the legislation is engineered to help retail businesses that don’t have the benefit of being able to operate remotely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Real estate attorney Allan Low of San Francisco-based law firm Perkins Coie is helping to represent the 41 tenants inside Japan Center Mall. He also helped advise the legislation, and said that \u003ca href=\"https://oewd.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Guidance%20Temporary%20Moratorium%20on%20Commercial%20Evictions_v10.29.2020%20expires%2011.30.20.pdf\">the current moratorium\u003c/a> hasn’t addressed the issue of mounting unpaid rent, which is why the new ordinance’s proposed repayment structure is especially significant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The mayor's order really relied on the good faith of the two parties to work out their deals, or to resolve their disputes,” said Low, who emphasized that hasn’t been largely the case. To address this, the ordinance functions “kind of like the guard rails on either side of the road, where hopefully you could meet somewhere in the middle of the road.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Low said many commercial landlords across the city are not coming to the negotiating table at all, which has left business owners — like Chin of Matcha Cafe Maiko — riddled with the anxiety of enormous debt, a burden that becomes heavier with each passing month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I'm not asking to not pay at all,” Chin said. “I don't know what's happening. The landlord is not really saying anything to us and we're just kinda hanging in the air right now ... they just send us the bills that say, ‘OK, this is how much you owe now, so make payments.’ OK, but how are we going to work this out?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11846801\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11846801\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44774_057_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Naoya Morishita, the store manager, works at the Kinokuniya Book Store in the Japan Center West Mall on Sep. 2, 2020.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44774_057_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44774_057_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44774_057_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44774_057_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS44774_057_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Naoya Morishita, the store manager, works at the Kinokuniya Book Store in the Japan Center West Mall on Sep. 2, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Peskin adds that the ordinance addresses this problem head-on by providing a starting point for negotiations between landlords and tenants, in particular by giving leverage to small businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community members say leverage is desperately needed in Japantown’s Japan Center mall. Dozens of public comments were submitted in hearings ahead of Tuesday’s vote, as well as many emails, from generations of Bay Area residents who expressed their treasured memories of San Francisco’s Japantown and the cultural significance it plays in their lives. The neighborhood is one of only three remaining Japantowns in the entire country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To date, conversations with Japan Center’s two corporate landlords — Kinokuniya Bookstores of America and 3D Investments — have mostly stalled or been ignored: monthly invoices continue to be delivered to tenants and attempts by legal representation to negotiate rent repayment have gone unanswered. And now, demands for full and immediate repayment of all outstanding rent and charges have started, according to \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/21524071/japantown-japan-center-restaurants-sf-rent-negotiations-takara-kui-shin-bo\">a recent report from Eater SF\u003c/a>. Requests for comment from both Kinokuniya Bookstores of America and 3D Investments have not yet been returned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Low said business slowdown has resulted in his clients losing massive amounts of money each month, ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 per month. A particular point of contention are high common area maintenance (CAM) fees that have skyrocketed exponentially for many of the tenants over the years, and are included in the monthly outstanding invoices. According to Low, 3D Investments has already begun efforts to try to evict one Japan Center tenant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Low acknowledged that many landlords are hurting during the pandemic as well. He noted that the ordinance also offers protections for some commercial property owners: those who own less than 25,000 square feet in San Francisco, for example, can apply for a waiver demonstrating significant financial hardship and move forward with eviction for non-payment by tenants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He hopes, though, that the ordinance will highlight the necessity of keeping tenants in place, especially for larger landlords like Kinokuniya and 3D Investments. The survival of San Francisco’s Japantown, which was established centuries ago, depends on it: “It should incentivize landlords to realize that there’s not a line of tenants that are lined up to take the space,” he said, noting the deep uncertainty of economic recovery ahead without additional federal aid yet in sight. “Let’s try to work with the people that are already there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"disqusTitle": "What’s Lost in Bay Area Asian Culture When SF Eviction Moratorium Ends?",
"title": "What’s Lost in Bay Area Asian Culture When SF Eviction Moratorium Ends?",
"headTitle": "KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This report contains a clarification.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, 4:10 p.m., Sept. 29:\u003c/strong> After extending San Francisco's commercial eviction moratorium earlier this month until Sept. 30, Mayor London Breed has now extended the moratorium for another 60 days, until Nov. 30, 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original post:\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nBefore the pandemic, Tilly Tsang, owner of Washington Bakery and Restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown, says breakfast was always the busiest. Each morning, a rotation of regular customers would enter the restaurant, order their usual – sometimes a bun or a pastry from the bakery counter – and sit down to survey who else from the neighborhood was around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of people, mostly older people, come every day to sit down and just have a cup of coffee, or a cup of \u003ci>lai chai,\u003c/i>” Tsang said. “They just want to see if they know anybody so they can chat, chat, chat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Lai chai,\u003c/i> or milk tea, is one of the many Hong Kong staples that Tsang has offered at her restaurant, a local favorite, for over two decades, along with their beloved baked pork chop rice plates and salt and pepper chicken wings. Her loyal customers include Chinatown residents who live in single-room occupancy hotels (SROs). They treat Tsang’s restaurant, and other immigrant and family-owned businesses, as an essential place to catch up and socialize with one another because many of their cramped buildings lack common areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But since the COVID-19 pandemic, small business owners like Tsang are facing the devastating reality that many will not survive. Tens of thousands have already permanently closed in the United States, and it is uncertain when another round of federal government assistance will arrive. Aid from the federal Paycheck Protection Program has largely run out for those who could get it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eviction moratoriums have prevented more San Francisco businesses from folding, but the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://oewd.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Guidance%20Temporary%20Moratorium%20on%20Commercial%20Evictions_v8.12.2020%20expires%209.14.20.pdf\">commercial eviction moratorium\u003c/a> ends on Sept. 14. That means commercial tenants will have until Monday to pay back missed rent payments – which for many add up to six months rent – or else landlords can start evicting them as early as October. Locals fear that once commercial evictions begin, those who depend on the businesses for jobs, culture and community will be displaced, and the cultural landscape of San Francisco will be irreparably harmed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Real estate attorney \u003ca href=\"https://www.perkinscoie.com/en/professionals/allan-e-low.html\">Allan Low\u003c/a> is working pro bono to assist small business owners in the city’s Asian cultural districts. He says without immediate steps on both the federal and local level to address the threat of permanent closures, “We’re going to be faced with a tidal wave of evictions, bankruptcies and retail landscapes that are just going to be completely obliterated.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He says that could mean devastation to neighborhoods that have largely defined San Francisco’s unique culture, including Chinatown, Japantown and the city’s newest cultural district, SOMA Pilipinas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ripple effects will hit the larger Bay Area Asian Pacific Islander American population that depend on these hubs for a sense of belonging, essential services and cultural empowerment – especially in a region that has already faced rapid gentrification and demographic shifts.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>In Chinatown: Holding Space for One Another\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Unlike its more affluent neighbors in Russian Hill and North Beach, Chinatown has been able to stave off years of housing and development pressures thanks to its strong community, tenant organizing and zoning restrictions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin says the neighborhood has benefited from its “incredibly rich fabric of community-based organizations” such as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.chinatowncdc.org/\">Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC)\u003c/a>. The nonprofit housing organization quickly leapt into action at the start of the pandemic with its short-term \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11816116/chinatown-housing-group-feeds-vulnerable-sro-tenants-by-reviving-legacy-restaurants\">Feed + Fuel Chinatown program\u003c/a>. The program immediately mobilized Chinatown restaurants to feed vulnerable SRO restaurants and the elderly. It allowed restaurant owners to hire back laid off employees and pay rents, but it ended in mid-July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11837566\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11837566\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44732_010_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44732_010_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44732_010_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44732_010_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44732_010_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44732_010_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chelsea Hung works to package meals for a Chinatown Community Development Center program that provides meal delivery for for seniors and residents in local SROs or public housing during COVID-19, at the Washington Bakery and Restaurant in San Francisco's Chinatown on Sept. 2, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some restaurants, like Tsang’s, are still participating in a similar effort through the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/health-food/groceries-and-meals/great-plates-delivered-meal-program\">Great Plates program\u003c/a>, but most say they are only generating about 25% of their regular revenue, a CCDC restaurant survey revealed. Nearly 60% of restaurant jobs have been eliminated and less than a quarter of the Chinatown restaurants surveyed say they can maintain their businesses; the rest are either unsure, barely surviving or have only months left to stay open.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even though shelter-in-place orders were announced in mid-March, the painful drop in business started in January for Frank Chui, co-owner of the Hang Ah Tea Room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was a fall-off-the-cliff kind of decline,” he said. “It wasn’t slow. It was immediately – boom, within a week, 70% to 90% drop, like no business.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area APIA businesses, not just in Chinatown, were hit first – as early as December 2019 – because of rising xenophobia and anti-Asian discrimination, which motivated \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11803203/pelosi-lunches-in-sf-chinatown-lending-support-to-businesses-amid-coronavirus-fears\">politicians to encourage patronage of Chinatown businesses\u003c/a> before San Francisco issued its shelter-in-place orders.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Chelsea Hung, Washington Bakery & Restaurant\"]'It becomes this domino effect ... It’s not just the loss of a business, it’s the loss of a whole community.'[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chui says the closure of Hang Ah Tea Room, which was established in 1920, would mean the permanent loss of an important piece of San Francisco Chinatown and American history: “It’s the first dim sum house in America.” Chui acquired the restaurant in 2014 and had hopes of celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Owning the restaurant was an opportunity for Chui to help protect part of Chinatown’s legacy; the restaurant has generations of customers that make visiting Hang Ah Tea Room an annual tradition. But the challenges of COVID-19 has forced him to cut more than half of his staff – all recent immigrants who live in Chinatown. Chui says they have all been able to collect unemployment benefits after the layoffs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Tsang’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.wbrsf.com/\">Washington Bakery and Restaurant\u003c/a>, some employees have stayed on for decades. Keeping the restaurant in the family is a priority for Tsang and her daughter Chelsea Hung. Hung moved back from New York in 2018 after working in tech to help out with the restaurant because she couldn’t bear the thought of letting the business go when her mother contemplated retiring a couple years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it's up to our generation to pay it forward and continue the community we grew up in,” Hung said. “It's more than the restaurant, but also for the community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She explains that the businesses are intricately linked to a unique commercial ecosystem that helps make Chinatown a complete neighborhood: “We use a lot of local vendors, and if we had to shut down those vendors would be affected, too,” Hung said. “It becomes this domino effect. ... It’s not just the loss of a business, it’s the loss of a whole community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11837560\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11837560\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44703_029_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_08302020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44703_029_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_08302020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44703_029_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_08302020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44703_029_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_08302020-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44703_029_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_08302020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44703_029_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_08302020-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">As apart of the 'Shared Spaces' program, sections of Grant Avenue in San Francisco's Chinatown are temporarily closed to traffic on Aug. 30, 2020. The street closure, every Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m, allows pedestrians more space and restaurants to open for outdoor dining.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The city is trying to help struggling Chinatown businesses by encouraging restaurants to participate in outdoor dining. While the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/shared-spaces\">Shared Spaces program \u003c/a>had already shut down a stretch of Grant Street – the corridor of Chinatown most known for its tourist souvenir shops – for outdoor dining, it has primarily been utilized by outside visitors and tourists who have slowly begun to return to Chinatown. Hoping to loop in more restaurants, especially ones that serve locals, CCDC and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce started providing grants and technical assistance to merchants, such as securing barricades to partition an outdoor dining area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hung says the program has helped Washington Cafe and Restaurant, and the effort has slowly welcomed back their usual regulars who have happily found an outdoor alternative for the morning \u003ci>lai chai\u003c/i>. “They’re happy about that but they’re also facing their own challenges of how to social distance, but also be active and still live their life,” she explained.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though Hung says their landlord, who also owns a business in Chinatown, has accommodated delayed rent payments for now, she still has to pay several months’ in full, and it’s an anxiety-inducing reality that is sinking in for businesses across the city as the eviction moratorium is scheduled to end on Sept. 14.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11837567\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11837567\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44739_017_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44739_017_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44739_017_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44739_017_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44739_017_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44739_017_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jade Zhu takes orders at outdoor tables at the Washington Bakery and Restaurant in San Francisco's Chinatown on Sept. 2, 2020.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>In Japantown: Two Landlords Determine the Fate of Dozens\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>While the threat of commercial evictions in Chinatown is imminent, it may be blunted by the fact that building ownership in the neighborhood is more diversified compared to others. Supervisor Peskin says that because many of its buildings are owned by family associations, for example, that are not “entirely motivated by money and rent,” he believes businesses in other neighborhoods face a graver risk of permanently closing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One such neighborhood is Japantown where the fate of dozens of small businesses in the East and West sides of the Japan Center mall – the cultural district’s main commercial center – is in the hands of just two landlords.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11837573\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11837573\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Japntown Peace Plaza on Sept. 2, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Since the start of the pandemic, the closure of the two-building indoor mall has severely impacted the more than 50 businesses inside, which are a mix of mom-and-pop shops and restaurants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the rent, businesses must pay the common area maintenance fees that have more than doubled for some tenants since a turnover in property management in 2018. Adding to tenants’ woes has been the total lack of response to requests for future rent relief structure on the part of one particular landlord, Kinokuniya Bookstores of America, which makes negotiating a deal impossible, says Diane Matsuda, a staff attorney with \u003ca href=\"https://www.apilegaloutreach.org/\">Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (APILO)\u003c/a>, a nonprofit organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The biggest challenge here is that you have two really big mega landlords and those mega landlords control a lot of the cultural and economic hub of Japantown,” Matsuda says. “Should they not want to negotiate or have any kind of rent abatement ... you’re really talking about us losing literally a whole ethnic community that has been here since the start of the 19th century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Matsuda and Low, who is also fighting for Chinatown business owners, have been representing nearly 40 Japan Center tenants in total, many of whom are native Japanese speakers with limited English proficiency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They don't have to just be the quiet Americans that I think the property manager wants them to be,” Matsuda said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11837577\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11837577\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44765_046_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44765_046_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44765_046_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44765_046_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44765_046_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44765_046_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Japan Center East Mall on Sept. 2, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One such tenant is Ryan Kimura, who owns Pika Pika on the Kinokuniya side of the mall. Since 2006, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pikapikasf.com/\">Pika Pika\u003c/a> has been a specialty store that features \u003ci>purikura\u003c/i>, or Japanese sticker photo booths, which is often frequented by young teens and families. The photos are a popular Japanese phenomenon that Kimura wanted to bring to the U.S. after living in Japan for several years. It’s an in-person and unique social experience that has made it impossible for the business to reopen during the pandemic. Despite no revenue, Pika Pika continues to receive monthly invoices for rent and services, according to Kimura, who says he and his family are now leaning towards closing up the 14-year-old shop for good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the businesses, like Pika Pika, highlight unique aspects of Japanese culture, from gardening knowledge to selling products that would otherwise only be found in Japan. For the tenants, the business of sharing Japanese culture and traditions is a deeply personal passion – one that now stands to be lost if rent negotiations do not take place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the pandemic, a coalition of Japantown mall tenants expressed their concerns over high common-area maintenance charges that dramatically increased since Davis Property Management took over management of the Kinokuniya Building in 2018. Kimura and Matsuda say some of the tenants have seen over a 100% increase in the fees and that some are paying more in these charges than in rent itself.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Diane Matsuda, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach\"]'You’re really talking about us losing literally a whole ethnic community that has been here since the start of the 19th century.'[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has caused a lot of friction within our mall and a lot of tenants are upset about it and the lack of transparency,” says Kimura. “We send multiple emails, letters to our property managers and landlords and have heard nothing back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attempts to reach Kinokuniya’s attorneys for this story were unsuccessful, but Kirsten Fletcher, the building’s property manager wrote that “it is difficult all around,” and cites that the building owner also owns over 50 stores in the Americas alone. “Rent is contracted and due by the tenants, no one is making money,” Fletcher replied in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fletcher also notes that one month of deferred rent was offered to Kinokuniya tenants earlier in the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Establishing and securing the commercial and retail district of Japantown is an effort that dates back more than a century, starting from when Japanese immigrants settled into the area after the 1906 earthquake. It grew into a thriving community that spanned about 40 blocks during its heyday until Executive Order 9066 during World War II swept Japanese citizens and Japanese Americans into internment camps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since then, through years of economic development, buildings have been razed and the neighborhood has been reduced into only a commercial district. It’s why protecting the mom-and-pop shops in Japantown is an effort to preserve the cultural heart of the wider Bay Area Japanese American community, many of whom come into San Francisco to convene and continue important traditions. Japantown is less residential than Chinatown but it serves as a focal point for key community events and festivals, including local basketball league games, the annual Cherry Blossom and Obon Festivals and gatherings at the Japanese Buddhist church in the neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11837572\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11837572\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44778_061_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44778_061_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44778_061_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44778_061_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44778_061_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44778_061_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Xiao Feng brings out an order at the Matcha Cafe Maiko at the Japan Center West Mall on Sept. 2, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kristy Wang, a community planning policy director with the\u003ca href=\"https://www.spur.org/\"> San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR)\u003c/a> adds that keeping businesses alive in these neighborhoods is essential in preserving a cultural home base for communities, even if they move away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She cites the exodus of San Francisco’s Black population as an example: “So many people have had to move out or decided to move out. And if you lose those businesses, then you lose a place to go back to even.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Low says attempts to reach out to Kinokuniya’s property manager and attorneys have gone unanswered, and he’s afraid that once the commercial eviction moratorium is lifted on Monday, many of these businesses won’t make it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our existing commercial eviction moratorium was based on the assumption that this pandemic would only last six months ... it was a very short-term reaction,” Low said. “I think we relied too much on the good faith that landlords and tenants can work out their own problems and what we’re rapidly realizing is this is not the case.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As it stands now, the \u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/check-if-your-business-qualifies-eviction-moratorium\">commercial eviction moratorium\u003c/a> states that if commercial tenants have not paid all outstanding rent after six months, landlords are able to evict them for non-payment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Low has drafted an ordinance – and is in talks with Supervisor Peskin, as well as District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston, whose jurisdiction includes Japantown – that would extend the existing moratorium as well as add more weight to its enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though the timeline of when this may happen is still unclear, Peskin says he hopes to arrive at a solution that will be “legally sound.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Low adds, however, that an extension of the moratorium still won’t be enough. “The moratorium is fine just for stalling the evictions,\" he says. \"You have to get to the underlying problem, which is not only stopping the evictions or addressing evictions, but somehow addressing the money.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>In SOMA Pilipinas: Incubating Survival Strategies\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Another population in San Francisco that is acutely familiar with being forced to relocate is the Filipino American population.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.somapilipinas.org/\">SOMA Pilipinas\u003c/a> was formed in 2016 in part to encourage entrepreneurship among Filipino Americans in a Filipino-dedicated business corridor and reclaim space in a city that has repeatedly displaced them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11837569\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11837569\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44754_033_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44754_033_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44754_033_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44754_033_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44754_033_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44754_033_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural on the Bayanihan Community Center in the SOMA Pilipinas neighborhood in San Francisco on Sept. 2, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There had been a 10-block radius neighborhood dubbed “Manilatown” on Kearny Street in the 1920s established by Filipino migrant farmworkers. But as urban renewal and development sought to grow the city’s Financial District, Filipinos were slowly pushed out of the area. \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/NotoriousECG/status/1290829342059016193\">The tension came to a head in 1977\u003c/a>, when the International Hotel, or I-Hotel, a residential building for Filipino immigrants, faced eviction threats, which led to large protests and coalition building with other groups, including Chinese and Japanese American activists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eventually, I-Hotel evictions took place and shifted Filipino immigrants to the SOMA district, where they opened up businesses and established storefronts. But they then faced additional mass displacement during the development of Yerba Buena and Moscone centers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“SOMA Pilipinas is kind of a great hope of ‘we can finally write the narratives that we always wanted,’ ” said Desi Danganan, executive director of \u003ca href=\"https://kultivatelabs.com/\">Kultivate Labs\u003c/a>, a nonprofit arts and economic development organization, who helped spearhead the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All of these past struggles led up to this momentous opportunity to develop our community in one of the most wealthiest progressive cities in the world,” said Danganan. Since its establishment and before the pandemic, SOMA Pilipinas had 18 businesses in the neighborhood – its main corridor is on Mission Street between Fifth and Seventh streets – and many of its owners are younger Filipino entrepreneurs and artists. The district has since lost four businesses due to the economic challenges of the coronavirus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11837568\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11837568\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44753_031_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44753_031_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44753_031_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44753_031_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44753_031_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44753_031_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A person rides a bike by a mural on Bindlestiff, a Filipinx black box theater on 6th Street in the SOMA Pilipinas neighborhood in San Francisco on Sept. 2, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a survey conducted a few months ago, more than half of the food and retail businesses in SOMA Pilipinas have lost more than 90% of their revenue, largely attributed to the lack of foot traffic from employees in nearby office buildings, including the Twitter headquarters. Nearly 70% of the businesses say they only had a handful of months left to stay afloat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The impact on SOMA Pilipinas may mean a serious hurdle for new Filipino entrepreneurs who saw the new business district as a source of cultural empowerment. With a background in entrepreneurship and business marketing, Danganan says he realized early on that establishing an economic footprint would be critical in creating a cultural space for the Filipino community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Access to capital and mentorship was the biggest barrier to entry into doing business in the south of market, or SOMA Pilipinas,” he said. Through Kultivate Labs, Danganan and his team function as an incubator to help kickstart Filipino businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One such business owner is Hü Gamit, a 27-year-old San Francisco native who followed in the footsteps of his late grandfather, Papay, who once owned The Gamit Barbershop on 6th Street. He grew up in his grandfather’s shop, which he says was a safe space for Filipino immigrants, and watched him bond with the local community. He established his own barber shop, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youbyhu.com/\">Yoü by Hü\u003c/a>, on Sixth Street in August 2019 and says it provided an opportunity to continue a family and cultural legacy – he frequently runs into SOMA community members who remember his grandfather fondly – and empower himself to contribute something new for the larger SOMA community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The one thing I'm most proud of is I've turned myself into a business. Like, I am the business,” Gamit said. “My space on Sixth Street, that's my place, that's like my home court.” He says it’s especially meaningful as someone who was born and raised in the city who has witnessed the power shifts and dynamics of gentrification.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But dreams of entrepreneurs like Gamit have been thwarted by the coronavirus, which has kept him from opening his shop since March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some food businesses in the neighborhood have been able to survive by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11815455/struggling-fil-am-restaurants-are-helping-feed-frontline-filipino-health-workers\">feeding front-line Filipino health workers\u003c/a>, an initiative designed by Kultivate Labs. But Reina Montenegro, owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.nicksonmission.com/\">Nick’s on Mission\u003c/a>, a Filipino vegan restaurant, feels the urgency to pivot in order to survive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A former caterer, Montenegro has turned to building her online presence, hosting cooking classes and preparing meal prep packages, to adapt during the uncertainty. While her landlord has accommodated late payments, she says the stack of unpaid bills, rent and other costs is growing to a point where she may have to rethink her entire business structure, and not return to the brick-and-mortar model at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11837570\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11837570\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44756_035_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44756_035_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44756_035_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44756_035_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44756_035_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44756_035_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rita's Catering & Eatery serving Filipino cuisine from a food truck in the SOMA Pilipinas neighborhood in San Francisco on Sept. 2, 2020.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Through grants and support from city politicians, Danganan said San Francisco has been largely supportive of SOMA Pilipinas and hopes that the city continues to incorporate equity in every decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While he continues to triage support for the SOMA Pilipinas businesses that continue to face devastating uncertainty, Danganan says he’s always willing to place a bet on culture, especially in San Francisco: “It's like hardware and software. Hardware is just like any kind of city infrastructure and software is the culture. And that's what we have here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He recognizes, though, that the survival of cultural neighborhoods will boil down to each community’s ability to take care of itself. Danganan holds the incredible political savvy of Chinatown, cultivated by decades of activism and organizing by community leaders and activists, as an example.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re heavily supported by our city government, as they should, but at some point, our community’s going to have to come together and support ourselves. It’s the only way to push us forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sept. 15: Davis Property Management, the property management company for the Kinokuniya tenants of Japan Center, offered one month of deferred rent earlier in the pandemic. The story has been edited to include this response.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "If a commercial eviction moratorium isn’t extended, the damage to business owners could ripple out across the Bay Area and permanently alter hubs for Asian American culture in Chinatown, Japantown and SOMA Pilipinas. ",
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"subhead": "If a commercial eviction moratorium isn’t extended by Monday, the damage to business owners will ripple out across the Bay Area",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This report contains a clarification.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, 4:10 p.m., Sept. 29:\u003c/strong> After extending San Francisco's commercial eviction moratorium earlier this month until Sept. 30, Mayor London Breed has now extended the moratorium for another 60 days, until Nov. 30, 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original post:\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nBefore the pandemic, Tilly Tsang, owner of Washington Bakery and Restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown, says breakfast was always the busiest. Each morning, a rotation of regular customers would enter the restaurant, order their usual – sometimes a bun or a pastry from the bakery counter – and sit down to survey who else from the neighborhood was around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of people, mostly older people, come every day to sit down and just have a cup of coffee, or a cup of \u003ci>lai chai,\u003c/i>” Tsang said. “They just want to see if they know anybody so they can chat, chat, chat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Lai chai,\u003c/i> or milk tea, is one of the many Hong Kong staples that Tsang has offered at her restaurant, a local favorite, for over two decades, along with their beloved baked pork chop rice plates and salt and pepper chicken wings. Her loyal customers include Chinatown residents who live in single-room occupancy hotels (SROs). They treat Tsang’s restaurant, and other immigrant and family-owned businesses, as an essential place to catch up and socialize with one another because many of their cramped buildings lack common areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But since the COVID-19 pandemic, small business owners like Tsang are facing the devastating reality that many will not survive. Tens of thousands have already permanently closed in the United States, and it is uncertain when another round of federal government assistance will arrive. Aid from the federal Paycheck Protection Program has largely run out for those who could get it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eviction moratoriums have prevented more San Francisco businesses from folding, but the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://oewd.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Guidance%20Temporary%20Moratorium%20on%20Commercial%20Evictions_v8.12.2020%20expires%209.14.20.pdf\">commercial eviction moratorium\u003c/a> ends on Sept. 14. That means commercial tenants will have until Monday to pay back missed rent payments – which for many add up to six months rent – or else landlords can start evicting them as early as October. Locals fear that once commercial evictions begin, those who depend on the businesses for jobs, culture and community will be displaced, and the cultural landscape of San Francisco will be irreparably harmed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Real estate attorney \u003ca href=\"https://www.perkinscoie.com/en/professionals/allan-e-low.html\">Allan Low\u003c/a> is working pro bono to assist small business owners in the city’s Asian cultural districts. He says without immediate steps on both the federal and local level to address the threat of permanent closures, “We’re going to be faced with a tidal wave of evictions, bankruptcies and retail landscapes that are just going to be completely obliterated.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He says that could mean devastation to neighborhoods that have largely defined San Francisco’s unique culture, including Chinatown, Japantown and the city’s newest cultural district, SOMA Pilipinas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ripple effects will hit the larger Bay Area Asian Pacific Islander American population that depend on these hubs for a sense of belonging, essential services and cultural empowerment – especially in a region that has already faced rapid gentrification and demographic shifts.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>In Chinatown: Holding Space for One Another\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Unlike its more affluent neighbors in Russian Hill and North Beach, Chinatown has been able to stave off years of housing and development pressures thanks to its strong community, tenant organizing and zoning restrictions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin says the neighborhood has benefited from its “incredibly rich fabric of community-based organizations” such as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.chinatowncdc.org/\">Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC)\u003c/a>. The nonprofit housing organization quickly leapt into action at the start of the pandemic with its short-term \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11816116/chinatown-housing-group-feeds-vulnerable-sro-tenants-by-reviving-legacy-restaurants\">Feed + Fuel Chinatown program\u003c/a>. The program immediately mobilized Chinatown restaurants to feed vulnerable SRO restaurants and the elderly. It allowed restaurant owners to hire back laid off employees and pay rents, but it ended in mid-July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11837566\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11837566\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44732_010_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44732_010_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44732_010_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44732_010_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44732_010_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44732_010_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chelsea Hung works to package meals for a Chinatown Community Development Center program that provides meal delivery for for seniors and residents in local SROs or public housing during COVID-19, at the Washington Bakery and Restaurant in San Francisco's Chinatown on Sept. 2, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some restaurants, like Tsang’s, are still participating in a similar effort through the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/health-food/groceries-and-meals/great-plates-delivered-meal-program\">Great Plates program\u003c/a>, but most say they are only generating about 25% of their regular revenue, a CCDC restaurant survey revealed. Nearly 60% of restaurant jobs have been eliminated and less than a quarter of the Chinatown restaurants surveyed say they can maintain their businesses; the rest are either unsure, barely surviving or have only months left to stay open.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even though shelter-in-place orders were announced in mid-March, the painful drop in business started in January for Frank Chui, co-owner of the Hang Ah Tea Room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was a fall-off-the-cliff kind of decline,” he said. “It wasn’t slow. It was immediately – boom, within a week, 70% to 90% drop, like no business.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area APIA businesses, not just in Chinatown, were hit first – as early as December 2019 – because of rising xenophobia and anti-Asian discrimination, which motivated \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11803203/pelosi-lunches-in-sf-chinatown-lending-support-to-businesses-amid-coronavirus-fears\">politicians to encourage patronage of Chinatown businesses\u003c/a> before San Francisco issued its shelter-in-place orders.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "'It becomes this domino effect ... It’s not just the loss of a business, it’s the loss of a whole community.'",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chui says the closure of Hang Ah Tea Room, which was established in 1920, would mean the permanent loss of an important piece of San Francisco Chinatown and American history: “It’s the first dim sum house in America.” Chui acquired the restaurant in 2014 and had hopes of celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Owning the restaurant was an opportunity for Chui to help protect part of Chinatown’s legacy; the restaurant has generations of customers that make visiting Hang Ah Tea Room an annual tradition. But the challenges of COVID-19 has forced him to cut more than half of his staff – all recent immigrants who live in Chinatown. Chui says they have all been able to collect unemployment benefits after the layoffs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Tsang’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.wbrsf.com/\">Washington Bakery and Restaurant\u003c/a>, some employees have stayed on for decades. Keeping the restaurant in the family is a priority for Tsang and her daughter Chelsea Hung. Hung moved back from New York in 2018 after working in tech to help out with the restaurant because she couldn’t bear the thought of letting the business go when her mother contemplated retiring a couple years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it's up to our generation to pay it forward and continue the community we grew up in,” Hung said. “It's more than the restaurant, but also for the community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She explains that the businesses are intricately linked to a unique commercial ecosystem that helps make Chinatown a complete neighborhood: “We use a lot of local vendors, and if we had to shut down those vendors would be affected, too,” Hung said. “It becomes this domino effect. ... It’s not just the loss of a business, it’s the loss of a whole community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11837560\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11837560\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44703_029_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_08302020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44703_029_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_08302020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44703_029_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_08302020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44703_029_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_08302020-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44703_029_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_08302020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44703_029_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_08302020-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">As apart of the 'Shared Spaces' program, sections of Grant Avenue in San Francisco's Chinatown are temporarily closed to traffic on Aug. 30, 2020. The street closure, every Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m, allows pedestrians more space and restaurants to open for outdoor dining.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The city is trying to help struggling Chinatown businesses by encouraging restaurants to participate in outdoor dining. While the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/shared-spaces\">Shared Spaces program \u003c/a>had already shut down a stretch of Grant Street – the corridor of Chinatown most known for its tourist souvenir shops – for outdoor dining, it has primarily been utilized by outside visitors and tourists who have slowly begun to return to Chinatown. Hoping to loop in more restaurants, especially ones that serve locals, CCDC and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce started providing grants and technical assistance to merchants, such as securing barricades to partition an outdoor dining area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hung says the program has helped Washington Cafe and Restaurant, and the effort has slowly welcomed back their usual regulars who have happily found an outdoor alternative for the morning \u003ci>lai chai\u003c/i>. “They’re happy about that but they’re also facing their own challenges of how to social distance, but also be active and still live their life,” she explained.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though Hung says their landlord, who also owns a business in Chinatown, has accommodated delayed rent payments for now, she still has to pay several months’ in full, and it’s an anxiety-inducing reality that is sinking in for businesses across the city as the eviction moratorium is scheduled to end on Sept. 14.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11837567\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11837567\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44739_017_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44739_017_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44739_017_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44739_017_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44739_017_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44739_017_KQED_Chinatown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jade Zhu takes orders at outdoor tables at the Washington Bakery and Restaurant in San Francisco's Chinatown on Sept. 2, 2020.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>In Japantown: Two Landlords Determine the Fate of Dozens\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>While the threat of commercial evictions in Chinatown is imminent, it may be blunted by the fact that building ownership in the neighborhood is more diversified compared to others. Supervisor Peskin says that because many of its buildings are owned by family associations, for example, that are not “entirely motivated by money and rent,” he believes businesses in other neighborhoods face a graver risk of permanently closing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One such neighborhood is Japantown where the fate of dozens of small businesses in the East and West sides of the Japan Center mall – the cultural district’s main commercial center – is in the hands of just two landlords.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11837573\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11837573\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44780_063_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Japntown Peace Plaza on Sept. 2, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Since the start of the pandemic, the closure of the two-building indoor mall has severely impacted the more than 50 businesses inside, which are a mix of mom-and-pop shops and restaurants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the rent, businesses must pay the common area maintenance fees that have more than doubled for some tenants since a turnover in property management in 2018. Adding to tenants’ woes has been the total lack of response to requests for future rent relief structure on the part of one particular landlord, Kinokuniya Bookstores of America, which makes negotiating a deal impossible, says Diane Matsuda, a staff attorney with \u003ca href=\"https://www.apilegaloutreach.org/\">Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (APILO)\u003c/a>, a nonprofit organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The biggest challenge here is that you have two really big mega landlords and those mega landlords control a lot of the cultural and economic hub of Japantown,” Matsuda says. “Should they not want to negotiate or have any kind of rent abatement ... you’re really talking about us losing literally a whole ethnic community that has been here since the start of the 19th century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Matsuda and Low, who is also fighting for Chinatown business owners, have been representing nearly 40 Japan Center tenants in total, many of whom are native Japanese speakers with limited English proficiency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They don't have to just be the quiet Americans that I think the property manager wants them to be,” Matsuda said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11837577\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11837577\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44765_046_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44765_046_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44765_046_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44765_046_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44765_046_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44765_046_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Japan Center East Mall on Sept. 2, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One such tenant is Ryan Kimura, who owns Pika Pika on the Kinokuniya side of the mall. Since 2006, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pikapikasf.com/\">Pika Pika\u003c/a> has been a specialty store that features \u003ci>purikura\u003c/i>, or Japanese sticker photo booths, which is often frequented by young teens and families. The photos are a popular Japanese phenomenon that Kimura wanted to bring to the U.S. after living in Japan for several years. It’s an in-person and unique social experience that has made it impossible for the business to reopen during the pandemic. Despite no revenue, Pika Pika continues to receive monthly invoices for rent and services, according to Kimura, who says he and his family are now leaning towards closing up the 14-year-old shop for good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the businesses, like Pika Pika, highlight unique aspects of Japanese culture, from gardening knowledge to selling products that would otherwise only be found in Japan. For the tenants, the business of sharing Japanese culture and traditions is a deeply personal passion – one that now stands to be lost if rent negotiations do not take place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the pandemic, a coalition of Japantown mall tenants expressed their concerns over high common-area maintenance charges that dramatically increased since Davis Property Management took over management of the Kinokuniya Building in 2018. Kimura and Matsuda say some of the tenants have seen over a 100% increase in the fees and that some are paying more in these charges than in rent itself.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has caused a lot of friction within our mall and a lot of tenants are upset about it and the lack of transparency,” says Kimura. “We send multiple emails, letters to our property managers and landlords and have heard nothing back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attempts to reach Kinokuniya’s attorneys for this story were unsuccessful, but Kirsten Fletcher, the building’s property manager wrote that “it is difficult all around,” and cites that the building owner also owns over 50 stores in the Americas alone. “Rent is contracted and due by the tenants, no one is making money,” Fletcher replied in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fletcher also notes that one month of deferred rent was offered to Kinokuniya tenants earlier in the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Establishing and securing the commercial and retail district of Japantown is an effort that dates back more than a century, starting from when Japanese immigrants settled into the area after the 1906 earthquake. It grew into a thriving community that spanned about 40 blocks during its heyday until Executive Order 9066 during World War II swept Japanese citizens and Japanese Americans into internment camps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since then, through years of economic development, buildings have been razed and the neighborhood has been reduced into only a commercial district. It’s why protecting the mom-and-pop shops in Japantown is an effort to preserve the cultural heart of the wider Bay Area Japanese American community, many of whom come into San Francisco to convene and continue important traditions. Japantown is less residential than Chinatown but it serves as a focal point for key community events and festivals, including local basketball league games, the annual Cherry Blossom and Obon Festivals and gatherings at the Japanese Buddhist church in the neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11837572\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11837572\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44778_061_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44778_061_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44778_061_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44778_061_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44778_061_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44778_061_KQED_Japantown_Businesses_09022020-qut-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Xiao Feng brings out an order at the Matcha Cafe Maiko at the Japan Center West Mall on Sept. 2, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kristy Wang, a community planning policy director with the\u003ca href=\"https://www.spur.org/\"> San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR)\u003c/a> adds that keeping businesses alive in these neighborhoods is essential in preserving a cultural home base for communities, even if they move away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She cites the exodus of San Francisco’s Black population as an example: “So many people have had to move out or decided to move out. And if you lose those businesses, then you lose a place to go back to even.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Low says attempts to reach out to Kinokuniya’s property manager and attorneys have gone unanswered, and he’s afraid that once the commercial eviction moratorium is lifted on Monday, many of these businesses won’t make it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our existing commercial eviction moratorium was based on the assumption that this pandemic would only last six months ... it was a very short-term reaction,” Low said. “I think we relied too much on the good faith that landlords and tenants can work out their own problems and what we’re rapidly realizing is this is not the case.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As it stands now, the \u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/check-if-your-business-qualifies-eviction-moratorium\">commercial eviction moratorium\u003c/a> states that if commercial tenants have not paid all outstanding rent after six months, landlords are able to evict them for non-payment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Low has drafted an ordinance – and is in talks with Supervisor Peskin, as well as District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston, whose jurisdiction includes Japantown – that would extend the existing moratorium as well as add more weight to its enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though the timeline of when this may happen is still unclear, Peskin says he hopes to arrive at a solution that will be “legally sound.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Low adds, however, that an extension of the moratorium still won’t be enough. “The moratorium is fine just for stalling the evictions,\" he says. \"You have to get to the underlying problem, which is not only stopping the evictions or addressing evictions, but somehow addressing the money.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>In SOMA Pilipinas: Incubating Survival Strategies\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Another population in San Francisco that is acutely familiar with being forced to relocate is the Filipino American population.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.somapilipinas.org/\">SOMA Pilipinas\u003c/a> was formed in 2016 in part to encourage entrepreneurship among Filipino Americans in a Filipino-dedicated business corridor and reclaim space in a city that has repeatedly displaced them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11837569\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11837569\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44754_033_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44754_033_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44754_033_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44754_033_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44754_033_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44754_033_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural on the Bayanihan Community Center in the SOMA Pilipinas neighborhood in San Francisco on Sept. 2, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There had been a 10-block radius neighborhood dubbed “Manilatown” on Kearny Street in the 1920s established by Filipino migrant farmworkers. But as urban renewal and development sought to grow the city’s Financial District, Filipinos were slowly pushed out of the area. \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/NotoriousECG/status/1290829342059016193\">The tension came to a head in 1977\u003c/a>, when the International Hotel, or I-Hotel, a residential building for Filipino immigrants, faced eviction threats, which led to large protests and coalition building with other groups, including Chinese and Japanese American activists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eventually, I-Hotel evictions took place and shifted Filipino immigrants to the SOMA district, where they opened up businesses and established storefronts. But they then faced additional mass displacement during the development of Yerba Buena and Moscone centers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“SOMA Pilipinas is kind of a great hope of ‘we can finally write the narratives that we always wanted,’ ” said Desi Danganan, executive director of \u003ca href=\"https://kultivatelabs.com/\">Kultivate Labs\u003c/a>, a nonprofit arts and economic development organization, who helped spearhead the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All of these past struggles led up to this momentous opportunity to develop our community in one of the most wealthiest progressive cities in the world,” said Danganan. Since its establishment and before the pandemic, SOMA Pilipinas had 18 businesses in the neighborhood – its main corridor is on Mission Street between Fifth and Seventh streets – and many of its owners are younger Filipino entrepreneurs and artists. The district has since lost four businesses due to the economic challenges of the coronavirus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11837568\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11837568\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44753_031_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44753_031_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44753_031_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44753_031_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44753_031_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44753_031_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A person rides a bike by a mural on Bindlestiff, a Filipinx black box theater on 6th Street in the SOMA Pilipinas neighborhood in San Francisco on Sept. 2, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a survey conducted a few months ago, more than half of the food and retail businesses in SOMA Pilipinas have lost more than 90% of their revenue, largely attributed to the lack of foot traffic from employees in nearby office buildings, including the Twitter headquarters. Nearly 70% of the businesses say they only had a handful of months left to stay afloat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The impact on SOMA Pilipinas may mean a serious hurdle for new Filipino entrepreneurs who saw the new business district as a source of cultural empowerment. With a background in entrepreneurship and business marketing, Danganan says he realized early on that establishing an economic footprint would be critical in creating a cultural space for the Filipino community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Access to capital and mentorship was the biggest barrier to entry into doing business in the south of market, or SOMA Pilipinas,” he said. Through Kultivate Labs, Danganan and his team function as an incubator to help kickstart Filipino businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One such business owner is Hü Gamit, a 27-year-old San Francisco native who followed in the footsteps of his late grandfather, Papay, who once owned The Gamit Barbershop on 6th Street. He grew up in his grandfather’s shop, which he says was a safe space for Filipino immigrants, and watched him bond with the local community. He established his own barber shop, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youbyhu.com/\">Yoü by Hü\u003c/a>, on Sixth Street in August 2019 and says it provided an opportunity to continue a family and cultural legacy – he frequently runs into SOMA community members who remember his grandfather fondly – and empower himself to contribute something new for the larger SOMA community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The one thing I'm most proud of is I've turned myself into a business. Like, I am the business,” Gamit said. “My space on Sixth Street, that's my place, that's like my home court.” He says it’s especially meaningful as someone who was born and raised in the city who has witnessed the power shifts and dynamics of gentrification.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But dreams of entrepreneurs like Gamit have been thwarted by the coronavirus, which has kept him from opening his shop since March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some food businesses in the neighborhood have been able to survive by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11815455/struggling-fil-am-restaurants-are-helping-feed-frontline-filipino-health-workers\">feeding front-line Filipino health workers\u003c/a>, an initiative designed by Kultivate Labs. But Reina Montenegro, owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.nicksonmission.com/\">Nick’s on Mission\u003c/a>, a Filipino vegan restaurant, feels the urgency to pivot in order to survive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A former caterer, Montenegro has turned to building her online presence, hosting cooking classes and preparing meal prep packages, to adapt during the uncertainty. While her landlord has accommodated late payments, she says the stack of unpaid bills, rent and other costs is growing to a point where she may have to rethink her entire business structure, and not return to the brick-and-mortar model at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11837570\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11837570\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44756_035_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44756_035_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44756_035_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44756_035_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44756_035_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44756_035_KQED_SOMAPilipinas_Businesses_09022020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rita's Catering & Eatery serving Filipino cuisine from a food truck in the SOMA Pilipinas neighborhood in San Francisco on Sept. 2, 2020.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Through grants and support from city politicians, Danganan said San Francisco has been largely supportive of SOMA Pilipinas and hopes that the city continues to incorporate equity in every decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While he continues to triage support for the SOMA Pilipinas businesses that continue to face devastating uncertainty, Danganan says he’s always willing to place a bet on culture, especially in San Francisco: “It's like hardware and software. Hardware is just like any kind of city infrastructure and software is the culture. And that's what we have here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He recognizes, though, that the survival of cultural neighborhoods will boil down to each community’s ability to take care of itself. Danganan holds the incredible political savvy of Chinatown, cultivated by decades of activism and organizing by community leaders and activists, as an example.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re heavily supported by our city government, as they should, but at some point, our community’s going to have to come together and support ourselves. It’s the only way to push us forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sept. 15: Davis Property Management, the property management company for the Kinokuniya tenants of Japan Center, offered one month of deferred rent earlier in the pandemic. The story has been edited to include this response.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>What comes with the check at almost every Chinese restaurant? Fortune cookies. Like orange slices after a blood draw or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11731290/how-bill-grahams-nazi-escape-might-explain-his-fillmore-apples\">apples at San Francisco’s Fillmore\u003c/a>, they’re a given. But how did they come to be? Are they really Chinese? And if so, why do they serve them at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.japaneseteagardensf.com/\">Japanese Tea Garden\u003c/a> in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11742906\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11742906\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36697_IMG_0183-qut-1-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36697_IMG_0183-qut-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36697_IMG_0183-qut-1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36697_IMG_0183-qut-1-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36697_IMG_0183-qut-1-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36697_IMG_0183-qut-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tea cookies and green tea served at the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. \u003ccite>(Suzie Racho/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On a chilly morning, I meet Steven Pitsenbarger at the front gate of the Tea Garden. He’s a gardener here and a bit of a historian.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think a lot of people put the Japanese Tea Garden in the same box as Alcatraz or Fisherman’s Wharf,” Pitsenbarger says. “But we are really a gem that’s for San Francisco — just as much as it’s for the tourists.”\u003cbr>\n[baycuriousbug]\u003cbr>\nHe tells me the garden was originally an exhibit in the\u003ca href=\"http://www.outsidelands.org/1894_midwinter_fair.php\"> California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894, \u003c/a>then tended by a landscape architect named Makoto Hagiwara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He was an early immigrant from Japan,” says Pitsenbarger. “He came a decade before most Japanese immigrants came. A lot of folks came in the late 1880s and 1890s. But he came in 1878.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hagiwara started serving visitors fortune cookies along with green tea in the garden’s tea house.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11743019\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 324px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-11743019\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36763_aad-2922JPG-qut-800x1049.jpg\" alt=\"Makoto Hagiwara and his daughter in 1924.\" width=\"324\" height=\"425\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36763_aad-2922JPG-qut-800x1049.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36763_aad-2922JPG-qut-160x210.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36763_aad-2922JPG-qut-1020x1337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36763_aad-2922JPG-qut-915x1200.jpg 915w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36763_aad-2922JPG-qut-1920x2517.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36763_aad-2922JPG-qut.jpg 1562w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 324px) 100vw, 324px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Makoto Hagiwara and his daughter in 1924. \u003ccite>(San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The story that I understand is he took a Japanese cookie, senbei, and he got the idea to put a little note in it, and originally started making the cookies by hand here with just a little flat press,” says Pitsenbarger. “They would fold the cookies while they were still fresh.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wow. So this could be the birthplace of the fortune cookie?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size='medium' align='right' citation='Author Jennifer 8. Lee says of the fortune cookie']‘I like to say that the Japanese invented them, the Chinese popularized them, but the Americans ultimately consume them.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I didn’t see anything that marked this historical culinary invention until we went to the gift shop. Mounted to the top of a display case are two small black iron presses with long, thin handles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re called kata, and are used to make senbei or Japanese crackers. Inside they’re engraved with an H and an M — inverted they would appear on the cookies as MH for \u003ca href=\"https://hanascape.com/japanese-tea-garden\">Makoto Hagiwara.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you came to the garden while he was managing it, everything had his name on it. Napkins would say M. Hagiwara. There would be pots in the garden with M. Hagiwara … tea pots, tea cups. His name was everywhere, and the fortune cookie is one of those things that helped to spread his popularity,” Pitsenbarger says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And make the cookies popular, too. But since each fortune cookie was being made by hand, demand became too much for the Hagiwara family. Makoto asked a local confectionary shop, Benkyodo, to take over making the cookies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11742883\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 352px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-11742883\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36751_Benkyodo-outsiide-retouch-300-copy-qut-1-800x1115.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"352\" height=\"491\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36751_Benkyodo-outsiide-retouch-300-copy-qut-1-800x1115.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36751_Benkyodo-outsiide-retouch-300-copy-qut-1-160x223.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36751_Benkyodo-outsiide-retouch-300-copy-qut-1-1020x1421.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36751_Benkyodo-outsiide-retouch-300-copy-qut-1-861x1200.jpg 861w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36751_Benkyodo-outsiide-retouch-300-copy-qut-1.jpg 1470w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 352px) 100vw, 352px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Benkyodo on San Francisco’s Geary Boulevard in 1906. \u003ccite>(Photo Courtesy: Gary T. Ono)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Suyeichi Okamura opened \u003ca href=\"http://www.benkyodocompany.com/\">Benkyodo\u003c/a> in 1906 and after a few moves, it’s located today at Sutter and Buchanan in San Francisco’s Japantown. His grandson, Gary T. Ono, is the family’s historian and has \u003ca href=\"http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2007/10/31/fortune-cookie/\">written articles\u003c/a> about his family’s connection to the fortune cookie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11742884\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 210px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-11742884\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36752_Suyeichi-Portrait-qut-1-800x1227.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"210\" height=\"323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36752_Suyeichi-Portrait-qut-1-800x1227.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36752_Suyeichi-Portrait-qut-1-160x245.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36752_Suyeichi-Portrait-qut-1-1020x1564.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36752_Suyeichi-Portrait-qut-1-783x1200.jpg 783w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36752_Suyeichi-Portrait-qut-1-1920x2944.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36752_Suyeichi-Portrait-qut-1.jpg 1336w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gary T. Ono’s grandfather, Suyeichi Okamura, opened Benkyodo in 1906. \u003ccite>(Photo Courtesy: Gary T. Ono)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I went to visit Ono in Los Angeles, in his apartment in Little Tokyo. A giant foam fortune cookie hangs in the living room, and the fortune poking out of it reads: “Made In Japan.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ono drags out a heavy suitcase from a closet and pulls out several kata wrapped in newspaper. They sport the familiar initials: MH.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My grandfather was a service person to Makoto Hagiwara,” Ono says. “And advised Hagiwara in converting the taste (of the fortune cookie) to something more palatable to American tastes. So they came up with a vanilla extract flavor that we know today.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11742908\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 203px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-11742908\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36718_IMG_0808-qut-1-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"203\" height=\"271\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36718_IMG_0808-qut-1-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36718_IMG_0808-qut-1-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36718_IMG_0808-qut-1-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36718_IMG_0808-qut-1-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36718_IMG_0808-qut-1-1920x2560.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36718_IMG_0808-qut-1.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 203px) 100vw, 203px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This flat-iron press, called a kata, was originally used to make fortune cookies for the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. The initials MH stand for creator Makoto Hagiwara. \u003ccite>(Suzie Racho/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He says Benkyodo helped develop a machine to mass produce the cookies for the garden, sometime around 1911.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11742881\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 305px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-11742881\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36723_IMG_0813-qut-1-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"305\" height=\"407\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36723_IMG_0813-qut-1-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36723_IMG_0813-qut-1-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36723_IMG_0813-qut-1-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36723_IMG_0813-qut-1-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36723_IMG_0813-qut-1-1920x2560.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36723_IMG_0813-qut-1.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 305px) 100vw, 305px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gary T. Ono holds two kata from his grandfather’s bakery, Benkyodo. \u003ccite>(Suzie Racho/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But Ono isn’t the only one to make family claims to the origins of the fortune cookie: A few Chinese companies have also claimed the invention, as has another Japanese sweet-maker in Los Angeles called \u003ca href=\"http://www.fugetsu-do.com/history.htm\">Fugetsu-Do\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brian Kito owns Fugetsu-Do, just down the street from Gary Ono in Los Angeles. Brian’s grandfather opened Fugetsu-Do in 1903, three years before Benkyodo opened in San Francisco. And Gary says Brian heard similar stories about his grandfather creating the fortune cookie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were never confrontational about it or argumentative. We didn’t know precisely that our grandparents did this or did that,” Ono says. “[Brian] even said, ‘Well, if it wasn’t my grandfather, I hope it’s your grandfather.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/Jhmz2Al_pjA\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Author Jennifer 8. Lee says you can probably trace the history of fortune cookies in America back to L.A. and San Francisco. But as a concept, they go back to Japan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And in Japan they’re called tsujiura senbei or bell crackers,” says Lee, who traced the history of the American fortune cookie in her book, “The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures In the World of Chinese Food.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee writes about Yasuko Nakamachi, a Japanese researcher whom she met through Gary Ono. Nakamachi was investigating the connection between the fortune cookies she saw in New York with a cracker made in Kyoto. She unearthed a copy of a woodblock print from 1878 of a Japanese man grilling fortune cookies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11743033\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 515px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11743033\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36753_woodblock-senbei-cooking-copy_jpg_515x515_detail_q85-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"515\" height=\"377\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36753_woodblock-senbei-cooking-copy_jpg_515x515_detail_q85-qut.jpg 515w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36753_woodblock-senbei-cooking-copy_jpg_515x515_detail_q85-qut-160x117.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 515px) 100vw, 515px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This Japanese woodblock print showing fortune cookies being grilled dates back to 1878. \u003ccite>(Photo Courtesy; Gary Ono)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Around the shrine in downtown Kyoto, there are actually a bunch of families that still make ‘fortune cookies’ in the Japanese tradition,” says Lee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But they’re actually bigger and browner. They’re made with miso paste and sesame, so much nuttier than the American versions, which tend to be yellow and buttery, reflecting the American palate,” she adds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those cookies also have fortunes, but not inside. Instead they’re pinched in the fold. They look almost exactly the same.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But how did this American adaptation of a Japanese cracker become so associated with Chinese restaurants?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When the Japanese first came to the U.S., a lot of them actually ran Chinese restaurants, because back in the 1910s and 1920s Americans were not eating sushi,” says Lee. “You had Japanese opening Chinese restaurants because that was familiar, with chop suey and chow mein and egg fu yung.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside tag='golden-state-plate' label='More stories from the Golden State Plate series']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this mix of Japanese families opening Chinese restaurants, they began serving fortune cookies as a form of dessert.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Back then, they were not called fortune cookies, they were called fortune tea cakes, which is actually a better reflection of their name in Japanese,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bakeries like Benkyodo and Fugetso-Do manufactured fortune cookies for decades until 1942, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, ordering people of Japanese descent into internment camps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fortune cookie makers were among those interned. During World War II, Chinese restaurants surged in popularity and began manufacturing cookies “en masse,” Lee says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I like to say that the Japanese invented them, the Chinese popularized them, but the Americans ultimately consume them,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gary Ono’s family was lucky. After being released from the camps, they resumed their business in San Francisco and reclaimed their property. But others weren’t: Many Japanese confectionaries stopped making the cookies after the war.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gary Ono’s family connection to the fortune cookie lives on at the \u003ca href=\"https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/2010/07/origins-of-a-fortune-cookie.html\">Smithsonian\u003c/a>‘s National Museum of American History, where three of Benkyodo’s katas now reside.\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11742907 aligncenter\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36705_IMG_0191-qut-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"285\" height=\"285\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36705_IMG_0191-qut-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36705_IMG_0191-qut-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36705_IMG_0191-qut-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36705_IMG_0191-qut-1200x1200.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36705_IMG_0191-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 285px) 100vw, 285px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the fortune cookies served at the Japanese Tea Garden? They now come from \u003ca href=\"http://www.meemeebakery.com/\">Mee Mee Bakery\u003c/a> in San Francisco’s Chinatown.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"headline": "Unwrapping the California Origins of the Fortune Cookie",
"datePublished": "2019-04-26T16:14:25-07:00",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>What comes with the check at almost every Chinese restaurant? Fortune cookies. Like orange slices after a blood draw or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11731290/how-bill-grahams-nazi-escape-might-explain-his-fillmore-apples\">apples at San Francisco’s Fillmore\u003c/a>, they’re a given. But how did they come to be? Are they really Chinese? And if so, why do they serve them at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.japaneseteagardensf.com/\">Japanese Tea Garden\u003c/a> in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11742906\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11742906\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36697_IMG_0183-qut-1-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36697_IMG_0183-qut-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36697_IMG_0183-qut-1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36697_IMG_0183-qut-1-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36697_IMG_0183-qut-1-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36697_IMG_0183-qut-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tea cookies and green tea served at the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. \u003ccite>(Suzie Racho/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On a chilly morning, I meet Steven Pitsenbarger at the front gate of the Tea Garden. He’s a gardener here and a bit of a historian.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think a lot of people put the Japanese Tea Garden in the same box as Alcatraz or Fisherman’s Wharf,” Pitsenbarger says. “But we are really a gem that’s for San Francisco — just as much as it’s for the tourists.”\u003cbr>\n\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 What do you wonder about the Bay Area, its culture or people that you want KQED to investigate?\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Ask Bay Curious.\u003c/a>\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cbr>\nHe tells me the garden was originally an exhibit in the\u003ca href=\"http://www.outsidelands.org/1894_midwinter_fair.php\"> California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894, \u003c/a>then tended by a landscape architect named Makoto Hagiwara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He was an early immigrant from Japan,” says Pitsenbarger. “He came a decade before most Japanese immigrants came. A lot of folks came in the late 1880s and 1890s. But he came in 1878.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hagiwara started serving visitors fortune cookies along with green tea in the garden’s tea house.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11743019\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 324px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-11743019\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36763_aad-2922JPG-qut-800x1049.jpg\" alt=\"Makoto Hagiwara and his daughter in 1924.\" width=\"324\" height=\"425\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36763_aad-2922JPG-qut-800x1049.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36763_aad-2922JPG-qut-160x210.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36763_aad-2922JPG-qut-1020x1337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36763_aad-2922JPG-qut-915x1200.jpg 915w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36763_aad-2922JPG-qut-1920x2517.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36763_aad-2922JPG-qut.jpg 1562w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 324px) 100vw, 324px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Makoto Hagiwara and his daughter in 1924. \u003ccite>(San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The story that I understand is he took a Japanese cookie, senbei, and he got the idea to put a little note in it, and originally started making the cookies by hand here with just a little flat press,” says Pitsenbarger. “They would fold the cookies while they were still fresh.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wow. So this could be the birthplace of the fortune cookie?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘I like to say that the Japanese invented them, the Chinese popularized them, but the Americans ultimately consume them.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I didn’t see anything that marked this historical culinary invention until we went to the gift shop. Mounted to the top of a display case are two small black iron presses with long, thin handles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re called kata, and are used to make senbei or Japanese crackers. Inside they’re engraved with an H and an M — inverted they would appear on the cookies as MH for \u003ca href=\"https://hanascape.com/japanese-tea-garden\">Makoto Hagiwara.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you came to the garden while he was managing it, everything had his name on it. Napkins would say M. Hagiwara. There would be pots in the garden with M. Hagiwara … tea pots, tea cups. His name was everywhere, and the fortune cookie is one of those things that helped to spread his popularity,” Pitsenbarger says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And make the cookies popular, too. But since each fortune cookie was being made by hand, demand became too much for the Hagiwara family. Makoto asked a local confectionary shop, Benkyodo, to take over making the cookies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11742883\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 352px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-11742883\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36751_Benkyodo-outsiide-retouch-300-copy-qut-1-800x1115.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"352\" height=\"491\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36751_Benkyodo-outsiide-retouch-300-copy-qut-1-800x1115.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36751_Benkyodo-outsiide-retouch-300-copy-qut-1-160x223.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36751_Benkyodo-outsiide-retouch-300-copy-qut-1-1020x1421.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36751_Benkyodo-outsiide-retouch-300-copy-qut-1-861x1200.jpg 861w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36751_Benkyodo-outsiide-retouch-300-copy-qut-1.jpg 1470w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 352px) 100vw, 352px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Benkyodo on San Francisco’s Geary Boulevard in 1906. \u003ccite>(Photo Courtesy: Gary T. Ono)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Suyeichi Okamura opened \u003ca href=\"http://www.benkyodocompany.com/\">Benkyodo\u003c/a> in 1906 and after a few moves, it’s located today at Sutter and Buchanan in San Francisco’s Japantown. His grandson, Gary T. Ono, is the family’s historian and has \u003ca href=\"http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2007/10/31/fortune-cookie/\">written articles\u003c/a> about his family’s connection to the fortune cookie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11742884\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 210px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-11742884\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36752_Suyeichi-Portrait-qut-1-800x1227.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"210\" height=\"323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36752_Suyeichi-Portrait-qut-1-800x1227.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36752_Suyeichi-Portrait-qut-1-160x245.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36752_Suyeichi-Portrait-qut-1-1020x1564.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36752_Suyeichi-Portrait-qut-1-783x1200.jpg 783w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36752_Suyeichi-Portrait-qut-1-1920x2944.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36752_Suyeichi-Portrait-qut-1.jpg 1336w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gary T. Ono’s grandfather, Suyeichi Okamura, opened Benkyodo in 1906. \u003ccite>(Photo Courtesy: Gary T. Ono)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I went to visit Ono in Los Angeles, in his apartment in Little Tokyo. A giant foam fortune cookie hangs in the living room, and the fortune poking out of it reads: “Made In Japan.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ono drags out a heavy suitcase from a closet and pulls out several kata wrapped in newspaper. They sport the familiar initials: MH.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My grandfather was a service person to Makoto Hagiwara,” Ono says. “And advised Hagiwara in converting the taste (of the fortune cookie) to something more palatable to American tastes. So they came up with a vanilla extract flavor that we know today.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11742908\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 203px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-11742908\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36718_IMG_0808-qut-1-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"203\" height=\"271\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36718_IMG_0808-qut-1-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36718_IMG_0808-qut-1-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36718_IMG_0808-qut-1-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36718_IMG_0808-qut-1-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36718_IMG_0808-qut-1-1920x2560.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36718_IMG_0808-qut-1.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 203px) 100vw, 203px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This flat-iron press, called a kata, was originally used to make fortune cookies for the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. The initials MH stand for creator Makoto Hagiwara. \u003ccite>(Suzie Racho/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He says Benkyodo helped develop a machine to mass produce the cookies for the garden, sometime around 1911.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11742881\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 305px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-11742881\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36723_IMG_0813-qut-1-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"305\" height=\"407\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36723_IMG_0813-qut-1-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36723_IMG_0813-qut-1-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36723_IMG_0813-qut-1-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36723_IMG_0813-qut-1-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36723_IMG_0813-qut-1-1920x2560.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36723_IMG_0813-qut-1.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 305px) 100vw, 305px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gary T. Ono holds two kata from his grandfather’s bakery, Benkyodo. \u003ccite>(Suzie Racho/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But Ono isn’t the only one to make family claims to the origins of the fortune cookie: A few Chinese companies have also claimed the invention, as has another Japanese sweet-maker in Los Angeles called \u003ca href=\"http://www.fugetsu-do.com/history.htm\">Fugetsu-Do\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brian Kito owns Fugetsu-Do, just down the street from Gary Ono in Los Angeles. Brian’s grandfather opened Fugetsu-Do in 1903, three years before Benkyodo opened in San Francisco. And Gary says Brian heard similar stories about his grandfather creating the fortune cookie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were never confrontational about it or argumentative. We didn’t know precisely that our grandparents did this or did that,” Ono says. “[Brian] even said, ‘Well, if it wasn’t my grandfather, I hope it’s your grandfather.'”\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/Jhmz2Al_pjA'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/Jhmz2Al_pjA'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Author Jennifer 8. Lee says you can probably trace the history of fortune cookies in America back to L.A. and San Francisco. But as a concept, they go back to Japan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And in Japan they’re called tsujiura senbei or bell crackers,” says Lee, who traced the history of the American fortune cookie in her book, “The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures In the World of Chinese Food.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee writes about Yasuko Nakamachi, a Japanese researcher whom she met through Gary Ono. Nakamachi was investigating the connection between the fortune cookies she saw in New York with a cracker made in Kyoto. She unearthed a copy of a woodblock print from 1878 of a Japanese man grilling fortune cookies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11743033\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 515px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11743033\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36753_woodblock-senbei-cooking-copy_jpg_515x515_detail_q85-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"515\" height=\"377\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36753_woodblock-senbei-cooking-copy_jpg_515x515_detail_q85-qut.jpg 515w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36753_woodblock-senbei-cooking-copy_jpg_515x515_detail_q85-qut-160x117.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 515px) 100vw, 515px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This Japanese woodblock print showing fortune cookies being grilled dates back to 1878. \u003ccite>(Photo Courtesy; Gary Ono)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Around the shrine in downtown Kyoto, there are actually a bunch of families that still make ‘fortune cookies’ in the Japanese tradition,” says Lee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But they’re actually bigger and browner. They’re made with miso paste and sesame, so much nuttier than the American versions, which tend to be yellow and buttery, reflecting the American palate,” she adds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those cookies also have fortunes, but not inside. Instead they’re pinched in the fold. They look almost exactly the same.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But how did this American adaptation of a Japanese cracker become so associated with Chinese restaurants?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When the Japanese first came to the U.S., a lot of them actually ran Chinese restaurants, because back in the 1910s and 1920s Americans were not eating sushi,” says Lee. “You had Japanese opening Chinese restaurants because that was familiar, with chop suey and chow mein and egg fu yung.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this mix of Japanese families opening Chinese restaurants, they began serving fortune cookies as a form of dessert.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Back then, they were not called fortune cookies, they were called fortune tea cakes, which is actually a better reflection of their name in Japanese,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bakeries like Benkyodo and Fugetso-Do manufactured fortune cookies for decades until 1942, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, ordering people of Japanese descent into internment camps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fortune cookie makers were among those interned. During World War II, Chinese restaurants surged in popularity and began manufacturing cookies “en masse,” Lee says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I like to say that the Japanese invented them, the Chinese popularized them, but the Americans ultimately consume them,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gary Ono’s family was lucky. After being released from the camps, they resumed their business in San Francisco and reclaimed their property. But others weren’t: Many Japanese confectionaries stopped making the cookies after the war.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gary Ono’s family connection to the fortune cookie lives on at the \u003ca href=\"https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/2010/07/origins-of-a-fortune-cookie.html\">Smithsonian\u003c/a>‘s National Museum of American History, where three of Benkyodo’s katas now reside.\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11742907 aligncenter\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36705_IMG_0191-qut-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"285\" height=\"285\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36705_IMG_0191-qut-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36705_IMG_0191-qut-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36705_IMG_0191-qut-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36705_IMG_0191-qut-1200x1200.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/RS36705_IMG_0191-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 285px) 100vw, 285px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the fortune cookies served at the Japanese Tea Garden? They now come from \u003ca href=\"http://www.meemeebakery.com/\">Mee Mee Bakery\u003c/a> in San Francisco’s Chinatown.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>This weekend was the \u003ca href=\"https://sfcherryblossom.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">51st annual Cherry Blossom Festival\u003c/a> in San Francisco's Japantown. For two weekends, the neighborhood played host to vendors and performances celebrating Japanese culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It's considered the biggest celebration of Japanese-American culture on the West Coast. For some participants the festival is a family affair, representing the coming of spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Sunday, the Cherry Blossom Grand Parade made its way down Post Street. Shiba inus, taiko drummers and cosplayers in anime attire could be seen all along the route. The grand marshal of the parade was the Bay Area's own Kristi Yamaguchi, former Olympic figure skater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11664059\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11664059\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Traditional Japanese dancers were part of the parade at the 51st annual Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco's Japantown.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Traditional Japanese dancers were part of the parade at the 51st annual Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco's Japantown. \u003ccite>(Alyssa Jeong Perry/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11664058\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11664058\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Traditional drum groups were part of the Cherry Blossom Festival parade. \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Traditional drum groups were part of the Cherry Blossom Festival parade. \u003ccite>(Alyssa Jeong Perry/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11664066\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11664066\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Cosplayers in various costumes were also part of the parade, highlighting the Japanese-American aspects of the festival. \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cosplayers in various costumes were also part of the parade, highlighting the Japanese-American aspects of the festival. \u003ccite>(Alyssa Jeong Perry/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11664057\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11664057\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/cherryblossom1-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Ferdinand del toro the shiba inu walked in the Cherry Blossom Festival parade today for his first time.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ferdinand del toro the shiba inu walked in the Cherry Blossom Festival parade today for his first time. \u003ccite>(Alyssa Jeong Perry/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11664056\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11664056\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Bridget Keith from San Francisco is dressed up in Japanese street style clothing Ouji ka for the parade. “This day gives me an excuse to dress up. I don’t get too many opportunities to,” Keith said. \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bridget Keith from San Francisco is dressed up in Japanese street style clothing Ouji ka for the parade. “This day gives me an excuse to dress up. I don’t get too many opportunities to,” Keith said. \u003ccite>(Alyssa Jeong Perry/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>This weekend was the \u003ca href=\"https://sfcherryblossom.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">51st annual Cherry Blossom Festival\u003c/a> in San Francisco's Japantown. For two weekends, the neighborhood played host to vendors and performances celebrating Japanese culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It's considered the biggest celebration of Japanese-American culture on the West Coast. For some participants the festival is a family affair, representing the coming of spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Sunday, the Cherry Blossom Grand Parade made its way down Post Street. Shiba inus, taiko drummers and cosplayers in anime attire could be seen all along the route. The grand marshal of the parade was the Bay Area's own Kristi Yamaguchi, former Olympic figure skater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11664059\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11664059\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Traditional Japanese dancers were part of the parade at the 51st annual Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco's Japantown.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-2-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Traditional Japanese dancers were part of the parade at the 51st annual Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco's Japantown. \u003ccite>(Alyssa Jeong Perry/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11664058\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11664058\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Traditional drum groups were part of the Cherry Blossom Festival parade. \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Traditional drum groups were part of the Cherry Blossom Festival parade. \u003ccite>(Alyssa Jeong Perry/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11664066\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11664066\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Cosplayers in various costumes were also part of the parade, highlighting the Japanese-American aspects of the festival. \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-4-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cosplayers in various costumes were also part of the parade, highlighting the Japanese-American aspects of the festival. \u003ccite>(Alyssa Jeong Perry/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11664057\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11664057\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/cherryblossom1-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Ferdinand del toro the shiba inu walked in the Cherry Blossom Festival parade today for his first time.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ferdinand del toro the shiba inu walked in the Cherry Blossom Festival parade today for his first time. \u003ccite>(Alyssa Jeong Perry/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11664056\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11664056\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Bridget Keith from San Francisco is dressed up in Japanese street style clothing Ouji ka for the parade. “This day gives me an excuse to dress up. I don’t get too many opportunities to,” Keith said. \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/Image-uploaded-from-iOS-1-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bridget Keith from San Francisco is dressed up in Japanese street style clothing Ouji ka for the parade. “This day gives me an excuse to dress up. I don’t get too many opportunities to,” Keith said. \u003ccite>(Alyssa Jeong Perry/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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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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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
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"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/",
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},
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"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1MDAyODE4NTgz",
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},
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"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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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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},
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"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
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"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
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"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
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"order": 1
},
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"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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"meta": {
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},
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},
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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.",
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"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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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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},
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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",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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},
"freakonomics-radio": {
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"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
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},
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"id": "fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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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": {
"id": "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",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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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.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"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. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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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. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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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/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
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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)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"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
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"morning-edition": {
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