Bay Area-based author Joanna Ho joined Cleveland Elementary School in Oakland Tuesday to read her new book to students.
The event was part of The Very Asian Foundation’s May Book Project sponsored by Avalon Bay Communities.
The Very Asian Foundation is a non-profit that focuses on shining a light on advocacy and celebration for the AANHPI community. The organization’s May Book Project helps schools across the country build diverse book collections for students.
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NBC Bay Area’s Gia Vang – who co-founded The Very Asian Foundation – introduced Ho before she began the reading.
Ho’s book, titled “Say My Name”, is a children’s book that celebrates people who have names from different cultural backgrounds.
The children helped Ho read her book, with one child holding her microphone while the rest of the crowd helped read by chanting, “Say My Name”.
“There’s something so beautiful about the way that phrase resonates,” Ho said. “I hope it’s something they’ll remember for their own lives.”
The Very Asian Foundation donated about 50 other books to the school centered around AANHPI literature.
