Valedictorian is just 13-year-old 

By Jesus Cano

Principal Louie Rocha has gone through 21 graduation commencements but, says that the Antioch High School class of 2021 stand out as a special group due to all they had to go through because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was impressed that they placed the welfare of their loved ones before their own self-interest. School closure resulted in missed school activities and milestone events,” Rocha said. “I am so very proud of the class of 2021 throughout their high school years,” he continued. “I have been impressed how they come together to support one another during some challenging times.”

Ceremonies for the final of six high school graduations for the Antioch Unified School District, this week, were held in the school’s Eells Stadium.

13-year-old Ella Nguyen was this year’s valedictorian, perhaps the youngest in Antioch High School history. She congratulated her classmates as they went through 12 years to earn their diplomas and battled through the COVID-19 pandemic. (See related article)

“But after 15 months of being shut in confined isolation. It is especially important to recognize that we as a class of 2021 are more than this academic achievement,” Ella said. “But I know for a fact that from joy to misery, passion to empathy, spring to summer to fall to winter, through the year in solitude. It was your final year of high school, you’ve made it.”

Senior ASB president Arianna Grady’s opening speech emphasized with her classmates about being people of color and not letting negative stereotypes deter them from the success that they could have. Grady did so by introducing a quote Malcom X said during an interview.

“Malcolm’s quote made me think of how we have allowed people to construct our mindsets, the way we are perceived, perceive others and how we respond to others’ beliefs,” Grady said. “To that I say refuse. Refuse to allow yourself to be manipulated. Refuse to conform based on others’ beliefs. Refuse to be anything but unapologetically you. Question everything you read. Find your truth, with a school that has 85% racial and ethnic minorities.”

Antioch also honored fallen classmate Andrew Gonzalez, who passed away during his sophomore year of high school in a car accident on James Donlon Blvd.

400 students graduated this year from Antioch High School, according to Rocha.

Spent their senior year “All Alone Together”

By Jesus Cano

Deer Valley High teachers Allison Adkins and Maria McClain both got to work closely with the class of 2021 through their senior year. They both agreed that this year’s graduating class has one thing in common – grit and determination.

They both even think Deer Valley’s yearbook theme – All Alone Together – is a great theme for this school year.

“Many of them rose to the challenge,” Adkins said. “I think it teaches them down the line, that they’re way more flexible and capable of moving.”

“I think because they are a generation of social media, the technological aspect of distance learning, they are still connected because they connect so often with their phone and with Instagram and all of those other things.” McClain said.

In spite of scheduling the graduation ceremony in the school’s stadium Friday morning, it was still warm in the sun for the graduates in their caps and gowns.

Antioch Unified School District board president Ellie Householder said the class of 2021 are more technologically ready for anything that comes their way post-graduation, and emphasized in her speech to the graduates that she validates for all the hard work they put in during this virtual year.

But the school’s class of 2021 did get a sense of normalcy, valedictorian Dennis Gavrilenko highlighted in his speech, like him and his volleyball teammates winning the 2021 BVAL boys’ volleyball title. He reminds his class all they learned at Deer Valley.

Even with a rough start, Gavrilenko was proud of the way the class broke through barriers.

“I would have never thought that during our junior year, we would have to adjust to distance learning inside our entire senior year, apart from each other. While we were resilient. We were strong, and in the face of all that adversity, we succeeded.” he said.

He also added that as the class of 2021 grows, they are in control of their future.

“As we transition from poverty to our adult lives, I urge you all to never lose your curiosity and fascination in our world,” Gavrilenko said. “We are the ones who must seize the future that we envision for ourselves. It’s up to us to lead others, and to make the world a better place, and I am certain that we will succeed.”

See video of ceremony, later on YouTube. Please check back later for the link.

Sheriff’s Office, Oakley PD, CHP, Antioch K9 officer assist

By Antioch Police Department

Need more examples of how East County law enforcement works together to keep you safe?

Today, at about 11:23 A.M., APD Dispatch received a 9-1-1 call reporting an individual pointing a firearm at security for the Cielo Supermarket at W. 18th and A Streets after a shoplifting incident.

According to Corporal Colley, security officers followed 21-year-old Emil Williams to his car following petty theft of items from the store. “They told  him to ‘put it back.’ The officers followed him to his car to get his license plate and the guy ended up brandishing a firearm.”

APD Day Shift rushed to the scene and found the suspects just left in a burgundy Mercedes. A witness obtained a partial license plate for the vehicle, and APD dispatchers (the best in the business) located a match.

A countywide radio broadcast was issued and an alert Contra Costa Sheriff’s Deputy located the vehicle on Highway 4 near Marsh Creek Road. Officer Amiri and Canine Purcy responded to assist, and a vehicle stop was made westbound on Highway 4 at Laurel in Oakley. The occupants were detained, and a loaded semi-automatic handgun was found in the vehicle.

“Williams is in custody,” Colley stated. “Antioch Police booked him and transported him to jail in Martinez.”

Officers obtained video from the scene that matched the vehicle and the individual who pointed the firearm. Both he and the driver were placed under arrest for armed robbery and given a one-way trip to the County Jail in Martinez so they could tell others to avoid committing crime in East County.

Officers also had Deer Valley Road south of Lone Tree Way blocked off in the southbound lanes during the pursuit.

APD would like to thank the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, Oakley Police Department, and California Highway Patrol for their assistance with this incident. We know this jammed up traffic for a bit in the area, so we apologize for the delay, and appreciate your patience while we worked this incident. #antiochpdca  #eastcountystrong

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

“they’ll carry on and do great things with their leadership” – Former principal Scott Bergerhouse

By Jesus Cano

Dozier-Libbey Medical High School valedictorian Sidrah Rabiah Shah reminded her class of 2021 how much they went through over their four years as high school students. (See ceremony video)

“Our class is different. We will forever be etched in the history books, who have been able to graduate without ever stepping foot on campus (during their senior year).” Shah said. “We are the class that barged into the quad to protest a shooting that killed 17 in Parkland. We are the class that stuck together and helped one another through a deadly pandemic.”

Ceremonies for this year’s graduating class of the certified pathway academy, estimated to be between 150-160 students, was held in the Deer Valley High School stadium. Unlike the rest of the district’s high schools, Dozier-Libbey specifically focuses on health and science.

During salutatorian Adanna Chimara’s speech, she recounted her first thought of Dozier-Libbey, which consisted of a rigorous amount of schoolwork, but said at the end of the day it allowed herself and her peers to be more prepared for the real world.

“Today, a combination that has allowed us to grow and learn more about ourselves,” she said. “And so, because of our time here, we’re there to take on any challenges or longer stuff that might come in our way.”

Former Dozier-Libbey principal Scott Bergerhouse was in attendance as a representative from the Antioch Unified School District – where he serves as director of student support services. He said being at the graduation was an honor, especially since he got to work first-hand with these students.

“I remember when they were little freshmen and sophomore students working so hard. It’s so nice to see their success tonight,” Bergerhouse said. “Dozier-Libbey truly prepares them for not just the academic world but their whole life. And some of the challenges that they face in today’s world, they’ll carry on and do great things with their leadership, so I am very proud of them.”

The graduation was originally slated for 7 p.m. but was postponed until 8 p.m. due to this week’s heatwave. Spectators and students were provided with iced cold water as they entered the stadium. All five of the school board members and Superintendent Stephanie Anello attended the ceremony.

Joined by representatives of Chinese and Asian American organizations in Bay Area, State Controller Yee; APAPA donates $10,000 for exhibit at Antioch Historical Society museum

“It took 145 years to come to this day, to come to this reconciliation.” – Betty Yee, California State Controller

By Allen Payton

During a ceremony in what was once the location of Antioch’s Chinatown, Thursday morning, June 17, 2021, Mayor Lamar Thorpe and council members signed the resolution they adopted in May, apologizing for the city’s residents for their racism against Chinese immigrants in the late 1800’s. That included the burning down of the city’s Chinatown in 1876.

During the May 18, 2021 meeting, the council voted 5-0 to pass the resolution entitled “Resolution of the city council of the City of Antioch apologizing to early Chinese immigrants and their descendants for acts of fundamental injustice, seeking forgiveness and committing to rectification of past misdeeds.” (See related articles here and here)

The council members were joined by representatives of Bay Area Chinese and Asian American organizations, as well as State Controller Betty Yee who participated by Zoom. The signed resolutions were presented to each.

Yee was the keynote speaker, noting the fact that her parents are from the same Guangdong Province in China as were many of Antioch’s Chinese residents of the 1800’s.

Thorpe welcomed those in attendance “to the new Antioch, where opportunity lives for all of the world’s people, cultures, and more.”

“I know for some cultures and ethnic groups Antioch hasn’t always been a place of opportunity, hasn’t always been a place of open arms, and hasn’t always been a place of acceptance. And, we still fight through some of those issues today,” he continued. “But as we mature as a city, we gain perspective, build understanding, and, most importantly, increase our capacity to seek forgiveness.”

“Today, we ceremoniously begin that process of reconciliation with our early Chinese American residents, their descendants, and the larger AAPI community for our past misdeeds that helped build a culture in our country that led to the rise in hate crimes stemming from the COVID 19 pandemic,” Thorpe stated. “Like the ending of the pandemic, today, we, the City of Antioch, take our dose of humility by acknowledging our troubled past and seeking forgiveness.”

“I recognize there are many groups in our community who are just as deserving of an apology from their local, state and national government. I know, I am a member of such groups,” the mayor shared. “However, given the national awakening that has spun out of anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander hate, it’s critically important that we do this, now.”

Contra Costa Community College District Board President Andy Li, the first Asian American elected to the board, spoke next, thanking the mayor and council for their action “to make Antioch the first to apologize to early Chinese immigrants. Today is an historic day…for the resolution to be signed. I hope our ancestors in heaven can now rest in peace.”

“It sends a very clear message to the people of the United States that this is a country for all,” he continued. “145 years have passed, and the lives of Chinese Americans have improved. But today…we are told to go back to our country. Let’s be clear. This is my country.”

Li then cited the pledge of allegiance.

Edward Tepporn of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation said, “what happened in Antioch happened in other cities across the country.”

He spoke of how Chinese immigrants were treated differently than other immigrants, with many having to strip naked and answer hundreds of questions.

“Today, we add Mayor Lamar Thorpe and the City of Antioch to the list of those shining bright and standing shoulder to shoulder in solidarity,” Tepporn added.

Thorpe, who was joined by Mayor Pro Tem Monica Wilson, District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker and District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica, then said, “I thought I would have the other council members who voted for the resolution sign it.”

Her shared that District 3 Councilwoman “Lori Ogorchock couldn’t be here. Her grandson is visiting so her time is tied up.”

We have made commitments to fund the Antioch Historical Society and to designate this area as Antioch’ historic Chinatown,” Thorpe shared, speaking of Waldie Plaza in the city’s historic Rivertown District, where the ceremony was held.

Thorpe Reads Resolution, Representative Bows

As Thorpe read the resolution, Douglas Hsia of the Locke Foundation in the California Delta bowed his head in a sign of reverence and respect.

RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ANTIOCH APOLOGIZING TO EARLY CHINESE IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS FOR ACTS OF FUNDAMENTIAL INJUSTICE, SEEKING FORGIVENESS AND COMMITTING TO RECTIFICATION OF PAST MISDEEDS

WHEREAS, on January 24, 1848, gold was discovered in Alta California, Mex(ico) and by 1849, people were coming to the region from all over the world to look for gold;

WHEREAS, the Gold Rush caused a huge increase in the population by migrants from the eastern United States and other parts of the world including China;

WHEREAS, between 1849 and 1853 about 24,000 young Chinese men immigrated to Alta California, Mex(ico) (which in 1850 became the United States, State of California) and by 1870 there were an estimated 63,000 Chinese in the United States, 77% of whom resided in California;

WHEREAS, many Chinese immigrants were met with racism, scapegoating and anti-Chinese sentiment also known as xenophobia, which was at its highest between 1850 and 1870;

WHEREAS, Antioch in its early years was not exempt from xenophobia;

WHEREAS, this period in Antioch’s history, like in most of America, is now known as the “The Driving Out” with forced removals of Chinese immigrants;

WHEREAS, during “The Driving Out” period, Antioch officially became a “Sundown Town” when it banned Chinese residents from walking city streets after sunset;

WHEREAS, in order to get from their jobs to their homes each evening, these Chinese residents built a series of tunnels connecting the business district to where I Street met the waterfront;

WHEREAS, in 1876 Chinese residents were told by white mobs that they had until 3 p.m. to leave Antioch— no exceptions;

WHEREAS, after Chinese residents were forced out, Chinatown was burned to the ground and Antioch made headline news: “The Caucasian torch,” wrote the Sacramento Bee, “lighted the way of the heathen out of the wilderness,” and “The actions of the citizens of this place will, without doubt, meet with the hearty approval of every man, woman and child on the Pacific coast” wrote the San Francisco Chronicle;

WHEREAS, Antioch’s early period helped negatively contribute to the Nation’s xenophobic discourse, which led to legal discrimination in public policy with the establishment of the Chinese Exclusion Act;

WHEREAS, the system of “The Driving Out” and the visceral racism against persons of Chinese descent upon which it depended became entrenched in the City’s, the State’s and the Nation’s social fabric;

WHEREAS, the story of Chinese immigrants and the dehumanizing atrocities committed against them should not be purged from or minimized in the telling of Antioch’s history;

WHEREAS, the City of Antioch must acknowledge that the legacy of early Chinese immigrants and Xenophobia are part of our collective consciousness that helps contribute to the current anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander hate;

WHEREAS, a genuine apology and seeking forgiveness are an important and necessary first step in the process of racial reconciliation;

WHEREAS, an apology for dehumanization and injustices cannot erase the past, but admission of the wrongs committed can speed racial healing and reconciliation and help confront the ghosts of the City’s past;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Antioch:

1) Apologizes to all early Chinese immigrants and their descendants who came to Antioch and were unwelcome;

2) Seeks forgiveness for acts of fundamental injustice, terror, cruelty, and brutality; and

3) Expresses its commitment to rectify the lingering consequences of the misdeeds committed against early Chinese immigrant under, before and during “The Driving Out.”

* * * * * * * * *

I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing resolution was passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Antioch at a special meeting thereof, held on the 18th day of May, 2021 by the following vote:

AYES: 5

NOES: 0

ABSTAIN: 0

ABSENT: 0

Council Members Sign Copies of Resolution

The mayor and council members then signed eight copies of the resolution which were presented to representatives of each of the organizations in attendance, including Tepporn, Justin Hoover, Executive Director of the Chinese Historical Society of America, C.C. and Regina Yin, and Joel Wong of the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (APAPA), Douglas Hsia of the Locke Foundation in the California Delta, as well as Hans Ho and Linda Walgren of the Antioch Historical Society.

“I just want to say how important it is to have solidarity with other groups…to be with this amazing event today to honor those who were wronged,” Hoover shared. He then thanked the mayor and council for the resolution.

Walgren, Secretary of the Board of Directors on behalf of president Dwayne Eubanks spoke next saying, We are interested in all the people’s history in Antioch.”

“I want to thank the mayor and city council for an extremely brave act in signing this proclamation” Ho said as he got choked up and had tears come to his eyes.” It is an uncomfortable part of our history.”

Hsia said he was glad to be part of the ceremony and thought it appropriate his organization was represented since “San Francisco marked the beginning and Locke marks the beginning of the end of the Chinese immigration.”

“I thank Mayor Thorpe,” Hsia continued. “His actions today, have made America better for everyone.”

Yee offered her keynote address for the ceremony saying, “This is such an important, historic day. It is a personally meaningful day for me. I have to harken back to some of the sentiments of the day…which was the anti-Asian sentiment. We are standing locked arm in arm fighting this virus of hate.”

“Today, we’re recognizing the stains of Antioch…and look at how we are going to model reconciliation…so our community can heal from all the dark chapters of the Chinese American experience,” she continued. “The Asian hate, today, has its roots in what happened, here in Antioch.”

“I want to thank the City of Antioch for not just making this a one-day occasion…but that we will be reminded of it in our museums. It’s only through understanding that we truly understand our place in time, today,” Yee stated. “It took 145 years to come to this day, to come to this reconciliation. The number of the resolution, 88 is a very important number in Chinese culture…of good fortune.”

“This is a day of celebration, but a day to remember our work is not done,” she said. “It is so significant when it happens in cities like Antioch. It’s so easy to sweep it under the rug. We know this is a hopeful day of a new chapter of relations.”

“I’m so thankful to be part of this historic day,” said Antioch School Board President Ellie Householder, who served as Mistress of Ceremonies for the event.

APAPA founder C.C. Yin said, “this is a very important historic moment. The first time in California history for a city to stand up.”

He presented the mayor and council members with APAPA logo shirts as gifts, as well as McDonald’s logo hats from he and his wife’s franchise.

He shared that “Regina Yin is donating $10,000 from the APAPA foundation to the City of Antioch.”

“Andy told us to do that,” she said with a smile.

“I was very moved by the mayor’s comments,” Regina Yin stated. “This country gave C.C. and me the opportunity to open a McDonald’s franchise. I have had the opportunity to open a business and to give back.”

She thanked the mayor for “A sincere apology.”

“Sixty years ago I came as an immigrant,” C.C. Yin stated. “This is our country. We love it. We have fulfilled our dreams ten times. The past is learning for tomorrow. We have double responsibility to build a better country, a better government. Antioch…this is what I call American spirit.”

Street Renaming and Reparations

Asked about the idea of renaming First Street to Chinatown Way, as proposed by a Rivertown business owner, Thorpe said he was not familiar with that but the council would consider it.
Asked about reparations for the descendants of the property owners who were burned out, and if there had been any research done  on that,  yet, he said “we are working with City Manager Ron Bernal and the historical society in the process of securing a consultant.”

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Custody Services Bureau has acquired the Tek84 Intercept Full Body Scanner. The Intercept will be used at intake at the Martinez Detention Facility as arrestees are processed and booked into the facility.

According to Tek84, the Intercept “detects both metallic and nonmetallic threats, including weapons, drugs, cell phones and other contraband. Screens from below the feet to above the head reveal items under the clothing and within the body.” In addition, the Intercept allows staff to maintain a distance of 6 feet of social distancing space between them and arrestees while conducting contraband searches.

“This technology is about safety and security and is one of many steps we are taking to improve our facilities,” said Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston. “This is a win-win. It will help prevent contraband from entering our jails, thus making it safer for inmates and staff.”

Funding for the Intercept, which cost $152,000, comes from federal funds (CARES ACT).

 

By Jesus Cano

One of first-year principal Raj Naicker’s goals was to get more students to graduate from Antioch’s Bidwell High School, especially since many students entered the school with low credits at the alternative high school. (See ceremony video)

Naicker and his administration were able to reach that goal, as Bidwell High had its largest graduating class in school history with 106 students receiving their diplomas as part of the class of 2021, during ceremonies, Wednesday night, June 16 at the Deer Valley High School stadium

Naicker admits his goal came with a little bit of assistance as he said the Antioch Unified School District lowered the amount of credits to graduate this year from 220 to 130. He credits his administration staff with being much more interactive with the students and motivating them to graduate.

“I entered this school with a very open heart, with a very open mind,” Naicker said. “And my goal was to make sure to provide them opportunities to take classes in multiple ways, so that they could end those credits and graduate on time.”

Among the 108 students that graduated, Xotchil Ramirez and Angelique Romero were chosen to speak. Both of them touched on coming into Bidwell in a credit deficit but were able to preserve through Bidwell.

“I was told I could graduate if I went to Bidwell and I was excited to see what I could truly accomplish,” Ramirez said in her speech. “I was able to develop such amazing relationships with my fellow classmates and teachers as they helped me and all of us to where we are today.”

Bidwell was truly a very welcoming place where students can get a warm feeling of accomplishment, and the confidence that drives them forward,” Romero said in her speech. “I got help every step of the way, and never once felt alone.”

Antioch Unified School District trustee Dr. Clyde Lewis spoke at the graduation ceremony and recounted his days of growing up in East Oakland – an area that has a similar demographic to the students at Bidwell.

“Once we have success. It’s easy to build. It’s not easy, but it’s possible to build on that success,” Lewis said. “So, it’s important that we sort of really highlight that these kids are graduating, and then we push them and provide them opportunities.”

By Luke Johnson & Jesus Cano

While many kids her age are excited about watching PG13 movies without their parents for the first time, Ella Nguyen is focused on graduating high school at the top of her class.

At just 13 years old, Ella is this year’s valedictorian at Antioch High School with a 4.43 GPA.

Principal Louie Rocha said he believes Ella is the youngest valedictorian in the school’s history, confirming that she is the youngest graduate during his time at the school. Rocha graduated from Antioch High in 1979 and has been an administrator on campus for over 20 years.

“Being at the top of my class was something that had never really crossed my mind,” Ella said. “I’m thankful to have gotten to where I am, but it’s more of a bonus than anything. It’s simply a part of my journey as a high schooler.”

Ella first skipped kindergarten, then third grade. By the time she finished fifth grade, she had an IQ of 147.

Ella’s parents and Mission Elementary administrators approached Rocha with the idea of Ella bypassing middle school and entering high school at nine years old.

He had concerns at first and immediately thought of worst-case scenarios.

“I asked her, ‘Are you willing to take the risk of being around older kids?’” he said.

Rocha was worried that Ella could possibly be on the receiving end of collateral damage from a scuffle in a hallway. She was around 4-foot-8 and 70 pounds at the time. He also wondered how the school would accommodate Ella in P.E. — who might risk injury by competing with bigger kids — and in health class — which covers sex education.

With Ella’s parents and Mission Elementary administrators insisting that she’s a genius and ready for a higher-level education, Rocha said he turned to Ella and asked why she wanted to attend Antioch High so badly.

“She looked me in the eye and said, ‘Mr. Rocha, I have never been challenged in school before. I hope by coming to high school that it will push and challenge me to be successful,’” Rocha said.

After enrolling at Antioch High, administration ultimately waived Ella’s health and P.E. classes. It was also agreed that then-Vice Principal Michael Flosi would walk her to class everyday.

However, by the third day of freshman year, Ella told Flosi that she was embarrassed of being escorted to class and she needed to find her own way.

Some classmates were “freaking out” when they initially discovered that a nine year old was a student on campus. However, Rocha said that quickly changed as several students wanted to befriend Ella, because they were inspired by her profound academic skills and wanted to learn from her.

Jason Ebner, a teacher at Antioch High, worked closely with Ella. Over the years, he’s seen her grow firsthand.

“The young lady speaks with such confidence and grace, Ebner said. “It’s scary to understand in four years to hear the level she was to the level where she is now — the conversations that we have had about what she thinks about education, where she thinks her life is going to go.”

Now Ella and her family are getting ready to move to Stockton while Ella gears up for college at the University of Pacific. She was accepted into the pre-dentistry program and — with some of her undergrad classes out the way from attending Los Medanos College — she could possibly become a licensed dentist at 18 years old.

Ebner and Rocha both compared Ella to Najee Harris — who graduated from Antioch High in 2017 and was recently drafted first round in the NFL — because their academic and athletic talents are in the “top one percent” of the world.

“As we honor Najee for putting Antioch on the map, we should do the same for Ella,” Rocha said.

Antioch High’s commencement ceremony for the Class of 2021 will take place Friday 8 p.m. at Eells Stadium with limited capacity. Ella will be one of the speakers.