On March 14, AABANY co-sponsored with the Federal Bar Association and the Fordham Law School APALSA a trial reenactment of 22 Lewd Chinese Women: Chy Lung v. Freeman in the Moot Court Room at Fordham Law School. The case recounted the legal battles of 22 Chinese women traveling alone to San Francisco in the 1870s who were detained and refused admission because they were deemed to be prostitutes. The case went all the way up to the United States Supreme Court and set precedent on principles of federalism and immigration that remain pertinent to the immigration debate today.
The reenactment was led by Hon. Denny Chin and Kathy Hirata Chin who performed as Narrators 1 and 2. Also in the cast were Edwin Kim, AABANY Student Outreach Committee Co-Chair, and Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director. Most of the other parts in the reenactment were filled by Fordham APALSA students, including APALSA President Yena Hong. Judge Chin moderated a question and answer session after the performance.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the reenactment and to all who attended. Attendees received 1.5 credits in the new diversity & inclusion and elimination of bias requirement.
To learn more about the AABANY Trial Reenactments, go to reenactments.aabany.org.