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Storytelling is a powerful tool that can help us understand the past.

Tonight, our guests will tell stories through the art of dance and documentary film.

I'm so happy you're joining us.

From Los Angeles.

This is KLCS PBS.

Welcome to everybody with Angela Williamson and innovation, Arts, education and public affairs program.

Everybody, with Angela Williamson is made possible by viewers like you.

Thank you.

And now your host, doctor Angela Williamson.

The Laguna Woods Village Hula Club is here with me.

Thank you, ladies so much for being here.

You're welcome.

Well, before we get started and talk a little bit about how you came together, why I want all of you to introduce yourselves right here.

Hi, I'm Eileen Harkness.

I'm Sharon.

I'm Maddie.

Nice to meet you all.

And I you're the person who started it all to Sharon.

I didn't quite start at all.

No, but I've been there the longest of these girls.

Okay, so nine years.

Almost nine years.

Nine years in.

Why did you decide to join this hula club?

And then how did you get these other lovely ladies involved?

Well, at the beginning, it's a recreational class, and we had a teacher come in and wanted to teach hula, and so we all joined.

There was probably 50 or so of us in the first class.

And, gradually, you know, broke down a little bit from there.

But after a year of classes and learning hula and then starting to perform, we realized that we needed more than just one night a week, of training.

So we started the club and invited, you know, all the village residents to join us as well.

And so that's how the club got started, mainly for practice.

And then eventually we earned money for trips and things like that.

So.

Well, there's so much in there that I just want to ask you a lot of questions about.

But the first one is, is when you decided that this needed to be a larger club and you announced it, was it really hard to recruit other people.

Or not really.

Most of the people that we initially had in our club came from class as well, and so that was quite a few people.

So we had over 20, 30 people.

I think we had to have 20 for the the initial club.

And we had about 30.

So it was, you know, that's how that all came about when mainly for the reason for the club was so that we would get the perks of being able to reserve a room for practice and things like that.

And so that worked out in our favor.

In that sense.

A great.

And so, Miss Molly, how did you decide to be part of this club as well?

And because there's more than one club at Laguna.

Oh yes.

So how do you choose this club versus another club?

Well, when I first moved to Laguna Woods, I looked at all the clubs that were available, and I didn't see the hula club, but, and I, you know, been with the club about six years.

But what I did was I saw we go to like, clubhouses and we have fliers for different clubs and I go, oh, learn hula.

I said, okay, so, you know, I just went to the first few practices and, you know, I thought, wow, I really like this, but this is more than an exercise program.

We actually learned, you know, Hawaiian culture.

We learned to respect hula.

We learn to respect, that is a sacred art.

And, so it was it drew me in more and more because I have a love for Hawaiian music for many, many years to begin with.

And I love to move, you know, so this was just a perfect for me.

And you do this also.

You have events as well.

And do you travel or do you do all your events at Laguna Woods?

We have gone to Hawaiian Gardens.

They have festivals there for the Polynesian cultural, so we have been asked to perform there as well.

So we've done that and we travel locally.

we haven't really traveled anywhere too distant.

We did go to Hawaii, but that was purely just for vacation.

But we went as a big group, you know, it was wonderful.

We had a really great time.

before we go to our break, because when we come back, you're actually going to demonstrate some parts of hula for me in our audience.

But you mentioned going to Hawaii and and going as a group.

I mean, it really you really do create friends for life by doing this.

So tell me, someone can tell me how you feel about that.

When I'm going to Hawaii with a group.

I mean, first of all, you know, we we love dancing, hula and learning about it, but then to actually go to Hawaii and be able to go as a group and maybe dance hula on the beach or, you know, get invited to, you know, certain events there.

is, is just very deeply moving.

And I think there's a, there's a spiritual aspect to who as well, you know, because we have that oneness is synchronicity that we get when we all try to dance and dance together.

and it kind of overcomes any kind of, differences that we might have, you know, and especially, you know, we get older women together, we have, like, you know, little squabbles and stuff, but we can smooth them out because because we are connected this way.

And I love that.

And you're going to help us do that by teaching us just some basics, some of the steps.

And so hold on.

When we come back, I will change into this beautiful skirt and you'll show us some steps.

You stay there and come right back with the Laguna with Village Hula Club, and we'll learn some of these secret moves.

Oh, lovely.

So, I'm back with the Laguna Woods Village Hula Club and you are going to walk away with some fancy moves.

Okay, miss.

Sharon, start.

Okay.

Our beginning step would be a kaholo.

And instead of doing what most people do like this, we're going to put our left hand over our right side.

Left side, and then straight out.

And then one, two, three.

Tap 123 tap 123 tap 123.

How okay.

That's for our basic steps in.

Another step would be what is it, a healer.

and we just reach our foot out and touch the ground with our toes, grab the ground with our own.

So.

Right, left.

Bend your knees and then try and sway your hips.

It's a lot at one time.

Yes, it is.

Yes, it takes a while.

And then we'll do our basic step again.

Call up.

And then watch another step.

Oh, me.

We circle counterclockwise, counterclockwise and then complex.

But we keep our hands.

And you can keep your hands.

Yes.

Sometimes we just hold our skirts or, you know, whatever the choreography.

And so normally.

Placed our hands differently because we crossed over.

But we should.

Yes.

Keep it.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Cross never, never cross the middle.

So, step heels.

Lift your heels.

Yeah.

Step.

Okay.

Step front and lift your heels.

And you don't go up and down, okay?

Just lift your hands.

Just.

Yeah.

Step.

And it's like a four point right away.

Right?

Wow.

Let's see if we can combine them.

Okay.

so don't watch me watch them.

Okay.

Sure.

Either move lower.

It's much easier when we have music, but that's okay.

And then Hila.

And knees are always slightly bent.

Yes, always.

And then an omni.

It's all about the elegance of it.

Right?

Hello?

Wow.

So we have one minute left.

and.

Let's do it like a finale.

What will we do that end?

Okay, Let's see.

What would we do?

This is.

This is.

Listen, this is.

See or this is speak.

And the ocean waves would say ocean.

We want to definitely write that one.

Now, ladies, this has been beautiful.

Thank you so.

Much.

Thank you.

And there are going to be people who want to actually see you live.

So I'm just going to direct them to the everybody page on Facebook so that they can, tell us when they want to come and see you.

Oh.

Thank you.

So much.

And thank you for the lesson.

Thank you and thank you.

My pleasure.

And come back as I talk with doctor Gay and president of the friends of the Chinese American Museum.

She joins our conversation to discuss the Chinese massacre of 1871.

Ladies, that was wonderful.

Thank you.

Thank you for watching.

Filthiest Los Angeles.

Welcome back.

Doctor gay Yin and Karen Lee Wong are with me to discuss buried history.

Retracing the Chinese massacre of 1871, a documentary that aired on calcs during Asian American Heritage Month.

Thank you two for joining me.

What an impressive documentary.

I just I not only as a person who's lived here all my life.

You taught me so many things new with this documentary.

But my question is, is.

And either one of you can answer this.

Why do we think that this documentary is so important today?

I think if you look at the big picture of how history is portrayed in the United States, we know that history is told through certain people's eyes, and they certainly were not told through those who are people of color.

Not only were you not aware of the 1871 massacres, but I came to the United States as an immigrant at age five.

I landed in Chinatown.

I went to school in Chinatown.

I grew up, I taught in Chinatown and later on I taught Asian-American studies with a focus on Chinese American studies.

And it wasn't until I joined the board of the Chinese American Museum.

Then a few years later, I found out.

And I was so angry.

I was just so angry because it's why did I know this?

And so, as we continue with programing and research and learning more about our buried histories, I'm finding out that it's the same with African Americans, with Mexican Americans, with our indigenous, partners.

Right.

And so when all this blew up, we learned about Antioch in Northern California.

We learned about the different histories of Chinatown's burning, and we never knew that.

So it's this when you decided, as a board member that the Chinese American Museum would put together this documentary to educate the next generation, or how did that come together?

How does Cameron get involved?

I think we were so fortunate to have met Cameron and his family.

Who and his mom has a long history in journalism.

And so, and his uncle was, you know, it's Michael who is one of the few leaders, you know, in, in Chinese American politics in L.A. and when we wanted to retell that story, there were so many pieces of it, and it was so complicated.

And so we thought, we have to have visuals, and that's how we, you know, when Cameron came in and, and helped us with, with the documentary.

Well, let's turn it over to Cameron for a second.

So, Cameron, how do you get all of this information?

Because it's just like Doctor Yan says.

It's very complicated.

And you get this information and then start telling the story.

How did you start that process?

well, as gay, kind of.

As mentioned, I'm very lucky to have, parents who kind of worked in this field already.

So, like, my mom's like a very good writer.

She's very good at kind of, getting all that information into, like, a workable form.

So I was like, really?

I'm really grateful for that.

so I had we once my mom kind of came up with, a script in that form.

It was really easy for me to kind of visualize, how I wanted it laid out.

And I very much kind of saw it as, the best way to do it.

Walking through the actual sites that were where the massacre was took place, because that's actually where I, was approached about the project was on a tour of the sites, so I thought that was like a very natural way to, show the events that happened and kind of incorporate it in with, like I said, kind of people telling their stories about how they never knew about it, how it affected them when they learned about it, and, I think it kind of worked really well together.

So it did.

I mean, your visuals, along with Doctor Yan, your uncle, which I didn't know.

So young, learning things too.

Teachers love your uncle, by the way.

and all the other people you brought in as well, those visuals matched their stories perfectly.

Because as someone who was watching it for the first time and then I hear the title, I didn't even realize there were several locations.

And you were able to merge that in perfectly.

So how does a young person with your eye, how do you look at that so that you can explain that to the masses?

I don't know.

I think I like to think, I like to think of myself as just kind of one of everybody else.

I think, like, okay, well, how how would I want to see it?

So I think like the easiest way is, is I'm like, I guess I'm kind of like a visual learner, but and I like to think, the easiest way is just to take them to where it is and say, this is where it happened.

and I think it was also nice to for the images we were able to find.

so we have present day where it took place, and then we kind of contrast it with, some somewhat of the, some of what the locations looked like in the past.

So I think like just seeing the differences and like seeing, seeing and being there while we are hearing about what happened, there is just like a very effective way to hear about what happened.

yeah, I think.

And that was the answer I was looking for.

So great job there.

Now, now, I already talked to Doctor Yan about this.

Now, before you started production, had you heard of the 1871?

I hadn't heard about it at all, actually.

So I when I went on the walking tour, that was like my first exposure to it.

So I knew nothing going in.

yeah.

And I, I learned about it pretty much that day.

And that was, I remember just that experience was kind of it was it was honestly, I, I was kind of a little bit confused because I didn't know I couldn't really I didn't really understand how something so like important to the history of Los Angeles and like the way that it changed it on such a big in such a big way, how something that massive in scale could go so long without being talked about.

So I was like, I remember being very confused and and thinking that it that needed to change.

So that was like a big motivation for me to to tell the story, I guess.

Yeah.

And and that is such a remarkable answer.

There's one scene that, as a viewer, I thought was the most empowering for me, and it was very educational.

And you did it so well visually, but you also did so well describing it.

And it was it's the ritual of the Chinese burial.

And I could literally see with your visuals, but I could fill it with your impassioned description of and not even having a name and how important a name is in the burial there.

I mean, I would love to hear more of how this part came together, because I think it's just the most dynamic part of the entire documentary.

So I'd love to get your take on that.

well, kind of going back to what I was saying, I guess, well, I guess I kind of treat myself as because I knew nothing going, and I kind of just treated myself as kind of a student in a classroom, like, I didn't know anything.

And, Jay obviously knows a lot more about it.

So it was just I basically had her sit down and, basically just explain what happened.

And I remember just basically letting her tell it.

And I was pretty much learning along with her.

So I think she did all the work pretty much.

I didn't do very much for the interviews.

I had a job you just did.

To Cameron's credit, we didn't have those visuals, and so I, I did my research and I had my culture to back me up to talk about it.

But we didn't have pictures and we didn't have visuals.

And Cameron went out and he looked, and if he couldn't find it, I think you found an artist, right?

That help, help create some of those drawings.

And he would say, how does this look?

How does this look?

And so it was a really collaborative process, not just with the team that's working, that was working on the documentary, but all their connections in terms of how they went searching for things to enhance the documentary.

And that's exactly how I felt as well, too.

I mean, I mean, not the story behind it is empowering, especially how you describe it.

But when I'm looking at it, which is where all our young people now are visual learners.

So to be able to see it, there's no way that they could walk away and not understand the English behind it.

And what happened that day.

And there was just that scene, which is so emotional, and I wanted to talk a little bit about that seemed really well done.

so your documentary is 30 minutes.

I could see it a little bit longer.

So how how difficult was it for you to edit this documentary with so many enriching interviews down to 30 minutes?

it was tricky, I think, yeah, it could have easily been just like it could have been like an hour of just them talking.

there's a lot of really interesting stories and details that we had to cut out.

and it was, it was difficult for sure.

but I think it's sometimes it's, it's easier to just at a certain point, you have to look at it in more of like a logical perspective and just be like and just think what is like, what are the key elements you need to keep in?

And I think, but I think we did that.

but I think with every even like every movie, there's always the director always wants like a director's cut, it always ends up being like twice as long.

So I could definitely do that if I wanted to.

And that's wonderful because there's that just seems like there definitely could be a next installment or making it longer, because there's just so much history that just needs still needs to be told.

So.

So my question to both of you before we end our conversation, today, what is next for for Cameron as the filmmaker and Doctor Yen, as the board president of the Chinese American Museum.

So.

I think I'm, I think generally I'm just a very curious person.

So I like learning about everything and anything.

So if I pretty much if I see something and I'm curious about it, I could see an interesting story in it.

and for me, like, as a, that filmmaking is like a very good way to satisfy that because it's a really good excuse to learn about anything you want.

So I think the answer is it could it could be anything, I don't know.

Okay.

So whatever happens next for you, you have to keep us informed so you can come and talk about that.

Because this is there's going to be more in your future.

And I look forward to seeing how your career evolves.

Very well done with this documentary.

Thank you, Cameron, for getting behind the lens on this.

And Doctor for the Chinese American Museum, because we are a history museum that tells the story so they're not forgotten.

The more stories we tell, the more stories we discover that we need to tell.

Even where the different sites that Cameron was able to to, unfold, it just makes sense, you know, when, when a mob of 500 people are coming after you to lynch and kill you, people scatter.

So we always knew that the massacre happened at the footsteps at the museum, but we really didn't know the other significant sites.

And just like the, the slavery stories, when the slaves ran, there were kind people who housed them and protected them.

And we found sites were white ranchers and white, vineyard people hit the Chinese so they could be safe and so there's lots of those stories that need to be told.

Doctor Yin, how can educators take information not only from this documentary, but from the Chinese massacre of 1871, and teach that to children in the classroom?

So we're we were fortunate, in the past few years after PBS aired is Asian American series.

they also partner with Asian Americans for Advancing Justice to create a, set of curriculum material that follows the series that PBS did.

And so if they log on to the website of triple H, Asian-Americans for Advancing Justice, they could find curriculum that parallels that PBS series.

Now, at that time, the massacre, curriculum was not developed yet, but we did develop curriculum.

And so at this point, the the the teachers can log on to Asian American edu.org and they would be able to find teacher materials to specifically speaks to the massacre of 1871.

And the other thing we're trying to do also is not just to put a set of curricula into somebodys hands, but we're going to see if we can find funding to do teacher development and teacher training so they'll know.

How do you use the curriculum.

Which is always half the battle.

Right, exactly.

Well.

Thank you so much for that information.

And I know that would be the first question we would be asked is, how can we get this curriculum into our classroom?

And you've answered that.

Thank you so much you.

And thank you for joining us on this special episode of everybody with Angela Williamson.

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Hi, I'm Angela Williamson, host of Everybody with Angela Williamson.

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