January 14, 2022

Happy New Year AACP Blog Readers!

If you’re not a subscriber to the emailed version of the AACP Newsletter, our January edition has been posted on this website. This month we have an interview with Phước Trần, author of the soon to be released book, “All About Vietnam.” Learn about the Vietnamese New Year celebration Tet and much more. Our other article is our special annual poetry edition – this year we have a poem by guest poet Brian Komei Dempster, Phước Trần (performing double duty), and some of AACP’s staff. You can see the newsletter by clicking here or the link above.

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It’s hard to believe that Christmas was already three weeks ago. I noticed that some of my neighbors are finding it hard to take down their holiday cheer (Christmas decorations) and even keep the lights on for all to see. Thanks for trying to keep bringing joy to all our lives. We can really use it.

According to the CDC website, 1,962 people passed away over the last day (January 13, 2022) from COVID and 1,344,289 new cases were reported on January 10th. According to the CDC, one year ago (January 13, 2021), the US had its worse day of official reported COVID deaths at 4,048. Perhaps if the trend follows last year’s pattern, we may have just had our worse days for the year.

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The Bancroft Library, on the UC Berkeley campus, is having a special exhibit, called “Uprooted: the Incarceration of Japanese Americans,” from February 17 through June 30, 2022. This exhibit marks the 80th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066.

Many Japanese American communities are holding virtual events to also mark this sad historical date (Feb. 19, 1942).

Here is a link to find the various Day of Remembrance events throughout the United States.

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That’s all for now.

Take care and wishing you all the best for 2022!

Leonard Chan