Chinatown Rising

The Asian-American Movement from the perspective of young residents on the front lines of their historic neighborhood in transition.

Testimonials and Reviews

“Chinatown Rising is an unforgettable new documentary that takes the viewer inside the iconic San Francisco neighborhood through the remarkable footage of filmmaker-turned-pastor Harry Chuck. I’ve never seen historic Asian America come alive with such visual energy. Chinatown Rising is appropriate for upper K-12 grades, college and all adult audiences. It explores a crucial chapter of American history that has been left out of the textbooks. The 1965 immigration reforms and the social turmoil of the era not only transformed Chinatown, but it also remade the increasingly diverse America that we live in today. If you want to understand both the conflicts and the possibilities of a changing U.S., Asian American histories like Chinatown Rising are essential.”

-Renee Tajima-Peña, director, ‘Who Killed Vincent Chin’ and series producer, PBS's ‘Asian Americans’
Professor of Asian American Studies, Director, Center for EthnoCommunications, UCLA

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“This is the American History we should all be learning in school. Chinatown Rising is a story about discrimination, culture, community, & American triumph.”

-Lyrics Born, hip hop artist

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“Josh Chuck came to North Park Elementary School to share clips from Chinatown Rising and tell the story behind the film. Our parents, students, faculty, and guests enjoyed a beautiful and thought-provoking evening exploring the immigrant experience in America, families, inequities in housing and education, generational differences, and the role of power, status, and racial privilege in creating neighborhoods, all through the lens of the grassroots civil rights movement in San Francisco's Chinatown. Josh is an exceptional teacher: thoughtful, open, warm, patient, genuine, engaging, and an excellent story-teller. His visit to our school was a highlight of the year. Our students studied the film in Humanities, and their excitement about meeting Josh--and for studying these important topics--was inspiring. Josh Chuck and Chinatown Rising belong in our schools.”

-John Novick, Head of School, North Park Elementary School, Chicago, Illinois

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“The thoughtfully woven film, Chinatown Rising, was an opportunity for our students to see and “witness” the role of community, youth, Black power, and Civil Rights movements coming together to galvanize people around justice work. What Josh and Harry Chuck gifted us is the chance to “meet” actual people -  Asian teachers, youth group leaders, college students and public advocates - who “knew nothing about activism” and yet strove to center humanity and stand up for equal rights. Ultimately, the film embodies Josh’s invitation to each of us: ‘When you see something that is not right, you can always act and make a difference!’”

-Genevieve D’Arcy, New City School 6th Grade Teacher, St. Louis, MO

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“It’s meaningful and empowering for students, especially AAPI students, to see the AAPI community stand up against inequity and resist the status quo. There’s a rich history of Asian American activism and cross-racial solidarity. Students should see Chinatown Rising because it reveals how change is possible through protest and the power of a collective voice. Students’ voices matter. A neighborhood’s voice matters. Chinatown’s voices matter. The film is also an antidote to the wave of attacks on Asian Americans.”

-Pierre Carmona, English Instructor and Assistant Director of Equity & Community, San Francisco University High School

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“My entire family came out to see Chinatown Rising. I specifically flew to San Francisco to watch it with them, and we cannot stop talking about it. The film tells so many untold stories of life in Chinatown, and because my father has passed away, it for me, offered a very revealing window into his childhood. For some people, Chinatown is just a tourist destination where you can buy slippers and paper lanterns. For my father and many other Chinese people who grew up in San Francisco during that era, it was home.”

-Ali Wong, comedian, actor, director

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“I 100% recommend this film to all students. They will benefit from the incredible perspective of an American experience told through the story of the evolving San Francisco Chinatown. The story very much relates to many immigrant communities' experiences throughout the USA’s existence. Regardless of ethnicity, people can see their own family’s or ancestry’s journey developing their communities when arriving to the New World. Most importantly, after engaging in this film, students will realize the importance and possibilities of activism for the benefit of community.”

-Sean Schochet, teacher, The Nueva School

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“A fine achievement--cinematically, politically, historically; a critical addition to local and national history. It is so nice to hear of the solidarity that Chinatown activists felt with African-Americans and Latinos. We need more of those stories!”

-Ken Schneider, director, producer, and editor

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“Watching the film made me so incredibly proud - of my heritage, my family, my community. They wanted to create change and they did it. This film is truly a gem.”

-Katie Quan, Asian American Studies Professor

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“Chinatown Rising allowed our fourth graders to learn more about important local history through the lens of those who lived through it, and it highlighted a salient message about the strength of our community and power of our actions to make positive changes. Josh Chuck worked with our faculty to align the presentation with our unit of study on Migration and Immigration, focusing on segments that deepened student's understanding of the history of Chinatown by lifting up the voices of those who demonstrated resistance and agency in the face of injustices. It was empowering for students to see examples of activism within the immigrant and AAPI community, including the fight for bilingual education that pathed the way for schools like CAIS!”

- Tiffany Long, 4th Grade Teacher, Chinese American International School

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“Chinatown Rising was both inspiring and heartbreaking. Heartbreaking in how Chinese and Chinese Americans were the victims of extraordinary oppression and racism. But inspiring in how God is able to work through his people when we choose to come together to fight for justice.”

-Andrew Kim, lead pastor, Kensington Church Troy Campus

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Media Reviews

This program is produced by Chinatown Rising LLC which is solely responsible for its contents.
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