Salinas Woman's Club Activities

Setting up for luncheon and meeting: 

Schedule: 

Lunch catered by Brenda Godsey and crew

Choir performance by the Senior Singers conducted by Andy  Rausch. 

Recognitions of members' contribution to Salinas Woman's Club.  

Juanita Casiano Ferrante announces the Hartnell College student receiving the 2024 Salinas Woman's Club scholarship.    

Jeanne Hori-Garcia introduces the new officers for 2024 -25

Pat Tunstall, Second Vice-President

Vi Rodriguez, Recording Secretary

Jane DiGiralomo, Treasurer

Barbara Garcia, Co-membership secretary 

Rosalie Avery (Not pictured) 

Juanita Casiano-Ferrante, Director of Scholarships.

Jeanne will continue as Interim President.

Members are studying the list of speakers schedules for 2024-25 

Members are excited about the selection of speakers next year.  

Have you opened a new location, redesigned your shop, or added a new product or service? Don't keep it to yourself, let folks know.

 The Asian Cultural Experience (A.C.E.) is a multi-ethnic non-profit organization (501c3) dedicated to the historical and cultural preservation of Salinas Chinatown. 

Founded in January 2007 and incorporated in 2011, A.C.E. brings together members of the Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino communities of Salinas Chinatown with our partners in the Salinas Valley.  

A.C.E.'s mission is to preserve, promote, and enrich the history and multicultural identity of Salinas Chinatown, historically the home of the Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino communities of Salinas.   

The Chinese immigrants were the first to settle in Salinas. Chinese merchants on Soledad Street in 1893 established Chinatown in 1893 after the first Chinatown founded in 1872 burned down. Salinas Chinatown is the largest active Chinatown between San Francisco and Los Angeles. 

Albert Fong described his childhood experiences living in Chinatown. As a child, he attended local Salinas public schools, worked at the Republic Café restaurant, and attended Chinese schools in the late afternoons. 

People who wanted the best Chinese food would go to the Republic Café.   Many families in the Salinas area would frequently dine at the Republic Café. 

At the restaurant, Albert described how he bussed tables, swept the floors, washed dishes, and at times, helped cook. Once the restaurant had to close early because the cook ran out of food.   

At schools, Albert was friends with the Japanese kids. They would walk back home together. But once they reached Salinas Chinatown, they went their separate ways. He would only play with his Japanese friends at school but not at their homes.  Albert implied that the Chinese and Japanese nationally did not have friendly relations which extended to Japanese and Chinese children playing together. 

Larry Hirahara described the history of Japanese settling in Salinas. The first Japanese worked in the local sugar beet fields for Klaus Spreckels. 

Since U.S. had strict immigration laws against Asian immigration, Japanese used picture bride system to start families.  Japanese would choose a mate from a picture. The couple would meet when the picture brides arrived to the states. 

Life for Japanese changed with Executive Order 9066. All Japanese citizens and documented immigrants were evacuated to concentration camps located in remote areas of the U.S. 

Japanese living in Salinas were assembled on the Salinas rodeo grounds until they were shipped to a concentration in Poston, Arizona. 

After war, many Japanese returned to the Salinas Valley to start over again.   

The second wave of Japanese to the Salinas Valley was in the 1960's.   Japanese came to start flower nurseries in the valley.    They became successful flower growers until the passing of NAFTA.  

Salinas Woman's Club members enjoyed learning more about the early immigration of the Japanese and Chinese to Salinas Chinatown. 

They were impressed at Albert's achievements including earning a college degree at UC Berkeley.  

They enjoyed learning more about the Japanese American experiences living in the Salinas Valley.   Despite the prejudice and immigration laws aimed at the Chinese and Japanese-Americans, the Asians overcame hardship through their determination and grit.

Mary See was a successful entrepreneur and a role model for other women entering the business world.   Her work paved the way for other women to enter the business world and helped to break down barriers in the marketplace.  

    In 1921, Mary opened her candy store, which quickly became successful and even survived during the Depression due to her hard work, commitment to quality, and an innovative business plan in selling large quantities of chocolates.  

     Today, See's Candy is still popular and successful.  See's is always  creating innovative flavors and candies.  But the company never falters from the commitment in making high quality chocolates.

Joni presented fun facts about See's Candy History. 

     1.  The "I Love Lucy" episode of Ethyl and Lucy working at the candy factory was filmed at the See's Chocolate Factory in Los Angeles.

      2.  See's Candy had a delivery service in L.A.  A shipping clerk wore a chauffeur's uniform delivered chocolates on a customized Harley. 

      3.  There is a Barbie See's Candy Doll released in 1999.  Barbie's first job was at a See's Candy Store.  A vintage Barbie doll costs $40.00 to $70.00.   

      4.  Warren Buffet purchased See's Candy for its quality and business plan.   His favorite is Peanut Brittle.   He always has peanut brittle at his corporate meetings.

Lori Luzader, Executive Director of Special Kids Connect discussed the services and activities for individuals with special needs. 

First Lori clarified the mission statement of Kids Connect by saying, Everyone is somebody's child.  Special Kids Connect does not age out of the program.   The organization provides a lifetime of support when families needs help the most.  

Secondly Lori outlined the different resources from community navigations for resources and support, family empowerment to understand the supports, laws, and procedures to access services, and community programs to support families and their children. 

One service that surprised the SWC members was a seminar on Special Needs Estate Planning. In the event that the children with special needs outlive their parents, parents will need to set up their assets aligned with disability benefits in the future.   

An estate planning attorney will be covering topics about trusts, accounts and public benefits in March. 

During the question and answer session, Lori has helped adults with special needs who were never diagnosed as children, working with mothers whose husbands do not accept their children's special needs diagnosis and treatment, and recreational activities for both children with typical and atypical development.  

   The SWC members were amazed how Kids Connect integrates the children with special needs in the community.   Children with typical and atypical development are together in boxing classes, First Tee activities, bowling, art, and the new Junior Warrior basketball sessions.   

      The SWC members were impressed how someone from the corporate world in marketing found her dream job as ED of of Special Kids Connect. 

Guests at the February meeting had an opportunity to speak with the members and to listen to the guest speaker, Kimbly Craig, Mayor of the City of Salinas.      

Kimbly Craig's topic was Salinas Love Where You Live.   She addressed the accomplishments, and challenges as the second female mayor of the city in the last 150 years.  

Kimbly has focused on what is best for people in Salinas.   She was the only female in the top ten graduating from the policy academy,   President & CEO of Monterey County Business Council,  and Ex. Director of Monterey County Leadership.  

The Salinas Woman's Club members enjoyed listening to Kimbly's experiences as mayor.  

Topics included: 

Housing and homelessness., expansion of 11,000 houses in the north side of Salinas by Boronda Rd., San Juan Grade, Constitution Street up past Independence Street, staffing issues with the police department, and city council administrators.   

During the questions and answer period, Kimbly responded to questions such as unsanitary conditions of unhoused on the streets, vacancies in the police department, and departure of key officials in the city.