Ling Zhang to present on the Xin’an river valley transformation on April 14

The Center for Historical Research, East Asian Studies Center, and Institute for Chinese Studies will present a lecture by Ling Zhang, Boston College, on Friday, April 14 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 18th Avenue Library, Research Commons 3rd Floor and via Zoom (registration required). Prof. Zhang will present "Seventy Meters Below Is My Home: Geotrauma and Earthly Memories of East China."

Abstract: This talk introduces part of Zhang's new book, 108 Meters. The Xin’an river valley in east China historically sustained an affluent society with a dense human population. When a major dam was installed in the river in the mid-twentieth century, the valley experienced a dramatic transformation. The transformation was first and foremost geological. Following that was the changes to the physical, socioeconomic, and emotional relationships between people and the land that went under water. Seventy years have gone by. Mourning of the lost land has passed on across three generations. It has evolved into diverse forms and prompted different actions. The various earthly memories those men and women have made and continue making, as Zhang's oral history and ethnography reveal, are reshaping that watery world, especially in the new historical context of environmental degradation, resource shortage, and climate change.

Screenings of Far East Deep South to be held on April 15

The East Asian Studies Center, US-Heartland China Association, Greater Columbus Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and The Ohio State University Libraries will present two screenings of the film Far East Deep South on Saturday, April 15. Each screening will be followed by a discussion with producer Baldwin Chiu.

On Campus Screening: Saturday, April 15 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Hagerty Hall, Room 180 (lunch provided)

Off Campus Screening: Saturday, April 15 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 pm. at Hyatt Regency Columbus, Hayes Room (in conjunction with the ASIANetwork Annual Conference)

Abstract: Far East Deep South explores the seldom-told history of Chinese immigrants living in the American South during the late 1800s to mid-1900s through the eyes of Charles Chiu and his family as they travel from California to Mississippi to find answers about his father, K.C. Lou.

Left behind in China as a baby, Charles Chiu, a retired U.S. Air Force reservist, is reluctant to discuss growing up without his father and his family’s complicated past with his sons, Baldwin and Edwin. Eventually, Charles and his family travel to Cleveland, MS to visit the gravesite of his father, K.C. Lou. In the span of just several hours, a simple family trip leads to unexpected and emotional encounters with local residents. Along the way, they get a crash course on the history of the Chinese immigrants in the Deep South that they never knew. This fateful trip to Cleveland, MS only raised more questions and prompts the Chiu family to dig even deeper into their past. They meet historians and Mississippi Delta residents from the Black, White and Chinese communities who help fill in the blanks to their family’s life in Mississippi. At every turn, more surprising revelations pop up and change their family forever. The film provides a window into the lives of the Chinese in the South and the discrimination they faced in the midst of segregation. The film not only highlights the struggles and perseverance of the Chinese, but explores the racial dynamics between the white, Black and Chinese communities and the added challenge of exclusionary immigration policies, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act, many families faced at that time.

JSO to hold its 15th annual Spring Festival on April 9

The Japanese Student Organization, with support from the East Asian Studies Center, will hold its annual Spring Festival on Sunday, April 9 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Ohio Union Performance Hall. JSO's annual 春祭り (Haru-matsuri, "Spring Festival"), is a vibrant celebration of Japanese culture. The event will feature a variety of performances from student and outside organizations, both modern and traditional, as well as interactive booths and activities.

The festival is free and open to the public.