University of Pittsburgh's Japanese Nationality Room turns 25 today.

The Japanese Nationality Room in the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning was dedicated on July 25, 1999. Located in room 317 on the Cathedral's third floor, the room is modeled after a traditional 18th-century minka. Wikipedia provides a good overview of the room's interior---which was largely built in Japan, disassembled, and rebuilt in Pittsburgh---while the 24-page program from the dedication ceremony, scanned and preserved by the university's Documenting Pitt archive, covers the ceremony as well as information on the budget, donors, and other contributors. At the time, it says, the total expenditure was $507,047.64, roughly 80% being building and building-related expenses.

"Stories from Pittsburgh’s Chinatown," free at Heinz History Center, October 29.

The Heinz History Center will present "Stories from Pittsburgh's Chinatown" on October 29.

Join the History Center for a rich celebration of stories from Pittsburgh’s Chinatown.

Featuring two short film screenings and a panel discussion, this event will vividly explore family and communal narratives from this long-overlooked neighborhood. Panelists (including community members, artists, and experts) will share their memories and research reflections on the history and legacy of Pittsburgh’s Chinatown.

Attendees will learn how Chinese Americans established businesses, started families, and created community despite the racism and discrimination that they faced. Participants will also garner insights into the decades-long partnerships and advocacy within the Chinese American community that has resulted in broader recognition of this history.

It runs from 2:00 to 4:00 pm and is free with advance registration. More information about the presenters and the films is available on the Heinz History Center's hompeage. The Heinz History Center is located at 1212 Smallman St. at the western edge of the Strip District (map).

"Stories from Pittsburgh’s Chinatown," free at Heinz History Center, October 29.

The Heinz History Center will present "Stories from Pittsburgh's Chinatown" on October 29.

Join the History Center for a rich celebration of stories from Pittsburgh’s Chinatown.

Featuring two short film screenings and a panel discussion, this event will vividly explore family and communal narratives from this long-overlooked neighborhood. Panelists (including community members, artists, and experts) will share their memories and research reflections on the history and legacy of Pittsburgh’s Chinatown.

Attendees will learn how Chinese Americans established businesses, started families, and created community despite the racism and discrimination that they faced. Participants will also garner insights into the decades-long partnerships and advocacy within the Chinese American community that has resulted in broader recognition of this history.

It runs from 2:00 to 4:00 pm and is free with advance registration. More information about the presenters and the films is available on the Heinz History Center's hompeage. The Heinz History Center is located at 1212 Smallman St. at the western edge of the Strip District (map).

Happy 84th Birthday to Chinese Nationality Room at University of Pittsburgh.

The Chinese Nationality Room in 1939; via Historic Pittsburgh.

The University of Pittsburgh's Chinese Nationality Room was dedicated on October 6, 1939.

Chinese American Experiences in Pittsburgh: The Past, Present and Future, April 2 at University of Pittsburgh.

Chinatown historical marker at unveiling ceremony, April 2022 

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will present "Chinese American Experiences in Pittsburgh: The Past, Present and Future" on Sunday, April 2.

This forum is organized and sponsored by the Chinese Heritage Room Committee of the Chinese Nationality Room of the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, University Center for Internatioal Studies, University of Pittsburgh.

Chinese Heritage Room Committee of the Chinese Nationality Room was established in 1939. It has since served as a hub for promoting Chinese scholarship and culture at the University of Pittsburgh and the surrounding communities. For details, please visit the Chinese Nationality Rooms website https://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/committees/chinese-room-committee

At this event, the Chinese Heritage Committee will present the history of the early Pittsburgh Chinatown and the contribution of the Chinese immigrants to the Southwest Pennsylvania. Local community leaders are invited to speak about their role in building a more diversified and equitable communities around the region. Free to public. Seating is limited, please register at link to attend.

It will be held at the Cloisters within the Frick Fine Arts Building in Oakland (map) from 2:00 to 4:30 pm.

Chinese Cemetery & Squirrel Hill Photo Tour with Leo Hsu & Lena Chen, May 21.

From Journey of the Hungry Ghost by Lena Chen.

Leo Hsu and Lena Chen will offer a Chinese Cemetery and Squirrel Hill Photo Tour on May 21, part of this spring's JADED public programming. This event is free and open to the public. It runs from 11:00 to 12:30, and those interested in joining should meet at the parklet at Murray and Darlington Aves. in Squirrel Hill (map).

Chinese Cemetery & Squirrel Hill Photo Tour with Leo Hsu & Lena Chen, May 21.

From Journey of the Hungry Ghost by Lena Chen.

Leo Hsu and Lena Chen will offer a Chinese Cemetery and Squirrel Hill Photo Tour on May 21, part of this spring's JADED public programming. This event is free and open to the public. It runs from 11:00 to 12:30, and those interested in joining should meet at the parklet at Murray and Darlington Aves. in Squirrel Hill (map).

Chinese Cemetery & Squirrel Hill Photo Tour with Leo Hsu & Lena Chen, May 21.

From Journey of the Hungry Ghost by Lena Chen.

Leo Hsu and Lena Chen will offer a Chinese Cemetery and Squirrel Hill Photo Tour on May 21, part of this spring's JADED public programming. This event is free and open to the public. It runs from 11:00 to 12:30, and those interested in joining should meet at the parklet at Murray and Darlington Aves. in Squirrel Hill (map).

Pittsburgh Chinatown historical marker is up.

At a ceremony today, a historical marker was finally unveiled downtown at the site of Pittsburgh's historic Chinatown.

JADED public programming series brings art events to Pittsburgh in April and May, including Chinatown tour, onigiri workshop, Chinese cemetary tour, and more.

The City of Pittsburgh's Office of Public Art will present a series of programs from JADED, a collective of Asian American and Pacific Islander artists, in April and May.

Launching Spring 2022, JADED is a public programming series celebrating the art and culture of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Organized by a collective of AAPI artists and organizers, also named JADED, the programming series builds interethnic coalitions to create more safe spaces of kinship and addresses racial trauma while celebrating cultural heritage. Programming and intimate events aim to reanimate local histories, preserve cherished family recipes and practices, and nurture intergenerational dialogue.

A selection of events:

The following events are free and open to the public:

April 16, 2022: Chinatown Walking Tour with Shirley Yee
12:00pm – 12:45pm. Meet in front of 519 Court Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

April 16, 2022: Performance with Jason Chu, Alan Z, and MC Tingbudong
3:00pm – 4:00pm. In front of Chinatown Inn, 520 Third Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

May 21, 2022: Chinese Cemetery & Squirrel Hill Photo Tour with Leo Hsu & Lena Chen
11:00am – 12:30pm. Meet in front of 1829 Murray Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217.

Registration is required for the following events. Visit the “Online Resources” section below to register.

May 15, 2022: Book Binding Workshop with Brent Nakamoto
10:00am – 12:00pm. Carnegie Museum of Art, 4400 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

May 15, 2022: Kimjang Workshop with Sunni Park
1:00pm – 3:00pm. Carnegie Museum of Art, 4400 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

May 28, 2022: Onigiri (Rice Ball) Workshop & Picnic with Ginger Brooks Takahashi
Location and time to be determined

Registration can be completed online. Visit the JADED page from the Office of Public Art for additional links, information, context, and resources.

Pittsburgh's Historic Chinatown public celebration, April 16.

OCA Pittsburgh will host its public celebration of Pittsburgh's Historic Chinatown on April 16.

For mroe than 120 years the Chinese have called Pittsburgh ome. Come and help us celebrate the official Pennsylvania landmark designation of Pittsburgh Chinatown!

Attractions will include food, performances, music, and Chinese-American rapper Jason Chu. For more information about Pittsburgh's Chinatown, which was largely displaced by the construction of the Boulevard of the Allies, please see this 2019 Next Pittsburgh profile or this 1959 article on the "end of the road for Chinatown."

The city's Chinatown was granted a state historical marker in March 2021, with a dedication ceremony scheduled for (and cancelled) last September.

Fifty (one) years of Asian festivals at Pitt.

Fifty-one years ago the University of Pittsburgh held its second annual Asian Spring Festival. No information remains about the first one, but there is ample literature to tell us about the 1972 iteration. Highlights included screenings of the 1961 Korean film Spring Fragrance (better known today as Chunhyang [춘향]), the 1965 Taiwanese film Beautiful Duckling (養鴨人家), an exhibition of 19th- and 20th century Korean art, and a series of lectures and performances.

A February 22 Pitt press release said of the 1961 Korean film, which is now available for free on Youtube with English subtitles:

Directed by Shin San Okk, Spring Fragrance is based on a famous folk tale of romance set in feudal 18th-century Korea. One of the country's most successful and beautiful films, it features may [sic] of Korea's leading stars.

"The Chinese Laundrymen of Squirrel Hill" presentation by Squirrel Hill Historical Society, February 8.

Tom Yee Laundry in Homestead, circa 1925.
The Squirrel Hill Historical Society will present Tammy Hepps and her discussion on "The Chinese Laundrymen of Squirrel Hill" on February 8.

Homestead Jewish historian Tammy Hepps, homesteadhebrews.com, will discuss the traumatic dispersion of Chinese laborers after the transcontinental railroad was built, examining their lives as laundrymen in context the microcosm of Squirrel Hill and Homestead.

For much more information on early Chinese residents in the area, and the context, see this well-researched article from the Homestead Hebrews website, whence the photograph of Tom Yee Laundry in Homestead comes.

The talk begins at 7:30 pm and at the Church of the Redeemer at 5700 Forbes Ave. (map).

"The Chinese Laundrymen of Squirrel Hill" presentation by Squirrel Hill Historical Society, February 8.

Tom Yee Laundry in Homestead, circa 1925.

The Squirrel Hill Historical Society will present Tammy Hepps and her discussion on "The Chinese Laundrymen of Squirrel Hill" on February 8.

Homestead Jewish historian Tammy Hepps, homesteadhebrews.com, will discuss the traumatic dispersion of Chinese laborers after the transcontinental railroad was built, examining their lives as laundrymen in context the microcosm of Squirrel Hill and Homestead.

For much more information on early Chinese residents in the area, and the context, see this well-researched article from the Homestead Hebrews website, whence the photograph of Tom Yee Laundry in Homestead comes.

The talk begins at 7:30 pm and is tentatively planned for the Church of the Redeemer at 5700 Forbes Ave. (map), though recent discussions have just been held over Zoom.

Pittsburgh Chinatown celebratory event scheduled for May 2022.

The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) Pittsburgh has moved its celebratory event for the city's Chinatown neighborhood from September 2021 to, tenatively, May 2022, due to safety concerns. Pittsburgh's historical Chinatown neighborhood was granted a state historical marker in March, after numerous attempts over the decades, and there is an online fundraiser to raise money toward the plaque and celebration.

After 12 long years and 4 separate attempts, non-profit OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates of Pittsburgh has finally succeeded in getting official Pennsylvania historical landmark status for Downtown’s old Pittsburgh Chinatown! You can help us complete this project! We need $5000 to complete the bronze plaque made to the state’s specifications describing the designation. We hope to have a celebratory event this September in person!

Thank you so much for your generosity and contribution to help keep our rich history alive!

"Have yourself an 'Oriental Ball' by coming to the mall!"

This week marks the anniversary of when Northway Mall opened its enclosed section in 1964, becoming the first indoor shopping mall in Pennsylvania. The shopping center itself existed there since 1953 and became a destination for decades, until being suprassed by nearby Ross Park Mall and eventually closing and rebranding as The Block at Northway. The spring before its transition to an indoor mall, it hosted an "Oriental Festival" in April and May 1964. The April 23, 1964 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a few profiles of the events and attractions---which included "Oriental Bombshell" Japanese-American singer Marie Misakura, dancer Joel Awai, and (somehow) rickshaw giveaways---as well as advertisements that sought to evoke 1964's image of the Orient.

Fundraiser continues for Pittsburgh Chinatown marker.

The online fundraising continues for a plaque to mark the site of Pittsburgh's Chinatown, which was granted state historical landmark status earlier this year. The Organization of Chinese Americans has raised $3,402 of the desired $7,000 so far: $5,000 will go toward the plaque itself with $2,000 going toward a celebration planned for the fall.

Fundraiser underway for bronze marker for Pittsburgh's historic Chinatown.

The Organization of Chinese Americans is holding an online fundraiser for the purchase of a bronze plaque to mark Pittsburgh's Chinatown, which was recently awarded a state historical marker.

After 12 long years and 4 separate attempts, non-profit OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates of Pittsburgh has finally succeeded in getting official Pennsylvania historical landmark status for Downtown’s old Pittsburgh Chinatown! You can help us complete this project! We need $5000 to complete the bronze plaque made to the state’s specifications describing the designation. We hope to have a celebratory event this September in person!

OCA Pittsburgh eyes Pittsburgh Chinatown Designation Event in September.

The Pittsburgh chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans is aiming for a celebration event in September to mark Pittsburgh's Chinatown's receipt of a state historical marker in March.

Pittsburgh's Chinatown granted State Historical Marker.

Pittsburgh's Chinatown neighborhood was recently granted a state historical marker by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. From the March 10 press release:

Pittsburgh Chinatown, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County
Established as early as the 1870s, Chinatown was the cultural and economic center of the Chinese community in western Pennsylvania that served Chinese populations in New York, Ohio and West Virginia. The growth of the community was suppressed by political and labor efforts leading to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. The community was destroyed by the construction of the Boulevard of the Allies in the 1920s and its residents and businesses were displaced. Remnants remained until 1959.

Also among the 23 newest markers is recognition of the region's first Chinese immigrants:

The first substantial workforce of Chinese immigrants in Pennsylvania came to Beaver Falls in 1872. The workers were recruited to the Beaver Falls Cutlery Factory to replace white laborers on strike. They remained for several years learning specialized skills and assuring profitability for the company because of their reduced wages. Across the nation, other American labor unions and politicians felt these Chinese workers were a threat and advocated for the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, which remained in effect until 1943.

Local communities had been working for many years to have the site recognized, as detailed in a 2019 Pittsburgh Magazine article:

On three occasions, the OCA has attempted to earn a state historical marker for Pittsburgh’s Chinatown. But the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has denied each request, citing a lack of statewide historical significance, Lien says. After the third denial, applicants must wait three years before applying again; those three years are up. “We’ve been waiting patiently,” she says.

In re-applying, the OCA will emphasize Chinatown’s enterprise. “It became so significant a spot that it wasn’t just for the Chinese in Pittsburgh,” Lien says. Chinese Americans traveled from other parts of Pennsylvania and even from West Virginia and Ohio to access the commercial space.

From a July 27, 1959 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article.