City College of San Francisco (CCSF) will join the annual Chinese New Year Parade and Celebration scheduled on February 23rd, which will be marking the beginning of the Year of the Pig.
The College will be participating to promote school pride and the diversity of its school community. Trustee Ivy Lee, a member of the CCSF Board of Trustees, will be part of this year’s parade judging panel. In addition, the College will host a parade viewing party for its college community at its Chinatown/North Beach Center located at 808 Kearny Street from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
“For over 150 years, San Francisco's Chinese community has grown and shared our community's history, traditions, and culture, and now hosts the annual parade that is the largest Asian American cultural event outside of Asia. Similarly, City College has grown over the decades to become one of the largest community college in the state, with course offerings that recognize the history, contributions, and value of our Asian American and Pacific Islander communities with more than one third of our students being API,” said Ivy Lee, Member of City College’s Board of Trustees. “The parade is a San Francisco jewel, as is the City College of San Francisco, which shines even brighter now with Free City, that makes the College free and accessible to every San Francisco resident.”
Today, CCSF is the only college in the nation to offer Asian American Studies, Asian Studies and Philippine Studies, as well as a certificate in Critical Pacific Islands Studies through Interdisciplinary Studies.
“In the new year, Asian and Pacific communities are counting on City College to continue providing one of the strongest Asian American Studies community college programs in the country,” said Angie Fa, Chair of the College’s Asian American Studies. “Over 20,000 San Francisco students have had a chance to explore the diverse history and culture of Asian and Pacific Communities in America as they prepare for careers and transfer opportunities.”
Asian American studies classes are open to all students interested in exploring the experiences of people from Asian and Pacific backgrounds in the United States. Educational programming is focused on Asian American community leaders and political participation, media stereotypes of Asian Americans, growing up in early Chinatown, the Angel Island Immigration and Detention Center, early Asian American women, and workplace issues for Asian Americans.
Additional subject matters include courses pertaining to Asia, including civilization and culture, language, history, political science, music, art, health, and cinema. All courses emphasize effective communication and analytical thinking that will also help students to better understand the land, cultures, and peoples of Asia. These courses fill key graduation and transfer requirements in a number of areas, now includes a certificate program in Asian American Studies, and are offered year-round on two city campuses.
“Being in the SF Bay Area, Asian Studies offers the opportunity to obtain knowledge and experience about people who comprise a third of the entire SF community as well as societies that are some of the most dynamic in the world,” said Art Nishimura, Chair of Asian Studies at City College. “With its breadth and depth of courses, City College's Asian Studies is an excellent conduit for people interested in learning about themselves, the Bay Area and the Pacific Rim.”