Double AA Corporations Commitment to Cantonese Opera and the San Francisco Communities That Keep It Alive
A Living Heritage
Cantonese opera is one of the great performing art forms of southern China, weaving together music, singing, poetry, martial arts, and acrobatics into a single, breathtaking whole. In 2009, UNESCO inscribed it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, a recognition that this is not a museum piece but a living tradition still being passed, voice to voice and gesture to gesture, from one generation to the next.
That word, living, matters. Every performance depends on artists who have trained for decades, on musicians who know each clap of the wooden clapper, and on a community that shows up, fills the seats, and keeps the tradition warm. When any one of those threads frays, the art form is at risk. That is why support from local organizations is critical.
The Jing Ying Cantonese Opera Festival XIII
This May, Double AA Corporation was honored to stand alongside the Jing Ying Cantonese Opera Institute for the 13th annual Jing Ying Cantonese Opera Festival, held at the iconic Great Star Theater in San Francisco's Chinatown, in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month.
The festival brought together a remarkable gathering of artists, civic leaders, and community members united by a shared commitment to keeping this extraordinary tradition alive. We were especially moved by the presence of the festival's Featured Special Guests, current politicians and community leaders
Scott Wiener, California State Senator
Polly Low, Vice Mayor of Rosemead
Rafael Mandelman, President, Board of Supervisors
Danny Sauter, District 3 Supervisor
Claudine Cheng, Film Commissioner
Larry Yee, Police Commissioner
Theo Ellington, SF District 10 Supervisor Candidate
Echo Chen
This year's festival also included a special tribute to The Honorable Willie L. Brown Jr., 41st Mayor of San Francisco, former Speaker of the California State Assembly, and a treasured member of the Double AA Corporation’s Advisory Board. Mayor Brown is a transformative leader and a champion of San Francisco's communities in every sense. It was a privilege to honor him alongside so many who share that spirit of service.
A Certificate of Honor: What It Means
We are deeply humbled that Double AA Corporation was recognized by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors with a Certificate of Honor for our continued support of the Jing Ying Cantonese Opera Institute and its artists. The certificate, presented by Board President Rafael Mandelman, acknowledges our commitment to preserving and advancing Cantonese Opera through professional performances, educational programs, accessible bilingual programming, and intergenerational mentorship.
For Wisfe Aish, Double AA Corporation’s founder and CEO, this recognition carries a weight that goes far beyond the business.
Wisfe grew up in Hunters Point, San Francisco, a neighborhood that shaped him in ways that still guide every decision he makes as a leader. He has spoken often about the role that community organizations played in his life growing up, particularly the Boys & Girls Club, which gave him something he has never forgotten: the experience of being invested in. Of having people show up for you. That early understanding became the foundation of his philosophy in business and in life. A community willing to invest in its young people creates opportunities that last generations.
"Business leadership carries the responsibility to uplift others," Wisfe has said. It is not a tagline. It is the reason Double AA Corporation exists the way it does.
When the San Francisco Board of Supervisors presented Double AA Corporation with a Certificate of Honor in recognition of its support of Cantonese opera, Wisfe wasn't receiving an award for a company. He was standing in the city that raised him, being thanked for doing the one thing he has always believed in: showing up for the community that showed up for him first.
That is what makes this recognition especially meaningful. And that is what brings Double AA Corporation back to San Francisco, year after year, to champion the artists, the traditions, and the neighborhoods that make this city extraordinary.
Why This Matters to Double AA
At Double AA, we have always believed that a community is only as strong as the culture it chooses to protect. Supporting local arts isn't separate from our work. It is our work.
When we invest our time, our voice, and our platform in the Jing Ying Cantonese Opera Festival, we are investing in San Francisco. In the Chinatown neighborhood that has given so much to this city. In the families who fill those seats. And in the young people who may see themselves in those performers for the very first time.
That last part matters deeply to us. Wisfe knows firsthand what it means to be a young person in San Francisco who is seen, supported, and given a reason to believe in what he might become. The arts do that for people. Community organizations do that for people. And businesses that choose to invest in both, rather than simply extract from the neighborhoods they operate in, can help make that possible for the next generation.
Cultural preservation doesn't happen on its own. It happens when neighbors show up for neighbors, when local organizations are championed rather than overlooked, and when stories like these are told widely and told well. That is the role we are proud to play.
Come See It For Yourself
To the performers, musicians, costume artisans, and volunteers of the Jing Ying Cantonese Opera Institute: thank you for keeping this extraordinary tradition alive. Thirteen festivals in, your dedication only grows more remarkable.
And to our community: come see it for yourself. The best way to protect a living art form is simple. Take a seat, and let it move you.
To learn more about the Jing Ying Cantonese Opera Institute and upcoming performances, visit https://www.jingyingcantoneseopera.org/ or follow them on social media.
Double AA Corporation is a premier California fuel distributor and wholesale fuel supplier serving California and Nevada for more than 25 years, and is the owner and operator of DoubleTree retail gas stations. Founded by Wisfe Aish, we are proud to support the arts, culture, and communities we call home. Learn more at doubleaacorporation.com.