Marlon Hom on Angel Island Detention Poems and Chinatown Songs
Date & Time: Tue., May 11, 2010 – 12:30-1:30 PM
Location: 111 Minna St., San Francisco, CA 94105 (Minna @ 2nd)
Admission: FREE event—alcoholic drinks and sandwiches available for purchase (RSVP) on Facebook

Join us for Lit&Lunch as we present an important exploration of frequently overlooked Chinese-American literature. First, we mark the 100th anniversary of the Angel Island Immigration Station with an evocative reading of poetry carved into its walls. Nearly 200,000 Chinese immigrants were detained on Angel Island, and many left poetry behind. Author, scholar, and director of the California State University International Programs in China Marlon Hom talks about these unique glimpses into the heart of the immigrant experience and how they were ultimately saved for future generations. Then we turn to Hom’s translations of Chinatown songs that pervaded San Francisco’s Chinese-American community in the early 1900s. Hom talks about how these songs helped Chinese immigrants cope with the pressures of immigration and racism, as well as how they were published in 1911 and 1915, and their importance on subsequent Chinese-American literature. Presented by the Center for the Art of Translation at 111 Minna Gallery.

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