Founder and Publisher Portia Li : A thank you note as Wind Newspaper reaches its first anniversary

2020 is an unprecedented year for all of us, also for me. I lost my job as did many Americans in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was forced to leave the job that I enjoyed and dedicated to serving the community as a journalist for over 30 years.

On the very first night I lost my job, with the support of friends and community leaders, I decided to try to start a local community newspaper to serve the entire Chinese community in a free, bilingual and weekly format.

For almost five months during the pandemic in 2020, I planned to start the Wind newspaper at home with my son Ernest Man, who is a young software engineer. He became my teacher patiently telling me how to edit a newspaper on the computer. He has donated his professional skill and time in building and maintaining our website everyday after his busy schedule at work. He also wants to serve the community in a unique way.

Wind newspaper was launched on September 1, 2020. It has been not easy to run a newspaper with my own savings and provide 100% free news service online and in print copies. My goal is to keep all members of our community informed.

Wind newspaper has reached one year anniversary. While looking back at the past year, and up to the present time, I have been always so touched by all the support and feedback everyday from our readers who chat with me on the streets and send in thoughtful emails.

The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), established in 1909 with 6000 members, is the oldest organization representing journalists in the U.S. In February 2021, I was so honored to receive the Career Achievement Award in the print category at the SPJ Northern California Chapter's 35th Annual Excellence in Journalism Awards.

I was also featured in the cover story of Quill Magazine in July, the quarterly national magazine of SPJ for its members across the country.

Furthermore, I am deeply honored and grateful to many of my peers and fellow journalists for covering the birth of Wind Newspaper locally and nationally. Thank you all!