Imagining Life in Honolulu Chinatown circa 1900

In The Oldtimers, his third collection of poetry, Wing Tek Lum imagines life in Honolulu Chinatown circa 1900, giving voice to the forgotten pioneer generation of sojourners and settlers, detailing the trials and temptations of this bachelor society living far from their homeland—their hard work, their diversions, their challenges, and, even amidst the notorious plague and fire, their perseverance. For the EALL Talk Series, Wing Tek will share certain poems inspired by his research into the unique history and customs of this immigrant community at the turn of the last century.

Wing Tek Lum is a Honolulu businessman and poet. Bamboo Ridge Press has published three collections of his poetry: Expounding the Doubtful Points (1987), The Nanjing Massacre: Poems (2012), and The Oldtimers (newly released).

This event is co-sponsored by the Center for Chinese Studies. We thank the Center and the C.Q. Yee Grant for supporting the Center’s speaker series on “Chinese Heritage in Hawaii: Connections, Contestations, and Collaborations,” of which Wing Tek Lum is the first speaker.