♪♪ Michael: Welcome to Sunday Stories, I'’m Michael Sanford.

Over the next hour we'’ll be sharing stories that celebrate the rich history, amazing people, and fascinating places throughout our region and beyond.

We'’ll learn about the efforts to preserve Punjabi culture; Speak with Janice O'’Malley Galizio of OCA Sacramento; Take a trip to Yosemite National Park'’s High Sierra Camp; Discover the benefits of Tai Chi; Explore how a theater program is addressing social justice issues; Check-in on Chando'’s Tacos; And return to Manzanar with the men in the iconic photo "“Boys Behind Barbed Wire.

"” But first, we head to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Where while their doors were closed to the public, they were still offering immersive educational experiences to students and teachers via virtual field trips.

♪♪ TYLER: PERCHED ALONGSIDE THE RESTLESS PACIFIC OCEAN IS THE MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM... ♪♪ BESIDES A MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTION, IT'’S ALSO REGARDED AS A GLOBAL LEADER IN OCEAN RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION.

Child: Oh my gosh!

Katy: The Monterey Bay Aquarium from its founding has really valued education.

And so we have a really large education division.

Teacher: Yeah, we eat different foods alright.

TYLER: SINCE 1984, THE AQUARIUM HAS BEEN OFFERING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS IN PRESCHOOL THROUGH 12TH GRADE... PROVIDING EVERYTHING FROM AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS TO GUIDED FIELD TRIPS Katy: They would get a facilitated experience that was about an hour long, where they get to interact with animals, do some really cool science, and then they'’d be able to explore the aquarium on their own.

[Girl laughs] Katy: All of our education programs are free because we don'’t want that to be a barrier for students accessing the aquarium.

TYLER: BUT ALL OF THAT CHANGED IN MARCH 2020 KION News Segment: We'’re back with a special news report.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one the most recognized tourist attractions in the country but even they are not immune to the pandemic and now hoping for a better tomorrow.

TYLER: THE AQUARIUM WAS FORCED TO CLOSE ITS DOORS TO VISITORS.

BUT THE STAFF CONTINUES TO CARRY ON THE INSTITUTE'’S MISSION Katy: What we knew was that we wanted to continue connecting with students and we wanted to continue engaging with students TYLER: KATY SCOTT HAS BEEN THE FORCE BEHIND BUILDING THE AQUARIUM'’S ROBUST ONLINE CURRICULUM - AND HAS MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR STUDENTS TO EXPERIENCE THE AQUARIUM FROM THEIR HOMES, BY PROVIDING ONLINE COURSES AND VIRTUAL TOURS Katy: Teachers can sign up for a field trip, via our website and their students and get a 45 minute zoom session live with an educator.

So my name is Katy and I'’m a teacher at Monterey Bay aquarium and I'’m so excited to have you here today.

TYLER: ON THIS DAY, FOURTH GRADERS FROM ROCKLIN UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT ARE PARTICIPATING IN A VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP LED BY KATY, AND HER COLLEAGUE, CORINA... Corina: Zach would you like to share?

Zach: The hermit crab has a shell protecting it.

Zack: I liked all of it.

It was super cool and learning these new creatures that I had no idea that you could even find in tide pools.

Katy: If you touch a sea cucumber, it feels like play-dough.

Those spikes are not hard at all.

They'’re squishy.

Student: That is going to gross my mom out.

Katy: (laughs) I bet, yes.

Katy: We'’ve also started to offer online courses for students from preschool to 12th grade.

Katy: They're also designed to get kids thinking about the outdoors and if possible going into the outdoors.

Instructor: Now that you'’ve practiced your sea otter observing skills, it'’s time to use them.

Have fun observing otter spotters.

Student: I see a dove!

Katy: Maybe they'’re going into their backyard or if they don't have a backyard, maybe they're taking a walk around our neighborhood and they're looking for animals in that space, whether they be birds or ants or anything.

And they're taking data on those animals that they find.

We'’re asking students to think like scientists and do the same types of things scientists do.

Katy: Can you hold up your illustrations so I can see what you drew there?

Oh!

Naomi'’s got two views.

Whoo!

Y'’all are some good scientific illustrators.

Rebecca: They really bring it down to a very cohesive level for the students to maybe be able to understand some pretty complex concepts about science and conservation.

Katy: Climate change is definitely a challenge.

That'’s a challenge for animals wherever they live, right?

Rebecca: Conservation is extremely important for I believe my students to learn because they'’re really our legacy.

TYLER: AND THAT MESSAGE IS GETTING ACROSS TO STUDENTS Zack: If you just like sit around and watching the ecosystem getting destroyed it just basically destroys earth.

Naomi: We were going to go on a field trip to the Monterey Bay aquarium and like stay overnight but since coronavirus came, we couldn'’t.

So I liked that I get to know how it is now.

Katy: Does anybody know the science name when we'’re talking about body parts and behaviors that help someone survive in the wild?

Student: Adaptations.

Katy: Adaptations!

Brilliant.

Yes.

Rebecca: I think the silver lining in all of this is that it is empowering for students to know that we can adapt and to be resilient, to be flexible.

You know children will learn that there'’s where there'’s a will, there'’s a way.

And don'’t we want our students to all have that idea that we don'’t give up?

And that'’s really what science is also also about.

That we never give up.

Katy: We're all going through a shared trauma right now.

This is really difficult times and what we know is connecting with animals and connecting with nature makes us feel better.

And so, especially at this time, if we can offer content that makes those students feel a little bit better, that this is going to be okay.

I think that'’s really important right now.

Katy: Well it was great meeting you all today.

I hope you had a fun time.

Hopefully we will be open again and soon and you will be able to come back and visit us.

Thank you so much.

Student: Bye!

Katy: Bye!

Zach: Bye.

♪♪ Michael: What a fun experience for those students, something many of them will likely remember for a long time.

Our next story introduces us to the efforts of the Punjabi American Heritage Society to promote and preserve the Punjab culture through art.

♪♪ Annc: No matter where you look, it'’s the same -- art and culture help communities bind together, preserve and remain vibrant and strong, ♪♪ That guiding principle is why the Punjabi American Heritage Society was founded in Yuba City back in 1993.

Dr Jasbir Kang and others of the Sikh community felt a vital need to foster friendship, community, connection and collaboration.

They also wanted to help Sikh children born in the U.S. gain a better understanding and appreciation of their roots and cultural heritage.

♪♪ Dr. Kang: I think it's very important because, uh, music, food, dancing are like universal things you know...

Especially the music, is a universal language.

it's a very powerful language because Punjab is like a gateway to the South Asia, if you look at the history of South Asia, all the travelers, business people, invaders, came to India through Punjab.

So there's a lot of blending of different ideas and music... Surinder: It's very important that you preserve the culture When we see all these kids, they're getting connected with that, um, the language purposes, so they can read, they can learn the history.

They can feel that culture... And when I see these students, they need to know, especially our coming generation.

If they don't know this language and the culture part, everything will be lost and they won't get to feel that value for this language and culture.

Annc: Doctor Kang says they'’ve succeeded in helping their community regain pride in their traditions and history...while finding new ways to celebrate and share their culture with others...all while recognizing and appreciating the unique aspects of other cultures.

Dr. Kang: I think what makes America such a beautiful country is that all the different flavors of culture...

Some people feel like if you want to be an American than you have to be certain culture, I mean, that could put a lot of pressure on youngsters, kids in high school, trying to be something that they are not.

I tell kids, Hey, you could be a great American at the same time, you can preserve some of the beauty of your heritage and culture.

Bicky: ...Sikhs ....they have wonderful stories.

And there have been a fabric of this nation, but not everybody in America can go to the Gurdwara and to learn so digitally these stories, they have to be told... ... post 9/11, we got more involved with the media and film work.

And we basically, uh, you know, after immediately after 9/11, there was a backlash and, you know, the turban and beard, became our identity.

Annc: Throughout history art has been a resource in helping build connection, while gaining understanding and preserving culture.

Art helps people reach that greater understanding through sharing stories.

♪♪ Bicky: Some of the Sikhs... have been here for more than a hundred years.

I think arts and culture and films are a really good platform... ♪♪ Dr. Kang: In all culture there is going to be evolution.

But why is it important to preserve certain traditions and certain musics...

But these are learned experience collectively by group of people in one part of the world over thousands of years.

I mean, there's a beauty.

I mean, there is that people have been through different struggles, different challenges, but this experience evolve over thousands of years, You just don't want to destroy it and let it go.

Dr. Kang: I think that art is the finest expression of, uh, human, uh, intellectual and I would say our skills and our expressions.

So arts plays a big role in how the culture evolves and how you interact with your other fellow human beings.

Surinder: We don'’t have to lose whatever we have... actually we are adding to the whole society and the culture.

...once you, what you know, you are contributing to the community and once you're contributing to the community, we will understand each other better.

♪♪ ♪♪ Michael: It'’s great that there are people working to share and preserve the Punjabi culture here in our region.

In our next story, Janice O'’Malley Galizio of OCA Sacramento shares her personal experiences growing up in America and speaks to Rob Stewart about the troubling rise of anti-Asian hate and violence.

Rob: I am thrilled to introduce you to Janice O'’Malley Galizio with OCA.

Janice is on the board of directors, and it's great to see you.

Janice: Hi, great to be here.

Tell us quickly about OCA.

Janice: Well, OCA Sacramento, um, is part of a national organization, OCA National.

Uh, originally, we were the, uh, organization of Chinese Americans founded in the 1970s, uh, in response to creating, uh, an Asian-focused civil rights movement.

And, uh, we've brought in now to be OCA Asian Pacific American advocates, where we try to, uh, empower, uh, empower communities, uh, all across the United States.

Rob: The number of anti-Asian American hate crimes was already through the roof in 2020.

And it has doubled in new reports that are coming out from top Asian hate.

And I'm talking about in the thousands, some reports show up to 6,000 incidents in one year alone, and we're talking verbal, physical.

These are types of assaults.

I can't imagine how that sits with you as an advocate.

Janice: Well, it's... it's hard to see those numbers visually, but also knowing that those are just the folks who know to report at Stop AAPI Hate.

Right?

Uh, we know that this has been happening for a long time but has really shown its face in the past year.

And it is... it is difficult and OCA, uh, we saw this very early on.

We knew what was w-- what was going to transpire, you know, you could almost feel it in the air.

Um, you know, at the beginning of 2020, um, prior to all the shutdowns, uh, we would have our board of director meetings and, you know, we would talk about different experiences we've had, uh, over the past few weeks and, um, we're noticing scowls on people's faces when they look at us.

And... and so what we did is in response, we thought, okay, let's educate our community on how to report hate crimes before... before there was a massive story or something really awful or violent happening in the United States.

And so, we held a forum in person, um, right before the shutdown at Sacramento State and we talked about the virus, what we knew of the virus, how to protect ourselves.

Uh, and we brought law enforcement as well to talk about whether or not there have been, uh, hate crimes or hate incidents, uh, within the region.

And just so that it was on their radar, that this is something that the community is really focused on at the moment.

Um, and so that was really helpful.

But what we heard from law enforcement was, "“Ah, you know, we're such a great city, nothing has happened so far.

"” Uh, and, and we knew that wasn't the case.

Rob: What sparked in you at such a young age.

You know, you've been on the board of directors for OCA for four years, um, and you're a lobbyist at the Capitol when it-- involving labor.

But I'm curious what at a young age sparked you to have this drive to want to serve and... put a call to action out for people to stand up to hate crimes.

Janice: Yeah, well, I hope I can just let people know who are watching, who maybe want to become an activist and don't necessarily know how or where to even start.

Um, it... it really starts from just a... just a passion of... of furthering this... this privilege and legacy that my family has given me.

Um, my mother is a Korean immigrant.

Um, and on my dad's side, my grandmother is both Irish and Filipina and, um, they weren't given many opportunities.

They, they grew up in poverty, but when they, um, had children and had the opportunity to... to provide for us, they made it incredibly important.

It was their mission to ensure that I had received the proper education that I...

I-- that they knew that the legacy of my ancestors wouldn't disappear.

And so, my mother would, um-- I would sometimes see the same scowls that I saw walking down the street with my dog.

I would see the same scowls given to my mother.

And at first-- Rob: When you were a child.

Janice: As a child.

Um, and at first you... you see that and you kind of internalize it and you think, "“Gosh, I don't...

I don't want to be different from everybody else.

I don't, I don't want to be seen as a... as a foreigner.

"” Um, but then as... as I got older and realized the richness of my culture, my heritage, that I don't want to see what happened to my mom happen to her again or happen to anybody.

And so, if... if there's-- who else is going to do it?

Rob: Then fast forward to 2020 and you see xenophobia, bigotry, racism, um, hate crimes, uh, rearing their heads and knowing what you knew as a child.

And you saw people standing up for what is right.

And then you'll see wrong things happening again, and to your own community.

Janice: It's... it was so hard to process.

Uh, you know, you would see the trickle of... of hate incidents come in.

You would see it on the media.

And as there was a big push in the media, to... to have them report on the hate crimes that were happening, uh, all across the country, then that was like a dual edged sword.

Right?

Because then it was this influx of this horrific violence, especially against, you know, it first started with our elders and... and I think us young APIs realized that once they started going after our elders, uh, these... these individuals who would sacrifice so much for us to be here knowing our stories.

We may come from different cultures and identities, but, you know, I couldn't help but think the first individual in Oakland, um, I think it was a Thai man, uh, who was shuffling down the street when he was violently pushed to the ground.

That's how my grandfather walked.

Right.

And I had these images of... of thinking that could have been my grandfather.

Uh, and... and then when the murders in Atlanta happened, that was crushing.

Rob: You talked about, um, ancestors and... and the horrible thing we saw, um, and Oakland with the elder.

And I know the deep respect for ancestors.

And I want to read you something that I found, It says "“University of Texas Psych-—Psychology: While some Asian patients may report changes to their mood or their mental health voluntarily..."” And this is about the impact of that knowing it's in the wind.

Okay.

Um, "“...the vast majority of Asian Americans will likely remain silent"” And that, "“...there's still a strong belief that mental illness is a character defect and a weakness.

"” Breaks my heart to read that out loud because it's not a character defect, it's not a weakness.

And it's not a burden either to come forward and say, "“This happened to me and I need your help.

"” And it must stop.

And people around situations like this must step up and help carry our brothers and sisters to the truth, to the light and get help.

Janice: Well, I'm really glad that you mentioned that Rob, because, uh, at OCA, we have, um, had a couple of forums on-- Actually, and during mental health awareness week, uh, we always try to do something, um, even before, um, the... the COVID crisis since, um, the violence against Asian- Americans.

Uh, because it's so important for our community to know that it's okay to seek help.

Um, we are trying to process so much, uh, so much trauma.

The pandemic has brought job loss, food insecurity, and, um, I think it's so important that we not try to act like... like we're strong or when we're... when we're feeling down or we're not feeling as strong.

And I really hope that, um, my fellow APIs, uh, understands that... that we can reach out to each other.

And in fact, I've never seen, um, so much support, um, come in more so than after the, um, the violence in, at, in Atlanta.

I had friends and family and colleagues reach out to me just to check in, to see if I were okay.

And that's the first start.

Right?

And, uh, that touched me.

I...

I that was really important, even if I said, "“No, I'm fine.

I'm okay.

"” Uh, it meant a lot that I had friends and family reach out to ask if I were okay.

Rob: What is your... your hope for just this day?

Um, in regards to a message that you would like for... for others to hear?

Janice: Well, I think this is our, this is our moment as... as Asian Americans, uh, to get involved, to build community and to hold our elected leaders accountable.

Uh, we, we have suffered a lot during this past year, and you don't have to be this incredible activist that's out there going to all the rallies and, um, being this major speaker.

It... it starts with going to a food drive, going to a food distribution.

Uh, it's volunteering.

It's um, talking to your elected leaders.

It's um, getting involved with organizations like OCA Sacramento and, um, it's finding what you're really passionate about and learning the system and finding a way to connect your... your hurt, your pain, your suffering, and... and turn it into a positive experience to become active and to enact change yourself.

Rob: And when you are a victim to a situation like this, um, it's important to tell as many people as you can, that you feel comfortable telling, um, authorities as well as advocacy groups.

And when you do so, not only do you help yourself, but you're helping races across the board.

Um, you're helping the human rights that we all deserve.

You're such a good example of making this world a better place.

Janice: I really appreciate this... this opportunity to... to have this discussion with you.

It... it... it shows that, um, that people are paying attention that, uh, our voices are hopefully are respected and heard and that we can all come together in unity to... to stop these Asian hate crimes.

Rob: OCA is your organization, four years on board of directors.

And it's great to see you here.

Thanks for joining us.

Janice: Thank you, Rob.

♪♪ Michael: More information about the rise in anti -Asian hate incidents and the efforts to combat them are available at stopAAPIhate.org.

Next, we head to "“The Vault"” for a story we produced in 2007.

Jennifer Whitney saddles up for a mule train adventure up to Vogelsang High Sierra Camp in Yosemite National Park.

♪♪ (Vault Opening) Dick York: I get to do this for a living.

I mean, how could you want anything else?

Jennifer: For more than 30 years, Dick York'’s lived a life most of us would envy.

He's been a park ranger all over California, but his greatest joy is leading visitors on week-long backpack trips across Yosemite's back country, staying overnight at five High Sierra camps like this one called Vogelsang.

Dick York: Stephen Mather, the first director of the park service, when the park service was just created in 1916, realized that some people came to visit Yosemite, but most of them never really experienced the wilderness because it was just out there too far.

He felt that the more people experienced it, the more they'’d fall in love with it, and then the more they'd protect it.

Jennifer: Vogelsang was built in 1924, the second of the High Sierra camps.

It moved to its present location alongside Fletcher Creek in 1940.

At 10,300 feet, this is the highest of the camps.

A truly Alpine setting above the tree line.

12 rustic tent cabins for about 40 guests, $136 a night per person includes lodging and meals.

That means you can leave the camp stove and freeze-dried grub at home.

Kirk Walmpler: Well, for me, it cuts off at least 30 or 40 pounds of weight that you have to carry up here and, uh, you meet incredible people all along the way.

And it's an easy way to get into the back country pretty far.

Michelle Logan: Just really nice accommodations in a... in a warm, comfortable tent on a cot.

great food, great crew, a really fun crew.

Jennifer: Many campers start out from the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, another tent camp.

It's a seven-mile hike from here to Vogelsang and about a 1,700 foot vertical ascent, not impossible, but certainly challenging for older trekkers.

That's why a lot of folks turned to these four-legged critters for help.

The Tuolumne Meadows pack station offers saddled trips ranging from one hour to six days.

Your beast of burden, a mule.

Walker Vick: These animals are very, very cautious.

There's a lot of different terrain that they go over and, uh, they're not going to get themselves in trouble.

Safety is the number one concern for us anytime we put anyone on an animal, whether it's just a two-hour ride or an extended six-day ride.

Video: We don'’t wish to alarm you, but we do want you to... Jennifer: Part of that focus on safety starts with a cautionary video.

Though the mules are cautious, they can still slip, stumble, or be startled and both animal and rider can get hurt.

Walker Vick: They're friendly animals but they don't want you to suddenly appear without letting them know that you're in the area.

Talk to them, don't directly, uh, approach them from the back, approach them from the side.

Now, if you want to slow down or stop, you have to gather the reins, pull them back towards the horn.

Once the animal stops, then released the reins.

♪♪ Jennifer: The great thing about a saddle trip is that your guides put all your luggage on other pack mules, leaving room in your saddlebag for water, snacks, and sunblock.

The scenery is stunning... but the pace is leisurely.

This is my mule, Vicky.

She's sweet.

Surefooted, a little slow.

You might make it up there faster if you do the walking, but this way you don't have to worry about a 40-pound pack.

On the way you may encounter a mule train carrying supplies to, and from the high camp.

This is how everything is conveyed from food to propane tanks, to compost and linen supplies.

A scene straight out of the Old West.

Mules may not be for everyone, but whether you saddle up or hoof it yourself, this pristine part of California's high country should be experienced at least once in a lifetime.

(Vault Closing) ♪♪ Michael: It'’s always interesting to see what we pull rom the vault.

I was part of that production team, I remember the picturesque scenery and the very long mule ride.

Back then I probably would have benefitted from some of the healing properties mentioned in our next story on Tai Chi.

♪♪ Narrator: Relaxation, movement, stability and balance are essential to maintaining whole body health, Creating a healthy lifestyle by connecting directly to ones Chi.

Sabitre: Tai chi is a form of exercise that started as a martial art.

They call it an internal martial art and so when you engage the mind to the inside, to that internal feeling, you can feel the chi.

Sabitre: I do think tai chi has a place in overall health, especially because it is so easy to do as we age.

You can do tai chi in a chair.

You have to modify, but it's really for any level of ability.

If you can breathe, (laughs) you can do tai chi.

There's a laundry list of things that tai chi can help ailments, Lower blood pressure.

Helps with sleep so if you've got insomnia, arthritis, and balance, preventing falls.

Um, cardiovascular, asthma.

All these things and the list can keep going.

Probably the biggest thing that people have to overcome is just their own thoughts process and thinking on what they can do or can't do.

You just gotta start paying attention to what's going on inside.

Sabitre: I think a lot of our ailments and a lot of the problems that we have come from stress and tai chi is a great way to, to manage and learn to deal with that stress because of that meditative quiet time.

You're taking the time for yourself, you're being in the body.

To me, that is the best medicine.

♪♪ ♪♪ Michael: The movement is so graceful it looks like an artistic performance.

Speaking of performances, our next story explores a community college theater program where social justice issues have taken center stage with virtual performances about police relations with the Black community.

♪♪ JONATHAN EVANS: I thought at the time there was no way for theater to survive.

I thought that we needed to take a break and theatrical work would literally pause.as the streets sort of cleared and things became like a ghost town.

JASON: WHEN COVID-19 HIT IN EARLY 2020... LOS ANGELES SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY COLLEGE SHUT DOWN THE CAMPUS.

LAPTOPS WERE HANDED OUT AND CLASSES WENT ONLINE.

SO HOW DO YOU HAVE A THEATER PROGRAM WITH STUDENTS ALL TAKING CLASSES REMOTELY?

JONATHAN EVANS: ...but then I realized my group, my ensemble here at Los Angeles, Southwest college, they were stronger than that.

And they saw through that difficulty.

JASON: FOR THE STUDENTS HERE, NO STAGE DOES á*NOTá* MEAN NO PERFORMANCE.

IN THE WAKE OF GEORGE FLOYD'’S DEATH, AS THE COUNTRY GRAPPLED WITH RACE RELATIONS, STUDENTS FOUND A WAY TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD.

THEY PRODUCED AN ORIGINAL SHOW CALLED '‘THE THREAT.

'’ IT'’S A POWERFUL, EVOCATIVE ONLINE VIDEO PRODUCTION -— INSPIRED BY CURRENT EVENTS -— TACKLING POLICE RELATIONS WITH THE BLACK COMMUNITY.

Actor: Those 8 minutes and 46 seconds felt like 8 years, as I felt myself going.

DARLETTA MITCHELL SHERMAN: Well, it it's, it's like right in our backyard, front yard, you know, um, up the street on our street.

So we had no choice.

It had to be told it had to be, addressed.

Actor: The cop in front of him slapped the soda out of his hand.

The cop behind him grabs him, slams him face first in the concrete and breaks his nose.

CRAIG MITCHELL SHERMAN: I remember driving on my first day at work, my grandfather's Cadillac six in the morning to go to work.

And I'm pulled over to ask to be asked, is this my car?

And I'm afraid.

I'm very afraid because you don't have to just fear the gangs now.

You fear someone who has a job that was supposed to protect you, and that might not happen.

Actors: Too many black people are dying.

Too many black people are dying.

Too many black people are dying.

DR SEHER AWAN: Our students are from more disadvantaged populations.

We are predominantly serving students of color at Southwest.

Our students are not trained theater students.

They don't come from a background of arts and theater.

They're coming from our community pretty much, uh, learning those skills with Professor Evans through this program and to see them share their pain and their human experiences and their trauma in a way that fuels a beautiful performance because it's so raw and so authentic.

(choking) Actor: You try to kill us.

Jonathan: That'’s what your body wants to do, is let go.

Right?

JONATHAN EVANS: Uh, we have a theme or we have a topic every year we start with, we usually start our projects in July or August and the first month of the year.

Of the work is just really discussing, what are we trying to say this year?

Or what are we trying to say this semester?

What do we, as a group in an ensemble, what do we, as the Los Angeles, Southwest College experimental theater lab, you know, what do we want to say?

CRAIG MITCHELL SHERMAN: It's simple to do something like Othello or Romeo and Juliet, but we're not living in a time at which Romeo and Juliet a play like that can just, we can just put it on and just, and be real with it.

Not when so much has been going on in our world.

Those are great plays, but we wanted to bring reality to the stage.

We want it to be as real as possible, and we didn't want to be, um, just another group of people putting on another play.

JASON: SHOT ON CELL PHONES AT HOMES, SIDEWALKS AND PARKS... PART FICTION, PART HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY, PART PERSONAL MONOLOGUE...

THE THREAT IS WOVEN TOGETHER WITH A MIX OF DEEPLY PERSONAL PERFORMANCES.

Actor: He got right in my cousin'’s face and asked him again: Say boy, where did you steal that bike from?

My cousins said, man, I told you that'’s my bike.

I didn'’t steal nothing, that'’s my bike.

CRAIG MITCHELL SHERMAN: It is a piece of innovation, but also we were able to make it organic.

I didn't know what other people were shooting.

And we were sending in hope that it will come to get there and it came together and I was blown away.

Actor: Had a good job, a good job with dental benefits, had all my teeth and everything.

JASON: TYANA HAYWOOD PLAYED THE ROLE OF A HOMELESS WOMAN.

Actor: That officer knocked my teeth out and broke my arm, and I couldn'’t work no more.

He took everything from me.

Everything!

TYANA HAYWOOD: Yeah I spent a lot of time with that character.

She um, she's from the streets her name was, Nina Simone.

She has a burden to bear and she like, most women she's been doing what she has to do and sometimes doing things that she doesn't want to do to survive.

THE THREAT PERFORMANCE: "“I want to live in a world where I matter!

I want to live in a world where Kamala Harris is an everyday occurrence, the VP of companies don't make the headlines... JONATHAN EVANS: Many of my students could walk onto a set tomorrow and be professionals.

But they don't necessarily have to have that goal in mind.

We're looking for the person that's ready to say something bold.

We're looking for the person that's saying, I want to be a part of a social justice ensemble.

I've got something to say and I've got something I feel, and I'm not going to hold that back.

DARLETTA MITCHELL SHERMAN: I love the theater.

Um, and if I get the opportunity to do it, to do it professionally, I wouldn't pass that up.

It changed my life.

And I I'm hoping that it will change other people's lives just by the work that I put out there.

Every time my child walks out of the door, I see a target on his back.

DARLETTA MITCHELL SHERMAN: I don't want to just entertain people only.

I want to put a thought in someone's head that will provoke them to action, Actors: As James Baldwin once said, American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it.

CRAIG MITCHELL SHERMAN: We don't hate the police.

We don't, we actually say that in the piece.

Um, we hate injustice.

We want to be able to, um, cause you to think after you've seen our piece, we want you to think.

We don't want you to go out there and just start rioting, but we want you to think, how can I do better?

Actor: If you find out later that they weren'’t reaching for a weapon, then I'’d rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

DR. SEHER AWAN: Like our students and their pain, it's just, it's, it's so real.

And they put, they leave it, they leave it all on the stage.

THE THREAT PERFORMANCE: "“Because today I claim victory over police brutality.

I claim victory over systematic racism.

I claim victory over the mental and physical enslavement of a people.

The mental and physical enslavement of a people of our young black boys and black men.

JONATHAN EVANS: You know, I've worked with so many talented actors in my career, but never a group that will fight to be heard.

And I think that's what really, it really touches me.

I really am.

I'm very, um, I get very emotional because of what I've seen happen here.

When you see a group of people that are willing to fight for their lives, for their voices to be heard, that's very moving to me as an artist.

JASON: THE INNOVATIVE PRODUCTION WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE KENNEDY CENTER AMERICAN COLLEGE REGION 8 THEATER FESTIVAL.

SINCE IT'’S DEBUT, THE TEAM HAS RELEASED ANOTHER VERSION, FOCUSING ON THE STORY OF GEORGE FLOYD -— KILLED BY MINNEAPOLIS POLICE IN 2020.

"“GEORGE FLOYD"” PERFORMANCE: (CHOKING) "“My neck.

They are trying to kill me, man.

Mama.

"” CRAIG MITCHELL SHERMAN: We're all working together.

Every color, every creed, every human being.

Because that's what we want.

We just want unity.

We want equality.

We want justice, but that comes when we all come together and we're all informed.

THE THREAT PERFORMANCE: "“Big Floyd out.

♪♪ Michael: It'’s impressive to see such an innovative program creating productions that gives voice to students on important issues.

In our next story, we catch-up with Lisandro "“Chando"” Madrigal the owner of Chando'’s Tacos to see how his business was impacted by the pandemic.

Lisandro: If we can get over this pandemic, as a company, as a family we can do anything and I think we handled this, this the best we could.

Everybody did it.

It wasn'’t just me.

We came together as a Chando'’s community.

We embraced this opportunity, this challenge, this craziness, and we'’ve prevailed.

♪♪ Lisandro '‘Chando'’ Madrigal: So Chando'’s tacos is a fast casual taco shop here in the Sacramento area, that I think has become kind of a staple of the community.

We focus on Tijuana Mexican street food, but primarily tacos and fajitas which are crowd favorites.

Tyler: What started out with a single taco stand, has grown into numerous locations throughout the Sacramento and surrounding region.

and they were in the midst of expanding even more back in 2020.

Lisandro: We prepped to open up our food prep facility.

And most importantly, the tortilla factory.

This is a major accomplishment for us to actually be able to manufacture our hundred percent stone ground corn tortillas here out of West Sacramento.

Before making my first taco, this factory that I have here in West Sacramento is what I envisioned is what I envisioned having.

My dad had a tortilla factory in Tijuana and that'’s where I discovered the love for food service.

So it'’s near and dear to my heart.

And it'’s something my Dad always dreamed of having and I'’m just kind of living that dream now.

I don'’t know, man, it'’s surreal.

Sometimes it just slaps me right upside the head and it'’s like - '‘Oh, hey look at all this stuff you have going on.

But then the pandemic hit.

And so we were, you know, on cloud nine one day and then, you know, rock bottom the next day, what are we going to do?

How are we going to survive?

It was probably the scariest time of my life so far.

In the beginning you don'’t want, you didn'’t want to believe it.

I didn'’t know what the severity was up until the world came to a complete halt.

Then it was like, okay, this thing is real.

And I don'’t know if we can go back to living life the way we were living before.

I mean, I see pictures and videos of, of us hanging out with a bunch of group of friends and we'’re like '‘Oh dude, why aren'’t we wearing a masks?

Oh crap!

We just hugged that guy or whatever (laughs).

I don'’t know, it'’s like things are not going to be the same.

They won'’t be the same.

Tyler: I mean I just can'’t imagine as a business owner, just like.

And just the uncertainty of it all.

Lisandro: I mean, so many emotions go on, right?

We'’ve never been through something like this before.

Then it'’s like, okay, what can we do to protect our business?

What can we do to protect our employees?

What can we do to protect our guests?

This is all I have.

This is all we have.

And a lot of people depended on us.

I mean, we carried pretty good, big cross right there, man.

There'’s a lot of stuff that was going on.

I think the easiest thing would have been to close down.

We had some money in the bank.

I kept a little bit you know, for a rainy day.

So I was going to be fine.

My family would have been fine.

We were able to survive three months without getting a paycheck no problem, right?

But what about my employees?

What about, what about those people that helped me get to where I am right now.

That'’s what was on my mind, right?

What happens to them?

And so I wanted to make sure we took care of them.

I removed myself completely from payroll, both my wife and I completely, um, we pretty much in essence, donated that money back to our staff.

And so we struggled.

I mean, literally sales, just dipped completely.

The ones that we shut down for a while where Chando'’s cantinas.

If those were the only things that we'’ve had, um, we, we would probably be singing a different tune right now.

Tyler: What happened to your catering side of the business?

Lisandro: Catering is in essence.

Non-existent right now.

The first, you know, three, four months we were wondering, can we handle this and then PPP kicked in, but it kicked in right at the time where we were just completely, like, we didn'’t have any cash, you know?

And we were paying with a playing with fire.

After we made the adjustments, there'’s certain Chando'’s tacos that are doing better during the pandemic than we were doing last year.

Some of them are down two or three percent and some of them are in better positions.

So, I mean if we were going to take an average - I think we'’re doing better right now during pandemic than we'’re doing in 2019.

We adapted, we adjusted and we were innovative on the way that we were offering certain products and, and try to be creative and I think you have to be that way in order to stand on top.

We were able to put family packages together.

During the heart of the pandemic.

Meats by the pound with rice and beans.

And then we started a cooking show with our daughters.

Hi guys, welcome back to another episode of cooking with Xio and Lali Lisandro: We got a bunch of viewers.

It was pretty cool.

We were entertaining people through social media and Facebook live events at home.

You have to stand out.

And so, I think that'’s what we will continue to do.

Thank you guys for tuning in.

Everybody came together and we killed it.

We killed it.

I really believe that that's what helped us kind of get over this.

This would have never happened in my wildest dreams.

I would never thought that I'’d be in this, in this position, in this situation.

As we had said, pandemic has definitely ruined families and ruined a lot.

But in my situation, it was just taught me to appreciate what we have and embrace it and I'’m appreciative of everybody.

But I am just forever grateful and fortunate.

We'’re surrounded by some very cool people.

Very much so.

Tyler: How has the community responded to the guys there?

Lisandro: The only reason why we'’re here.

Yeah, the community has been awesome, man.

They'’ve been, they'’ve been really good to us.

I mean words can'’t describe it.

Sacramento is us and we are Sacramento.

♪♪ ♪♪ Michael: Glad to hear that Chando'’s Taco is still doing well, and we wish them continued success.

And finally, more than 70 years after they left Manzanar, the men who were the boys in the iconic photo "“Boys Behind Barbed Wire"” that is a part of the history of the internment of Japanese Americans in the 1940'’s reunite for the first time and share their story.

♪♪ Akemi: When we were younger, we used to ask my father about his time at Manzanar.

My dad would say, "“Oh, I was really young then, I don'’t remember.

"” And my grandfather would just say, "“Yeah, I don'’t want to remember that time.

It was a bad time.

"” And it was this mystery around this hole in their experience that we never understood that shaped clearly who they were, and then in turn who we were.

Akemi: In 1942, 120,000 Japanese Americans were rounded up and sent to relocation centers across the United States.

There'’s an iconic photo of three young boys behind a barbwire fence juxtaposed with being sort of trapped in such a beautiful place.

Akemi: The tall boy in white shirt is actually my father.

My father is now in his 80s and we found the other two boys in the picture, and we decided that we should get them all together and recreate that photo before we run out of time.

Mas: When I came to Manzanar, that was in 1942 and I had just turned 8 years old.

Bob: My parents after the war broke out were very afraid of what the authorities would think of their allegiance, so they just burned family heirlooms.

That was pretty traumatic.

I guess you'’d call it the tragedy of having your government, uh, do this to you.

Mas: My barracks was 2213-1.

The inside of the barracks are very small, just a bare room with nothing else except for a cot.

When you had a dust storm, sand would come up through the openings.

Mas: I got up about 5:30 in the morning, went out took a cold shower, and then went out walking maybe about a mile.

Then I'’d come back and go for breakfast and be at the mess hall around 7:30.

Bob: As a community we came together as we had to, to survive.

It was a strong community.

Mas: I was neighbors with Bruce.

Of course, he was older than me, so I sort of followed him.

Bruce: I used to be a pretty good marble player and we used to challenge other kids to play marbles by having a circle.

Mas: We did the normal things that all the other kids did, you know.

We played marbles or tag games, we used to play basketball.

There was one thing I remember.

Bruce and I and a few other boys, we made sling shots.

Somebody hit a bird and it was a sparrow, so we took it home to Bruce'’s mother.

She plucked the feathers off, and she made a meal out of that.

So, all of us, and there were about 6 of us, you know, feeding on that little, tiny sparrow.

Akemi: Until you'’re here you just don'’t understand.

Today we were in 104-degree heat.

We had 40 mile an hour winds and I just, I think about my daughter and my nieces and nephews all of whom, you know, are the ages of when my dad and Bruce and Bob were here and I think, how could anyone ever have subjected them to that?

Like, I can'’t imagine my daughter out here.

And so, um, just the perseverance that my dad exhibited is amazing to me actually.

Akemi: Before we came, it'’s kind of silly, but I...

I sort of prayed, I guess, to my grandfather who was in the camp... And my aunt, my dad'’s sister who passed 2 years ago.

And I just said, "“I hope you can help us find some things to show you we'’re here.

"” Akemi: We were looking at one of the barracks and my brother, Ken, looked down and said, "“Hey Bob, come here.

"” And we looked and we found a marble.

And my dad and Bruce and Bob talked about they'’d play marbles together.

Akemi: And then we were looking for the chicken coop that my grandfather built, and there were cement blocks everywhere and we thought, "“We'’re never going to find it.

"” I knew my grandfather had marked a spot, so we pushed away some dirt and under the corner, under the dirt my grandfather had inscribed his last name.

Akemi: I think that visiting Manzanar 70 years later is relevant today because it brings to mind what it means to be American.

In some ways it'’s ironic because in 70 years there is a lot that has changed... but there'’s also a lot that hasn'’t.

Akemi: And Manzanar just serves as this testament to not only that injustice, but a reminder that we have to see each other as human beings.

♪♪ Michael: We'’re thankful to Bob, Bruce, Mas, and Akemi for sharing their experiences with us.

And that'’s it for today.

I'’m Michael Sanford.

It'’s been a pleasure being a part of your Sunday.

We hope you'’ve enjoyed today'’s stories and that you'’ll be back for another episode of Sunday Stories.

Until then, have a great week.

♪♪