“Forbidden City, U.S.A.” Hardcover Edition Launch Party | SF

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Get your hardcover edition of “Forbidden City, USA: Chinatown Nightclubs 1936-1970” at CHSA Museum and join author and filmmaker Arthur Dong for a book talk and signing. There will be a brief Q&A session, light refreshments will be served.

Special guests: Surviving veteran dancers from the Chinatown Nightclub era: Pat Chin, Ivy Tam, and Cynthia Yee, founding members of the Grant Avenue Follies; and Coby Yee, exotic dancer who eventually ran the Forbidden City nightclub.

“Winner of the 2015 American Book Award and now available in collectible hardcover, Forbidden City, USA captures the magic and glamour of the Chinatown nightclub scene, which peaked in San Francisco during World War II. In the 1930s and ’40s, audiences flocked to nightclubs to escape the problems of the day with a cocktail and a show. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Arthur Dong spent thirty years interviewing the entertainers from this era, many of whom time had forgotten, and collecting hundreds of rare images and objects. The result is a sexy and insightful exploration of a time when Asian Americans pushed against exploitation and racism—as well as expectations from within their own community—to pursue their dreams of working in show business.”

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.