Name: Chinese in Napa Valley Film Screening
Start: 2026-07-12T11:30:00-07:00
End: 2026-07-12T13:30:00-07:00
Location: Chinese Historical Society of America

Chinese in Napa Valley documentary sheds light on the history of Chinese immigrants who played an integral role in shaping Napa Valley.
About this Event

Chinese in Napa Valley is a one-hour documentary about the Chinese workers who, in the late 19th century, played a central role in Napa Valley’s vineyards, farms, railroads, and local businesses, yet were largely written out of its history. At one time, there were thriving Chinatowns in Napa, St. Helena, and Calistoga, communities that have since disappeared.
Produced by the Napa County Historical Society and based on the book Chinese in Napa Valley by author and Lafayette Vice Mayor John McCormick, the film brings this overlooked story to life through historical research, archival images, and interviews with descendants of early Chinese settlers and local historians, including noted historian and author Connie Young Yu. Yu, who wrote the book's foreword and is a member of the Chinese Historical Society of America, will join McCormick and filmmaker Jeff Hamilton for the post-screening Q&A.
While rooted in Napa Valley, the story reflects a broader pattern seen across California, where Chinese immigrants helped build local economies and communities, even as their contributions were too often forgotten or erased.
This screening offers a special early opportunity to see the film before its wider release.
The program concludes with a 20 to 30-minute post-screening Q&A along with a complimentary lunch reception.

NOTE: Admission to the documentary screening is FREE. The $15 registration fee helps support the post-screening lunch reception and event hospitality provided by CHSA.