Jane Kim for School Board | Testimonials
Lesson Jane Taught Me
By Rosa Wong-Chie
Growing up as an immigrant, in a community full of Chinese-speaking individuals, I spent most of my childhood and teen years living in Chinatown. Like most ignorant teens, I had no intention of learning about my community, or to know my heritage and history.
I also felt ashamed to live in Chinatown, because it is associated with a poor, low-income working class. I did not like having people assume that I lived in Chinatown, without getting to know me better first. Basically, I was not proud of who I was and was confused as to who I really was.
In high school, I joined an organization at the Chinatown Community Development Center, where Jane Kim is Youth Education Director. The program was called Adopt-an-Alleyway Youth Project (AAA). Jane really taught me to value myself and my culture through her support and understanding. She taught me to be more self-confident and was one of the first people to make me feel proud to be an Asian-American.
Jane allowed me to realize that I am part of a group who is actively engaged in the civil rights movement, fighting for equality among everyone; a group that will not let obstacles stop their progress, but instead will unify them even more. She did this through the many workshops she held in the tour program, where I learned about an Asian American history that textbooks did not even mention. Jane single-handedly created these workshops, and taught us herself.
Without Jane, I would not be who I am today. You see, in the past I did not accept myself to be fully American, nor did I believe myself to be fully Chinese. However, it’s really because of Jane, that I realize the strength of being Asian-Americanan identity I am now proud of.
Jane not only helped me realize my identity, she also helped me as an individual. Since I was a young child, I had always been shy around strangers. I would also be passive and never dare to ask questions for the simplest things, like directions. Technically, I am still shy today, but in a different way. What Jane helped changed was my behavior and my confidence. Through interaction with Jane, I became more comfortable at expressing myself and my needs because Jane did not treat me as a child. She treated me more as an equal.
This is a big deal because in Chinese customs, you are taught to respect teachers, parents, and elders. Jane was my teacher, and therefore, I was not supposed to talk to her like an equal. But after many interactions with her, I became less shy. Slowly, I realized I should not be afraid to speak and give my opinions.
When we had group discussions, Jane gave each and every one of us time to speak our mind—without making us feel like our opinions did not matter. She actually took our ideas and our opinions seriously, because she truly cares about what we believe in, even though we are younger than her. She also made me comfortable within the group; hence I started to become less shy and more outspoken.
As a college student attending UC Berkeley, I was just like many others who did not care about politics or voting. Even though Berkeley is a liberal school, with many protests happening within campus, it did not influence me at all. But Jane helped me realize the importance of politics and grassroots organizing. It was Jane who made me become passionate about voting and about civil rights. Even more, Jane actually invited me and my other friends to become part of her campaign, to help her organize and strategize. When she included me into her campaign, I was initially shocked, then pleased to have been chosen to help her out. Because of the invitation, it made me realize how much she truly values my opinions, as well as the fact that she did not care if I am not experienced enough with politics and campaigning. To her, campaigning is not just about winning an election, but mobilizing different people for the same goals. It was not about politics per se, but more about letting others become aware of school issues and letting youths become more involve.
By letting me be involved, I learned firsthand about politics and campaigning (where textbooks can not fill in). I learned that youths’ voices are valued and heard. But most importantly, I learned that Jane Kim truly cares about me and many others that are like myself—a shy, Asian-American girl, attending a liberal school.
How Jane Kim Influenced Me
By Wendell Lin, Gateway High School 2004
In life we run across many people who influence our lives; for the past four years, Jane has been one of the most influential people in mine. My name is Wendell Lin, graduate of Gateway High School and currently a freshman at UC Berkeley.
Born and raised in San Francisco, I was part of the San Francisco Unified School District for my K-12 school years. I attended Gordon J. Lau (or as I remember it, Commodore Stockton) Elementary School in Chinatown, then Benjamin Franklin Middle School in the Western Addition, and Gateway High School in the Sunset. Having first hand experience with the goods and the bads of the school district, I wholeheartedly feel that Jane has the passion, the dedication, the ideas, and the know-how to be a great school board member.
I remember when I first met Jane; my friend had dragged me to a general meeting of a youth volunteer program. My initial thoughts on community service and advocacy were that it was a waste of my time, and because I was self-conscious about my “coolness,” I thought it was something for people with nothing better to do. I came into this program with this type of mentality, and it didn?t change until I actually participated at the service events, got to know the other youth who where involved, and got a chance to meet Jane.
It was her genuineness and passion for the community that intrigued me and made me want to learn more about it. I was apathetic about it at first, but after going to more of the service events and talking more with Jane, I realized the importance of community and the significance of doing one’s part in his/her community. Not only has Jane been a great youth director, but she has been a great friend and a wonderful mentor. Whenever one of our services ends late, she always offers to drive us home, whenever we have birthday parties, she’s always there to celebrate with us, whenever we have school functions or events, she always shows up to support us.
Had I never met Jane, my life would be totally heading towards a different direction. Jane has shown me the significance of my culture, my identity, and my self. She does this by not only teaching us, but she actually sets an example as someone who cares about their community and people around them, someone who is proud of their culture and identity while embracing others’, and someone who is responsible as a person as well as a citizen.
Jane works with youth everyday and she is very involved with our education. As a school board member, she will fight for students to get a quality education, for classrooms that keep students more engaged, and for more input and voice from parents and the community.
James Kass, Executive Director, Youth Speaks
When I heard that Jane Kim was running for the San Francisco school board, the first thing I did was say “yes.” Then I picked up the phone and called her, volunteering my services in whatever capacity she felt useful. I’m a huge admirer of Jane. Over the last 5 years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with her on a number of occasions, and each time I’ve walked away impressed by her ability to galvanize youth around important issues in their lives.
Jane works with young people in San Francisco everyday. She is a dedicated youth advocate, a community activists, a nonprofit leader, and an educator. Her background working with teenagers and her belief in their abilities—that teenagers in urban environments can thrive when given safe and supported spaces—makes her a unique candidate in this race. Too often, the school board is seen as a stepping stone to greater political office. Jane comes from a place where the perfect end result is one in which young people succeed, and that gain is enough to propel her forward.
Jane has the best interests of young people firmly in her sightline. There’s a reason that so many high-school aged students are so firmly beyond her candidacy: she cares about them and their welfare. I never left the community youth program she directed unimpressed; each time I saw a mutliethnic group of youth fully engaged with the important issues effecting their lives and the lives of the people in their communities. Jane is a true treasure… she’s able to nurture youth, while guiding them toward their own development. In the best sense of the word, she is already an educator. By becoming a School Board member in San Francisco, she will firmly and directly take on the challenges facing our school district much as she has faced the challenges her youth face daily.
In a city so rich with potential, there is no excuse for our students to fail. In a city so multicultural, it makes no sense that the SFUSD is made of of 98% students of color, and that the schools on the East side are battling the schools on the West side for resources. We need new leadership in the schools, we need youth advocates advocating for the youth, and we need Jane Kim.
With the national race so exciting, with so many progressives galvanized on a national level, we in San Francisco, which will easily vote for Kerry, have an opportunity to focus on our local politics. The school board race is the single most important thing we can focus on locally. Jane Kim can make a difference. Please support her in November.
Jeff Adachi, Public Defender
I am endorsing Jane Kim because of her tireless commitment to the well-being of our children. Jane brings her extensive experience in forging after-school educational programs for youth. Jane will provide the school board with fresh, innovative ideas to serve the needs of today’s youth, and will organize and unite diverse communities to fight for quality public education for all.
She represents the best of what we want for our children. Her extensive work in creating the highest caliber after school programs has ensured bright futures for the youth of San Francisco. Jane respects every child’s right to a quality well rounded education in a safe and nurturing environment. As a parent and public defender, it is my pleasure to lend my endorsement to her campaign for San Francisco School Board.
Jeremiah Jeffries, First Grade Teacher
Jane Kim is an exceptional person committed to community empowerment and whose service to the San Francisco community has been in both the arts, as Co-founder of Locus Arts, and most importantly in youth services as Youth Education Director at CCDC (Chinatown Community Development Center). Jane has coordinated youth-initiated community service projects & leadership development for teenage youth from all over SF. Jane is the only candidate working directly with our youth in many of San Francisco’s troubled and successful public high schools. Jane’s running for school board is both a service and a blessing to San Francisco Public Schools and it’s youth. Her intimate knowledge of youth services and resources within the city, as well as her experience working first hand with the youth of San Francisco will be an invaluable asset to have on the board.
Josh Wolf
Josh Wolf is an amazing person and we should all be supporting him. Talk about civic duty—he is spending time in prison to protect journalism’s integrity. Hear Josh endorse Jane in this video.
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