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American Heathen (2015)

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Synopsis

Prejudice. Passion. Politics.

Wong Chin Foo is a man of two worlds, struggling to carve a place for himself in America.

As a child, he was raised by Christian missionaries in China, who hoped he would make it his mission to convert others to his religion. Perhaps his teachers should have been more careful what they wished for.   After his first sojourn in America, Wong returned to China to start a family. A proud man who disagreed with Manchu rule, Wong hatched a plan to start an uprising. When the government uncovered his schemes, Wong was forced to flee for his life, leaving his wife and infant son behind to start a new life in America.   A self-proclaimed "Confucian missionary" to America, Wong began his stay in his new country as a traveling lecturer to educate American citizens about Chinese culture. He butted heads with the forces of racism in America's exclusionary immigration policies and became a target of the dark side of America's Chinatowns after declaring war on Chinese vice. From helping Chinese women escape prostitution to representing his fellow Chinese Americans in court, Wong never passed up a chance to defend the rights of the less privileged. An engaging speaker, passionate activist and advocate for the oppressed, Wong dedicated his life to improving the station of Chinese people in America.

Wong Chin Foo.

Remember the name.

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Contributors

Arielle Basich

Alex Bayer

Joanna Kim

Leah Kim

Colin Kimzey

Grace Klein

Naomi Lattanzi

Don Le

Sophia Mark

Althea Solis

Amber Thomas

Cathy Yuan

Laura Zalles