Asian Resource Center Building Celebrates 100 Years

On a sunny Saturday morning July 22nd, the rhythmic sounds of drums, cymbals, and gong propelled the energy of lion dancers, winking and batting their eyelashes at a packed crowd in the lobby of the Asian Resource Center (ARC) in the heart of Oakland’s Chinatown.

The lions and the crowd were there to mark an auspicious occasion: the 100th birthday of the completion of one of the most iconic buildings in the neighborhood, a building that has housed the Asian Resource Center since 1983. The first building in EBALDC’s portfolio, the ARC building reflects the EBALDC founders’ early vision of a center for Asian community-serving nonprofits with commercial spaces that also reflect the community’s needs. Coordinated with the East Bay Photo Collective (ARC tenant, EBPCo), and the Oakland Heritage Alliance, the celebration included guided tours of the Asian American Elder Voices exhibit, and a plaque dedication commemorating the historic significance of the ARC.

Lion Dancers Performing

Over snacks including egg custard tarts, spring rolls, and BBQ pork puffs, attendees reminisced about the history of the building—including that it was once a gathering spot for Oakland Tribune paper boys after school, its significance as a center of Asian American community events, and the importance of a building that houses so many critical Asian American community-serving non-profit organizations. Held in ARC’s lobby, where an exhibit on Lincoln Square Park Stories, with photos of longtime Chinatown denizens like Carolyn Gee, 88, class of 1948 at Lincoln High School, surrounded the crowd, the event showcased the attendees’ experiences with the building.

Co-Founder and current board member of EBALDC, Ted Dang

EBALDC co-founder and current board member Ted Dang enthralled the crowd with his story of how the building came to be built, originally as a code machine factory, then serving as an automobile garage, a government relief program at the beginning of WW II, a moving and storage company. Fast forward to 1970, to when Ted and Andy Gee, friends at UC Berkeley, learned from their experience at Berkeley that “those of us who had the benefit of getting a good education, we also had the obligation to go back to the community to help others. Andy and I focused on the need of the community, and in the early 70s—the need was very apparent. Oakland Chinatown’s population was doubling every five years…. People [new immigrants] were flocking to this area, and new organizations sprung up to service them…and they were scattered all over Oakland, in cheap office spaces. Andy and I said it would be great to have a center to bring all of these organizations together…[with] retail space to generate additional income to support the community’s needs. This would be an economic asset for the community and owned and operated by the community.” They, along with others, including Victoria Fong who was in attendance, started planning, garnering support from multiple sources and ultimately resulting in the incorporation of EBALDC in 1975, purchasing the building in 1978, renovating it, and opening its doors to nonprofit organizations and small businesses in 1984.

Guests, including Alameda County Supervisor Lena Tam (in blue) and Oakland City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas (in white), enjoy the celebration

The audience included EBALDC residents from nearby buildings, including Frank G. Mar Apartments a few blocks away from the ARC, “I didn’t know it was one hundred years old! I wanted to come and learn about the history.” said a senior EBALDC resident who didn’t want to be named. Joining them were EBALDC and ARC friends and supporters including present and past EBALDC staff, board members, and elected officials, including Oakland City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, Alameda County Supervisors Lena Tam and Nate Miley, and representatives for Congresswoman Barbara Lee and State Assemblymember Mia Bonta Many attendees had a deep personal relationship with both EBALDC and the ARC building. Agnes Ubalde, a current EBALDC board member, worked for Filipinos for Affirmative Action (now. Filipino Advocates for Justice), an ARC tenant. This past tax season, her high school-aged son volunteered for EBALDC’s Volunteer Income Tax (VITA) program at the ARC, helping provide free tax preparation services for over 1300 households to receive nearly $2MM in tax returns.

Council President Bas noted that in the 1990s, she volunteered with the Asian Immigrant Women Advocates which is still based at the ARC. To further emphasize the power-building role the ARC has played, she asked attendees, “If you ever worked in the building, raise your hand. If you ever volunteered here, raise your hand. If you ever attended a community event here, raise your hand. If you’ve ever toured an exhibit here, raise your hand.” Almost everyone in the room raised their hands.

Councilmember Nate Miley emphasized the importance of the work being done in the building: “At the county, we can’t do our work without good solid community organizations that help us provide a safety net…organizations like EBALDC and Asian Health Services that help the county do its work.”

Cesar Macias from Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s office presents a special recognition to EBALDC’s Board of Directors. l-r: Rosalyn Tonai, Agnes, Ubalde, Ted Dang, Céesar Macias, Leslie Francis, Beth Rosales

Noting that “art is how we tell stories about ourselves and how we tell stories about ourselves is how we create meaning,” Ener Chiu, EBALDC’s Executive Vice President of Community Building, referenced a vision for the ARC building that encompasses community story-telling by prioritizing leases at EBALDC buildings for organizations like EBPCo,  who supports photographers and organizes exhibits like the  Asian American Elders Voices project. That project shares the stories and photos of 6 members of the community who grew up around Lincoln Square Park and of elders who volunteer for the Korean Community Center of the East Bay who advocate for the Korean mono-lingual speaking elders in the community. Both projects were put together by photographer Andria Lo and oral historian Roy Chan (who works for Oakland Asian Cultural Center).

Presentation of the Oakland Heritage Alliance plaque l-r Ener Chiu (EBALDC staff), Vicki Shu (EBALDC staff), Samuel Kevy (Asm. Mia Bonta), César Macias (Cong Barbara Lee), Ted Dang (EBALDC Board), Supervisor Lena Tam, Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, Leslie Francis (EBALDC Board), Agnes Ubalde (EBALDC Board, Beth Rosales (EBALDC Board), Mary Harper (Oakland Heritage Alliance Board)

In recognition of the strength of the relationships and history people had with the ARC building and what happens there, Cesar Macias presented a special recognition on behalf Congresswoman Barbara Lee, stating, “Your trailblazing vision to build safe, vibrant, and resilient neighborhoods is commendable…I honor your dedication to enriching lives and preserving our rich culture.”

In case you missed it, check out the photos here!
Photo Credit: Malcome Wallace