Saturday, June 19, 2021 | 1PM to 2:30pm
Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association
62 Mott Street, 2nd Floor, Manhattan
Chinatown Heroes was published in Chinese in 2020 and recently translated into an English edition in 2021. This book describes a selection of “community heroes,” from the unique viewpoint of Wai Wah Chan, a Chinese community newspaper journalist. It is a precious photo album of more than 200 images of people and places, leaders and community groups in Manhattan’s Chinatown from the 1990s taken by the author during her years as a community reporter. There are also recent photographs by Philip Wu taken during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic showing the stark contrast between old and new, busy and deserted.
Chinatown Heroes tells the stories of Chinese American history, community campaigns for voter registration, fights against discrimination, and China-related news issues. Stories and photos of numerous, diverse community organizations are included: CCBA, Chinese Federation, OCA, AALDEF, CSWA, Chinese CLUW, CPC, AAFE, CMP, Charles B. Wang Health Clinic, Chinese Veterans Association, MOCA, Chinatown Social Security office, Ze Xu Lin Foundation, Chinatown Partnership…and many more, including key individual leaders. While no single book can tell the whole story, this is an excellent introduction to many of the “thousands upon thousands” of Chinatown community heroes.
The author, Wai Wah Chan, immigrated from Hong Kong to New York in 1977. During the 1980s-1990s, she interviewed and took hundreds of photos of events and people in Chinatown. In 2017, she published a book, From the Pearl River to the Hudson River, about the political, economic, and cultural activities in Manhattan’s Chinatown. That memoir had very limited space for photos, so this new book is a vivid visual record of those times. The community leaders encouraged the Chinese to vote and increase their political power and mobilized the community to fight against discrimination. Chan also tells the stories of social workers, health care workers, public school principals and teachers, etc.
Like the hand laundries and organizations of earlier generations of Chinese New Yorkers, the garment factories and union (Local 23-25) played a key economic and political role in Chinatown in the 1990s. Unfortunately, these jobs and factories have largely disappeared from the community. Thankfully, this book provides a record of the impact Local 23-25 had on the social justice and civic engagement campaigns of Chinatown back in those days.
Chinatown Heroes is an important source of information for today’s new generation of leaders and activists. It is a meaningful tribute to the work of “community heroes” who have passed away and to the older generation (OGs) in the community today. The book is a great springboard for discussion, further research and writing about Chinatown and Chinese Americans.
Special thanks to the World Publishing Company, and to sponsors from the Wonton Food Company and GM Printing. Books will be available for purchase in Chinatown at the Oriental/Eastern Bookstore (13-17 Elizabeth Street, 2nd floor) and Wing On Wo (26 Mott Street), as well as online through Amazon and Google.
