KQED Youth Takeover: Oakland Ballet Explores Immigrant Stories From Angel Island

KQED's Forum

KQED

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 656 Ratings

🗓️ 24 April 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Ellis Island might have been a welcoming place for many immigrants to the United States, but Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay tells a more troubling history of immigrant detention. Starting next month, the Oakland Ballet will premiere “Angel Island Project,” a dance production highlighting the stories of immigrants, primarily from China, who were detained there in the early 20th century. As part of KQED’s annual Youth Takeover, high school students Nico and Maite bring together choreographers and a local historian to talk about the project and the lessons that histories of immigration can teach us today. Guests: Graham Lustig, artistic director, Angel Island Project and Oakland Ballet Company Phil Chan, choreographer, Angel Island Project - co-founder, Final Bow for Yellowface Ye Feng, dancer and choreographer, Angel Island Project Ed Tepporn, executive director, Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation Nico Fischer, Youth Advisory Board member; senior, Santa Clara High School Maite del Real, Youth Advisory Board member; junior, Ruth Asawa SF School of the Arts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00.0	Support for Forum comes from Rancho La Puerta, a wellness resort in Baja, California, just an hour from San Diego,
0:07.4	recently voted the number one destination spa by readers of travel and leisure magazine.
0:12.8	Summer retreat packages of three, four, or seven nights including hiking, water classes, mindfulness,
0:19.9	spa therapies, and culinary adventures with
0:22.8	farm-fresh ingredients. Learn more at Rancho LePuerta.com.
0:27.3	Support for Forum comes from Broadway S.F. presenting Parade, the musical revival based on a
0:33.2	true story. From three-time Tony-winning composer Jason Robert Brown comes the story of Leo and
0:39.7	Lucille Frank, a newlywed Jewish couple struggling to make a life in Georgia. When Leo is accused
0:46.3	of an unspeakable crime, it propels them into an unimaginable test of faith, humanity, justice,
0:53.4	and devotion.
1:02.6	The riveting and gloriously hopeful parade plays the Orphium Theater for three weeks only, May 20th through June 8th.
1:06.9	Tickets on sale now at Broadway, sF.com.
1:09.5	From KQED. From KQED. From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Alexis Madrigal.
1:24.9	Next month, the Oakland Ballet Company will premiere Angel Island Project,
1:30.0	an ambitious genre-bending dance production,
1:32.8	highlighting the stories of immigrants, mostly from China,
1:36.2	who were detained at the Angel Island Immigration Station in the early 20th century.
1:41.6	We'll talk with a group of choreographers and a local historian
1:45.3	about translating these stories for the stage
1:48.6	and for this moment
1:50.0	when the rights of immigrants are under attack.
1:52.6	That's all coming up next,
	...

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