Love Letters to Chinatown is a collection of love notes dedicated to Chinatown during the COVID19 pandemic. Inspired by the W.O.W Project NYC and love for our community, we want to recognize the unity and stories that have always existed here in the Bay Area. 

These letters carry on conversations and memories of resilience for future generations and act as a live documentation of community strength and love.

— Carmen and Vida

Join us as we listen to a live reading and showcase  from a panel of artists, writers, filmmakers, and organizers whose works inspire and uplift Chinatown during this pandemic.

This event was recorded on Sunday, January 24, 2021 at 2-4PM PST via Zoom.

FEATURED ARTISTS

Aaron Lim
Bijun Liang
Erin Rairdan
Hai Chi Vu
James Q Chan
Kimberly Au

Carmen Chen was born in Toisan, China and immigrated to Chinatown, San Francisco at the age of three. She is currently a college student double majoring in psychology and sociology. She has worked with many local movements for gender, racial, and transformative justice. Her values are rooted in and inspired by the resilience, healing, and survival narratives of women in her family. She longs for a world where people of marginalized identities can live free of violence, with love and dignity. 

Vida Kuang was raised by a Toisan matriarchy and the streets of Chinatown. She is an artist and educator. Her education comes from growing up in her family’s corner store, her experience as a youth organizer, and community elders who mentor her growth. As a visual storyteller, Vida art practice is inspired by movements led by women of color for racial, gender, and economic justice. Vida’s work addresses the complexities and intersections of survival, healing, and memory. She uses audio, illustration, photography, and mixed media as tools for storytelling