Organizer: Unassimilated Walking Tours; Think!Chinatown
Type/Location: In Person / New York, NY
Description:
CHINATOWN ‘75 is an interactive walking tour that tells the story of the police brutality case that rocked Chinatown and the protest movement that arose in its wake. In May of 1975, 25,000 protesters marched from Chinatown to City Hall to demand justice for the beating of Peter Yew. CHINATOWN ‘75 traces the route of the original march in commemoration of its 50th anniversary.
Based on archival research and oral histories with march participants, CHINATOWN ‘75 uses the Peter Yew protests to paint an in-depth portrait of a transformative moment in Chinatown’s history. We’ll explore how the interactions between radical social movements, community organizations, and the NYPD shaped the ensuing demonstrations, and how the iconic photographs of the march came to symbolize a generation of Asian American activism.
Tours will be led by Dr. Michael Menor Salgarolo, a New York City-based historian, walking tour guide, retired stand-up comedian, and founder of UNASSIMILATED Walking Tours. He holds a PhD in History from New York University, where he teaches courses in Asian/Pacific/American Studies in the Department of Social & Cultural Analysis.
This walk is presented by UNASSIMILATED Walking Tours and Think!Chinatown, as part of the 2025 Chinatown Storytelling Festival. All proceeds from ticket sales will go to Think!Chinatown.
Details:
Tour runs rain or shine.
Walk begins on the corner of Canal and Elizabeth Streets (south side) and ends at Foley Square. Run time is roughly 90 minutes.
Questions? Email unassimilatednyc@gmail.com
About UNASSIMILATED Walking Tours:
UNASSIMILATED is a walking tour company that crafts unique narrative experiences to tell a people’s history of Asian America. We bring knowledge from the archive to the sidewalks to amplify forgotten and silenced Asian American voices from the past. Walks include Blood and Water, The Original, Manila Bayou, and Chinatown ‘75. Follow us on Instagram @unassimilatednyc
About Think!Chinatown
Think!Chinatown is a place-based intergenerational non-profit in Manhattan’s Chinatown, working at the intersection of storytelling, arts, and neighborhood engagement. T!C is the team behind neighborhood cultural programs like Chinatown Arts Festival, Chinatown Night Market, Chinatown Block Parties, Chinatown Storytelling Festival, and more. Find more at www.thinkchinatown.org
Registration:
To attend the event in person, please purchase tickets here.