2022 The APA Living Today Nov./Dec. Issue

IN THE COMMUNITY

Taking Care Of Business ... That’s Entertainment Page 4 & 5

Take Center Stage With American Martial Arts Alliance In Las Vegas Page 6

Millions of U.S. Students Denied Access to Music Education, According To First-Ever National Study Conducted by Arts Education Data Project Pages 8 & 9

IN THE KNOW

Usagi Yojimbo Newly Reimagined Page 10 & 11

SWEET & SAVORY

What

Page

SPOTLIGHT

David Carlyle Magdael:

Page 14 &

STORY THREADS

Together: “You

Page

NEWS & EVENTS

William T. Fujioka

Page

The

Local Non-Profit

Thank You!

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE SUPPORTED AND HELPED US THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR. WE CANNOT STRESS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR US TO RECOGNIZE EVERYONE’S HARD WORK AND SUPPORT.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & SOURCES

Asian Journal

Val Acoba Hau Cam April Capil Jim Chong Linda Claramo Heather Dawson William Fujioka

Derrell Kelso

Japanese American National Museum

Sacramento County City of Sacramento City of Stockton El Concilio of California Sass Public Relations Chasons Crab Stadium Family Resource & Referral Center

Sakura Japanese Groceries & Gifts

Franklin Community Library - Elk grove Poppy Coffee

Red Phoenix Rising Splash Aquarium Elk Grove Oriental Chef Restaurant

Olivia Kelso Leslie Edman FANHS Museum Mike Huber

Ines Ruiz-Huston Kinsei Imada Darlene Kuba Phillip Merlo

Robin Morgan Kristy Nong

BUSINESSES & ORGANIZATIONS

Louie’s Market

Greater Sacramento Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce

Central Valley Asian American Chamber of Commerce Chinese Cultural Society of America Vietnamese American Community of Sacramento

Japanese American Citizens League Filipino American National Historical Society Filipino American National Historical Society Museum

San Joaquin Historical Society APSARA Little Manila Rising

Tanya Parmelee

Peter Phong

Rebecca Ray

Anna Sass

Carrie Sass Marco & Christina Solis Terri Torres

Tim Ulmer

Dr. Richard Yee, D.O.

Buddhist Church of Stockton Bobalicious Cafe & Ice Cream Parlor

Phan Realty JJB Family Farms

California Mentor Home Agency

Cross Group Networking Wave Analytics

Lincoln Center of Stockton New Yen Ching Restaurant Shogun Japanese Restaurant Elite Publishing

Visionary Home Builders HerLife Magazine

We would like to give a special thank you to Jim Chong, owner of Hybrid Media Marketing and PR Publicist. Jim has provided The APA Living Today with insightful articles and has contributed his vast knowledge, advice, and drive to help the publication grow, all along the way, promoting the publication to surrounding communities, media entities, and other support networks. It always seems Jim never stops working and promoting and is always going a hundred miles an hour coming up with the next business venture. Thank you so much Jim for your contributions and help.

Deadline

L_imada@bggwestllc.com

Edman

It was a stammering year that began in hope, flirted with whiplash, and was shuddered awake. It was the year that the economy went into a tailspin, COVID-19 seemed to be in check, and being “woke” gave us a new definition, be it bad and

Is it any

that the deliberate preservation of mental health and resilience was a major

Resilience was everywhere, but patience was waning. The world entered into the “worst” of wars, climates and economics focusing a new concentration on the intolerable. If social media thrives on the strife that now defines our politics, we still know how to recognize the best in one another. The mantra of 2020 after all, was, “things will never be the same.” Guess what, it still continues.

So, here is when I take a breath and exhale slowly. I’ve come to realize it’s the small battles that we face to overcome the war. We win the small battles to have some sort of mental and physical stability. We help where and when we can. We can’t be everywhere at once, so pick and choose what you can do that will help you with the small battles. Should make things a bit easier as we’re coming down to the end of the year

On a final note, as the year starts to wind down, the APA Living Today would like to take this opportunity to thank the hundreds of people who have made this year a success. We would like to thank our partners and contributors for all their dedication to helping out whenever and wherever possible.

Our success depended upon you and your families. Please accept our deepest thank you for all you have done to help the APA Living Today succeed this year. We want to wish all of you a healthy, safe and happy holidays. See you next year!

Layne

Ruiz-Huston

Sass-

Sass

Claramo - FANHS JANM

Elite Publications

Tim Ulmer

Mission Statement

The Asian Pacific American Living Today is a bi-monthly newspaper dedicated to providing a comprehensive publication, both in print and online, that seeks to raise awareness of issues of interest to Asians and associated ethnic groups in California and abroad.

Objectives

Strength - To give a voice to the community for sharing and lauding accomplishments and concerns.

Unity - Unite readers about the issues facing Asian Pacific Americans. Promote and encourage readers to take an active role in raising awareness in the community and its contributions and concerns.

Involved - Ask readers to be involved in the community as an informed member.

While we most directly address the concerns of Asian Pacific Americans, our publication is not a racial or ethnic sorting. It is a gathering of all those who wish to gather.

Taking Care of Business… That’s Entertainment

Are you looking to do business during these times but are a little lost as to the most effective strategy? We have been pondering the thought of “live” vs. “virtual” connections during these times. We have strategic business groups that have been very instrumental in navigating through the technology emerging as a now completely online business while others are returning back to in-person meetings entirely.

Literally today, I have attended one of my first “in-person” meetings for a real “business group” meeting since the global shutdown. It was a real eye opener as to my experience. I realized that I have been really focused on reaching people nationally and not just locally. “So what’s the problem?” you may ask. While I’m taking time to connect people either to have their books written or literally bringing people together for the sake of a unified cause nationally (ie. dealing with helping entities formulate a mental health resource nationally or creating a multicultural experience for people all over the globe), I am finding it hard for people to understand how to “save the world” globally when they are focused on just the local areas.

Good point, but there is a lot to say about a visionary vs. a practitioner. Helping people think “Global” when they are oriented more towards the local is a very big step to take. On the other hand and in fairness, helping people think locally when they are oriented more towards the “Global” vision is equally challenging.

This is something to just consider as you are thinking about how you want to achieve your extraordinary financial success…will it be by starting an online Amazon store or providing local services with the direct and target market right in front of you.

I am glad to be a part of several events that are very meaningful. First off, it’s been exciting to help facilitate LIVE and in-person events whether it be as a speaker, facilitator, or just someone in the audience.

Well, why not do both? Look towards innovative opportunities where you don’t just trade dollars for time long term. Personally in opening local

entertainment offerings (specifically Karaoke at this time), I’ve found it very fulfilling to create a community through entertainment. We are not just trying to bring people together to sing, but to use it as a way to bring community together and have people develop themselves through singing which has helped people definitely have fun but also gain confidence, connect with others on an emotional level, as well as strive to reach certain goals. All of these are characteristics that are important to be successful in anything.

But more importantly, in actually studying and servicing many Karaoke entertainment events and working on the personal aspects of the business, I find that it has connected me with a variety of market verticals as well as with people on a much higher level than any business meeting could do.

I find that when a mic is put in front of someone and you are able to help them by supporting them while they are singing, speaking, or doing comedy… there is an intangible connection made.

Watching some of the Karaoke, Comedy, and Speaking events…I’m seeing personally and first hand how many doors are opened just because you are in a casual and fun setting where everyone is “letting their hair” down.

that informal times together bond people, but if you can turn it into entertainment that can also develop a community

individuals…incredible

can be transacted while laughing and having a great time together.

events let you come face to face

people

are working/ connecting with, virtual events allow you to connect with people you may have never had a chance to ever meet.

time thinking about next year and what you want to accomplish locally and even globally if your vision can take you there.

Here’s to a great 2023…get all your friends together in both “high” and “low” places and get them singing and laughing together…it’s the art of doing business while not doing

Now…who’s next on the

harshaW

JULY 2022 - July was a month symbolizing Freedom, Independence, and - some exciting new beginnings. We were delighted to honor some highly deserving martial artist authors at the American Martial Arts Alliance and Take Center Stage Writer’s Journey Event held in Las Vegas at The Orleans in July 2022. We were also able to announce the official launch of Elite Publications founded by Grand Master Jessie Bowen.

At the event and awards ceremony, the focus was to 1) give the much-deserved recognition to the authors and contributors in this volume of the Changing Lives Series book honoring Bill “Superfoot” Wallace that featured over 100 Martial Artists and 2) acknowledge the nominated authors that were submitted and approved for the 2022 Take Center Stage Author’s Journey for their books and publications.

The weekend consisted of a workshop that helped inspire and educate both accomplished and aspiring authors on “Why Write a Book?” covering all the essential elements from how to get started to creating an award winning international best seller.

We were also able to showcase the new books that were published through Elite Publications which had achieved #1 in multiple categories worldwide as best sellers. Attendees at the event were inspired to understand the positive difference a book can make, not just for the author’s personal fulfillment, but also for educating, motivating and stimulating readers to accomplish things they may not have otherwise imagined.

The event also featured a special demonstration session with Bill “Superfoot” Wallace and a very meaningful Awards Banquet Ceremony Dinner that honored the release of the “Changing Lives Biography Book Series 7” honoring Grand Master Bill “Superfoot” Wallace and highlighting 100+ accomplished and high ranking martial artists with decades of experience in instructing and training, along with many of the recognized accomplished and emerging authors/writers of books in the business arena, personal development, instructional, cultural, and motivational space to name a few. At the venue, we were also able to recognize the accomplishments of the founder of Elite Publications and AMAA Grand Master Jessie and his wife, Pastor Gwen Bowen, by having their Doctorate in Humanities Degrees presented at the event.

The goal of this annual event is twofold: 1) To honor Martial Artists from all over the globe through this annual showcased American Martial Arts gathering.

Take Center Stage Writer’s Journey

With American Martial Arts Alliance in Las Vegas

By Elite Publications - Take Center Stage - October 2022

Source cited: American Martial Arts Alliance - July 2022

2) To announce the official launch of Elite Publications and to celebrate the Take Center Stage Writer’s Journey Awards by acknowledging and honoring those who have made a difference in the lives of others through their writings and books

Knowing the importance and relevance of education and the significance of literacy and books, we are striving to make Elite Publications one of the best self-publishing resources available to anyone that wants to write a book and help educate people on why a book or written piece can serve in multiple ways to make a difference in other’s lives - and why it arguably is one of the best “business cards” available to give credibility and visibility to any author.

During these times, we are excited to be able to start a tradition in helping make a difference in the world by inspiring and assisting people to write their book (or books) and to train, educate and acknowledge accomplished and upcoming authors in their journey through TAKE CENTER STAGE WRITER’S JOURNEY and the American Martial Arts Alliance. This is truly a unique and “Elite” time for everyone to join at an event that serves to give the much needed opportunity to bring together people for the purposes of changing scores of lives in future generations.

Let’s celebrate a great decade starting in 2022!

We want to thank the team of Elite Publications for their contribution to this year’s events:

Grand Master Jessie Bowen - Founder of Elite Publications Dr. Gwendolyn Bowen - Operations Editor

Jessica C. Phillips - Executive Director of Marketing

Jim T. Chong the “Wok Star” - Executive Hybrid PR Publicist

Natalie McQueen - International Best-Selling Consultant

Buddy Thornton - Writer Resource Chris Tice - Author’s Follow Up Krystal Harvey - Graphic Designer

Jim T. Chong, Executive Hybrid PR Media Publicist

Elite Publications

Contact: (916)747-9366

Email: jtc.publicist@gmail.com

Are you ready to write your story? Contact us! For more information, visit www.ElitePublications.org or calI/text (919) 618-8075

Proud partner of The APA Living Today

performance, business, and personal achievement. So, whether you're a first-time

coaching team has publishing and marketing resources to help you succeed. Elite's books frequently appear on best-seller lists, and our authors are among some of the best-known in their genre.

DR. GWENDOLYN BOWEN Operation Editor

www.greatervisionchristianchurch.com

Dr. Gwendolyn Bowen is the Operations Editor for Elite Publications, Pastor of Greater Vision Christian Church, an award-winning author, Spiritual Empowerment coach, and Blog Radio host. She is a retired teacher for the Edgecombe County Public Schools System and the wife of Dr. Jessie Bowen. She has a weekly program featured on the GPAT-23 television station and hosts monthly empowerment and spiritual sessions for women. Her books include My Soul Cries Out, 30 Days Me & God Daily Devotionals To Renew Your Mind, and Don't Give Up in Your Storm: God is in Control in the Storms of Your Life.

JESSICA C. PHILLIPS Executive Director of Marketing

www.elitepublications.org

Jessica C. Phillips is Elite Publications Executive Director of Marketing. She is a minister, mentor, martial artist, columnist for the Martial Arts Extraordinaire Magazine, and an awardwinning author and podcaster. Her books include Be D.O.P.E.: Be Dependent on Prayer Every Day,Volumes 1 & 2, and Publicity and Press Release Marketing for Profit, which was co-authored with Dr. Jessie Bowen. Jessica has been inducted into prestigious honor societies, including Phi Theta Kappa and The National Society of Leadership and Success. She believes that she is not only capable of reaching for the stars, but she can touch them too. She wants to spread the same hope worldwide.

JIM T. CHONG Executive Hybrid PR Publicist

www.zoomturtle.com

Jim T. Chong (The "Wok Star" Legend Maker & Publicist) specializes in Digital Media Marketing/PR, radio show/Media personality on Social Media, the Media and News Channel, The Voice Of San Joaquin, and a Mega-Cultural/Master Emcee as the Wok Star. In addition, he is a licensed financial professional, filmmaker, National and International best-selling and multi-book author, executive speaker, and community leader within multiple communities. Jim is also the creator of The Side Hustle Business Marketplace, The Hustle Global, and Virtual Chamber Of Commerce. Some clients he serves as an Executive Publicist include the AMAA, EZcard, and Kirby Delauney (World Record Brick Breaker).

MEET TEAM

Elite Publications

NATALIE MCQUEEN International Best-Selling Consultant www.legacy.atomconnects.com

Natalie McQueen is the Founder of Gifts of Legacy, a Bestselling Author, Publisher, and Director of International Bestseller Marketing with Elite Publications, Certified in Mindset Mastery, and the Create Your Legacy Speaker and Coach. Natalie is a Publishing and Best-Selling Expert. Her bestseller marketing techniques have brought over 350 authors to the #1 International Bestseller rankings. Forming her company, Gifts of Legacy, Natalie has a one-of-a-kind system that guides families of all ages to create their best lives, live with intention, and share their traditions that will touch the lives of their future generations. Her personal International mission is to empower people to share

BUDDY THORNTON Writer Resource http://www. bctmediationsplus.com/

Buddy Thornton has been married 48+ years to his spouse, Sharon. They have four children, seven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. Buddy is the creative mind behind the Slippery Slope series and the author of Book I, Contemporary Society Through the Lens of Applied Ethics, and Book II, Contemporary Society Through the Lens of Applied Morals. Book 111, The Optimal Journey to Oneself-Teen and Young Adult Edition and Book IV, The Optimal Journey to Oneself-Parent Teacher-Caregiver Edition continue the series. Buddy is a featured regular participant on the Impact of Educational Leadership podcast hosted by Isaiah Drone Ill.

CHRIS TICE Authors Follow Up www.eaglefireenrichment.com

As one in whom Christ dwells, Chris Tice is a life and leadership coach and inspirational speaker. Co-founder of EagleFire Enrichment LLC, Chris began his leadership journey early in life by earning the Eagle Scout award. Utilizing lessons learned through life, he has continued this journey through sales and business and became a firefighter for the City of Wichita. Due to persistent injuries, Chris took a leap of faith and retired from the fire department to become a full-time coach and speaker. Now he entirely seeks to explore and live in the greatness God has called and created him to be and to inspire others to do the same.

KRYSTAL L. HARVEY Graphic Designer

www.tigersharkmediausa.com

Krystal Harvey, President of Tiger Shark, Inc. and graphic designer for Elite Publications, is a writer, producer, art director, graphic artist, manager and publicist for authors, publishers, actors, independent filmmakers, influencers, podcasters, music producers and recording artists. She has 20 years of dynamic content creation, storytelling and brand-building experience. She has taken the creative lead as ghostwriter & graphic designer on over 60 published works. Krystal is also an actor and a singersongwriter. Her mission is simply to make life more beautiful.

Millions of U.S. Students Denied Access to Music Education, According to First-Ever National Study Conducted by Arts Education Data Project

New Music and Arts Education national report coincides with this month’s NAMM Music Education Advocacy Hill Day and National Arts in Education Week

Sources cited: State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education (SEADAE)

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM)

October 25, 2022 - CISION - Peter Giles

WARREN, N.J. (PRWEB) SEPTEMBER 12, 2022 -

Despite significant progress made in recent years to keep music and the other arts in U.S. public schools, millions of U.S. public school students still do not have access to these programs. This is according to recent findings by The Arts Education Data Project (AEDP), which provides the first-ever review of the status and condition of music and arts education in U.S. public schools based on large-scale student participation data.

A joint effort between State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education and its longtime partner, Quadrant Research, the AEDP studied actual student participation data reported by school districts to their state education departments data from the 2019 school year. The result is the National Arts Education Status Report Summary 2019, a comprehensive look at access to and participation in arts education in public schools in the United States.

The report’s release coincides with NAMM Music Education Advocacy Hill Day on September 14, when members and arts education advocates join the industry association in Washington, D.C., to carry a message of support for music education to Members of Congress and their legislative aides. It is also timed to National Arts in Education Week (September 11-17), when the field of arts education joins together in communities across the country to tell the story of the impact of the transformative power of the arts in education.

It’s a Matter of Equity in Education

The new AEDP report reveals that, while 92 percent of students in U.S. public schools have access to music education in school, 3,609,698 of students do not have that same opportunity. In addition, 2,095,538 students do not have access to any arts education (defined as dance, music, theatre or visual arts).

The new data also reveal that a disproportionate number of public-school students without access to music and arts education are concentrated in schools in major urban communities; have the highest percentage of students eligible for free/reduced price meals; and are either majority Black, Hispanic, or Native American. In addition, many of these students without music and arts education attend public charter schools.

Research shows that learning music results in educational, cognitive, social, emotional and physical benefits. For example, pioneering research conducted by neurobiologist Nina Kraus offers insight into how musical experience affects brain function across the lifespan. Findings to-date indicate that tapping into the brain’s potential for music learning supports overall learning, and is most critical for disadvantaged and under-served students.

To advance access and equity for all students, federal education law as defined by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) recognizes music and the arts as part of a well-rounded education.

Contrary to reports of a decline in the number of music and arts programs, the AEDP report confirms that music and arts education is widely accessible to students across the various grade spans, with participation at its highest in elementary schools because many states require participation at this level.

Music and visual art are the arts disciplines most available to students and therefore have the most significant participation. Most schools (80 percent) offer two or more of the arts disciplines.

Yet, despite this positive trend, there is room for improvement.

“For the First time, We have a clear picture and can provide advocates, administrators, parents and policymakers With critical data to improve student access Where it’s needed.”

– roBert morrison, ceo oF Quadrant research

“Equity in education determines whether students can learn and grow with music and arts,” said Robert Morrison, CEO of Quadrant Research. “Before our new AEDP report, we had no large-scale national-level visibility into the actual status and condition of music and arts education in U.S. public schools. For the first time, we have a clear picture and can provide advocates, administrators, parents and policymakers with critical data to improve student access where it’s needed.”

More than 120 state agencies, arts councils, advocacy organizations, funders, and professional arts education associations are involved in this collective impact work.

The information in the AEDP report is from 30,633 schools in 7,015 districts from 17 states, representing 18 million students or 36 percent of the total public school student population in the United States for the 2018/2019 school year. States included are Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

National funding for the Arts Education Data Project has been provided by the CMA Foundation, The Music Man Foundation, The NAMM Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council. In addition, various state agencies and state-based philanthropic organizations have provided individual state funding.

To learn more about the Arts Education Data Project, including links to individual state dashboards, visit https://artseddata.org/national_report_2019/ or http://NAMMfoundation.org.

CHILD

IN THE KNOW

If you come across “Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles” on Netflix, you may be in for a surprise. It’s an animated series about a rebellious teenager and his group of friends and their adventures saving the city from … yokai.

Yep, yokai. Japanese ghost-spirits, most of them malevolent and dangerous. They’re running (or floating) amok in the city of Neo-Edo, possessing people and things and causing a lot of havoc.

The teenagers fighting the yokai are all martial arts-fighting animals: The titular samurai is, as the name says, a rabbit, Yuichi Miyamoto, who’s accompanied by Spot, his tokage, or pet dinosaur-lizard (Yuichi and Spot — who doesn’t really speak, just squeals — are both voiced by Japanese American actor Darren Barnet). His posse of ghostbusters includes Kitsune, a fox (voiced by Shelley Rabara); Chizu, a cat who was raised by the evil Neko Ninja crew (Mallory Low); Gen the rhinoceros (Aleks Le); and Tetsujin the bear (Keone Young), who is the Buddhist priest guarding the magical Ki-Stone crystal.

The series, which made its debut on Netflix on April 28, is a breathless, exciting, funny and action-packed samurai story, set not in the feudal Japan of the past, but of the future, where Neo-Edo is built like a traditional Japanese town but with neon and floating space vehicles, and the teenagers who star in the series stop to strike a pose and take selfies. The computer graphic animation is top-notch, and many of the characters and much of the scenes look almost photographic … except, of course, the characters are talking animals in samurai gear.

The story follows Yuichi, who is the descendant of Miyamoto Usagi, a samurai warrior from the 1600s, who desperately wants to become a famous samurai himself. The series intercuts scenes of Miyamoto fighting yokai, and Yuichi imagines himself doing the same.

But when he meets his new companions and ends up at the temple that houses the Ki-Stone, he inadvertently releases the yokai, who’ve been imprisoned inside it for centuries. The main yokai that escapes, Kagehito, mistakes Yuichi for his ancestor, who imprisoned the yokai in the first place.

Yuichi and his friends are fun characters, and the series draws in viewers with its humor and action. But “Samurai Rabbit” also manages to be engaging by paying accurate tribute to historical Japanese culture — down to the use of Japanese words without pandering to audiences by explaining every word and phrase.

So, yokai are introduced right away, but anyone watching picks up the meaning of the word by, well, watching. Spot is called Tokage, the word for “lizard” without explanation. Yuichi yells ikuzo! – the word for “let’s go!” before leaping into a fight. Even set props in the background, like the shoji paper screens, are referred by their Japanese names. Watching the series, even though it’s a sci-fi fantasy set in the 26th century, is a lesson in Japanese culture, traditions and language.

The series is true to the culture and history of Japan, including the historical elements, even though it takes place in the future because it’s anchored in actual Japanese history.

And it’s completely on purpose, explains Stan Sakai, the creator and an executive producer of the series.

“You can see I have [Japanese] machines in there, you know, like, there is a pachinko or one of those game centers, and all the houses have this Japanese motif,” he noted. “It’s sort of very traditional, and when you get to Neo Edo, the adventures take place with more futuristic architecture, but it’s built around the old traditional Japanese homes with the, you know, the sloping roofs and everything.”

Sakai is the mastermind behind the series. “Samurai Rabbit” is the latest entry in a media empire that was started as a tribute to the classic samurai tales of old Japan that were memorialized in the films of director Akira Kurosawa and actor Toshiro Mifune. Those inspirations evolved into “Usagi Yojimbo,” a comic book series launched in 1984 by Sakai, a Kyoto-born, Hawaii-raised Japanese American artist.

Sakai had envisioned a comic book that was based on the movies he loved, like the 1961 “Yojimbo,” starring Mifune as a ronin, or a masterless samurai, who is a bodyguard for hire (yojimbo means “bodyguard”). Mifune also starred in the “Samurai Trilogy” of films in the 1950s directed by Hiroshi Inagaki, as Musashi Miyamoto, a legendary (real) samurai who was a philosopher and a ronin made famous for fighting with two swords, one in each hand.

Generations of Japanese Americans have grown up watching “chanbara,” or samurai sword-fighting movies for Saturday matinees, on late-night TV or on VHS, DVDs or now Blu-ray discs. Sakai was a fan from childhood, and when he was pondering the idea of drawing a comic book based on the samurai he loved so much, he was doodling and came up with the idea of a rabbit with his ears tied in a top-knot, samurai-style.

So, instead of human samurai, he turned the characters into anthropomorphized warriors and gave Usagi Yojimbo, the ronin rabbit bodyguard, the name Miyamoto Usagi in tribute to his early influences.

The character has been durable in various comic book series written and drawn by Sakai for almost 40 years now, but Miyamoto Usagi has also been a “guest star” on several episodes of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, a good anthropomorphic fit.

There were even Usagi Ninja Turtles action figures produced. Sakai has licensed Usagi role-playing games and has inspired two video games. “Usagi Yojimbo” has won a handful or awards over the years, and in 2011, the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles organized a “Year of the Rabbit: Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo” exhibit.

But wait — there’s more! Sakai has collaborated with his wife, Julie, an artist in her own right, and the dynamic duo call themselves JUST, and they’ve produced “Chibi Usagi: Attack of the Heebie Chibis,” an adorable graphic novel aimed at inspiring young readers to learn about traditional Japanese history and culture. You can even order a “Kawaii bundle” from the StanSakai.com website that includes an “Usagi Yojimbo” coloring book, the “Chibi Usagi” graphic novel and a cute Chibi Usagi plush toy.

Sakai keeps busy, but he can concentrate on his core Usagi Yojimbo character and story lines because all of this rampant creativity is managed as a family business.

“Julie takes care of all the business things,” Sakai said. And his step-son, Daniel Fujii, “takes care of negotiations and also dealing with clients and such, new projects. Like there would not be a TV series or streaming series with Netflix if it was not for Daniel.”

It’s a mom-and-pop shop and more, with a son added. “Very much,” Sakai said. “Each one of us has our own business, too. Daniel also does licensing for other people. And Julie has her own art business as well.”

Now that the business has diversified, as they say in the business world, Sakai watches over more, but he also has the ability to think even more deeply about the stories he wants to tell in all formats, whether it’s comics or animation.

“You know, when I first started, I was concerned with what do I do next month? Now, I’m laying the foundations for stories that would take about another 10 years,” Sakai said. “It’s like, one story I did called ‘The Hidden’ about the hidden Christians in Japan. I was laying down the foundations for that about eight years before I actually wrote that story. And the same with ‘Grasscutter.’ It’s probably one of my most acclaimed stories — it won an Eisner Award, it was used as a textbook in Japanese history classes on the college level. And, you know, it’s received a number of awards, including the American Library Association Award, and that took about five years just to do the research.”

Because Sakai is so deeply rooted in Japanese culture, it’s easy to assume he has lived a good deal of his life in Japan. But his family moved from Kyoto to Hawaii when he was just 2 years old. So, he simply immerses himself in research to be able to depict the culture that is such a foundation of his entire Usagi catalog.

“I do as much research as I can, but within reason because this is a fantasy series. I mean, it’s possible I can get away with a lot,” he said, chuckling.

Asked if he worries about whether his audiences get all the cultural references he throws into the comics and the series, Sakai acknowledges that he creates the comic books for himself, primarily. However, he added, “Recently, I get input from people saying, ‘Oh, I liked it when you did this story about the tea cup about the tea ceremony’ or ‘when you did this for the yokai.’

I integrate those things, and I’m in a great position because I write and I draw everything. My publishers don’t see any of it until I set it up, fully completed. So, I have that trust from the publishers.”

The Netflix series is more aimed at a specific audience: young viewers who may have outgrown cartoons for video games but would watch a cool show about teenagers being rebellious and silly and at times overconfident. It’s an American production with American characters but with lots of real Japan thrown in.

Whether or not audiences realize it, Sakai’s using characters audiences could identify with to teach them about Japan. The series is shown worldwide by Netflix, including recently in Japan.

“In France, it’s been doing very well,” Sakai said. “Internationally, good. In some countries, it’s No. 1 in the kids’ market. So, I’ll be really interested to see how it does in Japan.”

That will be a challenge because the series will be subtitled, even though the subject is ostensibly Japanese. Sakai notes that his comics have traditionally not done well in Japan “because it’s not translated into Japanese. And there has never been a Western comic book that has made any type of impression in the Japanese manga market.”

Sakai says that popular Western comics are rare in Japan, and even Marvel had to produce comics for Japan with new stories that were written and drawn in Japan in order to appeal to the market there.

But stateside, Sakai’s family business and the Usagi empire has a rosy future. There are already 10 more episodes already in postproduction to follow the first season of “Samurai Rabbit’s” 10 episodes that will stream on the platform later this year or early next year. “And after that,” Sakai hinted, “we have something big, really big plans.”

What Is Yakitori? A Beginner’s Guide to This Japanese Comfort Food

This traditional, casual Japanese meal is making a splash in the United States. Here’s what you need to know about how to order yakitori and make it at home.

Yakitori can be literally translated to “grilled chicken,” from the Japanese words yaki (grill) and tori (chicken). Yakitori consists of bite-sized pieces of meat (usually chicken) served on a bamboo skewer.

In Japan, yakitori can be a street food dish or a casual meal served in a parlor, frequently paired with Japanese beer or sake. In America, it’s becoming trendy in restaurants, with chefs using all parts of the chicken for their skewers and getting creative with other proteins and foods. It’s likewise popping up in homes, especially at dinner parties, where the communal experience of cooking dinner over a hot grill offers a unique adventure and non-typical technique for putting dinner on the table.

Keep reading to learn what yakitori is, how it’s prepared, and how you can make it the centerpiece of your next dinner party or family meal.

How Is Yakitori Prepared?

A small rectangular grill only a few inches deep is central to yakitori. In restaurants, chefs often prepare dishes tableside or at a central grill surrounded by bar seats.

Traditional yakitori will always be prepared over binchotan, a Japanese white charcoal. This heat source burns very clean so it doesn’t add flavor to the chicken skewers; all charred flavor comes from contact with the hot grill. When binchotan isn’t available, lump charcoal or briquette can be used for a similar flavorless option.

The grill burns low, around 200 degrees Fahrenheit, so the meat cooks slowly. A chef will constantly stand at the grill rotating the meat and allowing it to be just kissed by the flames below. It is also up to this ever-present chef to monitor the moisture level of the meat and adjust it with a house sauce called tare.

Other than high-quality ingredients, the flavor of yakitori comes from this soybased basting tare sauce. Each restaurant will have their own special recipe for tare, which creates a house flavor for yakitori. Ingredients in tare include Japanese rice wine (mirin), scallions, ginger, sugar, soy sauce, sake, and spices.

Part way through grilling, skewers will be dunked in the tare and returned to the grill. They will be dunked again or brushed with tare right before they are served to customers. This final dip creates a lacquer like surface on the chicken that is sweet and salty but still subtle enough to let the savory chicken flavor shine through.

How to Order at a Yakitori Restaurant

When visiting a true yakitori parlor, expect to sit at a bar seat situated around a central grill. If there are tables, they will be very close to the bar so skewers can be brought to diners quickly.

Diners order from a menu featuring dozens of chicken cuts. It’s not just white meat or dark meat here, choices include chicken heart, cartilage, thigh, skin, and even bits of pure chicken fat. There is also usually tsukune, a skewered meatball made of minced chicken mixed with tare and other ingredients like shiso or chopped onion. A limited number of other meats (like pork belly and beef) and vegetable options may also be on the menu.

After ordering, customers are brought one sizzling skewer at a time. They should be given a brief moment to cool and then be eaten immediately. Condiments including extra tare, chile-based powdered spice mix, or seasoned salt will be provided at some more formal yakitori parlors. A server will supply a cup for used bamboo skewers.

How Did Yakitori Get So Popular?

Yakitori’s popularity in the United States can be partially attributed to food personalities like Anthony Bourdain and David Chang. Both men featured yakitori meals on their television shows “No Reservations” and “Ugly Delicious” respectively. Bourdain also described a yakitori meal in detail, down to the drips of chicken fat, in his book Medium Raw.

World-famous Japanese chefs like Yoshiteru Ikegawa are opening restaurants in the United States which attracts the interest of high-end diners to this traditional Japanese meal. While popular Japanese yakitori chains like Toritetsu and Tori Jiro have made plans to build restaurants with more affordable prices in the U.S.

The small footprint of a yakitori kitchen and solid margins on ingredients also makes yakitori attractive to chefs and restaurateurs looking to capitalize on food trends.

How to Throw a Yakitori Dinner Party

If you don’t yet have a yakitori parlor in your hometown, you can still marvel at the fun experience that is this casual but classic food technique. For your next dinner party or just an experiential night of cooking at home, make it a yakitori dinner party. Here’s how to do it.

What You’ll Need:

• Yakitori grill or cast-iron grill pan

• Chimney starter

• Clean-burning charcoal logs

• Bamboo skewers

• Cuts of chicken, beef, pork, and vegetables

Savory

For your first yakitori experience, pick two or three yakitori recipes so you can keep preparation and cooking well managed. Classics like Yakitori Chicken, Tsukune (Japanese Chicken Meatballs), and Beef Yakitori are a good place to start your planning. Kawa Yakitori (crispy chicken skin) is a fun option, too. Make a few skewers of vegetables, too, to round out your meal.

Many yakitori recipes call for some period of marinating, so plan ahead to make sure you’ve given all the proteins enough time to soak in their sauces. Make the dipping sauces, such as tare, early, too.

When it’s time to cook the yakitori, heat up your grill. A classic charcoal grill will work, as will a stovetop grill pan. If you’re wanting a more authentic experience, you can buy an inexpensive yakitori grill ($30; amazon.com) and charcoals. Prepare the charcoals. Then preheat the grill.

Gather your family and friends, because once the yakitori starts cooking, everything moves quickly. Each skewer likely needs just a few minutes on the hot grill to cook — you’re working with petite cuts of meat — and you’ll want to cook in batches so the yakitori stays hot and tender. Let diners grill their own skewers, or play chef and cook round after round of skewers, doling them out as they’re done.

If you want the yakitori experience to be a bit closer to what you’d experience in a Japanese parlor, make sure there’s plenty of beer or sake.

David Carlyle Magdael: My Journey from Taco Bell to The Oscars

Although David spent most of his life looking forward, he says there comes a point in time when you start to look at your past and ask yourself how you got to where you are now. For David, he looked to his roots, the people that inspired him, and where he grew up.

David grew up in South Stockton, in a mostly Filipino American community, where everyone knew each other and cared about one another. The adults looked after the neighborhood kids as if they were family. It was a community where everyone wanted their families to excel and live the American dream.

It was his mother, Angel Bantillo Magdael, that taught him education was the key and the importance of giving back to the community. However, his mother never forced college, but would say, “I’ve always wanted you to have the opportunity. I highly suggest that you go, that’s what your father would want and why your father worked hard.” David says, “Looking back has really made me want to strive to do more, so much more than working at Taco Bell.” One of David’s first jobs in high school was at Taco Bell, his specialty being the Bell Burger.

David eventually went to the University of California at Davis where he majored in sociology and education. He pursued graduate work at the University of California at Berkeley in education and received a teaching credential. But then his outlook changed, and he decided he did not want to be in school and took a pause to figure out his life’s journey.

It was about this time, in the late 1970s, David was coming into his own sexuality. “It was a time when I needed to figure out who I was as a gay person and figure out what that was like.” It was during this time, Proposition 6, the Briggs Initiative, that would ban lesbian and gays from teaching in public schools, was being considered by California voters. David decided to move to San Francisco and instead, pursued a career in hotel management.

After eight years, “I just woke up and told myself I can’t do this.” David called his mother and asked her if she would be OK with his being unemployed? Her reply, “I worked at a job for 30 plus years and I didn’t like it, but I had children. I had things that I had wanted to do. I was passed up for promotions by people who were less qualified, mostly liberal white men. I could run circles around those guys, but they always passed me because I was Filipina. If you’re unhappy, get out. You don’t have to be like me. You can always come back to Stockton, but I know you’re not coming back. You’ll figure it out. If you need my help, come back home.” “It was then that I quit my job, cleared out my locker and headed to Los Angeles.”

It was in Los Angeles where David, working for his cousin who was head of media relations for a hospital, had first introduced him to public relations. But soon after, David moved to West Berlin to care for his partner, Michael, who had full blown AIDS. To provide support for his partner, David armed himself with as much knowledge about AIDS to gain a better understanding and to make informed decisions about the virus as treatments and cures were still in its experimental stage. This accumulated knowledge led him to a job offer with the Department of Health to provide public awareness programs in the community. In 1990, David returned to San Francisco, CA, to work for the Children’s Hospital in external communications and Pediatric AIDS. His job responsibilities were to raise funds and manage public relations.

In 1997, he turned his interest to public affairs and did freelance work. He eventually went to work for his cousin at a public relations firm working on campaigns that focused on teen pregnancy, anti-tobacco, and deregulation of electricity. He became co-director in visual communications for the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and has been involved with them for over 20 years. His public relations and visual communications work began to take notice and David was called on to run an Oscar® campaign on a documentary

“looking Back has really made me Want to strive to do more, so much more than Working at taco Bell.”

– david carlyle magdael

film just nominated for an Oscar. As a result of his campaign work, the documentary won the coveted Oscar that year. From that point on, David has taken nominated projects and films to the Oscars® every year since.

In 1999, David founded David Magdael & Associates, Inc., specializing in the publicity and marketing of documentary and independent films. Today, David’s firm is one of the top five firms sought out to work on Oscar winning films and boasts a client roster including numerous Academy Award® winning and nominated documentaries, foreign language and short films, Sundance Film Festival Award winners, Toronto International Film Festival standouts, Tribeca Film Festival and South by Southwest gems and independent films. He works on films for Lionsgate, Paramount, Universal, Sony/Columbia, Variance Films, Zeitgeist, Relativity, Fox Searchlight/Fox International, Rogue, Focus Features, PDA, HBO, Showtime AMC, WE TV and others. During Oscar® award season, his firm is one that filmmakers seek out as they are vying for awards.

More information on David Magdael’s work, visit his website at dmagpr.com.

Membership applications can be requested by sending an email to:

Together: “You can’t fight these battles alone.”

A cancer diagnosis is never welcomed news. Today it seems commonplace to know someone who has been affected by cancer in one capacity or another. But when children are diagnosed with cancer, the news seems unbearable. For Tom and Tasha Mangrich, this news came when their four-year-old daughter, Avery, was diagnosed with an aggressive, fast-acting cancer that would change their world.

In spring 2016, the Mangrich family attended a movie at the Lodi cinema. As they were ready to start the show, Avery, their middle daughter, revealed she couldn’t see the screen. “It was all black,” recalled Tasha, thinking back to that first time Avery’s sight was affected. Over the next couple of months, Avery would regularly complain of “lights being turned off.” But it wasn’t until August 2016 that Tasha noticed Avery’s right eye protruding. “Something wasn’t right,” she said.

First Detection

Leaning on her intuition, Tasha got Avery in to see their family pediatrician immediately. It was a Friday afternoon, but the doctor was able to examine her and referred Avery to UC Davis, where she would have an appointment with an ophthalmologist the following week.

Yet between the time of her appointment with her local pediatrician and UC Davis, Avery started to have vision problems and acted confused and disoriented. During the ophthalmologist appointment, two doctors examined Avery and stated that they needed to go to the UC Davis emergency room right away. “It was a long night, as Avery underwent a CT scan, MRI and other tests,” Tom recalled. It was clear from the imaging that Avery had some kind of mass behind her right eye socket, but it wasn’t until the biopsy report that their worst fear was confirmed. Avery was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a very aggressive and fast-moving cancer. In addition, they found cancer cells in the meninges, the protective layer that covers and protects the brain and spinal cord. “The tumor behind her eye was growing through her optic nerve into her brain,” said Tom. Her type of cancer was also known to metastasize to the lungs, so this called for aggressive treatments.

The Mangrichs had not expected this kind of news, and yet the doctors also assured them they were lucky the tumor had revealed itself by protruding outward. If the cancer had grown internally, diagnosis would have made treatment more complicated and survival rates lessened. Treatment had to be quick, but surgery was not recommended due to the location of the tumor, Avery’s age and the fact that she might lose her eyeball and vision. The oncologist recommended radiation and chemotherapy as her first line of treatment.

Prior to the diagnosis, Tasha was beginning pre-requisites for the nursing program at San Joaquin Delta College. Now, with the news of Avery’s diagnosis, she knew her focus had to be on her daughter “I took off a year while she was in treatment,” she said.

Advocates in Unexpected Places

Tasha’s decision to take a break from the nursing program came at the right time. Avery’s first treatment of chemotherapy caused a reaction in her body and she developed a 104-degree fever. “It was terrifying to watch our spunky girl transition to a weak and lethargic child, and she only got sicker,” recalled Tasha. “It was horrifying recognizing your child might die from an infection as a side effect from chemo and not the cancer that we were fighting. The chemo destroys so many things.” Avery had developed pneumonia, which turned into a 28-day stay in the hospital. “It was a hard time for all of us. It was hard for Avery,” said Addison, Avery’s older sister. “We just wanted her to feel better.” Tasha and Tom would rotate from Sacramento to Lodi to stay with Avery, but the infection wasn’t going away.

Hopelessness lingered over them, yet Tasha and Tom found support from their faith and community. One of the greatest supports came from Avery’s nurses. “The nurses were advocates of getting her home, because she would bounce back,” referring that Avery’s condition would improve if she was in the comfort and familiarity of her home. It was here Tasha recognized the important role nurses play and reinforced her future vocation. “When Avery got sick, my vocation solidified; this is definitely what I’m going to do,” she remarked. “We were at the hospital regularly and we had an assigned nurse, and she became part of our family and part of our support system.”

Finally, the doctors performed a bronchoscopy and were able to find the right antibiotic to treat Avery. The fever finally went down and oxygen administration was lowered, Avery was able to go home.

Treatment in Boston

Avery’s treatment would soon continue, and by now Tom and Tasha had made friends with other families with children who were going through similar cancer treatments at the hospital. One family shared about a new specialized radiation at Massachusetts General Hospital, or MGH, in Boston, which was the first of its kind in the world. The Mangrichs took note. MGH had developed an innovative proton radiation therapy. Unlike traditional photon therapy, they were using high-energy proton beams to target the tumor precisely, with less collateral radiation to surrounding healthy cells and tissue.

“At first it wasn’t even imaginable,” said Tasha. Boston, across the country, would be out of their patient care network, which meant higher cost, and they would have to halt treatment with UC Davis. But Tom and Tasha were determined. They knew there were some risks, medically and financially, but after careful planning they set up treatment in Boston and connected their local doctors with those from Massachusetts General to make it work. “Once we got it, it was a seamless transition,” remarked Tom.

What Tom and Tasha hadn’t expected was the outpouring of support from their community. Meal trains and gifts started pouring in for Avery and even her sisters, Addison, and younger sister Ashlynn. “It was so overwhelming and amazing to see the support that we had.” A local organization, Cancer

Kids, run by Don and Peggy Walters, provided gift cards for necessities such as gas or groceries during their treatment. Their uncle and aunt, along with many family members, coordinated a benefit dinner for Avery with over 300 attendees to help raise money for the cost of hospital expenses.

That November, Tasha, Avery and Addison left for Boston to continue chemotherapy and start radiation, while Tom stayed home with Ashlynn. By Christmas, they were all together in Boston. “It turned out to be the best thing we ever did,” said Tasha. The treatment paid off and the radiation oncologist observed that the proton therapy was working. The tumor was shrinking. And just like at UC Davis, Tasha carefully watched the care the nurses gave to her daughter, even to her family. “We were immersed in the hospital, and paying attention to what they were doing, how close they were with us.” These encounters reinforced what she witnessed at UC Davis and Tasha knew at some point she would finish her nursing program. Avery’s treatment lasted until January 2017, when the family returned to California to continue care under UC Davis.

In May 2017, after ten months of treatment, Avery had her final chemotherapy and her doctor gave them the news they hoped to hear. She was now in remission. The Mangrichs were hesitant to feel content, but the process of treatment was over. Yet Tasha never forgot the kindness and care of the nurses.

Today, Thriving

Six years after her diagnosis, Avery continues to be in remission and is an active ten-year old at Vinewood Elementary School, participating in a variety of activities including soccer, dance and art. “I want to be a veterinarian,” she affirmed. Fortunately, Avery’s memory of the initial years is dim. “She doesn’t remember any of it,” reported Tom, grateful those early years would not stay with her. But the experience was life-changing for Tom and especially for Tasha, who would return to her vocation.

Last year, Tasha resumed the nursing program and graduated in May 2022. In August, she accepted a position at San Joaquin County General Hospital to work in their intensive care unit. “I’m excited to care for patients and their families in hopes of making a difference in other lives like so many nurses did for my family,” she smiled.

Looking back, Tom and Tasha recognize that Avery’s cancer is something they never want anyone to go through; nevertheless, it allowed them to see the importance of having a strong community. “You can’t fight these battles alone,” said Tasha. “Having each other and having such a strong support system, including our nurses, allowed us to become stronger in a weak situation. It truly takes a village.”

Media Relations: carrie@herlifemagazine.com anna@herlifemagazine.com (209) 957-7277

William T. Fujioka Named Chair of the Japanese American National Museum Board of Trustees

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) is proud to announce that William T. Fujioka has been named chair of the JANM Board of Trustees.

Fujioka is a third-generation Japanese American who started his forty-four-year career in public service working for the County of Santa Cruz while attending the University of California, Santa Cruz in the early 1970s. After graduating in 1974, he interned with the Los Angeles Police Department for the City of Los Angeles. In 1978, he left the city and spent the next nineteen years working for Los Angeles County in various administrative and management positions across five different departments. In 1999, he was appointed city administrative officer for the City of Los Angeles, the first person of color to hold that office. He initially retired in February 2007, but returned to public service in July when he was appointed the first chief executive officer for Los Angeles County. He again was the first person of color to hold the top position in the county. He managed thirty of the county’s thirty-seven departments, oversaw the county’s $27 billion budget, and navigated the county through the Great Recession in conjunction with the board of supervisors. He retired from public service on November 30, 2014.

Fujioka’s paternal grandfather, Fred Jiro Fujioka, was a prominent pioneer in the Los Angeles Little Tokyo community. Prior to World War II, he owned and operated the largest Oldsmobile dealership in the western United States and sold cars, trucks, and tractors to Japanese farmers, business owners, and families. He was wrongly accused of being a war criminal at the onset of World War II and lost everything.

When the United States entered the war, Fujioka’s father was a freshman at the University of California, Berkeley. After enlisting in the US Army on April 1, 1942,

he joined the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s Cannon Company. Upon returning home from the war as a decorated veteran, he married Fujioka’s mother, Linda.

Linda Fujioka participated in the initial fundraising effort for JANM and was a long time volunteer and docent. While raising two sons, she worked in a flower shop and later, as a teacher’s aide. She eventually returned to school in her forties and earned her BA degree and teaching credential from California State University, Los Angeles. She taught full time in the Los Angeles Unified School District for seventeen years and was a substitute teacher into her late eighties. She was a positive influence on many young lives and instilled her passion for helping others in her two sons.

Fujioka is married to Darlene Kuba and has a son named Jason. His brother Fred, recently retired as a judge for the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Fujioka succeeds the Honorable Norman Y. Mineta, an extraordinary leader, friend, and chair of the board of trustees from 2015 to 2022. Secretary Mineta served on the board of governors from 1988 to 1995 and was the chair of the board of governors from 2010 to 2015. A trustee since 1996, he passed away on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at his home in Edgewater, Maryland. In honor of Norm’s exceptional leadership, he has been appointed chair emeritus.

“It is my great honor to follow Secretary Norm Mineta as JANM’s board chair. Secretary Mineta was a strong champion for social justice and it’s my goal to continue this important effort. JANM’s mission is to preserve the story, struggles, and accomplishments of the Japanese American community. It’s also our responsibility to be a strong voice and advocate against not only anti-Asian hate but any form of hate directed against all communities regardless of race, color,

“Bill Brings a depth oF leadership and a record oF exceptional proFessional experience at the highest levels oF puBlic service to his role as chair.”

– ann Burroughs, president and ceo oF Janm

creed, religion, or sexual orientation. We will continue and increase our efforts to stand for social justice and equality for all. It’s also an amazing honor to work with Ann Burroughs and all the amazing staff at JANM,” said Fujioka.

“Bill brings a depth of leadership and a record of exceptional professional experience at the highest levels of public service to his role as chair. He is also a true visionary with a deep commitment to JANM’s mission and to the importance of elevating our presence on the local and national stage. His collaborative spirit, sage counsel, and boundless energy will be invaluable as we advance our core mission and work towards a more just future for all,” said Ann Burroughs, President and CEO of JANM. “We are indeed fortunate to have a chair of Bill’s caliber following in Norm’s footsteps and it will be my privilege to work closely with him in the future.”

About the Japanese American National Museum (JANM)

Established in 1985, JANM promotes understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. Located in the historic Little Tokyo district of downtown Los Angeles, JANM is a hybrid institution that straddles traditional museum categories and strives to provide a voice for Japanese Americans as well as a forum that enables all people to explore their own heritage and culture. Since opening to the public in 1992, JANM has presented over 70 exhibitions onsite while traveling 17 exhibits to venues such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Ellis Island Museum in the United States, and to several leading cultural museums in Japan and South America. For more information, visit janm.org or follow us on social media

STOCKTON, CA – JJB FAMILY FARMS – JJB Family Farms proprietary, California grown, Club apple was released to California stores the week of September 19th. The exciting collection of sweet, tart, deep red- and a loud crunch developed by Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti (CIV) of Italy. Following last year’s successful debut at selected grocery stores, the JJB Family Farms, licensed and proprietary variety returns to the California’s market from October – December 2022, in most of California’s leading grocery retailers.

“We are delighted with the Modi harvested this fall in terms of the eating experience of the Modi Apple” reveals Olivia Kelso, marketing director for JJB Family Farms. “We are excited to have The Modi represented in most markets across California.” The objective is to take “The California Apple” an extra fancy Modi experience to a wide range of markets, with the volume we have now we are focused on the California market.”

Offering a unique deep red color, sweet – tart flavor, and the “Modi Crunch”, this season’s Modi crop – which now extends to all of California – is larger and more promising than ever.

The deep red-skinned Modi apple, developed in the PO Valley of Northern Italy, is suited to our climate in Northern California with our warm days and cool summer nights,” says Derrell Kelso, manager for JJB Family Farms. The incredible sweet-tart flavor, loud crunch and deep red color are something unique and special. The fruit is reminiscent of an apple from Old World Italy: genuine and authentic, the JJB Family has found a perfect home for the Modi here in the Northern California Delta region.

Bob Freeman, director of sales, is happy with this year’s crop of Modi Apples. “The apples sweet and tart flavor, combined with The Modi Crunch gives consumers The Modi Experience developers of the apple targeted” he comments. “Our field managers and production team have and continue to learn the science of harvesting the apple at the perfect Starch – Brix combo to heighten the consumers experience”. With 600 acres planted, 150 acres in production, volume is set to double year over year for the next 5 seasons. One of the first clubs to market and the perfect way to jumpstart retailers fall offerings on the apple isle.

The Modi apple is the product of more than a decade of varietal research using natural methods and was crafted in Northern Italy, a true natural work-of-art. Modi’s namesake, the famous Italian artist Modigliani, whose nickname was “Modi” was known to use bright red colors in his work that marry up with the apples coloring.

Don’t miss out on the Modi experience! Consumers are purchasing The Modi this year in the following stores: Vons, Pavilions, Safeway (Northern California), Ralphs, all California Sprouts Stores, Save Mart, Lucky, Vallarta, Superior, Rancho San Miguel markets and Food 4 Less (Stockton) stores. Over the next three months, we are sending out samples for retailers and consider for the 2023/24 season. If you are a company always searching for a product that will delight your clientele, an apple is as unique in its flavor as it is in its beauty, contact us, we will send you a Modi sampling.

Local Non-Profit Celebrates 33rd Annual ABC Awards Honoring Those Who Are Exemplary in Service to Children & Youth

Family Resource & Referral Center’s 33rd Annual ABC (Action on Behalf of Children) Awards ceremony will celebrate the accomplishments of individuals and organizations who are supporting the needs of children through unique action.

What: Family Resource & Referral Center’s 33rd Annual Action on Behalf of Children Awards

Date: Thursday, November 3rd 5:30-8:30PM

Location: Hilton-Stockton 2323 Grand Canal Blvd.

STOCKTON, CA – Family Resource & Referral Center (FRRC) is celebrating its 33rd Annual ABC (Action on Behalf of Children) Awards on November 3rd, 2022. FRRC will host a very special ceremony (in-person) recognizing those who care about children in San Joaquin County. Created in 1988 by Joan Richards, founder of Family Resource and Referral Center, and several community members, the awards recognize those outstanding members of the community that are doing more than just ‘the average’ for children.

FRRC was founded on a Child Care Resource and Referral grant in order to match parents with licensed child care that best fit their needs. FRRC grew tremendously to provide child care assistance, nutrition services and professional development trainings for Child Care Providers. Child Care Providers in San Joaquin County are serving 10,000 children in the various subsidized programs FRRC administers. While the organization has diversified services to include 211 San Joaquin, connecting over 60,000 to local help and resources each year, the Joan Richards Learning Village Preschool where approximately 200 children are receiving a “Raising Quality” early education everyday, and along with several Family Strengthening services, FRRC’s partnership with the Child Care Providers remains at the heart of the agency’s mission.

To spotlight the tireless work of key individuals and organizations who are making a positive difference in the lives of children and youth, the ABC Awards will pay special tribute to their service-sharing stories of inspiration and hope, especially as we emerge out of the pandemic. Emceed by Adriana Brogger, Professor of Digital Media at San Joaquin Delta College, the ABC Awards will recognize the winners of the following categories: Child Care Provider, Child Advocate, Children’s Health, Business, Public Agency, School, Nonprofit Organization, and FRRC’s newest category, Supporting Children through COVID-19. The event will also include guest speakers offering their words of encouragement and gratitude for helping children build resiliency during uncertain times and a live tribute performance from the Stockton Youth Chorale.

“It’s important to acknowledge and thank those who have strengthened the lives of children and families in their everyday work,” says Kay Ruhstaller, CEO of Family Resource & Referral Center. Ruhstaller, who has served as the nonprofit’s CEO for 19 years, was appointed to the Early Childhood Policy Council in 2019 and advises the Governor, Legislature, and Superintendent of Public Instruction on statewide early learning and care policy, including implementation and evaluation of the

state’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care. “We are fortunate to have so many individuals and organizations in our community who care about kids,” continues Ruhstaller. “It’s the collaborative efforts of our entire community that allow our children to grow up safe and nurtured. “The awards help us pause and recognize the contributions of those who are exemplary in their service to children.”

Local businesses and organizations have shown their commitment to children and families by sponsoring this event. Bank of Stockton is this year’s ABC Awards Signature Sponsor. Their partnership helps create access to high-quality, affordable child care so that working parents can continue contributing to our local workforce.

To register to attend this year’s ABC Awards, visit Family Resource & Referral Center’s website https://frrcsj.org/abc/ To view a list of past ABC Award recipients visit https://frrcsj.org/abc/.

About Family Resource & Referral Center: Family Resource & Referral Center is committed to the health and well-being of children in San Joaquin County, and the adults who care for them. Serving the community since 1980, our mission is to provide resources to parents and childcare providers to encourage healthy

the children in their

We do that by providing advocacy, information, education, nutritional support, training, and

– directly and by financially supporting community

providers – so that every child, and parent, has access to safe and stimulating care outside the home. Through the provision of the county’s 211 system, housed and administered by Family Resource & Referral

about child