Chinatown Sequences
Discover the documentary series Chinatown Sequences 華埠敘事, a collection of 11 real-life stories that form a vivid portrait of the community. These films preserve the memories and images of immigrants in this ever-evolving city.
Discover Stories
The Libraire
In the heart of Chinatown, a small bookstore stands as a bridge between generations—where aging immigrants seek nostalgia, young ABCs rediscover their roots, and curious readers navigate the beauty of Chinese literature.
The Grocer
It began as a place to buy noodles and soy sauce. Fifty years later, people still come here to choose how they live. The everyday life of Chinatown is etched into the shelves of this grocery store—and into the wrinkles on Hing’s face.
The Veteran
On a drizzling Memorial Day, Joe arrives at the square in a special T-shirt, quietly sharing stories that refuse to fade. Through his voice, we trace a life shaped by service, identity, and a subtle, steadfast stand against anti-Asian hate.
The Superintendent
Built from protest and hope, Confucius Plaza stands as Chinatown’s landmark of home and heritage. Through Tom’s memories, we revisit a time when immigrants fought for a place of their own—and won.
The Father
Behind the heavy doors of an aging Chinatown church, a young priest listens, prays, and stays—offering quiet guidance to a community torn between the sacred and the everyday.
The Park Keeper
Tucked between buildings in Chinatown, a small garden blooms—tended by elders who grow more than just vegetables. In their hands, memory, care, and quiet resistance take root.
The Tenant
As the world around him shifts, a lifelong tenant in Chinatown holds fast—his life deeply tied to the traditions, people, and quiet strength of the community he calls home.
The Buddist
From Kunming to Los Angeles, and now New York—she once held a corporate job at a Big Four accounting firm, then turned to Buddhist art in search of meaning. After meeting a Tibetan teacher, she formally became a Buddhist. Today, in a Chinatown temple, she shares Chan Buddhism in her own quiet way.
Mengxi Wang
Director / Documentary Filmmaker / Photographer
Mengxi Wang is a documentary filmmaker, photographer, and storyteller focused on exploring the intersection of immigrant communities, cultural heritage, and urban spaces. Born and raised in northern China, she later studied journalism in Japan and worked as a TV reporter in Tokyo, gaining extensive experience in international news coverage and cross-border media collaboration.
From 2022 to 2024, she lived in New York, documenting the transformations of the Chinese community and capturing personal stories from Chinatown. Her work employs a delicate visual language to highlight voices often overlooked, striving to present the authentic experiences of immigrants. While creating the Chinatown Sequences / 華埠敘事 series, she also published the photography book Chinatown 32 Sequences in 2023. This collection of 32 real-life stories forms a vivid portrait of the community, preserving the memories and images of immigrants in this ever-evolving city.
web: https://chinatown32sequences.com/
Director / Documentary Filmmaker / Photographer
Mengxi Wang is a documentary filmmaker, photographer, and storyteller focused on exploring the intersection of immigrant communities, cultural heritage, and urban spaces. Born and raised in northern China, she later studied journalism in Japan and worked as a TV reporter in Tokyo, gaining extensive experience in international news coverage and cross-border media collaboration.
From 2022 to 2024, she lived in New York, documenting the transformations of the Chinese community and capturing personal stories from Chinatown. Her work employs a delicate visual language to highlight voices often overlooked, striving to present the authentic experiences of immigrants. While creating the Chinatown Sequences / 華埠敘事 series, she also published the photography book Chinatown 32 Sequences in 2023. This collection of 32 real-life stories forms a vivid portrait of the community, preserving the memories and images of immigrants in this ever-evolving city.
web: https://chinatown32sequences.com/
Aaron Zhang
Photographer
Yizhen Zhang is a photographer and visual storyteller exploring urban life through light, shadow, and human connection. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts’ MFA Photography program under Magnum Photos member Alex Webb, he blends documentary and street photography with contemporary artistic sensibilities.
His work, known for its use of natural and ambient light, captures the nuances of everyday moments with authenticity and visual depth. Zhang’s documentary projects have earned multiple international recognitions, while his fashion photography has been featured in VOGUE China and Harper’s Bazaar. Rooted in a deep respect for photography as a narrative medium, his work not only documents reality but also invites viewers to reconsider the familiar, revealing unseen tensions and fleeting beauty within the urban landscape.
ig：@aaaronzzz web:http://yizhenzhang.art
Photographer
Yizhen Zhang is a photographer and visual storyteller exploring urban life through light, shadow, and human connection. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts’ MFA Photography program under Magnum Photos member Alex Webb, he blends documentary and street photography with contemporary artistic sensibilities.
His work, known for its use of natural and ambient light, captures the nuances of everyday moments with authenticity and visual depth. Zhang’s documentary projects have earned multiple international recognitions, while his fashion photography has been featured in VOGUE China and Harper’s Bazaar. Rooted in a deep respect for photography as a narrative medium, his work not only documents reality but also invites viewers to reconsider the familiar, revealing unseen tensions and fleeting beauty within the urban landscape.
ig：@aaaronzzz web:http://yizhenzhang.art
Acknowledgement
Chinatown Sequences is a mini-documentary series partially supported by Mary Li Hsu Charitable Fund. Mary Li was a longtime supporter of storytelling and reframing the narrative of Asian Americans as “model minorities.” In the same vein, Chinatown Sequences explores the hidden stories behind the historical buildings in Chinatown, exploring their layered and authentic narratives as long term Chinatown residents, businesses, and community members. To find out more projects funded by Mary Li Hsu, please go to our Honoring Mary Li Hsu page.