Friday October 4

• 6:00P-6:30P REGISTRATION

• 6:30P- 8:00P Havana Divas film screening at 21 Pell Street. It documents the story of Caridad Amaran and Georgina Wong Guitierrez, two childhood friends who have spent nearly a quarter-of-a-century working to revive interest in Cantonese opera in Havana’s present-day Chinatown.

Saturday October 5

• 9:00A-9:30A OPENING REMARKS
  

• 9:30-10:30A Update on Cuba and Havana Chinese Cemetery and history of renovation of Kingston, Jamaica, Chinese Cemetery. Robert Hew who will tell how Chinese Jamaicans successfully digitized and restored their Chinese cemetery in Kingston. Chinese Benevolent Association has suggestions for Havana.
  Speakers: Mitzi Espinosa Luis, Paula Madison, Robert Hew
  

• 11A-12:30P Hakka Studies, We’ve seen the Western academic study of the Hakka people transition from a distanced anthropological study of the Hakka in mainland China to a more up-close and personal cultural, sociological and multiracial look at the Hakka globally including Overseas Chinese.
  Speakers: Dr Bayer Lee, Dr. Linda Wah, Dr. Keith Lowe.
  

• 12:30A-2:00P Lunch
  

• 2:00P-3:30P Discovering Ms. Chin, Documentary screening and discussion of cultural, social and familial impact on Jamaica’s Hakka Chinese community resulting from the exodus during the Manley administration. Screening by producer and documentarian Juliet Chin. Following will be a presentation by Dr. Kimberly Ho Misiaszek on her dissertation and study of Chinese Jamaicans, Immigration and Identity.
  Speakers: Juliet Chin, Dr. Kimberly Ho Misiaszek, Dennis HoSang and Dr. Keith Lowe.
  

• 3:45P-5:15P Roots Searching. Attendees clamor for session which offers information and advice on tracing our genealogy back in time into the US, Caribbean and to China.
  Speakers: Felicia Chang, Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Amy Chin and Robert Hew
  

• 5:30P-7:00P Dinner

SUNDAY October 6

• 9:30A-9:45A ANNOUNCEMENTS

• 9:45A-11:00P Briefing: NY Hakka Conference trip to Singapore, Malaysia and China

  Speakers: Dr. Bayer Lee, Paula Madison

• 11:00A-12:30A The Future of Chinatowns. Gentrification, upward mobility of Chinese, and more issues have resulted in the demise of Chinatown’s. We’ll hear how the communities in NYC, LA, SF and Havana are dealing with the loss of community, culture and commerce. Robert Hew to discuss Kingston Chinatown.
  Speakers: Don Lee, Dr. Gay Yuen, Mitzi Espinosa Luis, Robert Hew

• 12:30A-2:00P Lunch
  

• 2:00P-3:30P Zheng He and the Exploration of the Americas in the time before Columbus. This Chinese Muslim admiral and explorer sailed massive expeditionary treasure voyages during the Ming Dynasty around the globe and is said to have landed in the Americas decades before Columbus.
  Speakers: Dr. Ruifeng Liang, Dr. Bayer Lee, Dr. Keith Lowe
  

• 3:30P-4:30P Hakka Poetry

  Speaker: Dr. Lan Jiang
  

• 5PM – Closing Remarks

Photo credit: Corky Lee