APIQWTC's 2010 Lunar New Year / Spring Banquet   More Info

5pm - 9:30pm
Saturday, April 3rd
Legendary Palace, Oakland

Look out!!!  The tiger is just right around the corner.  It's the Year of TIGER !!!  :)

The APIQWTC Banquet Committee has gone all out to make this year a celebration to remember. With all the goodies you’ve come to expect from the APIQWTC Banquet with a touch of glam. Come see old friends and make new ones.

We are hosting our 23rd annual banquet at Legendary Palace, a traditional banquet restaurant in Oakland. They have the best Honey Walnut Prawn in town and their friendly staffs are offering the entire second floor for our event.

This year's banquet entertainment is loaded with LOTS of FUN - performance, dancing, silence auction, and raffle drawing. This year's Phoenix Award Honoree is our community leader, Madeleine Lim, the founder and artistic director of QWOCMAP.

Since space is limited, reservations are only guaranteed by check or online registration.  For more information about our banquet, please click here.

And, the tradition continues - a free commemorative mug will be given away at the banquet. This year's design is once again a top secret!!! :-)

We always need volunteer to help out for the banquet, please contact us at banquet@apiqwtc.org to help out.

Upcoming Events:

• "When Dreams Are Interrupted..."
  Special Performance
  Presented by Purple Moon Dance Project and Jill Togawa
  
  12 Noon
  Wed, Feb 17th and 24th
  SF City Hall – Special Performances
  
  Following on the heels of its recent sold-out performances of "When Dreams Are Interrupted...", Purple Moon Dance Project is thrilled to present a special Noontime performance of this inspiring work at San Francisco’s City Hall Rotunda on Wednesday, February 17 and 24, 2010.
  
  Juxtaposed against the magnificence and grand visibility of City Hall—a bastion of freedom and liberty--the performance evokes the same magnitude of the forced removal, and return, of the Japanese American community to the Bay Area. The seemingly invisible leaving and returning of countless Japanese Americans, and its profound impact on their community, is one that is imprinted in the consciousness and dwells amongst the shadows of this historic building. With that as a background, When Dreams Are Interrupted witnesses the rupture of the Japanese American community during WWII, and offers an opportunity to reflect on the nature of equality, liberty and resilience.
  
  The presentation at San Francisco's City Hall will occur a few days before and after The Day of Remembrance on February 19th, when Executive Order 9066 was signed by President Roosevelt in 1942 - the order that resulted in the mass removal of more than 100,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese residents. At the time of its signing, Japanese were not allowed to own property or marry anyone they chose.
  
  "When Dreams Are Interrupted..." invites us to witness the profound imprint of the forced removal and mass evacuation of the Berkeley Japanese community  in 1942.  The site-specific works weaves personal stories, dance, visual art and live music. Collaborators are choreographer Jill Togawa, visual artist Ellen Bepp, musicians Claudia Cuentas and Laura Inserra, and dancers Michelle Fletcher, Ruth Ichinaga, Arisika Razak and Sharon Sato.
  
  Look forward to seeing you there!
  project@purplemoondance.org
  
  
  
  
   
•  San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade
  
  5pm - 8pm
  Saturday, Feb 27th
  
  Come marching with us
  
  On the night of Feb 27th, we will be marching in the San Francisco Lunar New Year Parade (year of the Tiger).  This parade is the MOST watched Asian parade outside of the Asian continent -- with nearly one million viewers worldwide!
  
  Join us at 5:00 pm to march with a broad coalition of community, family, and religious organizations (such as API Wellness Center, GAPA, NCLR, Marriage Equality, Our Family Coalition and etc).
   
  Time to Meet: 5:00 pm
  
  Where to Meet:  Gather on the north side of Market Street, between Battery and Front Streets. This is halfway between Montgomery and Embarcadero BART/Muni. Look for GAPA in the red "Marriage for All" ponchos. If you have trouble finding the contingent, please call Clarence Wong at 415-370-3066.

  Note that we will gather at a place separate from where the float will be positioned, and there could be some waiting time before we get the sign to move into position. Parade marshals will tell us 20 minutes before we our float is ready to move, and at that time we will join up with the float. Our contingent number is Section G, Unit 101.

  More info on the parade, please visit www.chineseparade.com
  
   

•  Our Family Coalition's Annual Night Out
  
  6pm - 9pm, Thursday, March 25
  One Market Restaurant
  1 Market Street
  San Francisco, CA
  
  
  
  Our Family Coalition promotes the rights and well-being of Bay Area lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer families with children and prospective parents through education, advocacy, social networking, and grassroots community organizing.
  
  Headquarters: 870 Market St., Ste. 872, San Francisco, CA 94102
  East Bay Office: 344 40th St., Oakland, CA 94609
  www.ourfamily.org · 415-981-1960
  
   
• QPLAY
   
  
  April 18th, Sunday
  Meet at 1pm
  Palo Alto Museum and Zoo
  1451 Middlefield Road
  Palo Alto CA 94301
  Telephone:650-329-2111
   

  Queer Parents for the Love and Advocacy for our Youth (QPLAY)
  
  A social and support group for LGBTQ within the San Mateo County area. An opportunity for children to meet other children growing up with LGBTQ families. A chance for parents to share concerns, offer and receive support, and exchange parenting tips. Most of all, a place to HAVE FUN!

  website: http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/depts/csd/activities_and_recreation/attractions/junior_museum/default.asp
  
  Admission is free. A $3 donation per person is appreciated.  There is also a park there.
  
  RSVP to Joy Caneda 650-515-1901.

   

• 3rd Annual Queer & Asian Conference
  Presented by CAL Q&A
  
  April 30 - May 2
  U.C. Berkeley Campus
  
  For info on 2010 event:  http://qacon10.wordpress.com

  To get a glimpse to the past conferences:
  
  2009:  http://qacon09.wordpress.com/
  2008:  http://qacon08.wordpress.com/

  

   

• Trikone's Kulture Kulcha 2010
  Presented by Trikone, www.trikone.org
  
  8pm - 1am, May 1
  West Bay Conference Center
  1290 Fillmore Street, San Francisco
  
  
  
  
   
• QPLAY
  Queer Parents for the Love and Advocacy for our Youth (QPLAY)
  
  11:30am-4pm , Sunday, May 16
  Central Park / Peter Loftus Playground
  477 Lincoln Circle, Millbrae , CA 94030
  
  A social and support group for LGBTQ within the San Mateo County area. An opportunity for children to meet other children growing up with LGBTQ families. A chance for parents to share concerns, offer and receive support, and exchange parenting tips.
  
  Most of all, a place to HAVE FUN!
  
  Contact Joy at 650-515-1901/jtcaneda@yahoo.com and Stacey at 650-255-4068/stacey1974@aol.com.
  
  The next QPLAY event is on May 16th, Sunday. It will be a fun-filled day with BBQ, different playgrounds, and outdoor games. The park has two play areas, one for younger children and the other for older children.
  
  What to bring:
  1. Food to barbecue and/or anything you would like to share. Kate and YY will start the coals for the BBQ and have some drinks and sides to share.
  2. Blankets to lay on.
  3. Outdoor toys and games to play.
  4. Bring a photo or two of your wonderful family to make a family collage.
  May 22nd is Harvey Milk Day. In commemoration of his work for our community, we will be doing something to celebrate. Still coming up with an activity so if anyone has any suggestions, please let us know.
  It took $30 to reserve the BBQ site so please bring anything to contribute to cover the expense.
  
  RSVP to the Kate at 415-225-6368/<kate@gokalee.com> or Joy at 650-515-1901/jtcaneda@yahoo.com.
  
  Thanks again,
  Joy
  
   
• "In Honor of Our DreamSpeakers" Celebration
  Presented by Purple Moon Dance Project
  
  6:00-8:00p, Wednesday, May 26
  
  Performance & Reception:
  Buriel Clay Theater
  African American Art & Culture Complex
  762 Fulton Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

  Please join us for Purple Moon’s 3rd biennial "In Honor of Our DreamSpeakers" celebration, honoring the lives and contributions of women artists, particularly lesbians and women of color, whose work has inspired social change, peace and healing in our community.  Building on a tradition begun in 2007, we proudly honor these inspiring Bay Area artists as our 2010 DreamSpeakers:

  Brenda Wong Aoki - performance artist (First Voice)
  Avotcja - poet, musician, radio host
  Stephanie Johnson - installation artist, sculptor, designer
  Judith Smith - Artistic Director (AXIS Dance Company)
  Penina Ava Taesali - writer, founder Asian-Pacific Islander Youth Promoting Advocacy and Leadership: Talking Root Arts Collective
  
  Look forward to seeing you there!
  project@purplemoondance.org
  
  
   

• 6th Annual Queer Women of Color Film Festival
  Presented by QWOCMAP
  
  June 11-13
  Brava Theater, San Francisco
  http://www.qwocmap.org/
  
  
  
   
• Celebrating Joannie's Life
  
  3pm - 5pm, Sat, August 28
  Kaiser Center Roof Garden
  300 Lakeside Drive, Oakland
  
  Direction Notes: 
  Please note that Elevator A access to the memorial can be gained only through the parking garage.
  
  It was a shocking news to many of us that our very own Joannie passed away recently at age 41 in New York City. Our thoughts and prayers are with her, her partner, and their families. Below is a well written article from SFGate.com:
  
  Joannie Chiung-Yueh Chang, a Bay Area civil rights attorney who worked on the nation's first paid family medical leave law and helped San Francisco implement its ground-breaking health coverage ordinance, died Saturday in New York City of stomach cancer. She was 41.
  
  She was diagnosed seven weeks ago while pregnant with twin daughters, who were born June 29, said Luna Yasui, her partner of eight years.
  
  Ms. Chang devoted her legal career to representing workers, women and minorities as a lawyer with Equal Rights Advocates, the Employment Law Center and the Asian Law Caucus.
  
  From 2007 until March, she worked for San Francisco's Office of Labor Standards Enforcement, drafting rules, contacting employers, and handling public inquiries about the first-in-the-nation ordinance providing care for the uninsured at a network of clinics and hospitals.
  
  + Read more...
  
  "She did what I thought was a four-person job," said Donna Levitt, who heads the office. "She laid the groundwork for us to follow through, to make it meaningful for workers who previously had no health insurance."
  
  Ms. Chang was also "the one who would bring the cupcakes and convene the potlucks and keep the spirits up," Levitt said.
  
  "She was a fabulous lawyer ... with a great heart, compassion for workers, their families, immigrants," said attorney Patricia Shiu, who supervised Ms. Chang at the Employment Law Center and worked with her on California's 2002 medical leave law. Shiu now heads the Obama administration's Office of Federal Contract Compliance.
  
  The law allows employees to take six weeks of leave each year, with partial pay, to care for an ailing family member or newborn child. Shiu said Ms. Chang worked with unions and other labor advocates to pass the law, then took part in drafting regulations to enforce it.
  
  The measure's author, state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Los Angeles, gave Ms. Chang a state commendation award in 2002. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors read testimonials to her on Tuesday.
  
  "She inspired us and made sure that we were focused on civil rights issues," board President David Chiu, who met and worked with Ms. Chang when both were young lawyers, said in an interview.
  
  A native of Taiwan, Ms. Chang grew up in New Jersey, attended Bryn Mawr College and New York University Law School, and clerked for a federal judge before joining Equal Rights Advocates, a feminist law firm in San Francisco, in the mid-1990s.
  
  "She knew how to talk to the clients, regardless of their education level, and then go into court and be a really strong advocate," said attorney Judith Kurtz, her supervisor at the firm.
  
  At the Employment Law Center, her next stop, one of Ms. Chang's cases resulted in a 2004 federal appeals court ruling that prohibited employers in discrimination cases from asking about the immigration status of the workers who had sued them, said attorney Christopher Ho, lead attorney on the case.
  
  She left the center for the Asian Law Caucus when that organization, the nation's oldest institution defending Asian American civil rights, had lost a number of staffers and was in danger of dissolving, said attorney Monty Agarwal, who was then its board chairman.
  
  "I asked her why she came, and she said, 'I couldn't stand back and let the caucus die.' It certainly wasn't for the money," Agarwal said. He said Ms. Chang supervised employment cases, replenished the staff, and worked on a suit on behalf of Filipinos who lost jobs as airport screeners after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
  
  She was also a fitness buff and an avid cyclist who went on long fundraising bicycle rides. William Tamayo, regional attorney for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in San Francisco, said Ms. Chang helped prepare and guide him in a 400-mile bike ride in Hawaii in 2001 to raise money for AIDS treatment.
  
  She introduced him to some of the patients they would be helping, and "it was wonderful to see how many lives she touched," Tamayo said. "Joannie was adored by all these guys."
  
  Ms. Chang is survived by Yasui, her partner, of Brooklyn; daughters, Ayumi and Yuuki Chang-Yasui; and parents, Sakae and Bilin Chang, and brothers, Steven and Thomas Chang, all of Laguna Niguel (Orange County).
  
  A memorial service is scheduled for today in Brooklyn, and another will be held in San Francisco Bay Area on August 28th.
  
  More about the article please visit: http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-08-06/bay-area/22205822_1_ms-chang-civil-rights-equal-rights-advocates
  
  
   
• 7th Annual Presentation Banquet  
  "Public Recognition of Private Courage"
  -- Presented by API Family Pride
  
  11am, Sat, September 18
  Hotel Whitcomb
  1231 Market Street (x 8th Street)
  San Francisco, CA
  
  Tickets:   Adult $40 and children 5-10 years $20
  
  Purchase Online at  www.apifamilypride.org
  More Info:  PO Box 473, Fremont, CA 94537
  info@apifamilypride.org; 510-818-0887

  Honoring individual API Family who proudly support their LGBT children, relatives, and friends in spite of the prejudice the encounter. Join API Family Pride in celebrating stories of love, courage, and acceptance shared by family members and hose who honor them. Food, live cultural performances, raffle prizes, and a silent auction commemorate the festivities.
  
  Hotel Whitcomb is located conveniently on Market &  8th Street, right in front of the Civic Center Bart/Muni Station.  Parking available behind hotel on 8th Street.  Handicap access is available.
  
  
  
  
   

• APIQWTC Annual Summer BBQ   
  
  11am -4pm
  Sat, September 25
  Middle Harbor Shoreline Park
  Oakland, CA
  
  Dykes bike!  Lezzies get busy!  Queers Cheer!  Jocks rock! Bi's vie! 
  An event full of sports, food, fun, and friends!!!
  
  THE APIQWTC SUMMER PICNIC 2010!
  
  Summer time is almost over -- let's end it with a bang, or a goal, or a twister competition! Come join the fun that sets up the fun. So, join APIQWTC to say good bye to Summer time by doing what we APILBTQs do best -- eating and fooling around!
  
  EAT -- We'll be grillin' up all your summer time favorites, burgers, hot dogs, even grillers for the vegetarians. Come early for the eats 'cause when it gone - it's gone.
  
  FOOL AROUND -- No, not that kind of fooling around. (ok, maybe that kind of fooling around but you're on your own for that.) We mean playing games and having tournaments with medals/prizes/trophies awarded to the winner. No need to be an uber-jock to win these tournaments. Think Pie Eating Contest and Twister... Bring your favorite sports stuff and start your own game! (Frisbee, Volleyball, Football, Twister…)
  
  CHILL -- Plenty of shade provided for those who think "people watching" should be an official Olympic sport.
  
  We had so much FUN every summer, so let’s do it again!
  
  Adults:  $5 - $10 suggested donation
  (no one will be turned away for lack of funds)

  
  
   

Last updated at Aug 28, 2010