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

August 2005

Contents
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
RECA SCHOOL REPORT
MULTI-CULTURAL POETRY READING AND POTLUCK
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR OFFICERS
SOCIAL TO MEET DR. ALBERT YEE
FREE CITIZENSHIP CLASS & ENGLISH WAIVER NEWS
RECA SCHOLARSHIP
CEMETERY PLAQUE
A BEAUTIFUL GIFT TO RECA
YOUTH MAINTENANCE
CONDOLENCES TO TANG FAMILY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY QUALITY INN PETALUMA
ROSE PARADE
CHILDREN’S CHINESE CULTURE CAMP



PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
By Nancy Wang

Thank you to everyone who has participated in our many summer activities. It used to be that summer was a time for rest and vacations. Now, it is a time for almost non-stop activities.

Our Youth Group has been busy with constructive activities. Our Mahjong Club meets every month with excursions in between. Our Children’s Chinese Culture Camp was a wonderful success. Our garage has been upgraded and we have had various small group activities doing various things like working on the City Council, going to workshops and attending the fireworks display together at the fairgrounds. 

A special thank you goes to Steven Brenner who donated an antique bridal carriage to RECA. It is over 100 years old and can be rented for weddings and special occasions. 

Coming up soon is our annual picnic at Finley Park (see page 3), the beginning of our language classes, the start of our cultural dance program, rehearsals of our chorus, the International Village Parade, and the Diversity Week Festival. And don’t forget our Multi-Cultural Poetry Reading and Potluck on August 13 and our October 9 Potluck Social to meet and visit with author and RECA member Albert Yee.

With all that is going on, there is something for everyone to do. We hope to see everyone at one or more of our upcoming events. Also, we need your help and support in nominating people to serve as officers for the RECA Board of Directors. Election time is fast approaching. Please contact me if you would like to nominate someone, or if you want to volunteer to be an officer or a member of our Board. We are always looking for people to help!

Again, thank you to everyone for your help and support of RECA. Without you, we would not be able to provide our programs and activities.

RECA SCHOOL REPORT
By Judy Cheung

	Our classes ended after a successful year of learning. Our claim to fame this year was our first Vietnamese class for children. With 8 children born in Vietnam, it was a wish fulfilled for many families. Unfortunately, our Vietnamese teacher is not able to continue
this year, so we have to look for a new one.  If you can recommend someone, please contact Nancy Wang at (707) 576 - 0533.

Our Wednesday class in beginning/continuing Mandarin dribbled away to only a few students. After deciding to cancel it for the upcoming year, nearly half of our Culture Camp kids said they wanted to sign up. We will continue our Wednesday afternoon beginning/continuing Mandarin class. It will be held 4:30-6:00 p.m. each Wednesday on our school calendar. In Wednesday class, we come, we learn, we go. 

Our Saturday classes were well filled and exciting, as usual. On Saturday, we offer Children’s beginning Mandarin focusing on children ages 5-10, Continuing Mandarin/Adult Beginners focusing on kids who have mastered the first level but are not able to function in Mandarin and beginning adults and teens, and Intermediate/Advanced Mandarin for those who want to maintain or improve functional language skills. This class is conducted primarily in Mandarin and teaches business language, poetry, jokes, conversation and personal language needs. We also have one multi-level class for Cantonese. This class offers functional Cantonese to all levels and all ages. For the last few years, teens have made up most of this class.

Are you not sure which class to take? Come and try them out. You may be enrolled in the class you feel most comfortable in. Are you unsure whether you should take Cantonese or Mandarin? What do you plan to do with your Chinese? If you have family that speaks Cantonese, then take Cantonese. If you want to learn for general purposes, then take Mandarin. It is the official language of China, no matter what the local dialect or language spoken. In China, including Hong Kong, most business is now conducted in Mandarin. At RECA, we teach traditional writing. Simplified writing is the standard for China, but Taiwan, U.S.A, and nearly all overseas Chinese use traditional. With traditional, you have all of Chinese history and literature at your disposal. If you learn traditional, it is easy to learn simplified. If you learn simplified, it is extremely difficult to convert to traditional.

If we have requests, we can also teach Functional English as a Second Language to adults.

Saturday classes start September 10 at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday classes begin September 14 at 4:30 p.m.

Tuition:

Make checks out to RECA Language School. Teachers need to know how many are coming so they can properly prepare for the classes. Please fill out the forms and have your tuition and enrollment applications in to RECA by September 3. Mail checks and enrollment forms to RECA Language School, P.O. Box 7854, Santa Rosa, CA 95407.

For further information, call Nancy Wang (Mandarin or English) at 707-576-0533, Azy Heydon (English, Mandarin, Cantonese) at 707-575-9541, or Judy Cheung (English) 707-528-0912.



MULTI-CULTURAL POETRY READING AND POTLUCK
By Judy Cheung

Our 5th Annual Multi-Cultural Poetry Reading and Potluck will be held on Saturday, August 13, 2005 from 1:00-4:00 p.m.  Everyone who enjoys poetry and a good time meeting people should come and enjoy.  This event is co-sponsored by RECA, Santa Rosa’s Poets of the Vineyards, and San Francisco’s Artists Embassy International. This year, we are listed as a United Nations approved event for furthering understanding and good will between cultures.

We start our afternoon with a potluck lunch where sticky rice and Vietnamese spring rolls are likely to sit between spaghetti and enchiladas. During the social, everyone is encouraged to look through books of bi-lingual poetry, pick a partner and prepare at least one poem to read together, in two languages, for our Pick-a-Partner reading. This year, a gift has been sent by an enthusiast of bilingual poetry.  Toshimi Horiuchi of Japan, when he heard of our Multi-cultural Poetry Reading, sent 20 of his books, A Way of Enriching Bilingualism, as gifts for those who attend. It is in English and Japanese.

After the Pick-a-Partner reading, everyone is invited to read their own poems or poems written by other people that they want to share. Our readings are done in Bardic Circle format. This means each person or pair reads one poem at a time, around and around the circle until we are done or get tired.

English is our main language. Mandarin and Cantonese are also widely spoken. Other languages during past years have included Korean, Italian and Vietnamese. All languages are welcome.

This year, a hot conversation item will be the upcoming 19th World Congress of Poets Laureate International to be held in Tai An, Shandong, China. Many people attending this event are accepted to go to this prestigious event in October. RECA members planning to attend the Congress are Judy Cheung, David and Gloria Chung, Phi Phi and Calvin Dang.

From a previous Multi-Cultural reading, L-R: our multi-talented, multi-media teen, Meesha Heydon; poet/dancer Amy Trussle, Sebastopol; RECA's poet David Chung; Alameda Poet Laureate, Mary Rudge; Poetic Dancer/choreographer, Natica Angilly, Richmond; Poet Richard Angilly, Richmond.

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR OFFICERS

Nominations for the RECA officers are now being accepted. The nomination committee will be selected at the August Board Meeting. The ballots will be finalized in October. Every two years, members vote for the elected officials of the Board: President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Treasurer. If you have any nominations or would like to volunteer to be an officer, please call Nancy Wang at 576-0533. 

Our incumbents are President Nancy Wang, Vice President Mary Lowe, Recording Secretary Judy Cheung, Corresponding Secretary Mark Heydon, and Treasurer Hsiu Chuan Armstrong.

If you would like to join the board, all members are invited every second Wednesday of the month at 7:00 PM at our Center. Our next meetings are on August 10th and September 14th. If you are attending for the first time, please call Nancy Wang to confirm there has been no change in schedule.

SOCIAL TO MEET DR. ALBERT YEE

On Sunday October 9, from 1-3 p.m., we will have a special potluck social at our Center to enjoy the company of Dr. Albert Yee, retired professor, author of the book Yeee-Hah!, and generally interesting man of all trades. He is in the area giving book signing parties in various towns, and would like to have a get-together with RECA.

Albert Yee is currently living in Missoula, Montana, but was raised here in Santa Rosa. He would love to meet the members of RECA and talk about the differences of then and now. There will be no formal presentation, but lots of time to mix, mingle and talk with our new Life Member. We invite families to join us so he can see how well our children are doing in public and private schools. The Youth Group should be represented as teens active in our community. And of course, he would enjoy meeting adults from the RECA Chorus, Mahjong Club, Families With Children From Asia, board of directors, and general members who enjoy participating in our various events. See you there.

Josie Lee and Nancy Wang pose with Albert Yee and his book, “Yeee-Hah!” at a book signing party and talk at Copperfield Books in February 2005.

  


FREE CITIZENSHIP CLASS & ENGLISH WAIVER NEWS

Catholic Charities Immigration Services is offering a free citizenship class this fall. The class will be one evening a week (day to be determined) from 6-9 p.m. at Sheppard Elementary School, 1777 West Avenue in Santa Rosa. The course is designed for people who have applied or are planning to apply for U.S. citizenship. Curriculum will include lessons on U.S. history & civics, practice for the interview with the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (U.S.CIS, formerly INS), and helping students improve their English skills. To reserve a class space early, call the office at 578-6000.

For those who speak little or no English, they like thousands of people who received their legal permanent residency in 1990 will be eligible for the English waiver to apply to become U.S. citizens this December. What that means is that they can speak in their native language at their interview and also be tested on the 100 civics and history questions in the language of their choice. Qualifications for the English waiver are: 15 years with a green card and 55 years old or 20 years with a green card and 50 years old. The agency can help individuals begin preparing for their applications now. 

Catholic Charities also continues to offer weekly sessions to assist with citizenship applications. Their state funding ended in June, so they’re back to charging for their services, but at reasonable rates. For more information, please call Mary Lowe at 528-8712 x18.

RECA SCHOLARSHIP

	This year, RECA received seven applications for our scholarship. All of the applicants were very impressive, with GPAs ranging from 3.55 up to 4.58, and long lists of school activities and community involvement. As usual, the
Scholarship Committee had a difficult time making a decision among the outstanding candidates.

We were fortunate to receive a generous donation from David Chung that enabled us to offer two $500 scholarships this year instead of the single scholarship that was previously announced. The scholarships were awarded to Ann Shue and Sara Caldwell-Kan.

Ann Shue graduated from Maria Carillo High School this year and plans to attend Yale University in the fall, majoring in biology with a goal of going to medical school. Ann is a member of RECA’s Youth Group. 

Sara Caldwell-Kan graduated from Piner High School and plans to major in international relations. 

Congratulations to Ann and Sara! We wish them the best in their future studies and careers.



CEMETERY PLAQUE

For nearly a year, RECA has been working with the Santa Rosa Historical Cemetery Foundation on their work to reclaim the old cemetery behind the Sutter Hospital complex, adjacent to the back of the Franklin Avenue Cemetery. This overgrown, inaccessible area is the resting place for those who died in Santa Rosa during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s and were not allowed into existing cemeteries: the poor, the criminal, the Chinese and other minorities. 

Last year, representatives approached RECA and asked if we would like to place a plaque remembering the more than 80 known Chinese who lie unmarked in this cemetery. Of course, our answer was “yes.”
The Foundation has spent considerable time in cleaning up the old cemetery and re-establishing paths so visitors may stroll through. Also, there will be an entrance area where our plaque will be placed along with others of similar design. Opening ceremonies are planned for the fall.

This is the design for the plaque that RECA has donated for the cemetery.

A BEAUTIFUL GIFT TO RECA 

We would all like to thank Steven Brenner who donated his heirloom sedan chair made of carved rosewood to RECA. This historical treasure comes from the Qing dynasty and is over 100 years old. It is fully enclosed, except for the carved cut-out designs, has a removable top and is carried by four strong men using two sturdy poles. It has been used as a bridal carriage during traditional-style Chinese weddings. Now, it is available for our use. 

We do not have a picture of it yet because we did not want to take it outside until we have enough strong men to do so. It is very large, very heavy, and very beautiful. Thank you to Steven Brenner!

To find out how you can borrow it for a wedding or other special occasion, call Nancy Wang, 576-0533.

YOUTH MAINTENANCE

No, we are not maintaining our youth; the youth are providing maintenance services for RECA. Under the guidance of Keung Chan (not pictured), our youth are learning how to paint, do carpentry, plumbing, and various other “odd jobs” needed to provide basic maintenance and repair for our RECA Center and their future homes. They are also learning by experience the difference between 1/16” and 1/8” and why something so small matters a lot. Here, they are painting the garage to make it more usable and brighter with paint donated by Judy Cheung.

CONDOLENCES TO TANG FAMILY

As many of you may already know, our member and friend Wallace Tang passed away on June 12, 2005. Wally was a long-time member of RECA and he, along with his family, were central figures in the history of the organization. RECA sends condolences to his wife Nancy and their children. We will miss him.
Below is an excerpt from the obituary published in the Press Democrat on June 16:

Wallace (Wally) Chun Tang was born on July 8, 1955 in Hong Kong. He passed away suddenly on June 12, 2005, in his home in Windsor surrounded by his loving family. His family came to the U.S. in 1967. He was raised in San Francisco with his two younger brothers and two younger sisters. Wally was proud to become a U.S. citizen in 1992, fulfilling the greatest wish of his mother who preceded him in death. His family immigrated to the U.S. to achieve his grandmother's dream of living a better life. Wally was a member of the Teamsters Local Union 665 for 27 years. He was a devoted family man and loving husband, who provided for his family in his own special way. He was immensely proud of his children and their accomplishments. Wally is survived by his loving wife, Nancy, children Louise, Sarah, Natalie, Wally Jr., and Elsa. He is also survived by his grandmother, father, and numerous family members and wonderful friends. Memorial donations may be made to the Wallace Tang Memorial Fund, c/o Exchange Bank, Windsor Branch, 8700 Lakewood Dr., Windsor, CA 95492.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY QUALITY INN PETALUMA

RECA’s Lok family has owned the Quality Inn in Petaluma for 20 years. They built it in an empty field and developed it into one of Petaluma’s most popular stopping spots. RECA members recently attended an anniversary celebration at the hotel. Those attending included Frances Lok, Kirk Lok, Alex Lok, Winston and Suzanne Lee, David and Gloria Chung, Nancy and Joe Wang, Judy Cheung, Phi Phi Dang and Mary Lowe.

 


ROSE PARADE

This year’s Rose Parade included about 75 RECA celebrators. Our dragon, lions, cultural dancers and families filled the street with color and excitement. Although everyone enjoyed the event, for the first time in 12 years, we received 2nd place in Cultural Dance Division. After reviewing the videos and photos, we know what can be done better for next year’s Rose Parade. (Photos by Judy Cheung and Azy Heydon)

One brave little boy offers something to the lion as he dances by.

More families joined us this year with toddlers, parents and some grandparents parading together.

Our youngest dancers from the Saturday Beginning Mandarin Class were protected from the sun by colorful parasols, and they carried peddler’s drums donated by the McDonald family.

Our dragon entertained all along the mile-long parade route.

CHILDREN’S CHINESE CULTURE CAMP
Photos and Captions by Judy Cheung

We began each day with tai chi led by Dang Gong, Calvin Dang. Our parents, brothers and sisters were welcome to join in.

Each day we learned new words by singing and reciting. Here, Ruby has a turn helping the teachers lead the group in reciting a Chinese list of body parts and what they do.

Each day we had art with Jean Walker. On Tuesdays, Mrs. Lily Kwong came to show us Chinese style brush painting.

With Jean, we had exciting new art projects. Here, using the techniques learned with Mrs. Lily Kwong, we painted Chinese parasols.

Cooking was one of our favorite classes. Each day, we made Chinese food, and then ate it for lunch. Here, Nancy Wang is teaching us how to make egg rolls. First we chopped the vegetables, and then we rolled them up. Chinese egg rolls need cooking. Vietnamese egg rolls do not need to be fried.

Each day, one or two campers would bring something special to share. Here, Aji brought his guinea pigs. Things shared on other days included two dogs, zodiac birth animals, baby bracelets, books, calligraphy pens, and many other things. We learned new words for each sharing.

On some days, we hiked down a nearby trail and picked blackberries. After eating all we could, we went back to our Center and made blackberry pies for dessert. We even shared some pie with our parents on the last day.

Each day, Judy Cheung read us classical Chinese stories and stories about being Chinese and living in America. Sometimes, Judy and teacher Cathy Ringstadt read a story in both English and Chinese. We all laughed a lot the day we heard “Green Eggs and Ham” read in Chinese.

Here we are all together, all smiley, wiggly and wishing camp would never end.

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

May 2005

February 2005

November 2004

August 2004

May 2004

November 2003

August 2003

May 2003

February 2003

November 2002

August 2002

May 2002

February 2002

November 2001