The Chinese Historical and Cultural Project (CHCP) joins Asian Pacific America with Robert Handa to talk about the Chinese American Historical Museum's 35th anniversary celebration Sept 19th at History Park. Co-founder Gerrye Wong and Anniversary Chair Anita Wong Kwock also discuss the City of San Jose's ‘apology’ for historic discrimination.

CHCP President Kimberly Eng Lee and CHCP Director Kan Wong joined CHCP Advisory Board Member Lee Liu Chin and Chinatown History and Culture Association (CHCA) Co-Founder George Chin at the Hungry Ghost Festival (aka Da Jui) in San Francisco. The evening concluded with a parade and lighting of the Fire Dragon.

The following are excerpts from the 09/05/26 SF Chronicle:

By Warren Pederson

An ancient Asian tradition took on new life Saturday in San Francisco's Chinatown with the Hungry Ghost Festival, a rousing celebration of heritage in which the living feed the souls of their ancestors.

[...]

A signature event of the festival was the Ghost King Parade through Chinatown, led by a 14-foot effigy made of paper and bamboo and imported from China. The event was capped by the lighting of the fire dragon, with 10,000 sticks of burning incense meant to drive away sickness and bad luck as it bestowed blessings on the crowd.

For more information: Read the full 09/05/26 SF Chronicle article.

View the recording of the press conference held by U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin with the Save Our National Archives (SONA) organization, announcing efforts to stop the planned closure of the National Archives at San Francisco facility (NARA-SF) located in San Bruno, Calif.

Demonstrators opposing the closure of the National Archives at San Francisco facility listen to a speaker during a news conference on Aug. 24, 2026, where U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin (CA.-15) announced efforts to stop the planned closure of the facility located in San Bruno, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)

More than 100 rousing community members showed up waving protest signs, and displayed images of family photographs, historic documents, and heirlooms housed at NARA-SF, materials related to community-regional history documenting immigration, military, tribal, statehood, and citizenship experiences.

CHCP Treasurer Elizabeth Lee and CHCP Member Sue Lee were among the demonstrators attending the press conference, showing their support to keep the National Archives open and for historical records to remain available to the public.

For more information and to sign the petition: Save Our National Archives

On August 10, 2026, Professor Selia Tan, from Wuyi University in China, gave a fascinating lecture entitled “Echoes Across the Ocean” at the Chinatown Branch Library in Los Angeles. Dr. Tan is a leading expert on the history and impact of Cantonese migrants – on their home villages.

Dr. Tan explains that the Cantonese pioneers not only built the American railroads and developed agriculture and commerce in California, they also impacted the development of Southern China. The remittances migrants sent back not only eased family and regional poverty, it also helped modernize China and fund the War of Resistance against Japan (1931-45). Dr. Tan shows several slides of huge high schools (or translated as “middle school” 中学) built in Guangdong in the early 20th century. Dr. Tan claims that Kaiping alone built 17 libraries. There were also newspapers, aviation, road systems, and other modernization made possible by the surge of funds from overseas Chinese. Dr. Tan insists that ¾ of the funds for the War of Resistance came from overseas Chinese. In Kaiping, a collection of some 50,000 qiaopi (remittance letters) show a tangible trail of the impact of Chinese Americans on their home villages. These letters that date back to 1883 have been recognized by UNESCO Memory of the World Register.

By Chris Jochim, CHCP Vice President of Education

About 100 members of San Francisco's Asian American Elderly Humanitarian Society were accompanied to San Jose by Kansen Chu, a member of the California State Assembly from 2014 to 2020, and his wife Daisy Chu. They arrived in two chartered buses to visit two locations in San Jose’s History Park: the Chinese American Historical Museum (CAHM) and the Japanese Friendship Garden. Later they would visit the Chinese Cultural Garden in Overfelt Park and San Jose’s Rose Garden. Serving as CAHM docents were three CHCP Board members (Chris Jochim, Brenda Wong, and Liz Chew) as well as CHCP Student Intern Allie Fuller and CHCP member Bauchin Lin Jochim.

They expressed great appreciation and satisfaction with the presentations they received in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. (Aren’t we amazing?) With an average age of 78, they also appreciated the use of CAHM’s recently repaired elevator. Moreover, they decided to use the Lillian Gong-Guy Plaza as a place to have lunch before heading to the Japanese Friendship Garden. In a kind gesture, they shared their simple but delicious dim sum items with CHCP volunteers: yum, yum, yum. It was a joy for us to sit and visit with this group of adventurous seniors on one of the many outings they have during the year.