1882 Foundation

Chinese American Experiences in History and Short Films: A Traveling Seminar
2017-08-29 12:30 - 21:00 UTC | Arlington Traditional School and Kenmore Middle School, 200 S. Carlin Springs Rd, Arlington, VA, 22204
Join 1882 Foundation for the first installment of our traveling seminars. Seminars feature short documentary film screenings, expert speakers, discussions of key historical themes, and lesson plans for educators. The first session is geared towards teachers and the second session towards the general public (though all are welcome to attend either). The seminars will shed light on the Chinese American experience, what it means to be American, and why that story and that of all Asian Americans must be told.

FIRST SESSION: Recruited, Excluded, and (sort of) Included: the Asian American Experience seen through short films
Aug. 29, 12:30 to 3:30 PM
Arlington County Teachers Workshop
Arlington Traditional School
855 N. Edison St.
Arlington, VA 22206

Chinese came to America looking for “Gold Mountain” in the 1850s and then to build the Transcontinental Railroad. But in 1882 and for 60 years after, Chinese Americans and later all Asians were not allowed into the U.S. and denied citizenship if already here. Fitting into American life was especially difficult given this legacy of exclusion. Teachers will explore this history and view two contemporary short films. “Through Chinatown’s Eyes: April 1968” is about the Washington, DC riots following Martin Luther King’s assassination and its impact on Chinatown. “Finding Cleveland” follows a young Los Angeles man seeking his Chinese roots and unexpectedly finds himself tracing the path of his father and grandfather to Cleveland, Miss. in the heart of the Jim Crow south. A panel discussion will follow with filmmakers Lisa Mao and Larissa Lim and noted scholars Janelle Wong (University of Maryland) and Krystyn Moon (University of Mary Washington). Teachers will also receive lessons addressing the history of exclusion and issues of identity raised by the films.
Speakers/Panelists: Janelle Wong (U. of Maryland), Krystyn Moon (U. of Mary Washington), Larissa Lam (filmmaker of Finding Cleveland), Lisa Mao (filmmaker of Through Chinatown’s Eyes: April 1968)

SECOND SESSION: Recruited, Excluded, and (sort of) Included: the Asian American Experience seen through short films
Aug. 29, 7:00 to 9:00 PM
Open to the Community
Kenmore Middle School
200 S. Carlin Springs Rd.
Arlington, VA 22204

In the evening, we will be showing the same two films but with a different perspective: how do changing communities such as Arlington build on the strengths of their individual communities (Asian, Latino, Black, and White). The idea here is to for people to understand how important it is for all the communities to get to know each other and their history. Panelists include Samir Meghelli, (Curator, Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum), Marya McQuirter (DC 1968 Project) and Larissa Lam
Again, the seminars will need to be tailored to each venue, but this may give you a few ideas. The films I would like to use in Norfolk are Finding Samuel Lowe and Finding Cleveland. “Finding Samuel Lowe” is longer – by Paula Madison runs 40 minutes but is excellent. We showed it in DC at our annual 1882 Symposium. It’s about three African American siblings, one of them Paula, who grew up in Harlem with their Chinese/Jamaican mother. They follow a trail to Jamaica, Toronto, and then to China to learn about their Chinese grandfather. At the critical juncture of venturing off to China, Paula’s husband asks her, “What do you expect? You know you’re Black?” She laughs and says, “I know I’m Black! I expect that because I am their family and they are my family, we’ll be family… I know that I am a Lowe, and they will want me as much as I want them.”

Our events are free and open to all. For questions, or to get involved, please contact Ting-Yi Oei at tyoei66@gmail.com.
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Talk Story Event: Water Tossing Boulders
2017-08-27 13:30 - 15:00 UTC | Chinese Community Church, 500 I St NW, Washington, DC , DC, 20001, United States
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Brown Bag Discussion: Literature Corner
2017-08-10 11:30 - 13:00 UTC | 1882 Foundation Office, 508 I Street NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States

Talk Story Event: George's Kaddish
2017-07-23 13:30 - 15:00 UTC | Chinese Community Church, 500 I St NW, Washington, DC , DC, 20001, United States

June Talk Story Event: Open Mic and Stand-Up Story Telling
2017-06-25 13:30 - 15:30 UTC | Chinese Community Church, 500 I St NW, Washington, DC , DC, 20001, United States

"Abacus: Small Enough to Jail" Film Screening
2017-06-23 19:30 - 2017-06-29 22:00 UTC | E Street Cinema, 555 11th St NW, Washington, DC, 20004, United States
Support our network and attend this weekend’s screening of Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, a PBS Frontline documentary about the Sung family’s fight for justice. There are several screenings available but please check E Street Cinema’s website for up to date information.
In the financial crisis of 2008 depicted in The Big Short, when giant banks using questionable loan practices were bailed out for billions because they were “too big to fail,” only one financial institution was indicted for mortgage fraud: the small, family-run Abacus Federal Savings of Chinatown in New York. Owned by the Chinese-American Sung family and serving mainly the Chinese-American immigrant community, they were targeted by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. for fraud. The indictment and subsequent trial forced the Sung family to defend themselves and their bank’s legacy in the Chinatown community over the course of a grueling five-year legal battle. Master documentarian Steve James (Life Itself, The Interrupters, Hoop Dreams) was there to record the thrilling, maddening, nerve-wracking fight. Along the way he creates an in-depth portrait of the close-knit Sung family: the dignified elderly father who founded the bank in the 1980s to serve his community, his loyal wife whose favorite movie is It’s a Wonderful Life, and their two eldest daughters, smart and tough, who currently run the bank. An absorbing, suspenseful true life saga.

Q&As
Friday, June 23 @ 7:30pm
Q&A with Director Steve James and members of the Sung Family (Mr. and Mrs. Sung, Vera, Chanterelle)

Saturday, June 24 @ 7:30pm
Q&A with Director Steve James and members of the Sung Family (Mr. and Mrs. Sung, Jill, Vera, Chanterelle and Heather)

Sunday, June 25 @ 1pm
Q&A with Director Steve James

Additional Showtimes
Friday 6/23
1:30, 4:30, 7:30*, 9:50

Saturday 6/24
11:00am, 1:30, 4:30, 7:30*, 9:50

Sunday, 6/25
11:00am, 1:30*, 4:30, 7:30, 9:50

Monday 6/26–Thursday6/29
1:30, 4:30, 7:30, 9:50

Chinese American Short Film Seminar
2017-05-13 17:00 - 2017-05-14 17:00 UTC | Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe St , Alexandria, VA, 22314, United States

Talk Story and Chinese Exclusion Act Screening: May 6
2017-05-06 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | Chinese Community Church, 500 I St NW, Washington, DC , DC, 20001, United States

Talk Story Event: The Thomson Project and DC ESL Education
2017-04-23 13:30 - 15:00 UTC | Chinese Community Church, 500 I St NW, Washington, DC , DC, 20001, United States

Talk Story Event: After the Last Fortune Cookie
2017-03-26 13:30 - 15:00 UTC | Chinese Community Church, 500 I St NW, Washington, DC , DC, 20001, United States
On Sunday, March 26, the 1882 Foundation will be hosting a Talk Story event, “After the Last Fortune Cookie: Passion, Fusion and the Future of Chinese American Food in DC Chinatown.”
It is said that there are more Chinese restaurants in the United States than there are McDonalds, Wendy’s and Taco Bell outlets combined. At over 40,000 restaurants, Chinese food has spread throughout small towns and large cities since Cantonese gold miners introduced the cuisine in the mid 1800’s. And, of course, the food has adapted to the tastes of Americans while staying faithful as best it can to the original flavors and styles expected by Chinatown residents.
Now, these “authentic” eateries are disappearing under relentless gentrification and waves of new regional flavors and cooking styles from Szechuan, Hupei, Mongolia, Beijing, Shanghai, and Taiwan. The mom and pop businesses that competed on low cost and take-out of banquet business are giving way to the boutique and upscale, with specialized savory dishes, noodles and bars.
Join Smithsonian curator and food commentator, Cedric Yeh, in a moderated conversation among owners of People’s Bao, Reren Ramen, Ping Pong Dim Sum, and more. They share their passion for Chinese food, fusing tastes and styles with a modern sense of business for a new generation of DC Chinatown foodies.

Screening and Discussion: Chinese Exclusion Act Documentary
2017-03-12 13:30 - 15:00 UTC | Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Constitution Avenue, NW Between 12th and 14th Streets, Washington, DC, United States
Join the 1882 Foundation in support of the upcoming screening of the PBS documentary, The Chinese Exclusion Act, next Sunday, March 12, at 1:30pm at the National Museum of American History! This screening is part of the four-day History Film Forum, a collaboration between the Smithsonian and National Endowment for the Humanities.

Curious about the film? Check out this trailer.

Following the screening, this event will feature a discussion with distinguished panelists: Fath Davis Ruffins, Curator, National Museum of American History; Martin Gold, Attorney; and Ric Burns, Documentary Filmmaker and Writer. We hope to see you there!
Screening and Discussion – The Chinese Exclusion Act (2017) , Ric Burns
Sunday, March 12th, 2017
1:30 p.m. – Warner Bros. Theater
National Museum of American History, Washington, DC

Finding KUKAN - SF Premiere
2017-03-11 12:40 - 15:00 (Asia/Shanghai) | Alamo Drafthouse San Francisco, 2550 Mission St , San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
West Coast premiere of the feature documentary FINDING KUKAN, directed by Robin Lung.
Filmmaker Robin Lung investigates the case of Li Ling-Ai, the un-credited female producer of KUKAN, a landmark color film that revealed the atrocities of World War II China to American audiences. KUKAN has the rare honor of being the first ever American feature documentary to receive an Academy Award® in 1942.
Lost for decades, Lung discovers a badly damaged film print of KUKAN, and pieces together the never before told inspirational tale of the two renegades behind the making of it — Li Ling-Ai and cameraman Rey Scott.
FINDING KUKAN uses rare and unseen archival footage to create an unforgettable portrait of a female filmmaking pioneer, and sheds light on the long history of racial and gender discrimination behind the camera, which continues to reverberate in Hollywood today.
“Totally absorbing.” Louis Proyect (Rec Arts)
“Amazing.” “If you love movies or history see this film.” Steve Kopian (Unseen Films)
“4 stars” John Soltes (Hollywood Soapbox)
Winner – Best Documentary, Special Jury Award, Hawaii International Film Festival 2016
Official Selction – DOC NYC 2016

Talk Story Event: Caregiving and "The Circle of Love"
2017-02-26 13:30 - 15:30 UTC | Chinese Community Church, 500 I St NW, Washington, DC , DC, 20001, United States

Talk Story Event: Stories from Chinatown
2017-01-28 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States
Join us on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year as we kick off the 1882 Foundation’s sixth season of Talk Story Community events! On January 28th, 2017 through a collaboration with the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, we will be showing two short films — “April 1968” and “The Fight is On” — and facilitate a community discussion about life in DC’s Chinatown as we commemorate Dr. King’s legacy.
As always, this event is FREE, casual and open to all. Please join us!

Talk Story Year in Review: Shaping DC's Chinatown
2016-12-18 13:30 - 15:00 UTC | Chinese Community Church, 500 I St NW, Washington, DC , DC, 20001, United States
As 2016 comes to a close, we will gather together to reflect and discuss the year of Talk Story events, and look forward to 2017 and beyond.
The 1882 Foundation’s Talk Story Events is entering its fifth year of monthly talks, film screenings, and community discussions on Chinese American topics. Many of these conversations have focused on DC Chinatown. All of them have been offered with the goal of reinforcing the idea of Chinatowna as a cultural touchstone where both Chinese Americans throughout the DMV region and all visitors can hear a good story. Regardless of residents and gentrification and neighborhood, the life of Chinatown lies in the strength of its stories remembered and shared in community gatherings.
Join us in our annual review of 2016’s programs and look ahead to 2017. Together we will consider how DC Chinatown has been shaped in the last five years and what it might become.
As always, these events are free and open to all. Please contact ali@1882foundation.org with any questions or comments.

Finding KUKAN: NYC Screenings
2016-11-15 17:30 - 19:30 UTC | Cinepolis Chelsea, 260 W 23rd St, New York, NY, 10011, United States
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE Kukan (1941), one of the first documentaries honored with an Academy Award®, was long considered lost. A chronicle of Chinese resistance to Japanese aggression, the project was credited to Rey Scott, an adventurer who had never before made a film. When Hawaiian filmmaker Robin Lung learns that a driving force behind Kukan was Li Ling-Ai, a Chinese-American Hawaiian woman all but erased from its history, she begins investigating the film and its mysterious production, leading to unanticipated discoveries.
Screenings:
Tue Nov 15, 2016, 5:30 PM | Cinepolis Chelsea

Wed Nov 16, 2016, 12:45 PM | IFC Center

Talk Story Event: Chinese American Veterans - A DC Roll Call
2016-11-13 13:30 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Chinese Community Church, 500 I St NW, Washington, DC , DC, 20001, United States
This Veteran’s Day weekend, please join us for our upcoming Talk Story Event to honor our community’s veterans. We will be gathering at the Chinese Community Church for a celebration and remembrance of Chinese American Veterans, with an open mic moderated by Jennings Wong.

Talk Story Event: Scott Seligman on "Tong Wars"
2016-10-23 13:30 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Chinese Community Church, 500 I St NW, Washington, DC , DC, 20001, United States
Join us for our October Talk Story event with Scott D. Seligman. Through his new book, “Tong Wars: The Untold Story of Vice, Money and Murder in New York’s Chinatown,” he tells the true story of the Chinese gang wars that engulfed New York Chinatown from the 1890’s to the 1930’s.
As always, this event is FREE, and we hope you can join us to be a part of the conversation.
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“New York’s early Chinatown history has been portrayed unfairly as an exaggerated Yellow Peril den of mysterious Orientals. By diligently and expertly trawling the evidence, however, Scott Seligman has unshrouded the mystery and offered up the gripping story of the men of Chinatown’s underworld and their intramural battles over gambling, opium and other vices.” – Paul French, author of the New York Times bestselling “Midnight in Peking”.
