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Chinatown Rising

July 3, 2019 by Julia Flynn Siler 2 Comments

This summer, I  saw the new film “Chinatown Rising” in San Francisco. It’s a new documentary directed by Harry Chuck and Josh Chuck, a father and son team. Both of them have been deeply involved with Cameron House,  whose early history I explore in my latest book.

The Rev. Harry Chuck, a social activist and now filmmaker, was a youth director and then Executive Director of Cameron House. He mentioned to his son Josh, who also worked at Cameron House over the years, that he was thinking about getting rid of some film reels that had been sitting in his garage for decades. Josh asked if he could see them first.

The more than 20,000 feet of film, shot on a 16 mm Cameron, were his father’s footage of the Asian American movement of the mid-1960s. Harry Chuck lived through that period of intense social change as a young minister and activist in Chinatown. He captured on film the San Francisco State College Strike, the desegregation of public schools, and the successful organizing efforts of the Chinatown Coalition for Better Housing.

I found the Chinatown Rising both fascinating and inspiring, especially the final scenes in which Harry Chuck convinced San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors to approve plans for much-needed housing in Chinatown by showing them the footage he took of the appalling conditions in Chinatown’s SRO housing at the time. Here’s the trailer and I urge you to go see this film, which will be shown at the San Francisco Public Library soon.

Filed Under: Asian Americans, Film Tagged With: activism, cameron house, Chinatown, documentary film, san francisco

Comments

  1. Milton Quan says

    July 9, 2019 at 3:18 pm

    I have a connection. On page 165 of your book White Devil’s Daughters. The young girl bottom row, far left is my mom. Both my mom & aunt were at Cameron house during the same time period. In fact married my dad & Uncle. I remember as a young boy Miss Wu & Donaldina would visit my mom & aunt. Your book has raised questions about my mom. She had told me that she was dropped off by Chinese parents. Why a last name of Parks not a Chinese last name. If you have time could you suggest a pathway for me to find my info on my mom & Cameron House.
    Thanks Milton Quan

    Reply
    • Julia Flynn Siler says

      July 11, 2019 at 6:12 pm

      Dear Milton,
      Thank you for writing and what an extraordinary family story! I will email you separately with some ideas of how to research your mom’s history at Cameron House. Thank you!
      Julie

      Reply

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