Tenzin Passang was born August 2, 1985, and flew to the United States in November 2008 for freedom and opportunity. His parents live in a Tibetan Refugee Camp in South India, with nine children. They mortgaged all their belongings to make the Tenzin’s trip to America happen. He was their hope for a brighter economic future for their family. Upon arriving in California, like every other newly immigrated Tibetan, he applied for Political Asylum. His parents suffered under Communist China and he was an active youth who organized and participated in demonstrations all his growing years calling for more freedom for his compatriots inside Tibet. Unfortunately, his asylum petition was denied and the case was sent to court. Somehow, after dragging for several years, even the court denied his case. Over the years the United States Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) office sent several deportation letters and a couple of times the ICE police officers knocked on his door during his absence. All these times this young boy was extremely stressed and scared. Later in 2012, with counselling from community elders,Tenzin reported himself to ICE and was detained at one of the ICE Detention Facilities in San Francisco. Seeing his condition, his friends bailed him out and Tenzin had to check in with ICE office every 3 months. Even though his deportation was finalized for one year, he did not receive any exit instructions from the Department of Homeland Security which provided some solace for him. Even in this turmoil of his pending case and police visits, Tenzin hid his sadness inside and always cheered his friends and supported them with smiles. His favorite hobby was playing soccer with his buddies.
For seven years Tenzin worked several jobs including Subway and Bongo Burger to pay for his lawyer fees and to support his family back home. All these years he slept on a flat Ikea mattress on a living room floor in a shabby shared Oakland apartment. Except for the cost of his basic needs, everything he earned went to lawyers and family members. Strangely enough every year he renewed his work permit and always took pride in his tax-paying jobs. Sadly, strange Karma took its course again for young Tenzin.

On August 22, 2014, right after his job, Tenzin went to play soccer with his friends at the Gilman Field in West Berkeley. He got a little dizzy and rested on a side bench. When Tenzin got sick and vomited his friends called 911. After 15 minutes the ambulance came and he was taken to Alta Bates Hospital. It was too late as he had passed away. The Community and Tenzin’s friends are extremely grieved and saddened. Tenzin has no family members here and his body is still with the Alameda Sheriff’s department. They need a family member to release his body. The Tibetan Community is trying to get one of Tenzin’s sisters here for the cremation ritual. This is a costly expense and the funeral service is approximately $3000.00.
Any help whatsoever is greatly appreciated. Please donate. The Tibetan Association of Northern California is collecting donations for Tenzin Passang’s funeral, rituals and for his sister’s visit. Checks can be made out to Tibetan Association of Northern California, but please write in the memo For TENZIN PASSANG.
Thank you very much,

Tsering Yangkey, Wellness Advocate for Community Health for Asian Americans
The Community,Tibetan Association of Northern California and Friends of Tenzin Passang

 Tibetan Association of Northern California 5200 Huntington Avenue, Suite 200 Richmond , CA 94804 Tel: (510) 666-1355 http://www.tanc.org/

 REAL TALK STORYBOARD

CHAA cordially invites you to an art show to view REAL TALK STORYBOARD, a display of art pieces created by Real Talk Youth during this summer’s intense therapeutic program. Over the past year, these young folks have explored, processed, and learned about dating, sexual identity, and healthy relationships. We are so proud of them for the countless hours they have dedicated to completing these powerful reflections of their experiences in Real Talk. 

Please join us to celebrate the Youth and their art work on Thursday, August 14th, 5:30-7:00pm at CHAA 268 Grand Avenue, Oakland. The evening will include viewing the art work, refreshments, and a brief ceremony to honor the youth at 6:30. You are welcome to join us at any time during the showing.

Sincerely,
Calix Vu-Bui and Alicia Silva 
Co-Facilitators of Real Talk

 "One Place, One Night No. 2" Movie Dialogues – Movie Night, Friday August 22nd, 2014 @ Community Health for Asian Americans, 268 Grand Avenue, Oakland. All are welcome! Snacks will be served and donations accepted.

"The heart has gone out of Nana Maria’s family. There are no parties – they don’t even fight anymore. Inspired by a dream of her childhood back in Fiji, Nana demands that her grandchildren put on a big feast at which she will name her successor. The grandchildren reluctantly turn up, but as the day progresses, their preparations unravel into chaos and an outraged Nana calls the whole thing off. That’s when everyone realizes they have to pull ou all the stops and give the crazy old lady what she wants, and what they all need. Infused with heat and vibrancy of the South Pacific, No.2 is a big hearted, exuberant story about what it takes to bring family together."

 Oakland Health Fair – Health Options for Immigrant Youth and Immigrant Families. August 27th 4-6pm at Laney College Theatre – 900 Fallon Street, Oakland.  Rsvp at bit.ly/immhealth27 #health4all Contact Information:  Lucia Lin, Bay Area Organizer-California Immigrant Policy Center Llin@caimmigrant.org 

 Harvest Moon Festival

Saturday, September 6th
7pm
Oakland Asian Cultural Center 

OACC is excited to invite all of you to our Harvest Moon Festival in September. The event will be an excellent way for us to enter the Fall season with an abundance of exhilarating performances. 
 

Harvest Moon will feature three mesmerizing tales of love, loss, and enchantment revolving around the mystique and beauty of the moon.

 

The show will include performances by Mahea Uchiyama, Kompiang Metri-Davies, and OACC’s Artist in Residence Seibi Lee. The festival will feature dance and storytelling from the Pacific Islands, Indonesia, and North India.

Tickest start at $10 and can be purchased at oaccharvestmoon14.eventbrite.com. 

If you have any questions about Harvest Moon, please contact Steven Cong at stevencong@oacc.cc. 

 On 18 April 2014, an avalanche on Mt. Everest near Everest Base Camp killed sixteen Sherpa guides. CHAA’s partner, ACHA-Himalayan Sisterhood is hosting a benefit event for the widows and children of the deceased Sherpa guides. Event details on the flyer. If you are in the Bay Area on August 16th we hope you can join us for this benefit event and/or help invite your friends in the area. Thanks much! 

Venue: Dheshi Phuntsokling (Tibetan Community Center) 5200 Huntington Avenue, Richmond, CA. 4:30-6pm on August 16th, 2014

In the event you are unable to attend but would like to contribute, please call 510-409-9162 or email achaofbayarea@gmail.com.
Much appreciation, 
ACHA-Himalayan Sisterhood

The thirteenth annual Japanese Lantern Ceremony for World Peace, will be held Saturday, August 9, 2014, at the North end of Aquatic Park (bottom of Addison Street). Hundreds of people will decorate lantern shades, to be floated on the lagoon at dusk.

Details are at the link below!

https://www.facebook.com/events/668303426557806/

http://www.progressiveportal.org/lanterns/

 In early August, local and national groups along with the Climate Justice Alliance  will host the Our Power National Convening, which will culminate to the Our Power Day of Action on August 9th!

Richmond, California is one of a growing number of “Our Power Communities”- home to a working-class, predominantly people of color community impacted by decades of environmental blight, high unemployment, home foreclosures, and economic divestment. It is also home to a 3,000 acre Chevron Oil Refinery – one of the largest stationary greenhouse gas emitters in the State of California.

In the shadow of Chevron’s long track record of pollution, and 2-year anniversary of the refinery explosion that sent thousands of Richmond residents to the hospital, we are fighting to replace Toxic Oil Alley in the Bay Area with Our Power – reclaiming our energy, our democracy, and our work. Instead ofexpanding fossil fuel infrastructure, it’s time to make a just transition, away from fossil fuels to sustainable local economies, rooted in clean renewable local energy, meaningful and healthy jobs, and community democracy. The city’s residents have a vision for a just transition to a Stronger Richmond: we want to be a leader in community-rooted solutions for clean energy and healthy communities.

Richmond is part of a growing national campaign called the Our Power Campaign, where communities on the frontline of environmental pollution are asserting Our Power to build local living economies that work for people and the planet.  Richmond-based organizations and the Our Power Campaign are now calling on everyone to join them in building this just transition. The Our Power Day of Action 2014 will raise up the voices of Richmond community members to realize their visions of the future. Together we can not only stop the expansion of dangerous, polluting refineries and pipelines, but begin a just transition away from fossil fuels and towards clean energy, good jobs, and healthy thriving communities.

The day’s schedule will include a community march to the Richmond Greenway, a community speak out/rally, a festival of community-led "solutions" inspired and anchored by some of the local work happening in Richmond, culminating in a solar-powered concert called "unplug the empire" which will happen in partnership with Urban Tilth and others at the 16th St. entrance of the Richmond Greenway.

See below for the schedule for events.

Download the Day of Action flyer here: http://www.ourpowercampaign.org/dayofaction2014/

RSVP on the Facebook Event page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1440294589588842/

More info at: www.ourpowercampaign.org/dayofaction2014

Interested in volunteering for the Richmond Day Of Action on August 9th? Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1QyRCjvi-E4yioR0fcsRDB9Drml7c9p6SHOwNZF2Yuuc/viewform

 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

9:30am – Opening Ceremony & March for a Just Transition


Location: The Kinder-Morgan Rail Yard Gate Entrance on South Garrard Blvd


Opposite the Garrard Commercial Center @ 144 South Garrard Blvd

*** FREE SHUTTLES PROVIDED FROM RICHMOND BART STATION starting at 8:30am***

The day’s events will commence with an opening ceremony in collaboration with Idle No More and the Native American Health Center at the Kinder Morgan Rail Yard. We will commemorate the 2nd anniversary of the Chevron refinery explosion that sent over 15,000 Richmond residents to the ER. We will ground ourselves by honoring the land we are on, illuminating the unjust and disproportionate impacts on frontline communities like Richmond posed by unjust extractive energy industry and corporate greed.

We will then march from the Kinder Morgan Rail Yard to the Richmond Greenway Trail, celebrating the notion of just transition away from dirty energy and corporate greed, to local living economies rooted in justice, sustainability and community resiliency.

12:30 P.M. – “Our Power, Our Voices” – Community Speak Out


Location: the Richmond Greenway Trail – 16th St entrance (between Ohio & Chanslor Ave)


The march will arrive at the 16th street entrance of the Richmond Greenway Trail  where a solar powered community speak out will be held, amplifying stories of resistance and resiliency of Richmond and other frontline communities at the junction of environmental, health, work and housing injustices.

Communities members of front-line Refinery communities, labor, health and housing justice organizations will speak out about the climate crises facing our communities and share their visions of community resiliency and a just and sustainable Richmond.

Speakers from the following communities and organizations will be present:


• Idle No More
• Richmond Environmental Justice Coalition
• Asian Pacific Environmental Network
• Communities for a Better Environment
• Crockett-Rodeo United to Defend the Environment
• Martinez Environmental Group
• Urban Tilth
• Black Mobilization, Organization and Education in Richmond
• California Nurses Association
• ACCE – Richmond
• Richmond Progressive Alliance • Landless Workers Movement (MST)•  Friends of the Earth, Mozambique•  Climate Justice Alliance

2 P.M. – 5 P.M. “Our Power, Our Harvest” – Community Solutions Festival & Unplug the Empire Solar Powered Concert


Location: the Richmond Greenway Trail – 16th St entrance (between Ohio & Chanslor Ave)

 


Demonstrations of Just Transition community-led strategies inspired and anchored by some of the local work in Richmond, including urban gardening, rainwater collection installation, a bike clinic, pop up health clinic for HIV testing, solar array demonstrations & workshops, live mural painting on the greenway, teach-ins and the Unplug the Empire solar powered concert featuring Richmond and Bay Area musicians!

 

 

 

 Please join us for a PhotoVoice Exhibit showcasing photos from SEAYL’s Tobacco Prevention Project in addition to photos from Tenderloin’s youth organizations.  Feel free to advertise this event with youth and friends that may be interested in attending. 

 You can find more information on our Facebook event page: 

https://www.facebook.com/events/907669922582903/

 

"Really proud to have a poem of mine represent my homeland, Tonga, at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. Always in wonder about these games growing up but I’m not an athlete, so I’m humbled to participate as a poet. Big thanks to my friend Andrea Eimke in Atiu who helped me record, Jean Melesaine who took time out of her busy schedule to take my photo, and my sisters Fuifuilupe Niumeitolu and Amelia Leafaitulagi Niumeitolu, who encouraged me to post this on fb. Many thanks to Nick Balneaves of BBC. and a Big Shout Out to Tongan poets!" Loa Miumeitolu  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p022wt52

Tonga: Loa Niumeitolu

 

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p022wt52