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Colorado Matters
May 5, 2026: Celebrating and reflecting on Asian American diversity and community in Colorado
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Chandra Thomas Whitfield
From CPR News, this is Colorado Matters. May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Today we talk with the head of one publication that's been telling the stories of that community here in Colorado for nearly two decades, keeping the culture and
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Annie Guo Van Dan
passing down this information from generation to generation that it feels we are losing very fast in our communities and our families.
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Chandra Thomas Whitfield
We'll also discuss some recent big milestones.
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Jared Polis
This bill is also a big step towards Colorado for all, towards celebrating everyone. No matter where you come from or who you are or where you live, you have a place in the great
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Chandra Thomas Whitfield
state of Colorado and the challenges that persist.
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Na Vang Sandoval
There's so many barriers and so many obstacles saying you shouldn't, you couldn't and you wouldn't, but here we are. We did, we are, and we're still here.
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Chandra Thomas Whitfield
This is Colorado Matters from CPR News and krcc. I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. And as that annual celebration is underway, now we're taking a closer look at one publication that's been telling stories of
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Chandra Thomas Whitfield
that community here in Colorado for nearly two decades.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
And Asian Avenue Magazine is the state's only English language print magazine dedicated to AAPI communities, highlighting culture, business identity and
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Chandra Thomas Whitfield
lived experiences across the region.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Joining us now is Annie Guo Van Dan, the magazine's co founder and president. Annie, welcome.
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Annie Guo Van Dan
Thank you for having me.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Well, we finally meet in person. I'm so excited to talk with you today. And we should note that this conversation is the latest of the monthly check ins we've been doing with publications that are members of the Colorado Ethnic Media Exchange, known as cme.
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Annie Guo Van Dan
Yes, I have been a part of CME Colorado Ethnic Media Exchange since it first started. We had several publishers really come together to think about the idea of working together across the community to support our ethnic media publications. And it's really growing and thriving today.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
And member outlets include a wide range of publications from the Spanish language publication El Soldeval and Afric Digest, which covers Colorado's African community.
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Annie Guo Van Dan
Yes. So we are a part of the exchange, you know, representing the Asian audience.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Well, first off, Annie, happy AANHPI Heritage Month.
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Annie Guo Van Dan
Yes, thank you. Thank you.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
What does this observance mean to you personally?
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Annie Guo Van Dan
For me, growing up in Denver and being involved in the Asian American community, I have celebrated this month for many years. And when my mom and I first started the publication Asian Avenue magazine, it was 2006 and we really just wanted to highlight and give a platform to our community. And so over the years in May Each month, we recognize Asian American heroes in our community. And there are a lot of celebrations across Colorado that highlight our culture and our food to more kind of serious and advocacy type of events. And so this month is really a time to highlight our community, but to also amplify how our community is here and give us more visibility and think about us throughout the year and not just the month.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
What gap would you say you were trying to fill in Colorado's media landscape at that time?
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Annie Guo Van Dan
In 2006, when we first started the magazine, the Asian community was only 3.5% of the state population. So I think in many ways, feeling invisible. And we talk a lot about this perpetual invisibility that we feel, because often in bipoc spaces, we're not considered, you know, black and brown community. And then in, you know, white communities, we are often unseen as well. And so at the time, in mainstream media, you really just didn't see a lot of Asian representation. And in 2020 census, we have grown to a little less than 5%. So we are growing, and, you know, the Asians are fastest growing demographic in the. But still, when we're talking about percentages, we're still very small. And so at the time, we really just wanted to be able to highlight the stories that were being untold and knowing that we have to be the ones to tell our own stories. And so when the publication first started, there was only one other English publication, the Philippine American Times. And, you know, since then, it has also closed. But there are ethnic media publications, you know, in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese. But the goal of the publication was really to bring together our, like, community and to focus a lot on Asian Americans and, like, keeping the culture and passing down this information from generation to generation that it feels we are losing very fast in our communities and our families.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Speaking of which, it really takes me back to when I first connected with you during a story that I was working on for Colorado Matters. I call it Searching for Multicultural Santa. And I was looking for different representations of Santa. And you all were having an event where you had Asian Santa featured, and it was portrayed by an actor and comedian here in Colorado, Peter Chin. And he talked a lot about that. Let's hear back of some of that conversation.
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Peter Chin
I mean, I'm 41 years old, and this will be the first time for me seeing an Asian Santa, and it will be me. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised, you know, and then kind of think about what that means that they're so surprised. So it's care, and it's honor. I think it's really amazing.
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Chandra Thomas Whitfield
This is your first Asian Santa and you're 41. What would that have meant to you as a kid to have seen an Asian representation of Santa?
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Peter Chin
Representation is so important, and it is always a reach for inclusion, you know, And I think growing up in Denver, as an Asian American, you. You kind of just sink into the shadows and you say, okay, you don't feel as an active member of the community like you're just an observer, because nothing about you is represented in what you see in cult mainstream culture and media. And being able to break that and be able to see an Azer said, I think as a kid would have really helped me in my career, first of all, I mean, I've acted my whole life, but I didn't start getting cast until college, you know, so even my career was always this thing that I wanted. Even though I saw nobody like me doing it, I just kind of had to rest in this knowing it would have been such a great leg up for me, my career, to be like, oh, this is an avenue. This is. And we matter, you know, that we matter. Instead of just being expected to be this quiet part of society.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Annie, how does it feel to hear that conversation played back, thinking how much it closely resembled your experience?
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Annie Guo Van Dan
It still feels very relevant to today just how important representation is and especially for our kids and youth to see themselves in different spaces. So not just in media or on the big screen, but, you know, things like just in schools and leadership positions. And so, yeah, so it still feels very connected to his message. And to think that that was almost three years ago and that it's still very true today. And I think growing up in this community and being a part of it for the last 20 years, I've really been able to see how much we've grown in spaces, you know, more Asian restaurants opening every week, and, you know,
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
good ones too, I must say.
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Annie Guo Van Dan
Yes. We had just celebrated Maha Asian Food week with over 70 plus vendors involved. And so I think as we continue to grow, it's just so important for our community to continue, you know, working together and empowering each other. And so at the time when we had the Winter Wonderland event featuring Peter as our Asian Santa, we didn't have an Asian community center. And so since then, a year ago, through the nonprofit that I'm with, Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network, we were able to open a community center called Social Fabric Hub that has really become a space for our community to gather and just feel seen.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
And your publication is so about elevating voices. So this is a place where everyone can come together and really connect.
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Na Vang Sandoval
Yes.
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Annie Guo Van Dan
So I guess I really think of the trajectory of this work as it started out in media and sharing stories through the publication. My mom really wanted to do this magazine because she had been a journalist in Taiwan, and when we immigrated to the States in 1987, she just really didn't have the language to continue working in journalism, so she worked in retail. And then when I was graduating with a journalism degree, we started the magazine together. And so at the time, it was all about stories and making us more visible through the publication. But it has now evolved, like you're saying, the physical space of being together and gathering and seeing ourselves in large numbers in this way. And so the name Social Fabric Hub was also related to that. It's around how Asian Americans are a part of the social fabric of our community. But a lot of times we are not seen. You know, we're in your neighbor's hoods where you're, you know, in your schools and your co workers. But because our numbers are still so small in Colorado, a lot of times people don't really, you know, can take the time to learn about our culture. And this space has become a place where we can be proud of who we are.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Well, it's been nearly 20 years, and the magazine is still going strong, reaching hundreds of readers over the years. What do you think has been the key to its longevity?
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Annie Guo Van Dan
I think there's just something very unique about Colorado's Asian American community and the need for a publication like this here. And I'll say I spent some time living in San Diego and people were asking, would you do the magazine there? And it's just so different in a population where there's Asian, you know, access to Asian community all around. And so the value of it here, I think, is why it has gone on for 20 years, because it is hard, especially with so much media, publications closing, but the importance of highlighting our community, because these stories are important and meaningful for our communities here. And also a lot of communities, you know, outside of our Asian population are very interested in our stories, our food, our culture. So it's really become an opportunity to exchange information and to, you know, highlight our community. And so, yeah, I think it's extra special because it's in Colorado.
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Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Annie Guo Van Dan is the co founder and president of Asian Avenue magazine, which marks its 20th anniversary this year. Our conversation continues after the break with a look at this month's issue and a special guest who just so happens to be on the COVID This is Colorado Matters from CPR News and krcc. This is Colorado Matters from CPR News and krcc. I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. Today we continue our conversation with another member of the Colorado Ethnic Media Exchange, a coalition focused on elevating the voices of diverse and often underserved communities in our state. Asian Avenue magazine is celebrating 20 years. My guest is the magazine's co founder and president, Annie Kuo Van Dan.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Well, let's talk about the upcoming May issue, which I would imagine is extra exciting during AANHPI Heritage Month. Underway now, what can readers expect?
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Annie Guo Van Dan
So each year for the past 17 years, we've been recognizing Asian American heroes in our community. And so, so the community nominates people, and then there's a selection committee representing all of the Asian organizations that identify heroes for each year. And then we have a celebration. So this year it will be on Saturday, May 30, at the Social Fabric Hub, and we will recognize the six awardees, and one will be Na Vuong Sandoval. And so an opportunity to just highlight all of the accomplishments and contributions they've made to our community.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Well, surprise, surprise. Nat, who is featured on the COVID is here cover of the Mate issue. Nat, welcome.
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Na Vang Sandoval
Thank you so much for having me. I have been looking forward to this conversation. So I'm super excited about today.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Well, first off, congratulations on being honored. Must be pretty exciting.
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Na Vang Sandoval
Yes. And it's particularly meaningful because it's from my community. It's something about that DNA, something about that ancestry lands differently. And it's a warmth that you get, kind of like lioness with a blankie, how you always find comfort in that. And, you know, I just want to give a shout to Annie for all the tremendous work that she continues to do to uplift our communities and Chandra, for uplifting our voices and experiences.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Now, you are Vietnamese and your family came to the United States as refugees in the late 1970s. Am I correct on that?
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Na Vang Sandoval
I also was part of that diaspora, and so I'm also a Vietnamese refugee. So I want to make sure that I am included in that generation of strength and resilience and perseverance as well. Because I think for so long it was perceived as something as a weakness to actually identify with a group that has struggled for so much. And I'm trying to flip the narrative in all of the spaces that I occupy to make sure that's a show of strength. And so I want to be at it in that group because I'm part of that group. As well. And because I have such reverence for communities that continue to thrive and continue to give so much of themselves with everything that tells them not to. There's so many barriers and so many obstacles, saying you shouldn't, you couldn't, and you wouldn't, but here we are, we did, we are, and we're still here.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
The passion, I feel it in your voice. I feel it in your voice. So you're involved with numerous organizations dedicated to refugee resettlement and cultural preservation here in Colorado. Tell us more about that work.
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Na Vang Sandoval
So, gosh, it's two years now. My goodness. Okay. Two years ago. There has been a lot of conversation surrounding who should be leading conversations, who is the most powerful person to occupy these spaces. And for me, those who are closest to the issues should be leading the events, should be leading the initiatives, should be leading things that matter most to our own communities. And while I saw good work being done throughout Colorado, I felt as though that piece of lived. I call it lived expertise because lived experience, to me sounds like a job that you can take your uniform off. Lived expertise is something you live and breathe, and it's a part of you every second of the day. You don't not become it because you take off your hat. It's something you wear constantly 100% of the time. And so I founded the group called Refugees and Immigrants United, but instead of the ampersam, it's a plus. And I believe it is the only organization, the only nonprofit in Colorado that is refugee founded and fully refugee and immigrant led. So all of our members have that direct, lived expertise, and they represent their homeland in a way that I believe may have been touched on, but it didn't permeate in the way and it didn't land in the way that we feel was fully showing up and fully, fully recognizing our entire being. There were fragments of it that were, I think, have been talked about, have been discussed about more in the facade level. But this is a much deeper, richer conversation, because who knows better? And I tell people, who knows better than being short than me? You know, I would not fare well speaking about tall people. I could watch documentaries about tall people. I'm even married to someone tall. But I could never speak about that. And so I tell people, this is how ridiculous it sounds when we hear about people speaking on behalf of refugees and immigrants without that lived expertise. So our three pillars are grounded on three things that we feel can connect with any community. And I also feel that it's very easy to support communities that look like us, but it's equally important to support those underrepresented communities that don't, because that's the only way that I think we're going to move the needle. So the three pillars are connection, education and celebration and the secret ingredient, and I can share this because I don't think my team would object to this is the secret ingredient, is that people think they're showing up to our events to have fun to celebrate, which they do. Next thing you know, they feel good when they leave the events because they've learned something new. They feel proud of their identity and their ethnicity, and they just have this sense of, what more can I know about this community and how diverse they are. So I tell people, we're the zucchini in the cookie. They think that it's a gooey, delicious chocolate chip cookie. And then they walk away thinking, I don't feel weighed down. I feel really energetic. I feel good about this. So I feel like that void has been missing in the spaces where it should be led by our community. We are a very talented, diverse, dynamic community. We can lead our conversations, we can lead the initiatives, and we can certainly bring you a lot of fun while feeling good about it, too.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Now, one of the major milestones in the past year was the state's first official proclamation recognizing AANHPI Heritage Month.
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Jared Polis
Therefore, I, Jared Polis, governor of the state of Colorado, do hereby proclaim May 2025 as Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
And you played a key role in that. Tell us about what that moment represents to you.
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Na Vang Sandoval
Yeah, thank you for bringing that up. I had the honor of authoring the proclamation, which was signed by Governor Jared Polis on May 28th of 2025, and it took place at the Governor's man and I should never have read the comments online, but some of the people were saying, why so late in May? What's going on? Why? Why are you waiting to almost the last day to do this? Well, I think people who are unfamiliar with the legislative process don't understand that the governor has many, many, many bills to sign that month. It's a bill season, and so for us to even get it in May, I felt very grateful that we were able to still have it within that season. And the fact that this was the first proclamation of its kind in the I felt a sense of not only gratitude, but really paying homage because it wasn't just me as I was authoring it, I was thinking about the so many generations who have contributed in ways that never get recognized that are the silent contributors who constantly told us, speak your native language at home, who told us, don't be ashamed of what you're eating, who told us it's okay to celebrate Lunar New Year, things of that nature that were maybe subliminal when we were growing up, but definitely something that we didn't think about and appreciate until the years progressed. And then now I see that they were constantly paving the way for all of us. And I felt that in all of the things that I have been doing for the state or even locally or even internationally, without their support, I don't think it would have been accomplished. Those silent supporters who are constantly with me and hopefully with all of you, if you listen quietly, I think you'll feel that they're guiding all of us in order for us to never forget our identity and our ancestry. But that was a huge milestone for Colorado because I felt like it really, it was in tandem with another proclamation that I had worked on last year, which segued really well.
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Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Na Vang Sandoval is featured on the COVID of the May issue of Asian Avenue magazine. She's being honored with its Asian American Hero of Colorado award for her extensive work advocating for and celebrating refugees and immigrants. When we come back, the deeper meaning of Lunar New Year in our state. I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. This is Colorado Matters from CPR News and krcc. Welcome back to Colorado Matters from CPR News and krcc. I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. I'm joined today by Annie Guo Van Dan, the co founder and president of the Colorado based Asian Avenue magazine. The publication is celebrating its 20th anniversary. It's a part of See Me, the Colorado Ethnic Media Exchange, a consortium of diverse media outlets. I'm also joined by Na Vang Sandoval, who's featured on the COVID of the May issue. She's the founder of Refugees and Immigrants United, a nonprofit that elevates the voices and experiences of immigrants and refugees here in our state. You have been honored on the COVID
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
of Asian Avenue magazine along with some others, and you also helped lead efforts to recognize Lunar New Year at the state level.
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Jared Polis
This bill is also a big step towards Colorado for all, towards celebrating everyone. No matter where you come from or who you are or where you live, you have a place in the great state of Colorado. And I think particularly with the rise of and hateful rhetoric and attacks that the AAPI community has seen, we want to show that Colorado is a state that does something about it and stands proudly in solidarity with our Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Why Was that important?
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Na Vang Sandoval
Yeah. Thank you for that question. I get a little emotional when I think about it because I knew this was something that our community had wanted for some time now the timing had to be right. So I recruited a group of AAPI leaders and founded Lunar New Year Allies Advisory Group. We're so clever. The acronym is luna. You know, we're such a clever group. And I thought it's so perfect. And it represented kind of a cross section of some of the different ethnicities in our community. And we were able to pass the bill in record time. I brought this idea to the state legislator and they were very supportive. We were so fortunate that they understood the gravity of this recognition for our entire community. And it was signed into law. We introduced it in February. It was signed into law on June 2, 2023. So in comparison to other bills that have wanted to be recognized, this is at light speed and we couldn't be happier. I was a little nervous when it went to the second round of committee. We were one vote away from not having it passed. Can you believe that? That one vote away with all that work. And it was just a celebratory moment. We had just an array of ethnicities show up, different age groups, and one of the common threads that I advocate for in all of these spaces that we host is show up in your traditional attire, make normalize that, make sure that you are representing your people fully and not just these little bite sized portions because you are trying to either sanitize it or making yourself a little smaller at the comfort of someone else, but at your expense. It's overwhelming to me though, to think about that moment because I didn't think it was possible for one, I certainly didn't think it was going to be me. I really thought that it's not our time yet. But then I think that's just kind of the. The messaging that has been prescribed to us for so long that it was the louder voice. But I was able to take that next step and knew this was the right thing to do for our ancestors, for our current community and for future generations.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Well, Annie, I see you over there nodding and you of course are the co founder of Asian Avenue magazine.
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Annie Guo Van Dan
I just wanted to add to Nat's credit that what was so special about the Lunar New Year Proclamation is that Colorado was second state to only the second states to have this distinction outside of California. So I think when I'm hearing you say it's hard to believe that we have something like this, I do feel that as well, it's like, how special is that? And a lot of what I was alluding to with the community feeling so small, but doing these really big milestones, it really does take the leadership of the community and people like NA doing this work, I think, to have grown up here. It does feel really special because there's so much happening in the community and that a lot of people do come in and out of Denver. Especially after the pandemic, we had a lot of Asian Americans leaving from here. And they really do acknowledge that there is community here, even though sometimes before moving, they have no idea, like how active and how together our community is. And I'll just say after the pandemic, we did start working together a lot more. I think prior, because a lot of the Asian organizations here were led by first generation. They did have more challenges and barriers. And so now with more connection through language, we are able to come together and really collaborate on growing our community.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Well, I have to say I had the same experience as an African American moving here. I just think Colorado has a bad PR problem in terms of people not realizing the sense of community of the smaller groups here. I think we just see numbers and just automatically think, you know, this group is small and they're not really making an impact. But as you highlight in your magazine, all groups are having their say in the shaping of Colorado.
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Na Vang Sandoval
Can I add something in response to what Annie had said is, first of all, I love that you're an immigrant. It just shows the power of our community. Secondly, I got so engulfed with all the emotion with Lunar New Year, I forgot we are the second state in the nation. And no one was suspecting that in this rectangular state of ours because our numbers are not even double digit, they're single digit as far as percentage wise. And so I thought ours was such a big win because we did not have the numbers to support that. But it just tells you the tenacity and just the strength of our community to be so methodical and so discerning about what truly matters and what is going to be in my mind in the things that I want to contribute. It has to be sustainable. For me, it has to be sustainable because at some point there needs to be a reference point as to why that's important for others to understand why. And if it's too abstract, I feel that the essence of it is missing. It has to be something tangible to pass on to the next generation of leadership.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Well, let's shift gears a little bit and talk about the challenges. What challenges persist in these various communities that you all are a part of.
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Na Vang Sandoval
I think during our upbringing, there was a cultural norm to make sure that we blend in, to make sure that we are in alignment with what everything else is going on. Because we were getting a lot of attention already and not particularly for a lot of positive things because of stereotypes or misconceptions about our community extracting from resources, extracting and taking over into spaces that we may not perceive as belonging to, and so shifting that dichotomy. I feel these opportunities are an absolute privilege. I think back at my parents and those who came as adults because I came as a toddler when I. From the war and persecution, from my homeland. And I think about how what an absolute gift that is to be able to advocate. They did not have the means, they did not have the time, they certainly didn't have the language to be able to express themselves in a way that humanize our communities in trying to move forward these objectives and these concerns that was very prevalent all throughout, regardless of what our background was as refugees and. And so being able to look back and think, okay, I understand why they told us not to speak out. I understand why. Because one, it wasn't culturally appropriate. Two, it could have backfired. There was a lot of backlash for people who were thought of as others, who continually, perpetually are labeled as others, to not be deserving enough of having these spaces. Which is why I really appreciate Annie's work in making sure that we're front and center on issues, on events, on restaurants, on initiatives that are being put forward. But I feel like that has been an ongoing reservation. And even with the younger generation now, they always think, that's someone else, that's not me. So again, making that tangible, putting in the forefront to ensure that, you know, there's that campaign that says, if you see it, be it. There's a lot of truth to that. But I also think that that embodies something that I did not have growing up to have these outward role models to say, it's okay, speak out, speak up. And also, I think another challenge is just the numbers itself of our community here in Colorado. Again, we're not in the double digit, so that solidarity and that collaborative network is extremely important, which I think we're doing an amazing job collectively as a community.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
And I'm going to get your comments, Annie, but I see the passion in your eyes and I see tears welling in your eyes as you talk about this, and it just really shows and
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Chandra Thomas Whitfield
conveys your passion for this.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Annie, what do you want to add
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Annie Guo Van Dan
to this, that just some of the things Naz talking about as well is just how diverse our community is. And so coming to the US we do get blanketed under this, you know, Asian term. But within that, we have in Colorado over 30 ethnicities. And there's a lot of, you know, disparities within our community. And so I think that continues to be a challenge where we have Asian refugees from Burma, from Nepal and Karen communities. And then you have this big wide spread of disparities across income, housing, education. And so I think that continues to be something we work on to educate people that while we are Asian and there's certain perceptions of the model minority myth, there are challenges in our community around those different areas and the mental health. I think a lot in our community continues to be a stigma that we don't talk about. And so just an area that we have to continue working towards and advocating for our community.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Well, at the center of this observance month is celebration. Tell us what events are expected this month.
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Annie Guo Van Dan
So for Cason, the big one will be the Asian American Hero of Colorado. We're celebrating 17 years. And in addition to recognizing now, we will also be recognizing two lifetime achievement awardees. So one is Jolie Naguchi. Her family has been multiple generations of running Pacific Mercantile. It's the longest standing Japanese American grocery store in downtown Denver. And then the other is actually my mom. So Christina Yutaiguo. We are recognizing her with the lifetime achievement award as well this year. And I do think it's special with the 20th anniversary of the magazine. And my mom is also turning 70 this year. So that will be a big celebration for Cason. But across the state, we will also have the AAPI Culture Fest. It'll be on May 22, and it is organized by the Denver AAPI Commission in partnership with the Asian Roundtable of Colorado. And that will be a big celebration of vendors and performances and culture as we wrap up.
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Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
What. What's that final point you both want to leave listeners with? What do you want people to know?
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Annie Guo Van Dan
Nat?
- [34:47]
Na Vang Sandoval
That's a big question. I have a lot on my mind. I'm trying to encapsulate it into something that is a nice, pretty box to wrap things up. What I can say is just how absolutely fortunate we are to be in this state. For a state whose leadership is supportive of our community in so many different ways, whether dining at the restaurants, whether supporting events, whether passing legislator to ensure the sustainability of who we are, I feel extremely fortunate that we're able to move that forward in the way that is most meaningful to us because it's led by us. That's really the key to making sure that we're being authentic. And I want to provide a quick example is last year was a. It was a big year for proclamations for me because I felt there were so many big milestones. The 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. Historically, it's always been framed as the fall of Saigon. And I feel like there's a victimization phrase to that, as though we are in need of being rescued.
- [35:59]
Joy Ha
And.
- [36:00]
Na Vang Sandoval
And I wanted to reframe that to Vietnamese remembrance and resilience. Again, that would not have happened if we did not have support from our state leadership and those community members who truly understand what that is. And the 2 million lives, the 2 million Vietnamese refugees whose lives were lost on their journey here. You know, we keep hearing about how fortunate we are, how fortunate we are that we made it. And in a sense, yes, but there's so much work that continues to be needed, that we continue to need to push forward to ensure that it's not just a trendy event that moves on out of the minds of others and the hearts of other people who are not from our community, but especially for those in our community, that it's something that is not just a privilege to have in our state, but a responsibility to make sure that we are being thoughtful and presenting the truth in the way that is going to be respectful, responsible, and make sure that it sustains for many, many generations to come. I feel that is extremely important in guiding us. That's always been my North Star to making sure that would my ancestors approve of this? You know, would my family who have passed, would they approve of it? And if they do, and if it hits that way, then I need to move forward.
- [37:21]
Annie Guo Van Dan
Amy I would just say, in reflection of the 20 years working on Asian Avenue magazine, that when we first started, I really had to go out and find stories. You know, we were out in community, and, you know, technology was a lot different back then, too. There was no social media, and it was really going into community, the events and going to the businesses to tell them about the magazine and why it was important to highlight their stories. And now it's really gone the other way, where there's so many stories to tell that I can't get it all into each edition. And I'm often having to say, I'm sorry, I have to wait and put it in the later edition. I don't have any space. And so just the importance of not only telling our stories. But what Naz saying that the stories are coming from us, the leadership is coming from us in our own communities in a way that just didn't exist, I would say, 20 years ago. And so there's a lot to celebrate in that is that, you know, as we look at this year's Heritage Month, that our community is really thriving. There's still, of course, work to be done, but we are really coming together in a special way and that, you know, people outside of our community are also seeing that, like giving opportunities for these proclamations and, you know, attending our events, supporting our restaurants. And so it's just a special time, I think, to be, you know, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander in Colorado as we celebrate in 2026.
- [38:48]
Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Nat Annie, this has been a truly insightful conversation.
- [38:53]
Na Vang Sandoval
Thank you so much.
- [38:54]
Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
Na Fung Sandoval is an immigrant and refugee rights advocate who serves as founding executive director of Refugees and Immigrants United, a nonprofit dedicated to, quote, empowering, advocating
- [39:07]
Chandra Thomas Whitfield
for and celebrating the voices of refugees and immigrants here in Colorado. Learn more@riucolorado.com Annie Guo Van Dan is
- [39:18]
Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
co founder and president of Asian Avenue magazine, which covers Colorado's Asian communities.
- [39:30]
Chandra Thomas Whitfield
I'm chandra thomas whitfield. This is colorado matters from cpr news and krcc. This is Colorado Matters from CPR News and krcc. Chandra Thomas whitfield, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is celebrated every May to recognize the cultural and social contributions of members of the AANHPI community. And often that also includes revisiting painful and at times sobering moments in history. Today, Denver's Lo Doe neighborhood, a cool and catchy abbreviation for Lower Downtown, is home to thriving business homes, restaurants and art galleries. But once upon a time, the area located near current day Coors Field and the revitalized Union Station entertainment district, was once home to Denver's Chinatown. Much like you'd often hear about in, say, San Francisco or New York City, the rise and fall of Denver's Chinatown is the subject of a documentary available online called Reclaiming Denver's Chinatown. I spoke with Roxanna Soto, who co wrote and produced the film in 2023.
- [40:44]
Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
We were also joined by Joy Ha
- [40:46]
Chandra Thomas Whitfield
with Kapu, the advocacy organization Colorado Asian Pacific United, who's featured in the film. The story of Denver's Chinatown is heartbreaking, yet fascinating. Roxanna, as you were making this documentary, what was the most eye opening thing you learned?
- [41:03]
Roxanna Soto
The fact that so many people didn't know it existed. I'm not from Denver originally, so I felt like I had an excuse. I was like, you know, I'm not from here, so I've been here 16 years and I don't know about it, but it was overwhelming to hear that, that so many people were like, what? You know, Denver had a Chinatown when.
- [41:19]
Na Vang Sandoval
Where?
- [41:20]
Roxanna Soto
What are you talking about? So I think to me that was the most kind of like shocking thing. But then because people didn't know that it existed, there's also, in doing the research, it was very hard because there was nothing written about it except maybe the riot and it was done incorrectly. Finding archival images to go with the documentary was super hard. We relied heavily on the family members and the research that they had done done to be able to put that together and get a better picture of what this Chinatown, this very, very cool place was like.
- [41:51]
Chandra Thomas Whitfield
What was Denver's Chinatown like in its heyday?
- [41:54]
Roxanna Soto
Yeah. So from what we've heard, and Dr. Wei, a history professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, wrote a book in which he describes the historic Chinatown as a thriving place. It initially started with the Chinese immigrants that were instrumental in the building of the transcontinental railroad. That's another fact that a lot of people don't realize how important they were in making that happen. So once that was done and they moved the mining, they eventually ended up in this part of Denver. But yeah, I mean, it had, you know, all kinds of businesses, restaurants, residential and businesses were there. A lot of the stuff happened in the alley. And that's, you know, this word that they use, this phrase that they use, hop alley, which makes a reference to the opium dens that used to be there. You know, it was definitely a gritty place just cause these were immigrants that really weren't walking. It was definitely a haven for Chinese immigrants. Chinese Americans, they felt safe there, you know, cause they didn't feel safe anywhere else.
- [42:51]
Chandra Thomas Whitfield
It was a thriving economic center for the Asian community and Asian businesses. What led to its demise?
- [42:57]
Roxanna Soto
One of the reasons was the anti Chinese race riot of October 31, 1880, which is when there was a brawl at a saloon in the area between two Chinese workers.
- [43:09]
Unnamed Interviewee (Asian American community member or advocate)
It was a pool hall. There are Chinese folks playing pool. And then there were also white folks. And some white folks started harassing those Chinese. And the Chinese folks were asked to leave to prevent an altercation. And then they went out the back in the alleyway and they were followed by the white folks. And it started becoming a fight. And then it became a riot. And then before you knew it, there were thousands of white folks that were descending on Chinatown and destroying the businesses. They were brutalizing the people that they saw there. And they lynched a man whose name was Luck Young.
- [43:36]
Roxanna Soto
I can't imagine, you know, how shocking that must have been to me. It's always important to point out, though, that that what happened at the saloon, the way I see it, was a detonator for something that was already there. It's like, you know, there already were racist feelings and all this, like, anger pent up, like it happens with so many other events. If you look at the history of the United States, right, where it's like, I don't know, people like to talk about that detonator. Like, that's the reason why it's like they got into a fight and then it became this horrible thing and this riot. But I think there's stuff brutal in the back, you know, that has to lead to hundreds of people descend on this area of Denver to destroy and pretty much just obliterate the area. But it's important to point out also that what came out of the riot, one of the things that came out of the riot was the Chinese Exclusion act, which basically meant that Chinese were excluded from coming to the United States, but the Chinese that were here were excluded from becoming citizens. And that is huge, you know, because if you are not a citizen, you can't vote. And if you can't vote, you really don't have power as a community. It's very, very difficult to continue to thrive and go on.
- [44:42]
Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Roxanna, you are a former journalist and an Emmy award winning bilingual documentary filmmaker, producer and author. Tell us a little bit more about the process. What was it like?
- [44:52]
Roxanna Soto
Yeah, so it actually started with two cousins, Linda Lang and Heather Lang Clifton. They reached out to us and basically said, you know, they had these stories of their families and they were very worried that they were going to go away and disappear. The elders in their family had started to, you know, pass away. And they realized, like, oh, my God, we have so much history and nobody really talks about it. It's not in the history books. They don't teach it in school. And we want to preserve this. We initially thought it was going to be a story about their family, about the Lung family. And we started the project like that, kind of like, okay, well, let's tell that story. But then, you know, things started kind of like becoming this bigger thing. And it's like, oh, my God, there's a bigger story. There really is a bigger story. And this story of what was Chinatown and what were these Chinese immigrants and what they did for helping in the creation of the city of Denver. But also what's been done now, what's been done today because it is historical. But there's stuff that's happening today which is really cool, which we wanted to make sure that people knew about. This reclaiming of Denver's Chinatown Joey, is
- [45:56]
Chandra Thomas Whitfield
this story of Denver's Chinatown, Is this a story you grew up knowing about and it was just widely known, or was it something you discovered later in
- [46:04]
Unnamed Interviewee (Asian American community member or advocate)
life, growing up Asian American, Pacific Islander history isn't really taught in schools, not on a national level, and definitely not on a local level. So with me, and I was born and raised in Colorado, I never knew about the Chinatown until maybe half a decade ago when some activists and advocates were trying to raise awareness about it. And is definitely something new that not a lot of our community knows about. I mean, hopefully more people know now, you know, after the work that we've been doing. But it's important to know and to think about and reflect on why these histories aren't being told. Overall, I think it's most important for us to remember that Asian American history is American history, right? Our stories are just as important as what we hear in the mainstream narrative. Our people have have been huge contributors to the building of this nation, right? We're talking about the Chinese Americans and building one half of the transcontinental railroad. That was what really set America economically on the map.
- [47:04]
Chandra Thomas Whitfield
You found out about this story later in life when you heard about it. Was it a sense of pride for you or was there some anger about what happened?
- [47:13]
Unnamed Interviewee (Asian American community member or advocate)
I think there was a lot of sadness and anger. I think growing up, being told in so many small ways that your history, your culture isn't important is hard. And then hearing that there's this big part of your local history that people don't know about was very frustrating. You have the first offense of the riot itself. You know, you have the federal legislation and the state legislation and the xenophobic society structures that prevented our Chinatown from really rebuilding in the same way. And that's like the first offense, right? And then you have the second offense of people not remembering that it ever even happened.
- [47:47]
Chandra Thomas Whitfield
What would you say are the highlights of the film?
- [47:50]
Unnamed Interviewee (Asian American community member or advocate)
I love the focus on the families. We are so lucky to have these sort of living legends with us, these matriarchs, you can say, right? That can bring this history to the forefront.
- [48:03]
Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Roxanna Soto co wrote and produced the film Reclaiming Denver's chinatown, available on YouTube. Joy Ha is featured in the film. She now serves as executive director of the advocacy nonprofit Kevin Colorado Asian Pacific United. After our interview, the city of Denver ceremoniously placed three permanent markers in LoDo that accurately identified the area as the former home to the city's Chinatown. And as you might imagine, the magnitude of the moment was not lost on Joey.
- [48:32]
Joy Ha
The first one is on 152016 street and that one talks about the history of the Chinatown. Why did Chinese people come to Denver? Why was there a population here? What was the tenaton? Mike and then the second marker in the area is a 1620 Wazi street one. And then our last marker is on 1890 Lawrence street and that one's a bit of a memorial to look young, who was the man who was beaten and lynched during the riot. We also have our mural, something that celebrates our resilience while also honoring those that were affected and impacted by the violence and the racism. I think it's just reaffirming to know that, you know, our history is not going to be forgotten because it definitely was at threat of being forgotten.
- [49:14]
Interviewer/Host (possibly Chandra Thomas Whitfield or another host)
That's our show for today.
- [49:16]
Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Thanks for joining us. And special thanks to executive producer Carl Bielick. I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. This is Colorado Matters on CPR News and KRCC.