Young Chinese Americans hardly have an idea of what it means for an older resident of Chinatown to be asked to speak publicly about life there - it's ingrained that you don't go beyond the boundaries. The assistance and confidence from the community allowed for the telling and sharing of many incredible tales of the early settlers. This was important to have done this now. In fact, two of the on-screen interviews that appear in the program, Tom Lym, the band leader, and Ling Gee Tom, one of the original China 5 have died since we filmed interviews with them. For all its rich history, Chinatown was, and is, a poor, overcrowded place.
People leave it when they can.
But at the same time, the older generations gave us something invaluable. I climbed on the shoulders of my elders to get where I am today. They created opportunities for their children and made things better for the next generation. I think in a land of immigrants, that's something we can all relate to.