Livingston Library and Livingston Chinese Association to present Chinese-American documentary film

Livingston Library and Livingston Chinese Association to present Chinese-American documentary film

Last April, NBC News aired a segment called, “How One Woman Helped Put the Mississippi Delta Chinese on the Map.” It reported Samantha Cheng’s journey from a lecture in 1982 to the making of her documentary film, Honor and Duty: The Mississippi Delta Chinese.

Livingston Public Library and Livingston Chinese Association are pleased to present a screening of the documentary next Saturday, January 14th, at 2:00 pm, in the Library Program Room.

Cheng is a first generation a Chinese-American, a daughter of immigrants. That lecture over 30 years ago made her aware of how much she didn’t know about Asian-Americans and how little she learned in school. Being a journalist, she did her research and has committed herself to spreading as much knowledge about Asian-American history as possible.

Another event, at Mississippi's Delta State University Chinese Heritage Reflections and Reunion, prompted Cheng to write, direct and produce Honor and Duty: The Mississippi Delta Chinese. A little known piece of the Chinese-American experience is the story of the early Chinese immigrants to the Mississippi Delta during the 19th century. The Delta region was once known for its dependence on slave labor to work fields and pick cotton. Later it became home to large numbers of freed black farmers and a destination for hundreds of Chinese families. Many Chinese immigrated to the United States during gold rush and stayed on as farmers, to build railroads, fisheries, launderers and cooks. Those who settled in Mississippi were committed to working in the trades and businesses of their fathers and sponsors. They faced many challenges, culturally and economically, but had opportunities: the Chinese families opened small grocery stores that catered to black people and filled other needs in the segregated south. The delta region has been considered by many as most “southern” place in US: socially conservative and racially segregated, with social and cultural behaviors sometime carried to extremes.

The film explores how the Chinese community steadily grew in the early part of the 20th century. Contributions of the Chinese Delta families to the state of Mississippi and beyond improved the economy and later generations became doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and many other types of professionals.

Some of the most touching moments are during the interviews with many Chinese men who enlisted in the armed services during WW II because they felt it was their patriotic duty. One of the veterans interviewed said “we were called to serve, and we did whatever was needed.” In the NBC interview Cheng said, “even their Chinese accent has a Southern twang to it.”

There will be time for discussion after the film with Dr. Chunyan Li, a professor at Pace University. Dr. Li, a Livingston resident, has been active in the Livingston public school system for many years, was a board member of the Citizen's Institute, and a member of the Diversity Committee. She is also a former president of the Livingston Chinese Association and a board member of the Huaxia Chinese School,

The film is in English, with English subtitles only. The screening and discussion are free and open to everyone.