As a place founded on resistance and collective power in the face of exclusion, Chinatown has long been a cultural hub of safety and belonging for overlapping communities in the diaspora. In the spirit of our dearly missed friend and community connector, Corky Lee, we invite you to meet YiuYiu, Les The DJ, and our neighbors at the newsstand (aka “the box”) for a very special block party of your favorite Chinese and OPM+ (Original Pilipino Music + Roots, Pop, and Covers from the Philippines and the Diaspora) dance hits to close out this year’s Chinatown Arts Week. Come celebrate a brand new mural by artist Rose Wong, Filipino American History Month, and our growing Chinatown community with us. See you at the box!
While we celebrate this place in Chinatown that holds generations of our communities’ joys and struggles, we acknowledge and honor that we gather on unceded Lenape lands that also hold the joys and struggles of the past, present, and future generations of Lenape and Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island. As we continue to challenge the exclusion of Asian Americans, immigrants, and refugees that first pushed for the creation of Chinatown and that continues to displace our neighbors today, we commit to the process of working to dismantle the ongoing legacies of U.S. imperialism and violence inherent in the place we call home and beyond.
The newsstand is on Mosco St at Mott St. This event is outdoors and does not require sign up though donations are always welcome.
Bios:
YiuYiu aka Rochelle Kwan (she/her) is a cultural organizer, oral history educator, and DJ based on unceded Lenape land in New York City's Manhattan Chinatown. Her work as a cultural archivist and DJ centers on engaging our communities as our classroom and fostering intergenerational dance floors that celebrate art and history as powerful acts of resistance and resilience
Les The DJ aka Les Talusan (she/they) is a DJ, photographer, curator, teaching artist and organizer whose practice immerses people in the joy of discovery, empowerment, and community. This approach is informed by Les’ own story of resilience, liberation and courage as an immigrant, mother and v/s. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, Les fell in love with music at a young age, DJing at local clubs and playing in bands. Les has lived in Washington, DC for over 20 years and continues to expand their talents, performing behind the decks in the U.S. and abroad. Instagram | Website
Rose Wong is a Chinese-American illustrator who graduated from Pratt Institute in 2014 and has been living in Brooklyn since. She is known for her editorial work and has worked with clients such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, NPR, Bon Appétit and more. In addition to her commercial work, Rose also extends her practice to murals, ceramics and book making. Her most recent collaborations with Think!Chinatown have included Assembly for Chinatown, Moon Square Exhibit, Light Up Chinatown and the Lantern Residency.