Asian Health Services



Oakland Mayor Jean Quan

On November 11, 2010, my Asian American studies professor took us on a "field trip". This field trip was to explore the historical rebuild of Oakland's Chinatown. I'll always remember that day, because it was the day Jean Quan was announced the new Mayor to assume office in January of 2011. Unknowingly, our class became a part of the first public media press release of Mayor Quan. Mayor Jean Quan is the first female mayor of Oakland, the first Asian American mayor of Oakland, and the first Asian American woman to take lead of a major city in the United States. It was a pretty big deal, and we were estatic to take part.

During our trip, we visited sites significant to my professor who grew up in the heart of Chinatown. You ever walk down Chinatown of any given city and notice these dark stairways from behind a little supermarket? Don't front, I KNOW you've all wondered what went down at the end of the stairs. Well, I can say at one end of a stairway, there lies a little secret society. A secret society full of mystique and secret language. It was awesome.

I'm a little off tangent with the above but what I wanted to share was our last stop, Asian Health Services. The AHS facility is a not-for-profit health facility dedicated "To serve and advocate for the medically underserved, including the immigrant and refugee Asian community..." The associate director, Dong Suh, provided a mini presentation of AHS and allowed us to tour the facility. The health facility seeks to assist individuals who are limited and held back in regards to income, insurance, citizenship status, language, and culture. AHS is currently expanding and hopes to relish and fulfill the healthcare for all dream.

If you're in need of a simple check up or assistance regarding any health questions, check AHS out. They have a lot to offer.