KQED's Forum KQED Youth Takeover: Oakland Ballet Explores Immigrant Stories From Angel Island
Apr 24, 2025
Graham Lustig, artistic director of both the Angel Island Project and Oakland Ballet, discusses the emotional ballet based on the immigrant experiences at Angel Island. Phil Chan, choreographer and co-founder of Final Bow for Yellowface, highlights the fusion of classical and Chinese dance styles that give voice to these powerful stories. Ed Tepporn, from the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, emphasizes the historical significance of these narratives. Together, they explore themes of resilience and representation, connecting past struggles with modern immigration issues.
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Ballet Makes History Personal
- Nico Fisher shares how the ballet makes Angel Island's immigrant history personal and emotional.
- Dance conveys hopes, waiting, and poetry on the detention center walls in a way words sometimes cannot.
Use Local History to Empower
- Engage with local history to strengthen community power and awareness.
- History shared through accessible mediums like art helps people emotionally connect and learn together.
Poems Reveal Immigrant Voices
- Over 200 poems carved by Chinese detainees reveal detention hardships and enduring hope.
- These writings provide a rare first-person glimpse into early 20th-century immigrant experiences at Angel Island.