As part of the recently opened “Chinese American Inclusion/Exclusion” exhibit at the New York Historical Society, AABANY will be performing a shortened version of its highly engaging “22 Lewd Chinese Women" Trial Reenactment on October 18, 9am-11am.

Upon the arrival of a ship from China in 1874, a San Francisco state official determined that 22 Chinese women traveling alone were “lewd”—or prostitutes—and placed a bond of $500 on each woman in order to disembark. The women were detained and legal proceedings followed, including a trial and appeals to the United States Supreme Court, where issues of immigration, federalism, and human rights were raised. Legal experts lead a trial re-enactment of this case, telling the story of these 22 women through narration, discussion, and historic photographs.

Address: The Robert H. Smith Auditorium at the New York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024

For more information, click here.