NEWS & FEATURES
 Asian American & Pacific Islander Month: Our History in the News
The Delta's history is deeply intertwined with the story of Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and Sikh immigration to California. Drawn first by the Gold Rush and then by railroad construction, Asian immigrants fanned out across the Delta as farming ramped up. They built Delta levees, worked on farms, and even leased or bought their own farms ... until the state forbade it for some nationalities.
The Asian presence in the Delta remains vividly on display in the towns of Isleton and Walnut Grove, which have distinct China- or Japantowns, and Locke, which was an entirely Chinese-American town until recent decades.
A piece of Locke's history was recognized recently when E Clampus Vitus dedicated a plaque honoring the Bok Bok Man - the traditional Chinese night watchman who patrolled the town after dark, hitting a gong or hollowed wood block on the hour. And Isleton is commemorating its Chinese and Japanese heritage with the construction of a new Asian American Heritage Park, a story detailed recently in Soundings Journal.
The Delta's Japanese presence took a huge hit when Japanese-Americans were sent to incarceration camps during World War II. Many dispersed after they were released, never to be heard from in the Delta again. But one such family - the founders of the Locke Boarding House - recently surfaced, and Stuart Walthall shares the story here.
The Delta's Filipino community made big news last December when a collection of home movies from the 1950s to the 1970s shot by the Bohulano family in Stockton was one of 25 films added to the Library of Congress's National Film Registry. The snapshot of Filipino family life and immigrant experience joined the registry alongside films including Apollo 13, Fame, Home Alone, Terminator 2, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and 12 Years a Slave.
The Sikh presence in the Delta - Stockton was the home of the first Sikh temple in the United States - has been documented recently by Lea Terhune in the book, "California's Pioneering Punjabis: An American Story" (American Heritage, 2023).
Nationwide Student Contest: America's Field Trip
America250, the nonpartisan entity designated by Congress to plan the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, has launched a scholastic contest.
Seventy-five first-place awardees and their designated chaperones will receive free travel, lodging, and field-trip experiences at select historical and cultural sites across the country. Second-place awardees will receive $500 cash awards.
Students will respond to the question, “What does America mean to you?” The contest is open to students in third through twelfth grades, with awards being designated at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Submissions will be accepted through May 17.
Learn more here.
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EXHIBITS
 FANHS Museum Open Without Appointments
The Filipino American National Historical Society Museum in Stockton will be open without appointments 11 a.m.-4 p.m. this weekend, May 4 and 5.
The museum is located at 337 East Weber Ave. The last group will be let in at 3:30 p.m. each day.
State Indian Museum Exhibit: Native Graduates: From Assimilation to Cultural Pride
State Park Interpretive Specialist Michael Ramirez guest curated an exhibit that explores how Native American graduates express their cultural heritage by wearing traditional regalia - such as feathers, patterned stoles, and beaded caps - at commencement ceremonies.
The State Indian Museum is at 2618 K St., Sacramento, and is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. This exhibit will be on display in the back left corner of the museum through the summer.
San Joaquin County Historical Museum: San Joaquin on the Move
Through captivating photographs from the Museum’s archives, San Joaquin on the Move will show how different forms of transit and transportation have kept the county moving forward.
This curated pictorial history will be on view in the Helen Weber Kennedy Gallery at the museum, 11793 N. Micke Grove Rd., Lodi, through May 26.
Haggin Museum: Joseph Christian Leyendecker
The Haggin Museum in Stockton houses the largest public collection of original artworks by the “Golden Age” illustrator Joseph Christian Leyendecker.
Arguably this nation’s most popular commercial artist during the first four decades of the 20th Century, Leyendecker's paintings helped sell everything from men’s clothing to breakfast cereal, and he helped define the modern magazine cover.
In honor of the 150th anniversary of his birth, the Haggin is displaying a collection of rarely seen original works and sketches by the artist through Sept. 15.
GRANTS
Grants for Museums
The California Museum Grant Program has $27.7 million available for museums severely affected by COVID-19 and that serve historically underserved communities or students subject to Title I of the Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Projects also must meet one of the following priorities:
- Serving pupils and teachers at schools eligible to be served under Part A of Title I of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
- Serving children in low-income communities.
- Supporting museums in engaging or collaborating with underserved communities.
- Advancing preservation of at-risk cultural and natural collections and historic buildings.
- Improving access.
- Supporting the ethical stewardship of culturally sensitive art and artifacts, including, but not limited to, engaging in consultations with California Indian tribes or repatriation.
- Educating the public about critical issues affecting Californians.
The deadline to apply for grant funds is 5 p.m. May 22.
Cultural and Community Resilience
The National Endowment for the Humanities Division of Preservation and Access is accepting applications for the Cultural and Community Resilience program.
This program supports community-based efforts to address the impacts of climate change and COVID-19 by safeguarding cultural resources and fostering cultural resilience through identifying, documenting, and/or collecting cultural heritage and community experiences. The program prioritizes projects from disadvantaged communities in the United States or its jurisdictions, and NEH encourages applications that employ inclusive methodologies.
The deadline to apply is May 21.
Local Parks Grant Program Launched
California State Parks, the California Arts Council, and Parks California announced in April the launch of a new Arts in California Parks grants program – the Local Parks Grant Program.
A total of $8 million in grants is available to local non-profit and community organizations to support art and cultural programs in local communities across the state. June 14 is the deadline for grant proposals, and grant announcements will be released in September.
Develop 3D Virtual Experience
CyArk's Heritage Amplified Grant helps recipients amplify place-based stories of cultural heritage through the development of a web-based 3D virtual experience.
Grantees will receive CyArk services to design and build the experience, with the final output hosted on CyArk's Tapestry platform, which can be shared and embedded.
Grantees will also receive a small cash grant to support their team during the project activities.
Applications for the grant close at midnight Pacific time on May 6.
CLASSES AND WEBINARS
Los Medanos College Lifelong Learning Lectures
One class remains in Los Medanos College's Lifelong Learning Center's spring lecture series: "Movies in the Delta: From Steamboat Round the Bend to the Young Indiana Jones," a lecture by local historian and Delta NHA Advisory Committee member Carol Jensen.
The course will be held 1-3 p.m. May 21 at the College's Brentwood Center, room 308. Enrollment at Los Medanos is not required, but you must register in advance at the Los Medanos College website.
EVENTS
Submit your event for inclusion in our bi-monthly Delta Heritage Courier newsletter by emailing submit@delta.ca.gov. The next newsletter comes out July 11.
May 3 (registration deadline)/May 18 (event) in Stockton: Filipino American National Historical Society Museum and FANHS Stockton Chapter Annual Golf Tournament at the Elkhorn Golf Club. $150 entry fee per person.
May 11:
In Locke: Asian Pacific Spring Festival - this free community event features dragon and lion dancing, taiko drums, martial arts, brush painting, food, and more. 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. on Main Street.
In Stockton: Ube Matcha Stockton 2024 AAPI Culture Crawl - highlights 'the 209's best Ube and Matcha vendors across THREE venues in downtown Stockton.
May 19 in Vallejo: Bay Area Butterfly Festival - a family-friendly community festival. Two stages will feature performers, dance troops, and live bands. Children's free games and hands-on activities will entertain throughout the day. Food vendors and food trucks will offer a variety of cuisines, including vegan and gluten-free options. Wine and beer will be available. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at 860 Nimitz Ave.
May 21 in Walnut Grove: A potluck celebrating the history of hunting and fishing in the Delta will be the Sacramento River Delta Historical Society's May program, held at the Jean Harvie Community Center, 6 p.m.
Aug. 19 in Novato: The Dutra Museum Foundation's 8th Annual Golf Tournament is accepting sponsorships. The tournament is limited to 128 golfers for the entire event.
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