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Through An Asian Gaze, Briefly: The Kim Loo Sisters
July 24, 2021 @ 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
The Kim Loo Sisters were a Chinese American jazz vocal quartet popular in the 1930s and ’40s and the first Asian American act to star in Broadway musical revues. As youngsters, the four sisters cut their teeth in kiddie revues in their hometown of Minneapolis and performed as a family act in vaudeville theaters across the country. They lit up the Broadway stage and the Hollywood screen during the Second World War. Pioneers in the entertainment field, the “Kimmies” broke through the bamboo ceiling to star with luminaries Frank Sinatra, the three Stooges, Jackie Gleason, and Ann Miller.
Using relevant clips from her forthcoming documentary The Kim Loo Sisters, producer Leslie Li and Eric Hung, co-founder and director of Music of Asian America Research Center, shed light on how the issues of race, immigration, ethnicity, and cultural identity impacted the Kimmies and other Asian Americans of that era and how those same issues compare with the current wave of anti-AAPI sentiment today.
By spotlighting this bygone era, this program asks the question: How has society changed for Asian Americans of today from when the Kim Loo Sisters performed on stage and on screen?
Click here to learn more about Leslie’s work on the story of the Kim Loo Sisters.
Program Schedule (PDT)
1pm-1:05pm: Opening Remarks
1:05pm-2:05pm: Discussion with film clips
2:05pm-2:30pm: Audience Q&A (send advance questions to info@chsa.org)
Registration Information
- Tickets are available with a suggested donation of $10 to support CHSA.
- Members can register for CHSA programs for free! Check your monthly Members Newsletter for the access code. Click here to register for membership.
- Space is limited; we encourage you to get your ticket early.
- If you are purchasing tickets for multiple viewers in different locations, please register your friend or family member’s email address so that the ticket is sent to them for the program.
- Please contact CHSA if you have any difficulties registering your friend/family member before the start of the event.