| | | | Dear Friends, At the 1990 Institute, we’re dedicated to creating a world where young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow, but the leaders of today. We envision a future where youth can harness their power, educators and parents are given the tools to help youth thrive, and every voice has the space to be heard. Thank you for your continued support of our newsletter (see past issues here). Forward this issue to your family and friends and subscribe here. Happy holidays! |
| |  |
|
| | | How do stories shape how we face the new year? By Frances Kai-Hwa Wang I recently helped MC a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Lao diaspora to honor the community’s history, achievements, and vision for the future. There was storytelling, photography, poetry, food, and even a fashion show of traditional and modern Lao-inspired designs. Community members told stories about what it means to be a refugee — to leave at a moment’s notice, to only bring what you can carry, to not know where you’re headed, or if you will ever be able to come home again. A Hmong American man who was recently released from ICE detention spoke about his experience. I know a lot of the facts around this history, but it was so powerful and so inspiring to hear these stories told from the heart. Stories connect us and shape how we face tomorrow. As we head into the new year, I would like to share some books published this year by Asian American authors, including some by friends of the 1990 Institute. Fiction ”The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny” by Kiran Desai When Sonia and Sunny first glimpse each other on an overnight train, they are immediately captivated yet also embarrassed because their grandparents had once tried to matchmake them. A story of two young people whose fates intersect and diverge across continents and years — an epic of love and family, India and America, tradition and modernity. On New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year, Booker Prize shortlist, and a Kirkus Prize finalist. ”Katabasis” by R.F. Kuang A dark academia fantasy in which two graduate students must put aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul — perhaps at the cost of their own. Learn more about R. F. Kuang on New Asian American Voices. ”The Emperor of Gladness” by Ocean Vuong One late summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia, who convinces him to take another path. Named a Best Book of 2025 by Time, The New Yorker, NPR, and Kirkus Reviews, and a 2026 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence finalist. Read more about Ocean Vuong and “The Emperor of Gladness” on New Asian American Voices. ”Transplants” by Daniel Tam-Claiborne On a university campus in rural Qixian, Lin and Liz forge an unlikely friendship. After a startling betrayal that results in Lin’s expulsion, they swap places. Lin attends community college near Liz’s Ohio hometown, while Liz seeks to find why her parents left China. Then a global catastrophe leaves them far from home and estranged from themselves and each other. Daniel Tam-Claiborne was a panelist at our Youth Symposium. ”The Vale” by Abigail Hing Wen (YA) Thirteen-year-old Bran Joseph Lee has spent half his life building the Vale, an immersive, Al-generated virtual-reality environment. It's a lush fantasy world with a Blue Forest, Castle, and adventures with his mushroom-obsessed Elf named Gnomly. But when he enters the Vale in a multi-million dollar competition to fund its further development, things in the Vale begin to go wrong. Abigail Hing Wen was a keynote speaker at our Youth Symposium and shared pre-release copies of “The Vale.” Nonfiction ”Water Mirror Echo — Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America” by Jeff Chang A cultural biography, sweeping and intimate, of the legend Bruce Lee, set against the extraordinary rise of Asian America. Named one of Publishers Weekly’s 10 Best Books of the Year by and Best of the Year by NPR, Vogue, and Kirkus Reviews. Learn more about Bruce Lee’s lasting impact in our video “The Master of Influence with Si-Fu Bruce Lee.” ”Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI” by Karen Hao From a longtime AI insider with intimate access to that world, an eye-opening account of the most fateful tech arms race in history, reshaping the planet in real time, from the cockpit of the company that is driving the frenzy. A New York Times Notable Book and a Smithsonian Top 10 Science Book of the Year. ”War, Race, and Culture: Journeys in TransPacific and Asian American Histories” by Gordon H. Chang A career-spanning anthology of personal and moral essays, engaging with diplomatic history, Asian American history, and art history, and ultimately aiming towards realizing a better world. Gordon H. Chang, a professor of history at Stanford University, is a member of the 1990 Institute’s Advisory Council. ”Pancho Villa: World Champion 1923” by Bernard James Remollino In 1923, Filipino boxer Francisco “Pancho Villa” Guilledo shattered expectations by becoming the first Asian flyweight world champion, igniting the Great Filipino Boxing Era and emboldening a nation facing U.S. imperialism. Bernard James Remollino spoke on the Activism and Advocacy panel at our Youth Symposium. Poetry “Becoming Ghost” by Cathy Linh Che The author’s parents were refugees who escaped the Vietnam War and then were cast as extras in Francis Ford Coppola’s film, “Apocalypse Now,” placing them at the margins of their own story. This poetry collection moves Vietnamese voices to the center. A 2025 National Book Award Finalist. Cookbook ”House of Nanking: Family Recipes From San Francisco’s Favorite Chinese Restaurant” by Kathy and Peter Fang A showstopper cookbook that honors a family legacy and celebrates ingredient-driven, multi-regional Chinese cooking in America, with more than 100 recipes including all the greatest hits from three generations of Fang family cooking from Canton to Shanghai to San Francisco. Kathy Fang shared her story at our Youth Symposium.
|
| |
|
|  | At our inaugural Youth Symposium, each of the five breakout sessions for youth attendees featured two speakers plus one adult facilitator and one teen facilitator, thus ensuring that next generation's voices are heard. – We are currently planning the 2026 Youth Symposium.
– Contact us to share your input and find out how you can get involved! Donate here. |
| | |
|
| Meet the Aunties for Zohran| Harpers Bazaar The mayoral candidate's meteoric rise was fueled by older immigrant women — long-time, experienced organizers who are often overlooked. Supreme Court’s Birthright Citizenship Ruling: What To Know | Newsweek The Supreme Court will hear Trump v. Washington, which could redefine the birthright citizenship after President Trump’s Executive Order 14160 instructed federal agencies not to recognize citizenship for children born in the U.S. to “temporary visitors and illegal aliens.” Looking back 50 years: Cambodians fled genocide to build close-knit community in Minnesota | Sahan Journal On the 50th anniversary of the Cambodian arrival in the U.S., immigrants remembered the harrowing journeys that brought them here and the thriving lives they have built in Minnesota. Michigan Hmong refugee released from ICE custody: ‘Just glad to be home’ | Bridge Magazine Hmong refugee Lue Yang, who was detained by immigration officials in July, was released. Yang was detained over a decades-old criminal conviction that was expunged, and he was pardoned by the governor. Hundreds in NYC rally to support 6-year-old separated from dad after ICE check-in | NBC News As Fei Zheng is detained at one facility, his son Yuanxin is in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Trump’s blessing of Nvidia AI chip sales to China gets a chilly reception from GOP | CNBC Trump’s decision to let U.S. tech giant Nvidia sell more advanced semiconductors to China is getting pushback from some Republicans wary of giving Beijing an edge in the global race to AI dominance. China's pet economy is booming as more young people embrace pet parenthood | NPR As young Chinese people increasingly see their pets as family, a robust industry servicing those pets is flourishing. Devastating toxic spill seen as test of whether African countries will stand up to China | BBC Investment from China was estimated to be worth $1.7 billion last year, but critics argue that its infrastructure loans trap African countries in unmanageable debt, that it doesn't upskill local workers, and that its focus on mineral extraction sometimes comes at the expense of safeguarding the environment. Hong Kong leader orders investigation into deadly fire that killed 151 | BBC Investigators have found that a protective netting used around the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards. The fire is the deadliest the city has seen in more than 70 years and the death toll could rise. When Christmas Is Just Another Day at the Restaurant, New Traditions Form | Eater For kids growing up at their parents’ Chinese restaurants, working during the Christmas holiday meant creating celebrations all their own. Alice Wong, disability justice advocate and author, dies at 51 | The 19th Wong envisioned a world where disabled people, particularly those from multiple marginalized backgrounds, could live freely and with full autonomy. After Alice Wong’s Death, Her Friends Vow to Keep Fighting for Disability Justice. Learn more about Alice Wong’s books on New Asian American Voices. |
| | | |
|
| | 2025 PROGRAM RECAP — This year marks the 35th anniversary of the founding of the 1990 Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in San Francisco. We provide educational content to students, and all who are interested, to give them a better understanding of contemporary China and Asian American history and culture. Here are highlights of this year’s key programs. - Roots & Wings: Our Youth Symposium brought together over 300 youth, families, educators, and community members. Over the course of the day, attendees could choose to attend a keynote panel discussion, several breakout sessions, a community conversation, two film screenings, and multiple sessions with Asian American creatives. Participants enjoyed Asian American food, listened to Asian American music, and interacted with their peers as well as changemakers who shared their personal experiences with our youth.
- Webinars/Teachers Workshops: We organized two webinars on the evolving U.S.-China relationship, delving into topics foremost on people’s minds — the economy and artificial intelligence (AI).
- Videos: The 1990 Institute produced two documentary shorts in partnership with the Asian American Education Project.
- New Asian American Voices including Video Shorts: This program shines a light on unsung American stories, from historical figures to today’s trailblazers. In addition to the written bios, we produced four short reels, highlighting Asian American history that is often overlooked.
- Essay Contest: This program features timely topics promoting a more constructive U.S.-China relationship.
- More resources:
- Reference Library: One-stop resource hub housing articles, lesson plans, videos, and much more.
- Teachers Portal: Home to reference material for educators and lifelong learners alike, from middle school students to adults of all ages.
- Newsletters: Read thought-provoking essays and stories on current AAPI and U.S-China issues.
- Website: Learn more about our latest news and programs.
- Social media: Our handles are at the bottom of every newsletter. Follow us so you don’t miss anything!
|
| | Dim Sum - A Little Bit of Heart |
|  | |
|
|
|
| | | | 1990 Institute
P.O. Box 383 | San Francisco, California 94104
contact@1990institute.org www.1990institute.org Copyright 2025 The 1990 Institute. All rights reserved. |
| | | |
|
| |
|
|
