CHINA and CHINESE CULTURE in the NEWS (c) By Polly Guerin

Anna May Wong's Certificate of Identity, August 28, 1924 

CHINESE AMERICAN, Exclusion/Inclusion  a riveting exhibition at the New-York Historical Society tells the complex and fascinating story of Chinese in America, weaving together the stories of trade, education, migration and labor. Here you will find family history and within these stories meet some people of celebrity, like Anna May Wong. Even movie stars like Anna May Wong were subject to the 1909 law that required Chinese entering or residing in the United States to carry a government issued Certificate of Identity Image: Courtesy of National Archives at San Francisco (54099).
   Anna May Wong  was the first Chinese American movie star and the first Asian American to gain

international recognition. Her long and varied career spanned both silent and sound film, television, stage and radio. Her unforgettable performance in the film "Old San Francisco," during the height of the Art Deco era, 1927, attests to her beauty and sometimes sensuous talent.
   The exhibition does much more visually to enchant the viewer. It explores the dramatic change in the American immigration policy represented by the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act--the unprecedented immigration legislation, which barred most Chinese from entering the United States. Other venues include the establishment of Chinese-American communities, and the rise of educational programs in East Coast universities.
   The exhibition interprets the Chinese American saga as a key part of American History and illustrates little-known stories relating to Chinese immigrants through media and artifacts, such as the voyage of the Empress of China, which set sail from New York in 1784 just a few years after the  end of the American Revolution; how young Chinese boys were sent by their government to study at elite New England schools and later recalled back to China as they were deemed becoming too American. The exhibition concludes covering the repeal of Exclusion immigration reform, and the legacy of early Chinese American's experiences and achievement in the United States. At 170 Central Park West.  www.nyhistory.com
CHARLES JAMES: Beneath the Dress Many fashionistas already visited the Charles James exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art but the National Arts Club's exhibition does much to fill in the gaps of Charles James' life and work. On view for a brief time from today to October 5th at the NAC is a private collection of fashion and erotic drawings, vintage photographs by Anton Perich and a short film. No Tickets required, the presentation is open to the public 11am-5pm Monday through Sunday. At 15 Gramercy Park South.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF NEW YORK: Selections from a history of New York in 101 Objects Can one object define New York City? Can 101?  New York Times urban affairs correspondent Sam Roberts has assembled a kaleidoscopic array of possibilities in a new exhibition based on his new book , A History of New York in 101 Objects (Simon & Schuster, 2014). Featuring 30 objects drawn from the New York Historical Society's collection, this exhibition highlights some of Roberts's choices, winnowed from hundreds of possibilities, to constitute a unique history of New York.  The selections themselves constitute a democracy of objects that taken together capture the monumental drama as well as the everyday spirit of New York.
Ta Ta Darlings!!! Polly is off to visit Charles James again. Fan mail welcome at pollytalknyc@gmail.com
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