Keeping Santa Cruz's Asian American stories alive, together
Flex Kids Culture is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 84-5049195) based in Santa Cruz County. We connect communities in Santa Cruz, the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, and Asia through cultural programs, education, and community events.
From museums and books into classrooms and the community
Our work takes Asian cultural memory in the Monterey Bay from museums and books into classrooms and the community. Through storytelling events, community walks, and hands-on learning, we bring children and families together to explore our region's immigrant past.
We hope to inspire young people to take pride in their own heritage, learn from one another, and keep these stories alive.
As Asian and Asian American communities continue to grow and evolve along the California coast, important chapters of our shared history are being rediscovered here in Santa Cruz. Flex Kids Culture welcomes children, families, and people of all backgrounds to engage in cultural exchange and education through programs and events centered on Asian American history, language, arts, and cultural traditions. Whether you come to explore your own heritage or to learn about the history and traditions of your neighbors, you are welcome here.
Preserve and share the stories of the people who shaped Santa Cruz
Our mission is to preserve and share the stories and traditions of the people who shaped Santa Cruz in ways that went unnoticed and unappreciated for nearly 150 years — those who built the railroads, established fishing communities, served in American wars, raised families, and lived and loved here.
We hope to keep this history alive through education and cultural exchange, while showing that across generations and cultures, we have far more in common than we sometimes realize. If we take the time to look for common ground, we will find it.
Why Santa Cruz has no Chinatown today — and why that matters
When I first moved to Santa Cruz in August 2000, one of the things that surprised me was that there was no Chinatown. In many American cities, Chinatown remains a visible part of the community. I wondered why Santa Cruz didn't have one.
Only later did I learn that Santa Cruz had once been home to several Chinatowns, with Chinese immigrants building communities along the San Lorenzo River beginning in the 19th century. Their stories were deeply connected to the history of California, the Gold Rush, and the growth of the Monterey Bay region. Yet very little of that history was visible in the Santa Cruz I came to know.
That discovery stayed with me. I began to think about how easily a community's history can disappear when its stories are no longer told, and how important it is for our children to know who walked these streets before them.
This became one of the inspirations behind Flex Kids Culture: to help young people explore the rich Asian and Asian American history of the place they call home and to make sure these stories are carried forward.
In my years working in education, I have seen how meaningful it can be when people share their knowledge, time, and experiences with the next generation. Flex Kids Culture grew from that same spirit of giving back — bringing children and families together with educators, historians, artists, and community organizations to learn, celebrate, and keep these stories alive.
We invite you to join us, to learn with us, celebrate with us, discover the stories of those who came before us, and help us keep this history alive for generations to come.
— Rui Li, Founder
Pescadero fishing village, c. 1900, with abalone shells in the foreground. Chinese fishermen who came to the Monterey Peninsula in the early 1850s pioneered commercial fishing in the region.
The Chinatown Dragon Archway at the San Lorenzo River pedestrian bridge commemorates Santa Cruz's historic Chinatowns.
Founder
Rui Li
Founder, Flex Kids Culture
Rui Li is a UC Santa Cruz alumna, educator, and community leader with a long-standing commitment to education, cultural exchange, and cross-cultural communication.
She studied International Relations and Foreign Affairs Management at Beijing University's School of International Studies and later studied economics and business at UC Santa Cruz, where she also worked with international students. She obtained her CPA license and has taught pre-calculus and Mandarin Chinese at the Santa Cruz Waldorf School.
Since 2009, Rui has advised and supported students from China as they pursue educational opportunities in the United States. She is the founder and president of Flex Education Inc. and later founded Flex Kids Culture, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting educational and Chinese cultural programs, strengthening international connections, and bringing together students, families, educators, historians, and community organizations.
Through Flex Kids Culture, Rui continues to advocate for strong international academic relationships while working to preserve and share the Chinese and Chinese American stories that have shaped Santa Cruz and the greater Monterey Bay region.
Source: UC Santa Cruz, AAPI Faculty Initiative
With educators, historians, artists, and community organizations
Our events and programs are built in partnership with the institutions that hold this region's history — museums, libraries, university archives, and community centers — and with the historians, authors, and family members who carry it forward.
- Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
- MAH History Forum
- UCSC Special Collections & Archives
- UCSC AAPI Resource Center
- Resource Center for Nonviolence
- Capitola Branch Library
- The 418 Project
- ValleyRain
- Santa Cruz Dragons
Want to get involved?
Volunteer, partner with us, or bring a program to your school.