Transcripts For SFGTV SFGovTV 20240706

That. As the ferry system was at the peak two bridges to reach San Francisco. And automobiles were a popular item that people wanted to drive themselves around instead of the ferry as a result marin and other roots varnished. The dramatic draw in ferry usage was staggering who was using the ferry that was a novelty rather than a transportation but the ferry line stopped one by one because everyone was getting cars and wanted to drive and cars were a big deal. Take the care ferry and to San Francisco and spend the day or for a saturday drive but really, really changed having the car ferry. When the bay bridge was built had a train that went along the lower level so that was a major stay and end up where our Sales Force Transit Center is now another way of getting into the city little by little the ferry stopped having a purpose. What happened in the 40 and 50s because of this downturn we were trying to find a purpose a number of proposals for a World Trade Center and wanted to build it own the philly in a terrible idea objective never gotten down including one that had too tall towers a trade center in new york but a tower in between that was a part of Ferry Building and completely impractical. After the cars the Tower Administration wanted to keep americans deployed and have the infrastructure for the united states. So they had an intrastate free plan the plan for major freeway systems to go throughout San Francisco. And so the developers came up with the bay bridge and worked their way along embarcadero. The plans were to be very, very efficient for that through town he once the San Francisco saw had Human Services agency happening 200 though people figure out city hall offender that the embarcadero free was dropped and we had the great free to no where. Which cut us off from the Ferry Building and our store line and created in 1989 and gave us the opportunity to tear down the free. And that was the renaissance of Ferry Building. That land was developed for a new Ferry Building and whom new embarcadero how to handle travel and needed a concept for the building didnt want that was when a plan was developed for the liquor store. The San Francisco Ferry Building has many that ups and downs and had a huge hay day dribbled adopt to almost nothing and after the earthquake had a shove of adrenaline to revise the waterfront and it moved around the bay and plans for more so think investment in the future and feel that by making a reliable ferry system once the Ferry Building will be there to surface. Ryone to taketo taketo takr seats so wes so wes so wes so wy name is Davids Davids da chu. Ir to be the firste firste firste n city attorneyttorneyttorney in d county of San Francisco. Anciscoa you, madam mayoram mayoram andal of the city and county county c francisco, welcome welcome welce officialofficialofficialofficiai heritage month. Month. Month. Mt our cityour city we we we we we, the cultural, the social socialr of the asianhe asianhe asianhe y in our country country country,t just just just just because of our historyhistoryhe fact thatct thatct that asian is started here in our very city. Its not just because of the fact that we have the oldest chinatown in the united states, one of three japan towns in the united states, little saigon, the filipino Cultural Heritage district and so many communities that reflect the diaspora of r ap community its because of all of you. All of you who represent this amazing diversity who are leading in so many ways, and i just want to thank you for that. We have so much to celebrate this year, and im not just talking about academy awards. Im talking about the progress that we re making after very challenging. Several years as we are bringing our Community Back after covid in the wake of anti asian hate, as we move things forward, and each of you again has been a part of that. I also want to say that San Francisco this year theres so much that we are doing to continue to anchor our status as the Asian American capital. And that includes the fact that this fall in november San Francisco is going to be the host city to apec, which is the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation leadership summit where we will be hosting literally heads of states from countries to our east, representing where our communities came from, and its going to be an incredible moment to showcase who we are. Um. I know today were going to be acknowledging a lot of folks and shortly were going to be hearing from our great mayor. Were going to be hearing from our city administrator. I want to take a moment and acknowledge our Asian American sheriff. I want to acknowledge are the head of our Asian Arts Museum and im looking for other department heads. I know the head of our library is here, Michael Lambert, and im sure im missing others, but im sure the mayor will catch up with me. Once i once i complete my comments, but let me also say this. This event this month would not happen, but for Tremendous Community partners, and they are listed on the boards we have here, but we have many, many Amazing Community partners. I know were going to acknowledge several of them for their decades of leadership. We have many Amazing Community sponsors. Um but we only have one woman who has been at the heart of this event for the better part of 19 years since she was, i think eight years old. Ah this is an event that came about because the then head of National Organization of Chinese Americans approach then mayor gavin newsom and said it is high time for San Francisco to put ourselves on the map and acknowledging a p i heritage month and claudine cheng, youve been at the heart of this. You have worked so hard for almost 20 years of doing this. Thank you so much on behalf of the city for everything you do, and without further ado claudine cheng. Time time does fried 19th years how to believe, but but really, this is a labor of love for everybody who is involved every year to, um put together this celebration is amazing 19 years we really do not have people ask me that some of the sponsors about what is your operating budget this and that we really do not have an office. We really do not have stopped. All we have a volunteers and our committee and i really cannot thank you enough out committees and especially at this time, id like to introduce our three celebration coaches, and fortunately, thomas lee is out of town for work. But l. Perez entertainment commissioner l press one of our celebration coaches. And Amazing Grace grace. Hurry, keary. Celebration co chairs. And a special shout out to tennessee who is heading up our awards committee. Dennis thank you so much for everything. So our city attorneys talk about the rough and tough times that Aapi Community has gone through in the last few years, so we feel that when we think about our theme, we just feel that we really need to take the opportunity to continue to strengthen ourselves, and thats so to make it very simple. Our theme this year is strengthening the fabric of our community. Looking around, we might all be coming from different places. We have very different may have different culture history heritage, but you know, we are one api community and we hope that throughout, uh the month of may. Thats what all the program is going to tell this story of our community. Um thanks to again to co chair thomas lee was very, very creative this year. This is the hour event. This is our commemorative poster, and its really a very intricate design of different parts of the fabrics as you can see, putting the different parts of the fabrics together how the community is going to connect. And be one whenever we can, um, on our website now, which is just updated again by thomas is the celebration guide the celebration guiding quote, a list of all the art and cultural events as a happening. The key events that we are aware of that is happening in San Francisco during the whole month of may want to really appreciate our celebration partners, the Asian Art Museum campus. San francisco public library. I mean, throughout the month of may this amazing so many events. Um therefore for everybody for all generations to enjoy. We are not just celebrating our month. We are also, i think in, maybe also sell celebrating Small Business week. So we are also this year having a joint celebration of Small Business week. I think l perez have taken leadership of that we are going to have this fun event called child fund. Uh in district in his district. 11 is it . Yeah and to collaborate and bring up the smart, bring out help help our Small Business in that area with Small Business week and all the restaurants so there are many ways throughout the city that we are every year. We are trying to think about new ideas. How do we expand this collaboration . How we can spread the community loved around, so theyre really plenty going on, and we look forward to seeing many of you next wednesday at our aapi heritage awards and, uh and reception. Um. But without but we really cannot do all of this without you know your substance cities support and since 2005 we were so happy to have all the mayors, strong support and presence every year when we celebrate, and it is a very Important Message that we are supported. Both in the bottom by our communities and all the way you know the whole spectrum. So um, id like to welcome mayor lee mayor breed to our out. I think mayor lee wanted to know wanted us all to know that hes still with us in some capacity or another. I take that as a sign and a good one. For really the spirit of the Asian Community in the city and county of San Francisco, one of resilience and one of excitement in these times after dealing with some very challenging times. What i appreciate most about this opportunity to celebrate the month of may as Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage month is. We have an opportunity to really talk about not only the accomplishments and the things that we have achieved in the arts and in philanthropy and community, but we have an opportunity to really reflect on the past and also look back at what this community has gone through and emerged Even Stronger than it has ever been as a united front against those challenges, and so this is really an opportunity to reflect because last year i dont know if there were a lot of smiles on peoples faces. In light of all the anti asian hate and the attacks on many of our asian seniors. In particular, there was a lot of sadness and a lot of frustration and coming together and working together and making investments and changes to policies and with our new d, a accountability has really change what is happening in these communities all over San Francisco . No we are not where we need to be. But we have come a long way and we are seeing those numbers. Decline thanks to really an emergence of our Public Safety officials, including our own Paul Miyamoto , who has really been at the forefront of working with chief bill scott and working with District Attorney Brooke Jenkins to make sure that accountability is at the forefront of the work that we do because San Francisco as a compassionate and Second Chance city, we believe in reforms. We believe in Second Chances, and we believe in the importance of the work, too. To deal with the challenges that exist, but we also truly believe that when those lines are crossed, people need to be held accountable, and that is also a part of a safe community. I also want to take the opportunity to really recognize that amazing organizations who really stepped up the, um uh c y c with their various ambassador programs and also self help for the elderly with the work that theyve done for the senior escort program, and so many people in volunteers really came together in our city, and it has been a really beautiful thing. I was just out in chinatown last week. Uh really celebrating Community Coming together in the festivities and all the kids and the excitement for the spring and the year of the rabbit and i was on clement street celebrating their and the Cherry Blossom festival the past couple of weeks, and i thought to myself, nothing makes San Francisco come alive. More than these activities and festivals and celebrations and many of our commercial corridors and the Asian Community as a whole is at the heart of all of those activities. So i want to just really reflect on that and how far weve come as a city and the excitement that will spring out as a result of a p, a heritage month in San Francisco. Thanks to the great leadership of claudine and thomas and al perez , and so many people who spend a lot of time volunteering to help make this really an Incredible Opportunity for people to explore different parts of the city, including our folks from visitation valley are Pacific Islander community who really. Has been at the forefront of helping to make sure that part of San Francisco is not forgotten. So today we are grateful to our Asian Art Museum. Thank you. J for being here are partners with the San Francisco public library, and you have a fierce advocate in Michael Lambert and also camp fast. We know its gonna be a big thing, but they also arent a partner. For Asian Pacific and asian and Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage, mom, so mouthful um, but today we also take a moment to really honor a number of organizations , the 30 40 and 50 years of existence, and i dont know if you did that on purpose, claudine. But um, the Asian Pacific fund for supporting community through philanthropy and making sure those investments get made in asian organizations. The asian island. I mean, the angel island immigration Station Foundation for 40 years of protecting the stories and the history and the heritage of the Asian Community in the bay area, the japanese cultural and Community Center of Northern California one that is absolutely my favorite because of the work that they have done with me and partnership over the years even before i was a supervisor on the board of supervisors collaboration that took place between this center and the African American art and culture complex. Those Cross Cultural Relationship Building opportunities were always central in my life in the Western Addition community and so they are celebrating 50 years , so a wide spectrum of organizations doing extraordinary things along with events, activities, films, you name it. Its all a part of whats happening during the Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage month for the month of may and San Francisco and i am so grateful and excited. I want to really thank and acknowledge all of our sponsors for investing in our Asian Community. I know u. S bank and amazon and wells fargo or some of the top sponsors here , making sure that the resources are available so that community can have support and i see valley brown. From grants for the arts. Thank you for making sure that we continue to invest in our arts organizations are parades are festivals in our Exciting Events of San Francisco , and im going to just, um, leave you with this. Um apec is going to be extraordinary in San Francisco. And what is so amazing about what it represents . David shoe touched upon it a little bit, but this is going to be an international event. Of. A magnitude proportion and when i say that no other event on an International Scale has existed in San Francisco since 1945 when the United Nations was created right here in our city. And so we will have heads of states. We will have