Spring 2015 | Vol. 51, No. 1 New CHSA exhibition to explore racial myths of 1915 Panama-Pacifi c International Expo n commemoration of the 100th Ianniversary of the Panama-Pacifi c International Exhibition (PPIE), the Chinese Historical Society of America will present the new exhibition “Underground Chinatown,” a penetrating look back at a troubling aspect of PPIE, also known as the 1915 San Francisco World’s Fair. Th e exhibition focuses on a popular attraction in the 1915 Fair’s “Joy Zone” that fascinated visitors with false portrayals of the Chinese community. With this presentation, CHSA explores persistent Graphic by Gordon Chun & Veronica Sese racial myths and stereotypes and their complex impact on our community. Th e exhibition will open April , at the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum. “Underground Chinatown” depicts a veiled view of an opium den, presented as a mix of myth and reality, an ambiguous portrayal of American Chinatown. CHSA’s Learning Center will be transformed into a scenic environment with backdrops of opium den imagery, prop furniture and real opium-smoking paraphernalia. Th e scene will be viewed by visitors from the other side of a scrim wall. Text on the scrim will present commentary from various perspectives about “Underground Photo courtesy Anne T. Kent California Room, Marin County Free Library Chinatown” at the PPIE. Th e setting will Top: Underground Chinatown: be enhanced by dramatic lighting, sounds Racism at the Fair - e 1915 and smells. Elsewhere in the gallery, a Panama-Pacifi c International small television monitor will play news Exposition (PPIE) will open clips of events that connect past to present, April 2, 2015 at the CHSA such as the Chinatown “tour guide rant” of Museum. Above: Entrance to the 2014. Underground Chinatown attraction Exhibit interpretation will be presented in the “Joy Zone” at PPIE. Left: in the form of excerpts from actual Th e image of the opium den, such reports in the local press at the time of as this one, formed the basis of Marilyn Blaisdell Collection, CHSA the “Underground Chinatown” the exposition. Th is will be the sole form attraction at PPIE. of explanatory text with no additional is to present this controversial story from editorial or curatorial writing. Th e goal PPIE through 1915 voices and perspectives. JOIN US MARCH 7, 2015, BEFORE THE CHINESE NEW YEAR PARADE, TO WELCOME THE YEAR OF THE RAM! See pages 2–3 for details about the museum’s planned celebration and exhibit openings. 2 | CHSA Museum Bulletin | chsa.org | Spring 2015 SidCHIEBNESEAR Upcoming CHSA events HEHiSTORadERical 1: SOciETY OF SaTURdaY, MARCH 7, All DAY Lam veliquis augait do odip ex esecteAMER vel utpatica aut nim venit, Celebrate the Year of the Ram commodip er irit lorperilla Before the Chinese New Year Parade, come to CHSA feumBOARD dionsequi OF DIRECTORS enit dolobore Museum for a full slate of talks and exhibition openings. magnaErwin Tam, facing President el dolestrud We’re starting the day with a dragon dance by Kei Lun tatingElsie Lam, erat Vicealit iriustie President con hent Martial Arts. Frank Wong is stopping by to talk about laortieDoug Chan, tion verostrud Treasurer tat Liana Koehler, Secretary his much-celebrated Chinatown miniatures. Honor our donors with the Donor Wall unveiling. Last but LamJane veliquisChin augait do odip ex certainly not least we will open two new exhibitions: esecteNathan vel Gong utpat aut nim venit, “The Forgotten Art of Lion Dance Puzzles” and “From commodipDanielle Lam er irit lorperilla Manchu to China Chic: The Evolution of Qipao.” feumBrian dionsequiYee enit dolobore Jeffrey P. Woo, Legal Counsel Admission is free but donations are encouraged. magna facing el dolestrud Dragon dance at the CHSA Museum tating erat alit iriustie con hent SaTURdaY, MARCH 28, 1-2:30 PM laortieBOARD tion EMERITI verostrud tat Philip P. Choy Connie Young Yu “From Both Shores” - book reading From Both Shores is an anthology of six Senior Japanese and Chinese American women’s memoirs STAFF chronicling their immigrant family lives from Japan and China to the U.S. from World War I up till SueSid Lee,EB ExecutiveAR Director post-World War II. The book is edited by poet-playwright Genny Lim, the author of the playPaper HCharlieEad Chin,ER 2: Angels, and co-author of Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island. Featured writ- Artist-in-Residence ers include: Daisy Satoda, Harumi Serata, Florence Dobashi, Brenda Chinn, May Chung, and Leslie LamNolan veliquis Chow, augait do odip ex Yee-Murata. esecte Facilities vel Managerutpat aut nim venit, commodipChris Heins er irit lorperilla SATURDAY, JUNE 6 AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY feum Operations dionsequi Associate enit dolobore magnaAmy Lam, facing Design el dolestrud & The Chinese and the Iron Road: Building of tatingCommunications erat alit iriustie con hent laortieLenora tionLee, verostrud tat the Transcontinental Programs Associate Save the date for a conference at Stanford University to pay tribute to descendants of Chinese railroad LamVeronica veliquis Sese augait do odip ex workers! We will update our website chsa.org with further details. esecte Communications vel utpat aut Associatenim venit, commodipFrancis Wong, er irit lorperilla feumSpecial dionsequi Projects enit Manager dolobore magnaPam Wong, facing el dolestrud tatingPrograms erat alit Coordinator iriustie con hent Roots exhibit finds new home at CHSA laortieJohnson tion Zheng, verostrud tat he Roots: Him Mark Lai Family History Project Operations Assistant Topened its annual exhibition at our Yick Gal- Lam veliquis augait do odip ex lery on January 17, 2015, attended by an enthusias- esecte vel utpat aut nim venit, tic and supportive gathering of family, friends and commodip er irit lorperilla Roots alumni. This is the latest edition of the Roots feum dionsequi enit dolobore program, co-founded in 1991 by the late Him Mark magna facing el dolestrud Lai and Albert Cheng, with a mission to guide Chi- tating erat alit iriustie con hent nese American young adults to research their roots laortie tion verostrud tat in America, and to visit their ancestral villages in Guangdong, China. For the 2014 Roots interns, this exhibit was the product of a year of research and a journey into their ancestral roots. Follow- ing the exhibit opening, a presentation by Roots interns of their findings was held at the Chinese The Roots exhibit is unveiled by the Roots Culture Center on January 31st. The 2014 Roots Class of 2014, with Friends of Roots leaders Al interns are: Candice Chin, Frances Kwong, Derek Cheng, Brian Yee, Elsie Lam, Brandon Louie, Lee, Ryan J. Lee, Steely Morneau, Ryan Ng, Chris- and John Wong. tine Phung, Caitlyn Wong, Tracy Zhu. Spring 2015 | chsa.org | CHSA Museum Bulletin | 3 Two new exhibitions premiere March 7th for CHSA’s Chinese New Year Celebration edicated to recovering lost Dstories and tradition in our community, we are excited to bring you two exhibitions about two beautiful art forms this Spring. THE FORGOTTEN ART OF LION DANCE PUZZLES n the last few years, we have Ienjoyed Corey Chan and Kei Lun Martial Arts performing crowd-pleasing lion and dragon dances. Now CHSA Museum and Corey Chan present “Th e Forgotten Art of Lion Dance Puzzles”, a new exhibition pre- miering on March 7. According to Chan, Lion dance puzzles are a lost art for three reasons: the background stories and arrangement Photos courtesy Sally Yu Leung methods of the lion dance and information guides about modern-day interpretations of puzzles are completely the history of lion dance, the qipao (a one-piece Chinese forgotten. Th e competitive side historical usage, and the dress from the Qing Dynasty), of lion dance had taken over, the signifi cance of the puzzles thanks to author and curator youth, and the amount of lion themselves. Sally Yu Leung. “From Manchu dance groups willing to commit to China Chic: Th e Evolution time to learn the traditional FROM MANCHU TO CHINA CHIC: of the Qipao” is an exhibit dis- storytelling form of the dance THE EVOLUTION OF THE QIPAO playing robes, gowns, and ac- has diminished. remiering on the same day: cessories. Th e exhibition will feature a Pa stunning display of tex- Leung was in the museum number of lion dance puzzles tiles featuring the origins and on February 14 to discuss Empress Wanrong’s infl uential style, the evolution of qipaos Young Family collection (also known as cheongsams in Cantonese), and the modern- on view thru March 29 at day interpretations of these iconic styles during her talk the Wing Luke Museum “Th e Last Empress in Qipao: he Young Family Collection of Qing Dynasty robes, From Manchu to China Chic.” Tfi rst donated to the Tacoma Art Museum in the 1970s, Th e crowd showed much Photo courtesy Corey Chan are now on view at the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle, interest in the dresses and were enthusiastic about this Top: Qing dynasty robe (left) Washington. Th ese rare and beautiful Qing dynasty and the last Chinese Emperor upcoming exhibition. robes, aprons, pants, and skirts will be featured in the East Puyi and Empress Wanrong. Lightwell until March 29, 2015. Th e exhibition will include Above: Example of a lion Th is special exhibit showcases the delicate craftsmanship stylish dresses and shoes from dance puzzle dedicated to the it takes to embroider garments fi t for a Qing dynasty Leung’s collection spanning Chinese god Guan Yu. emperor. Th ese robes would often take twenty women diff erent eras, refl ecting the and up to six months to make. Because of the time it takes evolving attitudes toward to craft such clothing, it is only fi tting that they now be femininity and social standing. bourgeois item has now taken celebrated as works of art.