I am back. I will post pictures of our fabulous trip to Canada later this week. In the meantime, I forgot to mention I have a cover story in the most recent Pacific Sun.
From 1910-1940, Chinese immigrants were held at the immigration station on Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay. Because of the Chinese Exclusion Act, these immigrants were confined in prison-like conditions from anywhere to a few days to a few years while they waited to find out whether or not they could enter the U.S. With nothing else to do, the Chinese began writing poetry on the walls of the immigration station, which the state park department is now attempting to restore. Some of the poems are quite poignant. This was my favorite:
The silvery red shirt is half covered with dust
A flickering lamp keeps this body company.
I am like pear blossoms which have already fallen;
Pity the bare branches during the late spring.
Read more about this part of our history in my article.