Join NPT and producers Ric Burns and Li-Shin Yu for a free screening and discussion of The Chinese Exclusion Act on Wednesday, May 23, at Vanderbilt University’s First Amendment Center. This timely documentary from PBS' American Experience series reveals the connections between the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act – the only federal legislation in United States history ever to bar a specific race and nationality from immigration and citizenship – and the history of American civil liberties, immigration, labor and culture.

The event is free, but RSVP is required. Seating will be first come, first served. Doors open for a reception at 6 p.m.; the screening begins at 6:30 p.m.

Following the screening, Burns, Yu, and MTSU history professor Dr. Yuan-Ling Chao will take part in “Who Is American? Immigration, Exclusion, and the American Dream,” a panel discussion moderated by Renata Soto, co-founder and director of Conexión Américas. The Chinese Arts Alliance will also be represented at the event.