Public Programs
Stories My Mother and Father Told Me
Ongoing
In 2019, this storytelling series was made possible in part by a grant from Oregon Humanities. All programs located at the Portland Chinatown Museum unless otherwise noted.
Diana Lo Mei Hing (Parts 1 &2)
December 12, 2019
November 14, 2019
Portland artist and author, Diana Lo Mei Hing, shares stories of her Chinese family who fled Guangdong Province during the Cultural Revolution. Taking refuge in Milan, Italy, the family struggled to reunite its members and preserve its identity in a foreign land.
Melvin, Terry, and Fran Lee
November 3, 2019
Siblings Mel, Terry, and Fran Lee grew up in Portland Chinatown in the 1950s and 1960s, as the neighborhood was undergoing a massive transition.
Patsy Fong Lee and Kenneth Fong
August 29, 2019
The Fongs grew up in a flat with no running water on the North end of Old Chinatown. Their father, Gui Duck Fong, fought in World War I and was awarded U.S. citizenship for his service overseas. Returning from the war, he opened the Hop Lee Tailor Shop, which became the front for one of the largest gambling casinos in Portland Chinatown.
Dmae Roberts' Mei Mei: A Daughter’s Song
June 27, 2019
Dmae Roberts, two-time Peabody winning writer, producer, media and theater artist, screens her 2015 Peabody award-winning documentary film Mei Mei: A Daughter's Song (Mei Mei Film) and reads from her recent book, Letting Go Trilogies: Stories of a Mixed Race Family (2016).
Tracy Wong: Stories of My Dad, Mayor of Chinatown
May 7, 2019
Tracy Wong, founder of WONGDOODY ad agency, presents “Stories of My Dad: Jewish Baseball Legend, Civil Rights Activist, Human Shield, Mayor of Chinatown & More.”
Jenny M. Chu and Jake Vermaas
April 28, 2019
An afternoon of poetry with local writers, Jenny M. Chu and Jake Vermaas, featuring a presentation of “My parents owned a restaurant…” by Chu, and “Where I got that name” and “First Fruits” from Vermaas.
Stories of Chinatown
August 9, 2018 September 20, 2018
Portland Chinatown elders and former residents share their favorite stories about Chinatown, with Carol Lee, Gary Lee, Mel Lee, Patsy Fong Lee, Franklin Quan, Bertha Saiget, Fred Wong, and Gloria Wong.