Category: Fundraising

2023 Heritage Camp Recap – “Creating Connections!”

2023 SEAPI Camp Recap by Hue Dao

Dear Friends,

Last month, a small crew of our ATG Tribe was in Estes Park, Colorado at Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander (SEAPI) Heritage Camp, where we taught 6 workshops to Pre-K children all the way up to adoptive parents. This is a camp for families who have adopted kids from countries in Southeast Asia, an opportunity for the families to connect to the heritages of Vietnam, The Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia and the Pacific Islands.

ATG has been supporting and coming to this camp for over 10 summers now. We love seeing the familiar faces of families and reconnecting with our ATG friends near and far. Carol, Loan, Tammy, George and their 3 children flew in from Dallas, Jared from New York, and Hue from Seattle.

The first night where we celebrated Jared’s birthday.


Day 1:
It’s heartwarming to see that parents care so much about their adopted children that they are willing to spend part of their summer immersing themselves in various cultures. The theme at camp this year was “Creating Connections,” so we engaged the 11th and 12th graders at our “Spice Connections” Workshop, where we discussed the influence and history of the spice trade and hand-painted lì xì, which are special red envelopes given during Lunar New Year to children for luck.

We also taught “Gettin’ Saucy with ATG” to the parents, because what better way to bring together a meal than through sauces? The parents had the opportunity to whip together and taste the sauces:
Savory Ginger Scallion, Salt Pepper Lime, Peanut Hoisin Sauce, Nước Chấm and Sweet Coconut Sauce with Sesame Seeds and Peanuts.

Day 2:
We taught another session of sauces with the parents, and then it was off to “Imagine Lil Dragons,” where we told folk stories and crafted dragons with Pre-K and Kindergarteners.

After lunch, we hosted a workshop with 1st-4th graders called “We See You,” where we read and had a deep discussion of the book “What I See: Anti-Asian Racism from the Eyes of a Child” written by Christine T. Leung. It was deeply emotional and heartwarming to hear their thoughts on what they would do in a bullying incident. Together, we drew and put together a banner using symbols of each of us.

Afterward, we cooled off in a fun Songkran water fight, which is a Thai New Year tradition.

 

That evening we had a gala where we wore our SEAPI finest and presented ATG Heritage Camp Scholarships. Here’s George, Tammy, and their children wearing the traditional Vietnamese áo dài.

Day 3:
We attended the closing ceremony and said our goodbyes.

“I am always grateful to the volunteers and presenters who come to camp. It’s been nice to see that as my kids get older, they become aware of the work and energy that it takes to make camp happen. I feel like ATG and others give so much to our kids by accepting them. I think there are often moments when our kids feel the need to explain their Asian identities, their families, or situations. Having presenters who teach them to be proud of their complicated and nuanced identities is so refreshing for them.” – Kristi Beckman Moya, adoptive parent and SEAPI camp coordinator

“ATG is an organization that we feel unbelievably fortunate to have connected with all those many years ago. Tammy and all of you who are ATG members, have truly made a positive impact on our camp, and such a difference to our campers! Every year that you all attend, what you bring to our camp programming, is incredible, and authentic, and you do an amazing job of working with each of our cultural groups, and all ages of kids (and parents!). My hope is to have ATG involved for as long as SEAPI is standing! In fact, I think ATG will help keep us going strong in the future! We are so grateful to you all!” – Pam Sweetser, Executive Director, Heritage Camp for Adoptive Families and adoptive parent

ATG is honored to be part of this camp and cannot wait to be reunited with our adoptee families again next summer!

2022 Heritage Camp Recap – “CELEBRATION!”

“CELEBRATION” – the perfect theme for this 2022’s Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander Heritage Camp (SEAPI). On July 28 – July 31, 2022, ATG Ambassador Carol Nguyen and previous ATG Service Sponsor Luwan Hy traveled to the YMCA in Estes Park to be presenters at the 24th anniversary for the Vietnamese and 6th SEAPI camp. After 2 years of virtual gatherings, they were finally able to reunite with our family at Heritage Camp for Adoptive Families.
Opening Ceremony air was electric, as 82 campers, 22 counselors, parents and presenters gathered face-to-face to begin the weekend’s adventures. The excitement, joy, and anticipation in everyone’s eyes were endearing and contagious.

Carol and Luwan presented an arts and crafts workshop entitled, “Knot Again.” Seven groups of campers, from pre-kindergarten through high school, were guided through the art of creative stone wrapping. Binding smooth rocks with colorful twine allowed them to be creative, but it also required mindfulness and focus, bringing life and levity to an elementally grounded object.

For 50 minutes, they experienced a progression of emotions, as designs were considered and problem areas were solved. Eagerness to start led to frustration as they learned to work with the materials for the first time.

Then, focus would turn to despair as their waxed twine would inevitably slip off the smooth edges of their stones, finally culminating in the “aha!” moment, once they figured out the correct tension to use. The pride they displayed for their finished products was heartwarming.

The ATG duo were kept busy at every moment, but they were able to keep their energy up with the Vietnamese coffee they enjoyed daily out of mugs that were hand painted by one of the campers. They even made time to attend and assist other presentations, especially the dancing workshops. Sharing a cabin with the Kaba Modern “KM Legacy” hip hop team from California meant they even got a preview of some of the performances!

The most memorable moments were the  Boodle Fight – hosted by the Filipino-American Community of Colorado, and the epic Songkran – the splashy Thai New Year celebration and final activity during camp. After a long weekend of hiking and learning, the campers were quick to target their counselors with water balloons and water canons. Not a shirt was spared during this outdoor battle!
Saturday night’s Gala brought everyone together again for dragon, lion, and hip hop performances, a dance party, and a super competitive silent auction. The team even won a few of the larger prizes and gifted them to the aunties who prepared the Boodle Fight.
On our last morning, a few campers helped us repurpose leftover stones into a mini zen garden. The Closing Ceremony ended with the traditional Happy Adoption Day song sung by all the campers and followed by a slideshow of the weekend’s activities. Poignant and candid, there was not a dry eye left the stage. Incredibly fun and impactful, gears are already spinning on what to expect next year!

Support our efforts at Camp by donating today!

 

Recap written by Carol Nguyen

2019 Heritage Camp Recap – “Sights and Sounds of SEAPI”

Opening Ceremony at Assembly Hall

ATG Co-Director of Community Outreach Hue Dao and Ambassador Carol Nguyen returned to participate as workshop presenters at the Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander Heritage Camp (SEAPI) on August 1-4. This is their shared experience at camp and how the ATG team made an impact on this year’s events.

“We were given such a warm welcome on our return to SEAPI Heritage Camp this year. Many organizers and parents were excited to be assigned to help us teach NINE workshops throughout the weekend. We were told that being ATG assistants are a coveted role each year! This was the first time we were teaching in the Longhouse cabin, which was a challenging space due to it not being a true kitchen. However, our coordinator Kristi Kremer made sure we had everything we needed way in advance, and the space was set-up with butane burners, pans, and all the cooking utensils for class.

We taught a diverse range of ages, 1st graders to high schoolers, and a few cooking classes for adults. The theme for 2019 was “Sights & Sounds of SEAPI,” so we spoke about how along with our sense of taste, the senses of sight and hearing also play important roles in how we enjoy eating food. The goal was for everyone to make and decorate a stuffed rice balls that would then be judged on use of color, texture, and creativity. Some of the techniques we taught were how to flip food in a pan, seasoning the filling, stuffing the rice balls, and prepping veggies a variety of ways to enable fun decorations. We were even taught our adult campers how to make puffed rice noodles! The process for each workshop included: 1) make the stuffed rice balls, 2) decorate the base and anchor of the plate, 3) decorate the rice balls. We were so impressed by all the fun creations (many cute animals)! We were touched when several parents came to us afterwards to say that their kids were excited to try making them together at home. After our final workshop, we still had toasted almonds left, so we taught an impromptu class on how to make a smoky/salty almond brittle.

Songkran Time!

The schedule on Saturday allowed a few free hours for Hue to participate in the annual and epic Songkran (water balloon fight)! The ability to breathe in fresh air, view mountains in the background, and delightfully chuck a water balloon at your camp bestie as they are distracted while refilling their water canon — pure delight.

  • Boodle Fight spread!
  • Close up of our feast with FACC

As the camp continues to grow and incorporate more culture from other countries in Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands, we continually meet and connect with other organizations and families that help bring authenticity to the camp. On Friday night, we were invited to the Thai cabin, and were treated to a delicious homemade meal of larb and Thai beef jerky. After a lovely conversation that lasted well into the evening, their generosity extended to giving us their extra garlic for our workshop, and a full bag of homegrown mint. On Saturday, we were invited to the Filipino cabin for a traditional boodle fight. The preparation for this bounty had taken all day and included fresh fruits (pineapple, jack fruit, mangos), fried fish, panic, chicken adobo, beef and vegetable stir fry, lumpia, purple potato, stews, cassava cakes, and fried coconut mochi. It was a feast for our eyes and our souls. 

Packed room for the dragon dance!

The final night was as festive as ever. The gala showcased a huge team of dragon and lion dancers, a hip hop dance troupe from California, and a hilarious skit performed by the campers. The goodbyes were emotional as we see them all growing up each year, standing taller, and asking more poignant questions. As always, we were humbled to be asked to share our knowledge with Heritage Camp. But we will always lovingly play our part in teaching and encouraging pride in heritage and identity.”

Support our efforts at Camp by donating today!

Celebrating a Decade of Impact at ATG’s 10th Fashion for a Passion Finale

    Photo | Paul Mai – Dia Media

Oct. 5, 2018 (DALLAS) – Dallas-based non-profit Against The Grain Productions celebrated its milestone 10th and final Fashion for a Passion presented by Audi Dallas on Saturday, September 22nd at sixty five hundred, giving longtime and new guests alike a memorable experience and intimate glimpse into how the organization has affected change for over a decade.  Through sponsorships, ticket sales, live and silent auctions, a raffle and additional donations, more than 350 glamorous guests gathered together to raise more than $40,000 net to benefit ATG’s giving budget in 2019, which includes supporting orphanages and underprivileged children in Asia, a scholarship fund, media projects and community outreach programs. Over the past decade, ATG has given more than a quarter of a million dollars to help these causes.

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Celebrating Asian American Talent for a Cause at ATG’s 9th Annual Fashion for a Passion

Photo | Kathy Tran

Nov. 29, 2017 (DALLAS) – Fashion for a Passion presented by Audi Dallas (title sponsor) gave guests from all over the Dallas community a fresh take on Asian American fashion, music and art at its 9th annual event on Nov. 11 at new venue sixty five hundred. Through sponsorships, ticket sales, live and silent auctions, a raffle and additional donations, more than 350 glamorous guests gathered together to raise more than $30,000 net, all of which benefit the mission of Against The Grain Productions, a Dallas-based non-profit, with its supported orphanages and underprivileged children in Asia, scholarship fund and community outreach programs for 2017.

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Thai “PopUp Supper” at New Jettison to Benefit ATG – Sept. 19

Thai "PopUp Supper" at Jettison to Benefit ATG - September 19
Chef Mateo Roberson on Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia, one of the largest lakes in the world.

To celebrate the opening of their latest bar and event space Jettison (1878 Sylvan Ave, located at the new and exciting Sylvan | Thirty mixed-use development), Houndstooth Coffee will host a series of intimate PopUp Suppers featuring renowned chefs across the Dallas Metroplex serving up dishes from their favorite cuisines from around the world. Their inaugural event will take place from 6:45 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, September 19, with Thai favorites from Chef Mateo Roberson (Instagram: @mateoroberson) and will benefit Against The Grain!  We are so grateful to Chef Roberson for selecting our organization as the beneficiary for PopUp Suppers’ kickoff dinner. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today. Read more

Nearly $420 Raised from Tasty Tails Dine for Cause May 18

Tasty Tails Richardson

Against The Grain Productions is overwhelmed by the amount of support from the local community at their latest Dine for a Cause. On May 18, Tasty Tails in Richardson donated about $420 that will go toward our Asian orphanages and underprivileged children, scholarship fund and community outreach programs. The donation was a result of a generous 25 percent of receipts from ATG supporters who dined at Tasty Tails that day.

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Sukan Jewelry Hosts Two-Day Sale; Will Donate 10% to ATG

Sukan 201533685
Sukan Jewelry, one of our 2015 Fashion for a Passion presenting designers, will offer a two-day promotion with 10 percent of proceeds donated back to ATG. Sukan believes in the power of giving by being a global citizen and providing opportunities to women in India to learn a skill and be employed. The living wages allow for financial independence and provide women a stronger voice. USE CODE: ATG10 during checkout at www.sukanjewelry.com. Promotion starts Thursday, Dec. 10, and ends Friday, Dec. 11, at 11:59 p.m. (online only).