Voices Film Premieres to Sellout Crowd
Voices: Chinese Women of the Delta was a timely documentary shown on March 22, 2025 for National Women’s History Month. Voices highlights the forgotten stories and experiences of the Chinese women who lived in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta. We honor these pioneer women to provide reference as a legacy for the future.
“SOLD OUT!!” The premiere was a huge success. The California Museum hosted the showing of Voices: Chinese Women of the Delta. The production was a collaboration of the Locke Foundation (LF), Locke Foundation Oral History Project (LF-OHP) and the nonprofit Locke Prior Residents & Descendants Association (LockePRDA). The team, consisting of Corliss Lee, Carol Lee, Honey Lum, Mark Miller and Douglas Hsia, dedicated considerable time and effort in search of the most significant and historic stories.
Chinese women arrived in the Delta following in the footsteps of men. Not to be ignored, Chinese men suffered great hardship, inequality, alienation and discrimination. For pioneer Chinese women, the discrimination from outside the Chinese community was further compounded by the inequality within. Chinese traditions and culture systematically and consistently marginalized women within the family and in society, favoring male dominance. Women struggled in pursuit of their right for equality as human beings. They refused to be considered just child bearers or to accept arranged marriages. As such, Chinese women existed without acknowledgment of their role in shaping all aspects of the fabric of a community. Yet with the resilience unique to Chinese women, they found ways to create a life for themselves.
Socializing in the Rotunda are (Front row) Harry and Laila Sen; (Back Row) Daisy Mah, Janwyn and Jack Funamura, Diana Ding and Honey Lum.
The challenge of documenting the experiences of the original Chinese residents has always been that they have long passed. A new oral history project was launched in 2019. As new oral histories emerged, it became apparent that those interviewed were predominately men. Women were reticent to speak out. With that realization, the Oral History Project team redirected the focus to actively seek the stories of these past women through the recollections of remaining descendants from within the Delta community. The production of Voices took over three years, working with the Prior Residents and Descendants Association to identify descendants, with the specific intent and concerted effort to gather the intimate recollections of remaining descendants. The sensitivity of the material shared by the participants was not to be taken lightly. Countless hours and sleepless nights brought the untold stories to light.
Volunteers for premiere at the California Museum.
The location chosen for the film debut was the California Museum, a woman – inspired museum. Attendees to the Premiere also had access to the museum exhibits, including the Gold Mountain and the Women in the Military exhibits. Upon entering the Museum, the crowd was led to the huge outdoor courtyard of the Secretary of State Auditorium featuring an expansive and inspirational wall of words where refreshments were offered. The weather and space were perfect for mingling and networking for friends and family.
Honey Lum, Carol Lee and Patty Chan offer refreshments to guests.
Attendees were ushered into the Secretary of State Auditorium, a most comfortable setting to view the 46-minute feature documentary film. Due to the creativity effort of Mark B. Miller, attendees received a detailed Program Booklet with an insert of the story written by Carol Lee, about several generations of women in her own family, who although being denied entry to the US were able to make their mark in Locke and the Delta though their descendants.
Opening the premiere, film producer Corliss Suen Lee greeted the audience then introduced Amanda Meeker, Director of the California Museum who offered a few words representing the host facility. Sacramento County Supervisor Pat Hume acknowledged Locke as the largest most intact rural Chinese American Community in the US, a National Historic Landmark, as well as the centerpiece of the newly created National Heritage Area, one of only 13 in the entire United States. He also emphasized the contributions of the Chinese Americans in the Delta and the vital role Chinese women played as the foundation of the family and community. Supervisor Hume emphasized the urgency of the project to capture the little-known stories of these women. Darren Suen, Elk Grove City Council member, spoke of his grandparents’ family history in the Delta and brought his aging father to attend and reunite with old friends and family.
Filmmaker Min Zhou then spoke of her commitment to producing the Voices film, an overview of her labor of love, and her appreciation of special relations and friendships formed during the project. Corliss Suen Lee then concluded by introducing the documentary film.
Audience could ask panel questions about life in the Delta.
After viewing the film, the audience was privy to a Q&A session that included the filmmaker and members interviewed in the film (Connie Chan Robison, Carol Lee, Harry Sen, Nytee Chan Young, Penny Lee Petersen, Daisy Mah, Corliss Suen Lee, and Stuart Walthall), and moderated by Honey Lum. Regrettably Ruth Chan Jang, age 102, who shared her stories in the film, was not in attendance. In the film, Connie King’s memory was honored as Stuart Walthall reminisced and shared his fond memories of a deep and abiding friendship lasting 40 years. Almost as a closure and paying respect to the loss of his dear friend, Stuart read his poem of Connie King as a final tribute.