1907 postcard of an early Oakland Chinese parade on Fourth of July (Courtesy of Ed Clausen)

1916 photo of Buddhist Church of Oakland congregation at 6th & Jackson (Courtesy of Buddhist Church of Oakland)

1880s postcard of a typical scene in the Chinese quarter, Oakland (Courtesy of Ed Clausen, Bill Wong, Arcadia Publishing from “Images of America: Oakland’s Chinatown”)

Join OHA for its annual meeting, then Lailan Sandra Huen for "Love & Loathing in Oakland Chinatown"

Please join us for our Annual Meeting for OHA members and board elections on January 15, 2025 from 6:30-7pm. Afterwards, we will have a lecture, open to the public, by Lailan Sandra Huen called “Love & Loathing in Oakland Chinatown.” The meeting and lecture will be in-person, held at the Oakland Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave.

Oakland Chinatown is filled with exhilarating histories of both love and loathing from the 1850s until present day.  We’ll journey through some of the most intriguing and impactful community stories with repercussions of meaning for today’s political climate.

These stories ask the questions: Who belongs in Oakland? Who are the champions and allies of Oakland Chinatown who have helped it survive and thrive for 175 years through anti-Chinese movements?  How do we build an Oakland that works for all of us?  

Register! https://events.humanitix.com/between-worlds

Lailan Sandra Huen is an educator, facilitator and storyteller with over 20 years in schools, youth development, public service, and community organizing. Her family first came to San Francisco Chinatown around the Gold Rush, and sought refuge in Oakland Chinatown after the 1906 earthquake. She authored the "Our Neighborhoods" report for the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development which documents best practices from across the country to protect and bolster AAPI cultural districts.  Lailan holds a Bachelors in Asian American and Urban Studies from Columbia University, a Masters in Media Studies from The New School, and is a Doctoral Student in East-West Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies - on her journey to become a professor with a focus in Asian American Studies and Racial Healing. Her organizing for community benefits agreements and to preserve Oakland Chinatown is featured in the award-winning documentary Alice Street, a story of cross-racial solidarity, cultural resilience and belonging in urban communities.  Lailan is the Oakland Chinatown official tour guide for the Oakland Heritage Alliance, and has done tours for schools, educators and local residents.