Chinatown Rising

This documentary narrates the Civil Rights movement carried out by young Asians in the 1960s in Chinatown through the voices of the activists, now in their 70s. The student activists came from various walks of life, and they fought against discrimination by joining their voices with other minority groups including the Black Panthers and Filipinos.  Together, they founded the Ethnic Studies department at SFSU, the first U.S. college department dedicated to ethnic studies, secured equal educational opportunities and access for all students (Lau v. Nichols), and won housing for seniors. The struggle they endured, and still persists for many people today, reminds us all that we stand on their shoulders. 

The activists who came to the screening include:
Directors Harry & Josh Chuck
Chris Chow, the first Asian American news reporter in Northern California
Lucinda Lee Katz, the teacher who listened to Kinny Lau when he asked for classroom instruction in Chinese. Lucinda helped Kinny and other students file a class action suit against Alan H. Nichols, the president of SFUSD at the time, hence Lau v. Nichols. They demanded the equal educational opportunity that they were entitled to. The Supreme Court issued its unanimous ruling in favor of Lau in 1974.
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Upcoming screening events:
Sat, Feb 29, 10:15AM - Los Angeles CA
Sat, Feb 29, 7PM - Santa Ana, CA
Sat, Mar 7, 11AM - Seattle, WA
 chinatownrising.com/screenings