Today New York is home to a population of over half a million Chinese, but half a century ago the first generation of Toisanese and Cantonese Chinese navigated a city and a country unfamiliar to Chinese immigrants. Few Toisanese now immigrate to America. Yet, they were responsible for the introduction of many aspects of public life that we now know as Chinese American.

New York City Chinatown Chinese: Narratives of Village and Community, Volume II details the lives of the Chinese immigrants who, between the 1940s and 1960s, forged new social relationships and networks that form the bedrock of present-day Manhattan’s Chinatown. Jean Lau Chin, professor of Psychology at Adelphi University, will discuss the stories and oral histories in this volume, including how the interviewees have navigated issues of mobility, access, discrimination, and, ultimately, of pride in their heritage.

Tickets are free for MOCA members, $12 for adults, and $8 for students/seniors. You can purchase tickets here.