EASC Film Screening: Far East Deep South (off-campus)

The East Asian Studies Center, US-Heartland China Association, Greater Columbus Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and The Ohio State University Libraries present a film screening held in conjunction with the ASIANetwork Annual Conference:

Far East Deep South

followed by a discussion with producer

Baldwin Chiu

moderated by

Dr. Melvin Barnes
The Ohio State University

A preliminary reception will be held in the McKinley Room at 6:45pm. The film screening will begin at 7:30 in the Hayes Room. 

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.

After the film, producer Baldwin Chiu will offer comments, and opportunities for audience Q&A with moderator Melvin Barnes. A preliminary reception will be held in the McKinley Room at 6:45pm. The film screening will begin at 7:30 in the Hayes Room. Download the PDF flyer here. 

Baldwin Chiu and his family are the subjects of Far East Deep South and he teamed up with his wife, Larissa Lam, to produce the film. The film made its national broadcast debut on “America Reframed” on World Channel (PBS) in May 2021. His family’s story has previously been featured on NBC News and NPR among other media outlets. He is a graduate of the ACT One film producing program, and he previously produced the award-winning documentary short, Finding Cleveland. He was born in San Francisco and raised in Sacramento, where he later graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a degree in mechanical engineering.

Chiu is also a motivational speaker and rapper known by his stage name, Only Won. His clever and witty videos like “Cantonese Boy,” “12 Days of Dim Sum” & “I Wanna Be an Engineer” have gone viral with over one million views on YouTube. He was previously a spokesperson for the Intel/White House campaign, “Stay With It,” and produced digital content promoting careers in science and engineering under the Obama administration. Chiu’s songs were featured in the video game “Sleeping Dogs” and the film Dead Man Down. Chiu is also an actor who has appeared in films such as The Pursuit of Happyness, The Hulk and The Matrix. 

In 2018, Baldwin was named an Honoree for Mandarin Leader Magazine recognizing excellence amongst Chinese in North America, and he is also the recipient of Sacramento State’s Distinguished Alumni Service Award. Additionally, Chiu has been a speaker on numerous panels addressing race, immigration, and Asian American representation in the media. He has spoken at major companies such as Apple, Google and Bank of America as well as conferences like RootsTech.

Melvin Barnes Jr. is a teacher-scholar specializing in East Asian, Transnational, and African American history. His research focuses on Chinese perceptions of Africa and the African Diaspora during the late 19th and 20th centuries. Melvin earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in history from the University of Toledo before obtaining his Ph.D. in East Asian History from Ohio State University. In addition to his academic research, Melvin has an extensive background in public history through his work with the nonprofit organization Ohio Humanities.