Join us for an evening with author, filmmaker and activist, Curtis Chin.  Curtis' memoir, "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant" serves up life lessons from a childhood spent in a Chinese restaurant. The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Hua Wang, Co-President of the Chinese American Association of Lexington (CAAL).

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Detroit in the 1980's was a volatile place to live, but above the fray stood a safe haven: Chung’s Cantonese Cuisine, where anyone—from the city’s first Black mayor to the local drag queens, from a big-time Hollywood star to elderly Jewish couples—could sit down for a warm, home-cooked meal. Here was where, beneath a bright-red awning and surrounded by his multigenerational family, filmmaker and activist Curtis Chin came of age; where he learned to embrace his identity as a gay ABC, or American-born Chinese; where he navigated the divided city’s spiraling misfortunes; and where—between helpings of almond boneless chicken, sweet-and-sour pork, and some of his own, less-savory culinary concoctions—he realized just how much he had to offer to the world, to his beloved family, and to himself.

Served up by the cofounder of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop and structured around the very menu that graced the tables of Chung’s, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant is both a memoir and an invitation: to step inside one boy’s childhood oasis, scoot into a vinyl booth, and grow up with him—and perhaps even share something off the secret menu.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Graduating with a degree in creative writing, Curtis Chin has written for CNN, Bon Appetit, the Detroit Free Press, and the Boston Globe, as well as for shows on network television. Chin has received fellowships from ABC/Disney Television, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. He has won awards from the National Association for Multicultural Education, the National Association for Ethnic Studies, the American Librarians Association, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and served as a Visiting Scholar at New York University.

Chin has screened his films with over 600 entities in sixteen countries including the White House, Lincoln Center, Amnesty International, SXSWEdu, and the Government of Norway. Past media include CNN, MSNBC, and public radio, as well as the Economist, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and Huffington Post.

As an organizer, Chin co-founded the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, the premiere non-profit dedicated to promoting Asian American writers. He has also worked as the Director of Outreach for the Democratic National Committee and served on Barack Obama’s Asian American Leadership Committee during his 2008 Presidential Campaign.

Chin recently completed work on a short documentary on photographer, Corky Lee. The film Dear Corky is now available on PBS.com through American Masters.

ABOUT OUR MODERATOR:

Dr. Hua Wang's professional experience has spanned academia, government, and industry. He is currently the Associate Head of Division of Systems Engineering at Boston University. He was a research scientist with United Technologies Research Center, a faculty member with Duke University, and a program manager with U.S. Army Research Office. He is a highly cited author with over 300 technical publications and books. He has served on various committees and editorial boards of professional societies and is a recipient of a number of prestigious professional awards.

Dr. Wang is a well-respected and recognized community activist and leader involved with local, regional, and national organizations. He is the Co-President of the Chinese American Association of Lexington (CAAL) and have served on the boards of Lexington Historical Society, Cary Memorial Library Foundation and Community Endowment of Lexington. He is the Chair of the National Board of Directors of United Chinese Americans (UCA), a prominent nonprofit national organization headquartered in Washington DC. He is also the founding Co-Chair and immediate past President of New England Chinese American Alliance (NECAA), and the President of Coalition for Anti-Racism and Equity (CARE) Action, Inc. He was a board member with Asian American Civic Association (AACA), Boston, the Chair of UCA Public Policy Committee, and Co-President of UCA-Massachusetts Chapter. He is recognized as one of the Boston’s 50 Most Influential Asian American Pacific Islanders, and an 20 for 20 Honorees of the Commonwealth Seminar's 20th Anniversary.

Copies of the author's book are available for purchase through Book Ends in Winchester, MA. Copies are also available to borrow through the Minuteman Network.

Presented in partnership with the Chinese American Association of Lexington.

This program is made possible by the generous donors to the Cary Library Foundation.​