President:
Nancy Wang
576-0533

Vice President:
Mary Lowe
528-8712 x18

Treasurer:
Hsiu-Chuan Armstrong

Recording
Secretary:
Judy Cheung
528-0912

Corresponding
Secretary:
Mark Heydon
538-1938

Newsletter,
Scholarship:
Mirin Lew
545-6173

Social Director:
Mary Lowe
528-8712 x18

Membership:
Judy Cheung

Ways and Means:
We need someone!
535-0985

Building Committee:
Joe Wang
576-0533

Youth Group:
Mark & Azy Heydon
575-9541

Board Members:
Kevin Ablett
Sandy Bartholome
Shirley Brummell
Irene Fong
Jean Gee
Norman Lai
Winston Lee
Frances Lok
Shubert Yee
Kay Yee

May 2005

Contents
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR ROSE PARADE
SCHOOL REPORT
HOST FAMILIES NEEDED
SHARING CHINESE NEW YEAR WITH THE COMMUNITY
CONGRATULATIONS TO MARSHA VAS DUPRE
CHINESE NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION
JUMPING BUDDHA ENSEMBLE
TEENS PRESENT CANDLELIGHT DINNER
SRJC DAY UNDER THE OAKS
YEEE-HAH!
26TH ANNUAL WOMEN OF COLOR HUMANITARIAN AWARDS
CONGRATULATIONS TO JUSTIN EGGART
CONGRATULATIONS TO REINA WANG
MEMBER ADVERTISEMENTS



PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
By Nancy Wang

This past quarter must have been the busiest in RECA’s history. In addition to all of the events reported on in this newsletter, we also had many more. Our Mahjong Club has been meeting, traveling and having a good time, our teens are involved in so many activities that we could not possibly list them all. Our scholarship committee is hard at work reviewing applications for this year’s $500 RECA scholarship: on and on. 

I want to thank each and every one of you who has participated, helped, donated and in general, helped make RECA an increasingly recognized and respected organization in our community.

In particular, I want to thank everyone who helped with our Chinese New Year’s Celebration. Putting on such a large event takes the coordinated effort of many people. Thank you to the many people who gave your time and effort and donations. There were so many, I cannot possibly name each person, but I would like to give special thanks to the committee chairs and officers:

Vice President, publicity chair, raffles chair, and co-MC: Mary Lowe; co-MC and RECA architect: Elee Tsai; Treasurer and Continuing Mandarin teacher: Hsiu Chuan Armstrong; Corresponding Secretary: Mark Heydon; Recording Secretary and School Co-Coordinator, decorations (cards for tables colored by school students) and Activity Table: Judy Cheung; beverages: Paul Chu; supplies: Hubert Tsang; Youth Group Leaders: Azy and Mark Heydon; set-up and clean-up: RECA Youth Group; food preparation and service: Kevin Ablett, Frances Lok, Jean Gee, RECA Youth Group; art table: Lily Kwong; RECA sales table: Shirley Brummell; wall decorations: Winston Lee and family; program: Reed Walker; security: David Chung, Hubert Tsang, Mark Heydon; reception: Mirin Lew and Irene Fong; Families with Children from Asia/RECA liaisons: Sandy Bartholome and Jennie Sortino.

I would also like to thank those who gave us our entertainment. Thank you to Belle Yang, Jui-Chi Chou, Jimmy Fong, Jerry Yeung, Henry Tang, Dancers of the Pharaohs and Ana Banat, and a special thank you to all of the cultural singers and dancers of RECA. You are the ones who make us all look good.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR ROSE PARADE
By Judy Cheung

RECA’s dragon is a highlight of the parade every year, but it takes a lot of people to make our dragon dance! If you can help and would like to join us in this year’s parade on Saturday May 21st, please call Nancy Wang at 576-0533. Teenagers and adults are welcome. There will be a rehearsal the night before the parade to teach the various maneuvers that make the dragon such a crowd-pleaser.



SCHOOL REPORT
By Judy Cheung

Our classes are coming to a close for this school year. As in the past, we have had a successful year. One highlight was the qualification for competition of our teen advanced student, Reina Wang. She competed in Palo Alto with her superb calligraphy. Although she did not receive a trophy, she competed against hundreds of others, many with academic background in China. We are proud that our Chinese School had a qualified competitor. 

As co-administrator, I want to thank my co-administrator, Nancy Wang, for being such an effective and easy-to-work-with leader. Also, thank you to Lily Chang, our senior (most seniority) teacher who teaches our advanced Mandarin class; Azy Heydon, Cantonese teacher; Hsiu Chuan Armstrong, Continuing Mandarin teacher; Cathy Ringstadt, Children’s Beginning Mandarin teacher, Ying Grebe, Wednesday Mandarin Teacher; Nancy Loui, Pre-School Chinese Learning Through Play Group; Kim Thanh, Vietnamese teacher and Thien Tran, Vietnamese teacher’s aide; and our RECA School treasurer, Patti Sullivan.

Our Children’s Chinese Culture Camp will be held July 11-22. We will have a 9:00 am to 2:30 pm. language and cultural program for children ages 5-12. Fee is $230 per camper. Extended care is available from 8:00-8:45 am and 3:00-5:00 pm for an extra charge. Activities will include Mandarin language lessons, art, singing, dancing, crafts, story telling, cooking, sharing, hiking, and generally having a lot of fun while learning about things Chinese. Our teachers will be Cathy Ringstadt and Jean Walker, assisted by Nancy Wang and Judy Cheung. For application forms and more information, go to our web site, www.recacenter.org, or call Judy Cheung, 528-0912 (English) or Nancy Wang, 576-0533 (Mandarin or English).

HOST FAMILIES NEEDED

Host families are urgently needed for high school students from China who will be visiting the Bay Area from July 15 to August 13. The students will be participating in a program of classes and field trips from about 9 am to 4:30 pm on most weekdays. Host families are asked to provide a room (may be shared with a same-sex child) and board for the student. Responses are needed as soon as possible to allow students time to obtain visas for their trip. If you can help, please contact Sima Vaghti at (707) 332-7141.

SHARING CHINESE NEW YEAR WITH THE COMMUNITY
By Judy Cheung; Photos by Joe Wang

In RECA, we always focus our attention on our largest yearly fundraiser event, our New Year’s Celebration. However, throughout January and February, the Cultural Committee has a full schedule of dances and presentations for the community. We were so heavily booked this year that we had to turn down some requests. 

Santa Rosa is beginning to recognize the joy of Chinese New Year: lions, drums, cultural dancers, songs, calligraphy, talks about exotic places and customs, descriptions of special foods. Many groups requested our dragon, but no, our dragon does not come out in the winter rain, except for our own New Years Celebration. He is not a water dragon.

It’s a time for schools to focus on teaching about Chinese customs and China. Restaurants and store owners have the lions dance to chase away evil spirits to start the new year fresh and safe. Libraries feature books about growing up as a Chinese American. New Chinese performance groups make their public debut. 

If you have a request for a presentation or performance any time during the year, call Nancy Wang at 576-0533. Also, RECA is in need of volunteers to help provide these presentations. Please let Nancy know if you can help.

Lions invite children to play during their Chinese New Year dance for JK Restaurant in Rohnert Park.

Nancy and Joe Wang visited Bellevue Elementary School, giving each child a sample of their own name written in Chinese.

The Wednesday Beginning/Intermediate Mandarin class put on traditional clothes found in the RECA classroom closet and gave an interview to Trisha Hua of Channel 50 News. It was aired the same evening as a specialty spot on Chinese New Year.

"Happy Children" bringing joy for the new year precede the lions, chasing out evil spirits, as shoppers look on at G&G Supermarket.

New this year, our adult chorus is popular. At West Lake Village Senior Complex, our singing group, along with lions, flower drum dancers, western Chinese tambourine dance troupe, and our tiny singers and dancers from the Saturday Mandarin Beginning Class thrilled the audience. Then they were treated to a sumptuous Chinese buffet. Photo by Judy Elliott.

 


CONGRATULATIONS TO MARSHA VAS DUPRE

A longtime member of RECA, Marsha Vas Dupre, was recently elected to the Santa Rosa Junior College Board of Trustees after her term on the Santa Rosa City Council. Marsha was a counselor at Santa Rosa Junior High for twenty years and had Nancy and Joe Wang’s daughters Angie and Jean as her counselees. She and husband Jack know and respect many members of RECA throughout many community endeavors. They support the fine work that RECA does to strengthen the knowledge of the Chinese culture in Sonoma County and to help many new parents who have adopted the beautiful Chinese girls.

CHINESE NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION
By Shubert Yee

Spectacle, excitement, good food and family fun: that is what our RECA Chinese New Year’s Celebration and fundraiser is all about. 

We had our Chinese New Year’s Celebration at the Santa Rosa Veteran’s Memorial Building on February 26th. Before dinner, everyone was treated to a book signing by Belle Yang, author of children’s books including Hannah Is My Name, her latest best-selling publication. Belle Yang gave personal autographs with little sketches, and chatted with people as they came through the line to meet her. Later, she was our keynote speaker for the evening, giving a dynamic talk on her life and experiences that lead her into her writing. 

Other activities and displays around the hall included Lily Kwong’s table where her original art was for sale, the RECA Language School student’s display boards on the walls behind the Activity Table, Family With Children From Asia information table showing pictures of their events, our small items sales table and the raffle table filled with decorated shoe boxes waiting to receive tickets for the raffles of your choice. 

Our highlight, as in every year, was the entertainment. Lions and dragons and dancers, oh my! New costumes were made by Phi Phi Dang and Azy Heydon. Our RECA Adult Chorus, dressed in sparkling evening attire, sang a Xianjiang folk song and a Taiwanese folk song. Our older teens presented us with a Western Chinese tambourine dance with special tambourines made by Natica’s Dancing Tambourines. We were also treated with our youngest students, the Beginning Mandarin Class, who did a little dance as they sang various songs including “Gung Xi,” a traditional “Happy New Year” song. Jerry Yeung dazzled the audience with his expertise on the Chinese dulcimer. Our Aboriginal dancers, made up of middle-grade girls, were wonderful. Jimmy Fong, our Olympic hopeful, gave a spectacular performance of martial arts. 

This year, looking for something new and fresh, we featured acts based on the culture of Western China, which is very different from the better known Eastern Chinese dress, dance and singing. We invited Dancers of the Pharaohs from Pinole, CA, and the Ana Banat dance troupe from Antioch, CA. Dancers of the Pharaohs is lead by Shukriya, producer of the Rakkasah Middle Eastern Dance Festival and Bazaar, the biggest in the world. Western China is part of the Middle Eastern/Silk Road culture. Predominantly Muslim herders of the deserts, their dances include canes which are modified shepherd staffs and swords. Dancers in Ana Banat are the daughters and granddaughters of Dancers of the Pharaohs. Great-grandma, non-dancing parents and other family members enjoyed the performance as part of the audience. When asked what they thought of our event, they answered, “Spectacular, I never dreamed it was anything like this. So much talent.” “The dragon, I actually stood next to the Dragon. What energy!” “I want to come back next year, whether we dance or not!” “It was great!”

The Chinese New Year Celebration is a time for family of all ages to come together to have fun. From the youngest students who help create the Rooster New Year's cards for the table to the teens and adults who run the various parts of the program, it takes everyone working together to make such a joyful event.

Students displayed their accomplishments in RECA’s language classes. Family and friends all get to share in the enjoyment of learning and the thrill of recognition. On the right, Continuing Mandarin teacher Hsiu Chuan Armstrong discusses the work of a proud young student with her aunt.

Is there anything cuter than our own youngsters singing and dancing on stage for the first time? Somehow, "Gung Xi," the New Year's greeting song, seems fresh with each new group of children who sing it.

Famous author Belle Yang gives a dramatic talk after autographing books.

MC's Elee Tsai and Mary Lowe tell us about Chinese New Year traditions and the meaning of the Year of the Rooster.

In front of the stage before dinner, Belle Yang, foreground, signed her books. People placed raffle tickets for shoe-box raffles and the grand prize raffle. Items for sale helped add to the fun and funds. In the background, the Families With Children From Asia display showed their activities during the past year and told about their organization. Other areas of the hall included Lily Kwan's art and an activity table for all ages.

Santa Rosa City Council members, front row, sit in awe at our 250-foot dragon, cavorting on stage to the delight of the audience.

Dancers of the Pharaohs from Pinole, CA, danced a cane dance based on the dances of the Silk Road and Western China.

Ana Banat (meaning "young dancers") from Antioch, CA, performed in conjunction with their mothers and grandmothers in Dancers of the Pharaohs. Here the girls do a sword dance based on dances from Western China and the Silk Road.

JUMPING BUDDHA ENSEMBLE

A group of professional Chinese musicians, trained in Beijing and successful in their musical professions in China, individually moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, signed up for English as a second language class through SRJC, and met each other. Exchanging notes and backgrounds, they decided to form an ensemble of traditional Chinese instruments and perform for the community. 

In celebration of Chinese New Year, they performed at the Petaluma branch of SRJC Library. Nearly a dozen RECA members heard about the performance and attended the delightful evening of classical music, ranging from serious to whimsical. How can you have a whimsical, classical Chinese music? Try a song about wild horses, complete with galloping hooves and whinnies, played on a Chinese mouth organ (no relation to any western instrument). 

This performance was enjoyed by all ages. RECA members attending were as young as 6 and as old as some of us.

TEENS PRESENT CANDLELIGHT DINNER 
Article and Photos by Judy Cheung

Dance, art show, fashion show and a candlelight dinner. Our active teens want to go to Disneyland. In a creative effort to raise funds, under the leadership of Azy and Mark Heydon, they planned, developed and presented a Dress Candlelight Dinner for adults at $25 per plate. 

Upon arrival, the elegantly garbed guests were greeted with the aroma of chicken and beef grilling on the BBQ outside. Inside, salads and side dishes were being created. 

Guests were escorted to the hors d'oeuvres parlor where they could nibble sizzling chicken on a stick, fresh-from-the-pan egg rolls, fresh fruit and many other delicacies. One wall of art work, displayed by our multi-talented teen, Meesha Heydon, offered conversation opportunities for the guests. Dance lessons and music were part of the fun when we did the “Chinese Cha-Cha.”

When all had arrived and were well fed on appetizers, the teens put on a fashion show, based on styles beginning with the elegance of the Ching Dynasty, through the casualness of modern day, and ending with their inside-out, upside-down, version of homeless clothes in the year 2050. Starting out serious, we were all roaring with laughter by the time the last “homeless” act pranced by.

We were then escorted to the subdued-light dining room. We were greeted by decorative Indonesian Dancing Dolls in the entry way. Pale green and white curtains had been hung to make the fireplace area seem like a cozy bistro style restaurant. Blinds were lowered to further subdue the lighting, and candles were lit. Wine was served by assistant leaders over 21. Juice was presented as elegantly to those who do not drink alcohol.  Our courses included Indonesian style salad, Indonesian chicken or beef, rice and ice cream. Our teens served us well. We hope they raise enough money for their trip to Disneyland and all the other constructive things that fill their agendas.

Adults enjoy the service of teens providing a candle light dinner.

Hey Philip, watch the BBQ. Don’t burn the meat!

The Fashion Show included the possible clothing of the future. Here are Cynthia as mother, Savannah as daughter and Wen as father. Wen, we never knew you looked so good in a dress.

SRJC DAY UNDER THE OAKS

RECA gave another fabulous performance on May 1st. Nearly the entire cultural program was represented in this multi-act performance. The first part of our performance was the procession from the fountain to the outdoor stage near Bailey Hall. As drums, gongs and cymbals played, our lions frolicked with performers and audience following. We gathered at the appointed stage and began our mini-extravaganza. First our aboriginal dancers performed, then our lion team wowed the audience as they danced, nearly in their laps, in front of our semi-circular stage. The Beginning Mandarin Class of 5-9 year-olds came on stage as butterflies, ladybugs, bumblebees and dragonflies. Costumed and choreographed by teacher Cathy Ringstadt, the young ones were as cute as can be.

Next, our chorus sang two folk songs. The Flower Drum Dancers performed their traditional dance. Our finale was a martial arts exhibition by youth, lead by Justin Eggart. Thank you to all of the performers, family and friends who came out to this beautiful, sunny Sunday.

YEEE-HAH!
By Judy Cheung

Dr. Albert Yee, raised in Santa Rosa’s Chinatown and now an author, retired professor of psychology, fencing master, U.S. Army veteran and all-around man of many trades and talents came to Santa Rosa on February 28 to give a talk at Copperfield’s Book Store in Montgomery Village. About six members of RECA attended the presentation, along with about 80 additional Santa Rosans, many of whom knew him from the 1930s and 1940s. Even Gaye LeBaron, local Sonoma County historian and columnist was there to listen and to chat afterwards.

During the talk, we were intrigued by the variety of experiences he had and his unique way of relating those experiences to events throughout the world and throughout history. In an easy-going manner, as if we were all sitting in a living room instead of a public place, he fluidly moved from his boyhood explorations of Santa Rosa Creek to his sport of fencing to current movies to medieval history to working overseas to advanced studies, to race relations to Santa Rosa’s stinky old tannery on A Street to hiking in the Himalayas in 2003. Some of us bought his book, which is written in the same informative, easy-going, free flowing style. I was surprised to find that, as a teen, he worked one summer for my father at the Speas Apple Processing Plant in Sebastopol. Check out page 8. 

After the talk, there was time for autographs and chatting. The RECA contingent introduced themselves, much to his delight. He did not know there was an active Chinese community or organization here in Santa Rosa since he now lives in Missoula, Montana. We exchanged information, names, addresses, and email addresses. Much to our surprise, a week later, he sent in his dues and a substantial donation. Albert Yee is now a life member of RECA.

To buy his book, please go to Copperfield Book Store or any other bookstore and ask for Yeee-Hah! Remembrance and Longing by Albert H. Yee, published by Bookman Marketing, 35 Industrial Drive, Suite 104, Martinsville, IN 46151. One autographed copy is now available in the RECA library. It is good for picking up and reading anywhere it opens, or it may be checked out to take home and read.

L-R: Judy Cheung, Josie Lee, Albert Yee, Nancy Wang, Mary Lowe. Joe Wang and Kevin Ablett also attended.

26TH ANNUAL WOMEN OF COLOR HUMANITARIAN AWARDS
By Judy Cheung

Last year, RECA’s Nancy Wang received one of five prestigious Women of Color Humanitarian Awards (one for each Sonoma County district). Since 1979, only twenty-eight women have been so honored. Women are given this honor “for their spirit of innovation and change, for the positive impacts they have made on their community, for their leadership and ability to inspire and challenge others to excel beyond their expectations,” and their dedication toward creating positive social change. By serving as leaders and role models, these women have provided an inspiration to us all. (Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women, Annual Report 2003-2004.) 

On Tuesday, March 15th, Nancy Wang, Judy Cheung and Carl Wong attended this invitation-only awards ceremony, along with over 100 other people who are active in Sonoma County organizations and individual efforts. 

This year’s honored women were: from the First District, Venessa Robledo, current owner of Robledo Vineyards, the first Vineyards in Sonoma County to be owned by a Mexican immigrant farm worker, her father, and family; Second District, Juanita Ashe, founder of Petaluma’s Black Parent’s Advisory Committee, Sonoma County Advisory Boards, Petaluma Advisory Board, State Bar Association and many more organizations; Third District, Linda McGill, granddaughter of Elsie Allen, active in Indian Health Care, and a lactation specialist; Fourth District, Patty Bird, active in many organizations that assist the Pomo Indians of northern Sonoma County and active for many years in organizing the Cloverdale Citrus Fair; District Five, Velena Dyson Harris, active with Wright School, UC Berkeley Scholarship Committee, UC Berkeley Selection Committee, Medical Library Association and many other activities and organizations. 

Next year, we hope to have at least one Asian represented. Think about the women you know and talk to Nancy or Judy about nominating them, or nominate them yourself by going to

 


CONGRATULATIONS TO JUSTIN EGGART

Justin Eggart came to RECA as a mid-teen. Studying hard both at RECA Language School and at his chosen sport of martial arts, taught by Master Li Shu Dong, he rapidly progressed from beginner to intermediate to advanced. Now, at 22 years of age, Justin can converse in Mandarin when visiting China.  He is now employed full

time at the Li’s Tai Chi and Kung Fu on Industrial Drive, and volunteers many hours and skills to RECA and the RECA Youth Group. Recently, he returned from an International Tai Chi Competition in China where he received 2nd Place. Justin, RECA is proud of you.

CONGRATULATIONS TO REINA WANG

Sixteen-year-old Reina Wang is the first RECA student to qualify to enter the calligraphy division of the Chinese Language Competition, sponsored by the Ministry of Overseas Chinese Education from Taiwan. Accompanied by family and friends, she drove down to Palo Alto on the appointed day and bravely stepped into the competition hall. There, she saw hundreds of others, mostly raised and educated in China, competing against her. Although she did not win a prize, she did receive a certificate of participation. Reina’s teacher, Lily Chang, along with all of RECA, is proud that Reina was able to attend, compete, and increase the range of experience for both herself and RECA.

MEMBER ADVERTISEMENTS

Advertisements in the newsletter are available to all members. The fee is $30 for a one-time advertisement, or $100 for advertisements in all issues for one year. Please send a check for the advertising fee along with your ad to RECA at P.O. Box 7854, Santa Rosa, CA 95407.

If you have not renewed your RECA membership for 2005, please submit the form above with your dues. Thank you!

Redwood Empire Chinese Association
P.O. Box 7854
Santa Rosa, CA 95407

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