The 2009 Long Beach Dragon Boat Festival was held at Marine Stadium in Long Beach August 1-2. Dozens of teams competed, making it one of the largest festivals of its kind on the west coast. Among the competitors was our "SoCal Friends" Blazing Paddles team. The team finished with the other dragon boats, and one time even came in fourth place! More importantly however, team members succeeded in enjoying the spirit of the Festival: family, friends and community coming together to support one other all while having a good time.

FCC-SoCal families are invited to join the San Gabriel Valley Adoption Friendship Group at the Pacific Asia Museum’s free Family “Puppet Festival” Day on Saturday, June 6, noon to 4 pm. “The ‘Puppets Festival’ is presented by the Arts Councils of Pacific Asia Museum. Explore the arts and culture of Asia through crafts, performances and activities plus free admission to the galleries.”  http://www.pacificasiamuseum.org/calendar/familyfestivals.htm

Here are some appearances by Lisa See in honor of her new book, “Shanghai Girls”

--2 p.m. Sunday, May 31, party, Borders Westwood, 1360 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles 90024. 310 475 3444

--Noon Monday, June 1, luncheon, Malibu Performing Arts Center, 23825 Stuart Ranch Rd., Malibu 90265. Sponsored by Diesel bookstore in Malibu. $65 a person, includes copy of book and lunch with Lisa. Please call Diesel at 310 456 9961 to reserve.

--7:30 p.m. Monday, June 1, reading and signing, Barnes & Noble Encino, 16461 Ventura Blvd., Encino. 818 380 1636.

Now on view at the Huntington is one of the greatest private collections of Chinese art in the nation. It's an exhibition of Chinese painting and calligraphy works spanning 900 years and will be on view April 11 through July 13 in the MaryLou and George Boone Gallery. The presentation will feature 41 masterworks from the Weng collection. The collection was the focus of a recent exhibition at the Beijing World Art Museum and is revered in China as well as in the United States.

On November 12, 2008, the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) and the University of Maryland Asian American Studies Program, "through a unique national nonprofit-academic partnership," released its study, "A Portrait of Chinese Americans."

"This exhibit explores the lives of Chinese American women during their first one hundred years in the United States.

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