'Chinatown Rising': Father-son filmmakers preserve SF neighborhood's forgotten history

Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Father-son filmmakers preserve SF Chinatown's forgotten history
Ahead of the Chinese New Year Parade, ABC7 is spotlighting a father-son duo whose documentary tells the story of Chinatown's struggles and resilience.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The countdown is on for the Chinese New Year Parade, which ABC7 News is hosting for the very first time. As the community prepares for this iconic celebration, we're spotlighting people who have shaped the vibrant Chinatown neighborhood. Among them are a father-son duo, Harry and Josh Chuck, whose work has documented Chinatown's struggles and resilience over the decades in the documentary "Chinatown Rising."

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Harry Chuck, a second-generation Chinatown resident, may not have celebrated Chinese New Year with traditional dishes in his household, but he and his son Josh have dedicated their lives as of late to preserving Chinatown's history and culture. Their journey began decades ago when Harry captured life in Chinatown on film scraps a friend gave him and a camera he learned how to use in grad school for a thesis project he never completed.

"When we first set up the projector and started watching the footage, I could tell it was my neighborhood," Josh said. "But all the things happening with the people-I was like, what is going on? This is crazy."

Harry's original intent in filming Chinatown was to document the community's struggles for housing, health services, and representation in the 1960s through the 1980s. Harry was a social worker and minister at Cameron House during those years. He was deeply embedded in the community, caring for its most vulnerable residents and witnessing historic moments of activism.

"I wanted to share these stories with the children because all this was going by so quickly," Harry said. "It would soon be forgotten if we didn't pass them along."

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Harry's ambitions of producing a film on Chinatown faded until he started sharing his stories with his son, Josh, before those memories faded, too.

"I asked him, 'Why didn't you tell us about all these things you accomplished, all the efforts you were part of?' He said, 'Because you didn't ask,'" Josh remembers. "And that's totally true. We get caught up in our own lives and sometimes don't appreciate what has happened before us."

In 2019, the duo released "Chinatown Rising," a feature-length documentary showcasing the self-determination of Chinatown's residents and their fight to preserve the neighborhood's unique character.

The project brought father and son together -- and tested their patience, at times.

"Sometimes when we were going through tough times, he'd just say, 'This is fun, isn't it?'" Josh said. "I learned so much from his perspective, and now I feel so much closer to my dad."

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For Harry, the experience was equally rewarding. "I'm glad we didn't give up," he said. "I'm glad we listened to each other and were open to learning from each other."

Today, the Chucks are working to bring Chinatown Rising to classrooms statewide as a teaching tool for future generations.

"Young people don't have much of a clue about the importance of history in their lives," Harry said. "How all these dots connect and the legacy they're a part of."

"I want young people to know these stories. I want them to know Asian Americans have made huge contributions to the city and the country - and that anyone can do it," Josh said.

As Chinatown prepares for the annual Chinese New Year Parade, the Chucks' film serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience and determination that built this storied neighborhood.

ABC7 News will air the Chinese New Year Parade live on Saturday, February 15 at 6 p.m. on ABC7 and wherever you stream ABC7 News.

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