Celebrate CHSA’s 50th Anniversary!

Celebrate CHSA’s 50^th Anniversary! Join us for a day of performances and talks exploring the rich history and heritage of the Chinese in America. Featured will be: performance by Kei Lun Martial Arts and Eisa Base, Frank Wong sharing stories of his Chinatown miniature dioramas, and Artist in Residence Charlie Chin bringing History Alive! with Men Who Conquered Mountains, a one-man museum theater piece honoring the Chinese role in the building of the first Transcontinental Railroad. The Choy Gallery will showcase a Valerie Soe double feature along with our Him Mark Lai tribute The Master Archivist. Plus, Kung Fu Tacos will be there with their mouth-watering fusion tacos.

Charlie Chin has been performing, composing, writing, and teaching for over 40 years. Among his credits as a writer include children’s books, dozens of essays in numerous community vernaculars, plays, rendering of traditional folktales, and dozens of songs exploring the richness of the Chinese American and Asian American experience. As a playwright, his works include A.B.C., American Born Chinese; The Last Spirit Boxer; 10,000 Stories of Chinatown; and Sex Love and Marriage. His book Hua Mu Lan, China’s Bravest Girl, was published in 1993 by Children’s Book Press. His interest in collecting and interpreting Chinese and Chinese American Folktales has led to his authoring and interpretation of works which has performed at libraries, museums, and schools in the U.S. and Canada over the last two decades. These include: The American Museum of Natural History, NYC; The Brooklyn Museum, NYC; The China Institute, NYC; The Philadelphia Folk Festival, PA; The Mariposa Folk Festival, Toronto Canada; the Japanese Community and Cultural Center of Northern California; and The National Portrait Gallery, DC.

Eisa Base is a group of young adults performing traditional Okinawan drum and dance headed by SFSU Professor Wesley Ueunten. Rooted in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Asian American community, Eisa Base was established to help keep the Okinawan tradition alive.

Kei Lun Martial Arts is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the cultural legacies of the lion dance, dragon dance, and martial arts. Some members also practice Chinese healing arts, painting, calligraphy, and making/restoring costumes and equipment used in the Chinese lion dance.

Founded in 1963, CHSA is the oldest and the largest organization in the US dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the history of Chinese in America. The landmark Julia Morgan-designed Chinatown YWCA building is the home of CHSA’s Museum, which features exhibitions and public programming sharing the mostly untold story of this experience.