The Asian-American Pacific Islander community at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center observed AAPI Heritage Month with festivities on San Quentin’s Lower Yard May 15, 2026. The event celebrated culture, tradition, and community.
With a spirit of inclusivity, SQRC’s Warden Chance Andes said, “I’ve learned so much about culture and I thank you all for letting me experience your culture. Let’s build this San Quentin community.”
The event included several Polynesian dancing groups, various musical performances, an art exhibition of San Quentin-created paintings and sculptures, and pizza served to San Quentin’s entire population.
The high point of the event featured a surprise appearance of a 65-foot, 18-legged, green-headed, rainbow-bodied, antler-horned and yellow-tailed dragon with fierce, white-gleaming fangs and an open jaw. A crowd of San Quentin residents, staff, and volunteers cheered as the gigantic creature slinked its way to the staging area of the event.
“This dragon symbolizes the fighting spirit of all incarcerated persons,” said San Quentin resident Amu Wynn, 50, the organizer of the event.
The dragon, affectionately named “Quentin,” came about as a joint project of San Quentin residents and Life on Art, a “social practice community-based installation art” organization based in Petaluma, Calif. The group had come to San Quentin solely to support the dragon project.
Tracy Ferron of Life on Art said, “I met an incredibly dedicated group of residents and my group built the dragon side-by-side with them. The residents came up with the ideas and my group helped.”
Wynn, the Samoan organizer, said the event served its purpose of celebration and of inclusion: “It inspires hope and motivation for members of our community to believe in themselves and to pursue their dreams.”
Robert Wong, a retired former warden of San Quentin, said, “I am an old dinosaur prison guard,” and added, “I am glad I came. Forty years ago, you would not think about having everyone together like this. I don’t feel the tension like it was back then. Change and growth are good.”
