The 2025 American Community Media Expo & Awards event on November 7 in downtown Oakland shined a light on California's vast ethnic media landscape - Photo David Pham
‘Bridging Cultures through Storytelling’
By Peter Schurmann
“I haven’t seen so many hugs in a long time… and I just got out of a wellness retreat,” remarked one participant at the 2025 American Community Media Expo & Awards , held Nov 7 at the PG&E Conference Center in downtown Oakland.
The remark captured the spirit of the event that drew more than 250 attendees, including 150 media representatives alongside elected officials, communications specialists, representatives of state agencies, nonprofits, and philanthropy who turned out to meet and celebrate them.
“In a time of growing division, I want to show that even an unfamiliar culture and its tradition, can lead me to my own cultural rediscovery,” said Yucheng Tang, a reporter with Chico Sol in Chico, California and one of two dozen journalists honored at the Awards.
Tang, part of the California Local News Fellowship , a state-funded program led by UC Berkeley that supports early career journalists, won in the Arts and Culture category for his deeply personal story covering Day of the Dead celebrations in Chico, a northern California community where “Chinese culture has largely faded.”
For Tang, the sights and sounds of Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, a traditional Mexican festival, brought him back to his own native China and commemorations there honoring family ancestors.
“I wanted to show the possibility of bridging two different cultures and communities through good storytelling,” said Tang.
Ethnic Media a “Critical Part of Our Democracy”
Among keynote speakers was Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, whose district includes Oakland, San Francisco and much of the Bay Area. “I am coming to you from Washington DC,” said Simon, in prerecorded remarks. “Today, I am hell bent on fighting for SNAP benefits,” she continued, referencing the month-long government shutdown and the Trump Administration’s refusal to release SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) funding .
“We all know what’s at stake here. It’s SNAP benefits, it’s health care, it’s the democracy that we have all helped to build,” she added. “This Expo, bringing together ethnic media makers is more important than ever.”
The shutdown, which ended Nov 12 after becoming the longest in US history, also wreaked havoc on travel, with flight cancellations across more than 40 major airports the day of the event.
“I’ve heard the stories of some of those who have fortunately made it,” said State Senator Jesse Arreguín, whose district includes parts of Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Arreguín is the sole Latino representing Northern California in the State Senate.
“As a policy maker in Sacramento,” he said, “I deeply value the role that ethnic media plays in not just communicating with our diverse state, but also as a critical part of our democracy.”
High Touch Media
Some 70 media outlets working in more than a dozen languages and representing the breadth and diversity of California’s ethnic media sector were on display during the Expo, which at times felt more like a family reunion.
Dong Kim, 77, has operated the Korean language newspaper Hyundae News for more than 40 years. Kim, whose paper is the last Korean language print publication covering the Bay Area, arrived at the event after undergoing minor surgery earlier in the day, a reflection of the commitment many in the sector share to their communities and peers.
Plenary and breakout sessions focused on issues including strategies for building more inclusive communications, and the importance of “high touch media,” especially in the age of Artificial Intelligence.
Jon Christensen with UCLA’s Institute for the Environment and Sustainability shared success stories from the Greening Communities project , focusing on efforts to bring greater park access and equity for residents of Los Angeles. The project, involving more than 20 news outlets, has produced more than 120 stories, helping to shift the narrative around parks and what they mean for Los Angeles’ diverse population, noted Christensen.
“With Patience and Mission”
ACoM received more than 200 entries for the awards in print, broadcast and radio. Submissions were judged in 9 categories, including Immigration, Health, Education, the Environment and the Economy, among others.
Emcees for the awards portion of the day were Michelle Benitez Perez, news anchor with Univision 14 Bay Area, and Martin Reynolds, executive director of The Maynard Institute.
Mireya Olivera of Impulso News won for best Environmental reporting for her story on the 15 homes saved by Oaxacan immigrants during the Palisades fire that tore through parts of Los Angeles in January.
“This is for my community,” said Olivera, speaking in Spanish while lifting her award, “for my hard-working immigrant community.”
Kalynh Ngo with the Vietnamese language Viet Bao delivered an emotional address after accepting her award for best print coverage in International Affairs. Her two-part story recounted the “silent” deportation of Vietnamese immigrants and the non-profit working to help them resettle in Vietnam, a country most had not seen in decades.
“We are here today facing a very difficult situation,” said Ngo, “but with patience and mission, we all persevere because no man in the world can change the truth.”
Ngo dedicated her award to all those deported from a country many had spent much or most of their lives in.
“We want our community to be heard,” says Katrina Mendoza Ramirez of Radio Balam-Voces Maya, which serves the Bay Area’s Mayan-Mam community.
The Radio Balam team won for their Mam language profile of Martina Pablo Pablo , a student at Cornell who grew up in Todos Santos, Guatemala and sought asylum in the United States after being denied an education in her home country because of her Indigenous heritage.
“Our community is isolated,” said Radio Balam Co-Founder Esmeralda Mendoza, adding the program’s mission is to deliver her Mam speaking audience “accurate information in a language they understand.”
She added, “We exist. We are here. And we are among all of you.” – American Community Media
