Entertainment
Far East Deep South film screening at the Strand this Saturday
The Strand Theatre in downtown Vicksburg will host a screening of Far East Deep South and one of its filmmakers on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. The film tells the story of a Chinese-American family’s search for their roots which leads them to the Mississippi Delta, where they discover surprising family revelations and uncover the racially complex history of Chinese immigrants in the segregated South.
Through encounters with local residents and historians, this Chinese American family not only discovers their family’s important role in the Mississippi Delta but also learn about the symbiotic relationship between the Black and Chinese communities during the Jim Crow era.
The film provides a window into the struggles of Chinese immigrants in the American South during the late 1800s to mid-1900s and the discrimination they faced. The Chiu family’s history demonstrates how exclusionary immigration laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 separated their family for generations. This deeply moving and unforgettable story offers a poignant and important perspective on race relations, immigration and American identity.
“Growing up here in Vicksburg, we were very aware of the dozens of Chinese American families who lived here, said Daniel Boone, film programmer for the Strand “They often owned and operated small neighborhood grocery stores throughout the city. We shopped in the stores, because they were convenient, and the owner’s kids were our classmates. This film tells the larger story of how all that came to be and what happened in later years. Being able to present another Mississippi story which helps us understand the fabric of this place we call home is part of what we see as our mission as a community theater.”
Baldwin Chiu, producer of the film (and one of its subjects) will be presenting the screening and leading a discussion at the Strand.
This screening is being underwritten by the US Heartland China Association and will be free.
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