Join CHSA for a screening of the Chinatown Files (2001), followed by a Q&A with its Director Amy Chen, and Professor Emeritus Ling-Chi Wang

Chinatown Files explores the legacy of McCarthyism on the Chinese American community. Chinese American men and women who were hunted down, jailed, and targeted for deportation speak for the first time about how they and their friends were investigated and prosecuted by government agents during the McCarthy witch hunts of the 1950s. At the height of the hysteria, thousands of Chinese immigrants and American citizens of Chinese descent were targeted because of their ethnicity and alleged risk to national security. This cautionary tale of xenophobia and hysteria serves as a reminder of the fragility of constitutional protections today.

Program Schedule (PT)

1pm-1:05pm: Opening Remarks

1:05pm-2:00 pm: Screening

2:00pm-2:10pm: Break

2:10pm-2:45pm Audience Q&A (send advance questions to info@chsa.org)

Our Speakers

Amy Chen

Amy Chen, producer/director of The Chinatown Files (2001), the then-untold story of how McCarthyism impacted the Chinese American community during the 1950’s. Ms. Chen previously worked in film production, distribution and exhibition and was formerly the Executive Director of Women Make Movies.

She is currently the Chief Investment Officer at the Smithsonian Institution. She received her BA in government at Oberlin College and a MBA from Cornell University.

Ling-chi Wang

Professor Emeritus Ling-chi Wang is both a scholar and a political activist. In 1969, he participated in the founding of the Ethnic and Asian American Studies program at UC Berkeley and continued involvement in its development until his retirement in 2006. He headed the Asian American Studies program; chaired the Department of Ethnic Studies; organized and co-founded the International Society for the Study of Chinese Overseas; founded Chinese for Affirmative Action; helped found Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education; and served on the board of the Chinese Culture Foundation He published numerous articles on Chinese and Asian American history, civil rights, bilingual education, college admission policy, Chinese diaspora, and the impact of U.S.-China relations on Chinese in America.

Distribution Partner

Special thank you to our distribution partner Third World Newsreel (TWN) for making this screening possible. TWN is an alternative media arts organization that fosters the creation, appreciation and dissemination of independent film and video by and about people of color and social justice issues.

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CHSA stands in solidarity with our Asian American community in denouncing anti-Asian American violence. CHSA is celebrating the individuals and contributions of Chinese Americans that have made America great. Join us for programs showcasing Chinese American heroes, historical legacies, and civil rights.

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