June 30, 2024
Summer Trips for 2024
Part of our Summer Travel Series
By Leonard Chan and Olivia Caballero
This is our tenth edition of our AAPI related summer travel series (here are links to our prior articles – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2021, 2022, and 2023; note: some of the links from these articles may be broken, but you can still find most of these places by doing an online search).
Let’s get right into our 2024 suggestions.
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Sing Peak Yosemite and Other Chinese Historical Places Within the Park
By Leonard Chan
I believe I first learned of this peak from our volunteer Kyla Cheung who told me about a hiking trip she had taken in Yosemite to see the only mountain named after a Chinese American in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.
I think I may have first learned about Tie Sing in Ken Burn’s wonderful documentary series about the National Park Service, but I didn’t recall that they named a peak after him.
Tie Sing was the head chef for the US Geological Survey at Yosemite. Although being a chef may not sound that important, Sing’s work on a camping trip with some influential people helped convince these people about the importance of preserving and experiencing nature. Soon after the trip, the National Park Service was established in 1916.
The interesting thing is that Sing Peak was named for Tie Sing years before this camping trip. The US Geological Survey so valued his service that they named the peak after him in a period of American history where Chinese were being excluded from coming to the US and were even forcibly driven out of many West Coast towns.
In addition to Sing Peak, other places of AAPI significance in Yosemite include the Wamona Road and the Tioga Road (both built by Chinese laborers), and the Chinese Laundry building in Wawona.
AACP friend, Sue Yee, wrote to me about her guided trip to Yosemite’s AAPI sites. She mentioned that two Asian American park rangers lead them on some flatter easier trails for her group consisting of retirees. She got to see the Chinese Laundry which was turned into a museum.
For more information go to –
Sharing Yosemite’s Chinese History (an article about these sites)
A Glimpse Into Yosemite's Chinese History (YouTube video)
Mountain Chef: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook Up the National Park Service (a wonderful children’s book with lots of information on Tie Sing)
Chinese Historical Society of Southern California’s 2024 Pilgrimage to Yosemite ( if you’re reading this in a future year, please go to CHSSC’s website to see their current plans for this pilgrimage).
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Pistahan Festival
By Olivia Caballero
The 31st annual Pistahan Festival occurs on August 10th and 11th at the Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco. This festival was created to celebrate the roots of Filipino culture in San Francisco and the Bay Area, and it continues to be the largest Filipino cultural festival on the West Coast.
On Saturday, August 12th from 11 am to 5 pm, the Festival will offer events such as the SOMA Seniors Cultural Performance, The Sampaguitas, and the Parangal Dance Company. As for Sunday, August 13th from 11 am to 5 pm, the festival will offer events such as the Rhythm Monsters, Legacy, Martial Arts, Balut Eating Contest, etc.
There will also be a Pistahan Festival parade on August 10 from 11 am to Noon, beginning at the SF Civic Center Plaza and traveling along Market Street between 8th and 4th Streets.
If you cannot attend the Pistahan Parade and Festival, it is available virtually on Facebook Live, YouTube Live, and KUMU under the username @PISTAHANSF. Be sure to attend this Pistahan Festival and Parade for bundles of fun.
For more information –
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Festival of India
By Olivia Caballero
The Festival of India is located at 39439, Paseo Padre Parkway, in Fremont, California and will take place from 10am to 7pm on Saturday, August 17, and Sunday, August 18.
This festival was created to celebrate Indian heritage and culture for the entire Bay Area featuring fun activities for all ages, including but not limited to dance, art, and food. With over 100,000 attendees in the past few years, this festival is not to be missed.
There will be a health fair, a grand parade, a film festival, an arts and crafts bazaar, delicious food, and more.
Expanding on this, the Festival of the Globe Silicon Valley (FOG organizers of the event) Wellness and Health Fair is run by over 100 health professionals and screens for heart diseases, cancer, osteoporosis, eye problems, dental disorders, and other diseases for free.
As for the India Day Mela/Fair, this fair features over 250 booths and exhibits of Indian culture. Lastly, the India Day Parade includes more than 100 open cars with over 50 colorful floats. Be sure to check out this wonderful festival, with many fun and inviting events.
For more information –
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Panama Hotel and Japanese American Museum of Seattle
By Leonard Chan
I’m not sure when I first heard about this location, but it may have been in some news story back in the 1980s when word got out about the belongings found in the basement of this building. The Panama Hotel was also featured prominently in a novel that we carry by Jamie Ford called “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.”
The history of the Panama Hotel is that it was designed by one of the first Japanese American architects named Sabro Ozasa and was opened in 1910. The hotel was at the center of the Seattle Japantown. It housed various businesses, a public Japanese style bathhouse, rooms for residents and visitors, and restaurants.
When World War II began and the Japanese community was forced to go to incarceration centers, many in the community stored their belongings in the basement of the Panama Hotel. Those that were interned could only bring what they could carry with them to the camps. Anything else would have to be left behind, sold, or given away. Thus the basement of the hotel became one of the places of last resort for the community.
When the war ended, many of these stored away items were not retrieved by their owners. Around 1985, when the current owner bought the hotel, the existence of these items was revealed to the public.
Since then, the hotel has been restored and turned into a functioning hotel, restaurant, and museum. In 2006, the Panama Hotel became a registered National Historic Landmark.
If you stay at this hotel, or eat or drink at the restaurant, you’ll be helping to preserve this landmark.
Here are some links for more information –
Wikipedia article on the Panama Hotel
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