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Sylvia Tian wants to be a “bridge” for new Asian immigrants in Pleasanton. To build a platform for them to become active community members and have their voices heard.
And she and 10 companions hope to turn that goal into a reality through the newly founded Tri-Valley Asian Association.
“We help the community a lot,” she said of the city’s Asian residents. “But also at the same time, we want to voice out, say what is not right, we need to change, we need to improve.”
Tian has lived in Pleasanton for six years and works as a Realtor, after spending more than a decade as a news reporter in Los Angeles and China.
She serves on the city’s Economic Vitality Committee and the Pleasanton Unified School District (PUSD) Local Control Advisory Committee — she’s not an invisible presence. And through her new role as president of TVAA, Tian plans to encourage other Asian immigrants to join her in participating.
The nonprofit is in its infancy, with its grand opening taking place just a month ago. They have already stepped into the community spotlight since then, though, by publicly opposing proposed math class changes in the PUSD.
Currently, all of their members are Chinese-American, but they would like to bring in others too — in the short-term they are looking to expand to other Asian demographics and in the long-term, incorporate other immigrant communities as well.
“I want to help new immigrants to know our society, and also help our society to accept the new immigrants,” said Ying Ma, another TVAA board member. “We want to be the bridge for both sides, to know each other and understand each other. I want to do this, based on my experience.”
The organization has roots in another collective: the Pleasanton Parents Association (PPA), a group of Asian parents in PUSD who discuss school and education-related issues among themselves primarily through WeChat, a Chinese messaging phone application. They have existed since 2015, and currently consist of over 450 members.
But early last year, some of their members took on more of an advocacy role, in response to a new enrollment form implemented at the state level.
The form asked parents to mark whether their child’s ethnicity was or wasn’t Hispanic or Latino, and then went on to direct parents to select a race for their child. Of the racial categories, nine boxes referred to specific Asian nationalities, five to Pacific Islander groups and one box each was designated for American Indian or Alaskan Native, Filipino/Filipino American, African-American or black, and white or Caucasian.
Several parents felt that Asians were being unfairly targeted or “subgrouped.”
“Both of my sons were born and raised here in California,” Tian said. “They don’t think they’re Chinese, they always say, ‘I’m an American. But of course, I’m proud to be Chinese-American.’
“But they are American,” she continued. “They have no connection to China at all. So why should I label them as Chinese in this context? It’s totally wrong. Chinese is me, it’s not them — they are American. And I respect their nationality and identity.”
PUSD board member Jamie Yee Hintzke is the only elected official of Asian descent in Pleasanton, and one of the few Asian-Americans ever to hold elected office in the greater Tri-Valley. While she said that the school board was only following state law with the enrollment form, she understood how the parents felt.
“It feels like they’re being segregated,” she said, adding that some of the parents coming out of the Chinese cultural revolution in the 1960s and ’70s said the form was reminiscent of those they had been forced to fill out in their homeland, forms that dictated how they were treated under “stringent Chinese rule.”
Tian added that many of the Asian countries separated out in the form actually shared a great deal culturally and linguistically, in contrast to European countries. So, she asked, why should Americans of European descent share only one box?
Some friends suggested that she establish a nonprofit, in order to make their platform more formalized and to get their voice heard in the “mainstream.”
And thus was born the concept of the Tri-Valley Asian Association.
“I think previously Chinese parents were a silent community,” said Grace Li, another TVAA board member, who moved to the U.S. with her family from China three years ago. “We talked in Chinese, we talked in WeChat, but nobody outside heard our voice.”
While TVAA members do maintain cultural traditions with their families and friends — such as celebrating the Lunar New Year last week — as an organization they are focused on advocacy rather than on hosting cultural events.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that residents who identify as Asian alone consist of 30% of Pleasanton’s population — a 7% increase from the latest Census count in 2010.
The percentage of Asian students in PUSD, as of October 2017, is just shy of 41%. That represents a 10% increase over 2012, according to district officials.
Establishing as a nonprofit is a hefty, paperwork-heavy process, and hiring someone to take on that task would cost between $3,000 and $5,000, TVAA board members said. One of their board members, Chong Wang, took up the mantle himself.
“For me, I’m trying to save money for everyone,” Wang said, now the secretary of TVAA. “That’s the reason I spend my time to process the paperwork, which takes a huge amount of time, a huge learning curve. If you think about it, (you’re constructing) a company.”
They officially announced their formation with a grand-opening ceremony on Jan. 20, an event attended by a handful of local officials and a few dozen families and accompanied by a potluck.
“I am committed to increasing the diversity and representation on our commissions and committees, and we have seen changes there, though things are always slower than we might want,” Pleasanton Mayor Jerry Thorne said in remarks during the ceremony. “But more now than ever, I believe that we need to say in a loud, clear voice that we embrace diversity in our community and we all benefit from the many different cultures we now see in Pleasanton.”
“From the opening of Pacific Pearl (shopping center) to the growing number of Asians who are choosing to make Pleasanton their home for all the reasons I made it mine so many years ago, we celebrate you and look forward to bridging our cultures,” he added.
PUSD Superintendent David Haglund, school board president Mark Miller, local Assemblywoman Catharine Baker and Pleasanton City Councilwoman Kathy Narum were also present.
“The Tri-Valley Asian Association is a welcome addition to our community, promoting not only culture but also our shared values,” Baker said in an email. “I look forward to the contributions and leadership TVAA will make.”
Now that they are established, TVAA are looking to grow their organization beyond the current 11 board members. They don’t have a formal office space, instead making decisions and communicating via WeChat.
They are planning on holding a variety of workshops, including English classes and job presentations, in order for their children to see the different career options available.
It can be difficult for many new immigrants to feel comfortable voicing their opinions in public settings, in new systems and in unfamiliar political terrain. Not to mention language differences. Cultural norms also differ greatly, Tian said.
“A lot of Asians are so shy,” she said. “They’re not used to standing in the spotlight or standing on the stage, to say whatever. As a tradition (culturally), we think modesty is the value, not saying anything is the value. In America, it’s totally different.”
“We’re learning,” she added. “It’s opposite from how we’re trained.”
For Hintzke, any chance for parents to become more comfortable being civically engaged in the community is a welcome sight. “We need the different viewpoints and perspectives,” she said.
Most recently, TVAA came out publicly against a recent PUSD proposal that considered the phasing out of an accelerated middle school math program, which allows students to complete math 6/7 in sixth grade, math 8/algebra in seventh grade and honors geometry in eighth.
Tian and Li noted that their mini-campaign, which included turnout at the Jan. 30 school board meeting, had gained traction and support from the larger parent community.
“It’s not only Asian parents that care about education,” Li said. “Many others, a lot have the same opinion with us.”
“Our school board greatly values input from the community, and groups like TVAA provide an excellent forum to collect and present constructive input from important constituencies,” Miller said in an email. “Most recently, their feedback on our math pathways provided us with valuable input to help in shaping district direction.”
And through their efforts, TVAA hopes to dispel misconceptions about Asians in Pleasanton — especially when others say that they don’t contribute or participate enough. This especially frustrates Tian and her friends, as they feel that the Asian community often does lend a hand, in particular pointing to significant donations PPA members have made in the past.
Even some of the more positive-seeming stereotypes can have negative connotations, TVAA members said, like when they are asked if their children are successful academically because their parents “force them as a slave,” Tian said.
“It’s really a biased opinion,” she said.
Many parents who have moved here from China are highly educated themselves, she noted. “And of course, they pass on the tradition and the knowledge themselves. They value education very much,” she continued.
With a greater presence in community politics, TVAA hopes to address these stereotypes and misconceptions.
“We want to communicate with the community,” Tian said. “Come to know us. Maybe we speak a different language, and that language is so hard to translate into English sometimes, so you don’t understand what I’m saying. But come and get to know us.”
BobB:
The two posters are not “arrack”!!!
They are simply declaring this Sylvia Tian (XIATIAN) real name is not speaking for them. I support the above two posters Kumbaya and Another Voice declaring they are their own spoke person.
The State forms need to be updated but I think it was originally intended to help Asian immigrants since there are a wide range of languages spoken. At 30 percent of the population, Im glad to see the out-reach. We would like our primarily Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Indian neighbors to understand us socially and visa versa. It is very different for everyone but hopefully the immigrant residents also recognize that.
As an Asian, I feel it my responsibility to make it clear to the Pleasanton community that Sylvia Tian was NOT elected, and that TVAA is not sanctioned by all Asian community. At best, Ms. Tian represents the Chinese community, but even that is questionable because she only gets the support from a very small percentage of them. Ms. Tian is a divisive character. She uses offensive, victim-minded language to fan racial biases and fear within the new immigrant community. She is combative, and always aims to shut down those who dare to disagree with her, even within the Chinese community. But most appalling of all, she uses her positions as a volunteer in the local school district and community organizations, to market herself as the go-to-realtor for Chinese immigrants back in China looking to migrate to the bay area.
Ms. Tian formed TVAA with a group of her most arden fans/friends, but this organization should not be viewed as one that represents all Asians within our community. Many of us do not share their sentiments, and we certainly did not elect Ms. Tian to be our mouthpiece. Ms. Tian is preying on the new immigrants to get their business in realty. Her most recent “project” is the Math Pathway change, which she swiftly turned into a racial issue, completely disregarding the many other reasons for the proposal. Right before that, she told all Chinese parents to not declare their origins so their children will not be discriminated against. This kind of rhetoric only breeds distrust and fear amongst the different ethnic groups, but she does not care. The more fear they feel, the more they would trust her.
It is very clear from the reporting that this article was written/drafted by someone from the TVAA group, as putting a price-tag on a job (of applying for an NGO) is a very Chinese thing to do (I am Chinese). If they have infiltrated even our journalism, then we can only pray that the public has the wisdom to tell the difference between what is real reporting, and what is choreographed news. Sylvia Tian and Grace Li both worked in media, and know how to use its power to spread their message, as can be seen by how they got the officials to come out to their opening event. Most of us do not see the point of arguing with them, but in this case, it is imperative that the public, and definitely the elected officials, know that this is not a official Asian organization in the TriValley area.
@Kumbaya,
Good for Sylvia Tian for opposing the proposed changes to the new Math pathways. The fact that she opposes it improves my opinion of her organization. Thanks for pointing that out!
I’ll look into joining them and maybe volunteering my time. Seems like a needed organization.
Like Kumbaya, I am an Asian American in the Pleasanton community and want to stress that Sylvia Tian does not speak for me. In fact, when I have seen her at various forums, her attempts at racial-based fearmongering embarrass me. I sincerely hope that observers do not think that Sylvia speaks for all Asians in Pleasanton, let alone the Tri-Valley.
I too have witnessed Sylvia’s attempts to bully and silence others in the Asian community into submission, while elevating and promoting herself for both commercial and personal gain.
From my first interactions with her, Sylvia has been power-hungry, rather than truly community-service-oriented or desiring to build bridges.
She certainly has her supporters, and she is by no means the only one who would like the District to reconsider the math pathways proposal. And of course she is free to set up whatever nonprofit she likes and to place herself as its president.
The Asian American community is clearly multifaceted with many different perspectives. Sylvia’s perspective is one voice, but she is certainly not the spokesperson for the entire community. No one other than the 10 TVAA members has chosen her as such.
So my request of the local officials is not to think that by talking to Sylvia, you have heard the opinions of all Asian Americans. We are many, and we are diverse — just like all other communities and groups in our country.
I don’t know Sylvia Tian personally at all, but all I can say is that the two posters above just seem to want to cast aspersions and not really offer any opinions or anything constructive.
If they are so opposed to accelerated math pathways, why not say why they are opposed, and not arrack someone personally?
@BobB – I should have been more clear. I support having an accelerated math pathway.
When I said that Sylvia is not the only one who would like the District to reconsider the math pathways proposal, I meant that I also think that the District should reconsider the proposal to eliminate the advanced math pathway.
However, what I object to is the way Sylvia frames her arguments from a race-based perspective; her attempts to stoke those same sentiments among other Asians, especially Asian immigrants; and her claim to speak for all Asians in the Tri-Valley.
I worry that our elected officials will believe that when they meet with her, she is expressing the sentiment of a very large, diverse population and that by doing so, they have “checked the box” and have heard the voice of the Asian community, when that simply isn’t true.
I also worry that others who hear her speak in public forums will believe that all other Asians feel similarly to her, when again, that simply isn’t true either.
Again, Sylvia Tian (Xia Tian) has every right to express her opinion, form a group of her choosing, install herself as president, consult with local politicians, and organize a media event.
However, she does not speak for me, and she does not speak for many other Asian Americans in our community.
Dear BobB,
For the record, I too am opposed to the Math Pathway change. To that end, I encourage you to write to all five of our school board members, and the superintendent, to let them know about your concerns. They need to hear from you. Also, try to attend the last town hall meeting on Feb 28, from 6-7:30pm, in the Harvest Park MPR, if you haven’t gone to one already. You will be able to connect with many like-minded people there, and may find a group to join, or form one yourself.
It is always easier to be mad than it is to understand. I hope you will seek to understand where PUSD is coming from before jumping to conclusions. We owe it to ourselves to get to the bottom of it, and there’s no learning with our eyes closed and our ears covered. To focus on just one aspect (in this case, racism) is the lazy approach and oversimplification of the issue.
TVAA claims to be building a bridge of understanding. This is ironic because I see them burning bridges, bridges that many of us spent years building. I worry that the damage they are doing will take us years to undo. But I’m holding out hope that light will eventually prevail.