Anguish on a Wall: A Ballet Inspired by Detained Chinese Immigrants

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Angel Island’s Echoes: A ballet Unearths American History and Sparks Future Conversations

can a dance performance truly rewrite our understanding of American history? The Oakland Ballet Company is betting on it with thier enterprising new project, “Angel Island,” a ballet that confronts the painful legacy of immigration and exclusion.

The Stage as a Portal to the Past

Imagine a dancer, a 40-foot braid trailing behind her, moving across the very ground where countless immigrants faced detention and uncertainty. This is the scene unfolding on Angel Island, the “Ellis Island of the West,” where the Oakland ballet is bringing history to life.

From 1910 to 1940,Angel Island immigration Station served as a holding center for over half a million people,predominantly Chinese,subjected to prison-like conditions due to discriminatory laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act.Now, their stories are being resurrected through movement, music, and the haunting verses carved into the detention center’s walls.

Did you know? Angel Island saw immigrants detained for weeks, months, and in certain specific cases, almost two years, a stark contrast to the brief processing times at Ellis Island.

A Symphony of Movement and Memory

The “Angel Island Project,” premiering at Oakland’s Paramount Theatre, is not just a ballet; it’s a multi-layered experience. Seven Asian American and Pacific Islander choreographers have each interpreted poems from Angel Island and other poignant tales from Chinese American history.

Composer Huang Ruo’s oratorio, performed by the Del sol Quartet, provides the musical backdrop, while a choir sings the detainees’ poems in both Mandarin and English, ensuring the voices of the past resonate in the present.

One particularly striking segment features a dancer and her symbolic braid. The braid transforms from a connection to ancestry to a symbol of constraint,ultimately ensnaring her as she collapses,a powerful depiction of the immigrant experience.

From Racial Slurs to a Groundbreaking Ballet

The genesis of this project lies in a disturbing incident during the Covid-19 pandemic. oakland Ballet’s artistic director, Graham Lustig, was horrified to learn that one of his dancers had been subjected to racial slurs amid the rise of anti-Asian hate. This spurred him to action.

lustig partnered with the Oakland Asian Cultural Center to launch the annual dancing Moons Festival, a program dedicated to showcasing the work of all-Asian artists. This initiative paved the way for the “Angel Island Project,” a testament to the power of art to respond to social injustice.

Discovering Ruo’s oratorio “Angel Island” in 2023, Lustig recognized the potential to create a ballet that woudl not onyl entertain but also educate and provoke reflection on a crucial chapter in American history.

A Monumental Undertaking

The “Angel Island Project” is an ambitious undertaking, an eight-part ballet involving 12 dancers, seven choreographers, a string quartet, and a 16-piece choir. It’s the largest project the Oakland Ballet has ever tackled.

Lustig emphasizes the importance of shedding light on this often-overlooked aspect of American history, stating, “It’s a very compelling story about American history, which is less well-known. I think it deserves to be shone a light on.”

Echoes of the Past in the Present

The ballet’s message resonates even more powerfully in light of current events.With increased scrutiny and policies affecting immigrant communities, the parallels between the past and present are undeniable.

Choreographer Phil Chan,who grew up in Berkeley,recalls childhood field trips to Angel Island but admits the history didn’t fully register until this project. He emphasizes the importance of asking “who belongs here, who was allowed to be here, who wasn’t,” and reminds us that this is not just a Chinese American story, but an American story.

Resurrecting History: The Harsh Realities of Angel Island

While European immigrants at Ellis Island typically spent only a few hours being processed, those arriving at Angel Island faced weeks, months, or even years of detention. They endured interrogations, separation from family, poor living conditions, and invasive medical exams.

This harsh treatment was a direct result of Chinese Exclusion, a series of discriminatory immigration laws that began with the page Act of 1875 and continued until China became a US ally during World War II.

Expert Tip: Explore the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation’s website (aiisf.org) for primary source documents, oral histories, and educational resources that provide deeper insights into the experiences of detainees.

A Tapestry of Perspectives

The “Angel Island project” offers a multifaceted exploration of the immigrant experience through the diverse perspectives of its choreographers. Feng Ye’s “Seascape,” inspired by a poem reflecting the disorientation and confinement of arrival, uses the symbolic braid to represent both connection and constraint.

Ye explains that the braid, a critically important symbol in Chinese culture representing memory and ancestry, also embodies the homesickness she felt upon moving to the US. The challenges of working with a 40-foot prop mirror the uncertainties and lack of control inherent in history itself.

“It was a very big challenge because there are a lot of uncertainties,things we cannot control,” Ye says. “But it’s an interesting part of it to me. That’s like history. We don’t know the next step. We never know. and you cannot control it.”

Waves of Migration: A Continuing story

The “Angel Island Project” arrives at a time when funding for arts and humanities organizations is increasingly precarious. The National Endowment for the humanities (NEH) recently ended a federal grant to the Angel Island immigration Station Foundation, highlighting the challenges of preserving and sharing these vital stories.

Given this context, a ballet centering Asian and Asian American talent and depicting the painful consequences of history feels particularly urgent. One segment, “The Last Chinaman From the Titanic,” tells the story of the six Chinese men who survived the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.

One survivor, Fang Lang, was found clinging to a floating door, likely inspiring the iconic scene in the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. However, upon reaching Ellis island, the Chinese survivors where denied entry to the US and medical care. Chang Chip succumbed to pneumonia in 1914, a tragic example of the discrimination they faced.

In another segment,ballerina Jazmine Quezada is lifted and pushed skyward by her fellow dancers,reaching for something unattainable,ultimately dropping her empty hand,a poignant depiction of unfulfilled aspirations.

Chan’s finale focuses on waves, symbolizing the ocean currents that brought immigrants to america and the continuous waves of people who persevere despite exclusionary laws. It underscores the resilience and hope inherent in migration, even amidst loss and hardship.

This message resonated deeply with the dancers,a diverse group who brought their own personal histories to the ballet.After a preview performance on Angel Island, Quezada raised her hand when asked if they had a personal connection to the material, a testament to the power of art to bridge the past and present.

Reader Poll: Do you believe art can play a significant role in educating the public about historical injustices? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The Future of “Angel Island”: Beyond the Stage

The “Angel Island Project” is more than just a performance; it’s a catalyst for dialogue and change. Here are some potential future developments stemming from this groundbreaking work:

Educational Outreach Programs

The Oakland Ballet could partner with local schools and community organizations to develop educational programs centered around the themes explored in the ballet. These programs could include:

• Workshops on Chinese American history and immigration policy.
• Interactive
  
  

  Angel Island’s Echoes: A Ballet Unearths American History – An expert interview

  Can art truly change how we understand history? The Oakland Ballet’s “Angel island Project,” a powerful ballet confronting immigration and exclusion, suggests it can.We spoke with Dr. Eleanor Vance, a cultural historian specializing in Asian American studies, to delve deeper into this groundbreaking performance and its implications.

  Time.news Editor: Dr. Vance, thanks for joining us. The “Angel Island project” sounds incredibly enterprising. What makes this ballet so significant in today’s cultural landscape?

  Dr. Eleanor Vance: Thank you for having me. What makes this project remarkable is its ability to take a relatively unknown, yet incredibly vital, chapter of American history – the Angel Island Immigration Station and the chinese Exclusion Act – and translate it into a visceral, emotional experience. It’s not just about dates and facts; it’s about the human cost of discriminatory policies. In a time when immigration debates are so heated, this ballet offers a crucial possibility for empathy and understanding. The historical realities of Angel island are brought to life [[1]].

  Time.news Editor: The article mentions that Angel Island was essentially the “Ellis Island of the west,” but with a much darker reality for Asian immigrants. Can you elaborate on these differences?

  Dr. Eleanor Vance: Certainly. While Ellis Island processed European immigrants relatively quickly, Angel Island was a detention center where primarily Chinese immigrants faced interrogation, separation from families, and harsh living conditions for weeks, months, or even years [[2]]. This was a direct result of discriminatory laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act, which aimed to restrict Chinese immigration. The ballet highlights this stark contrast, forcing us to confront the unequal treatment that immigrants faced based on their ethnicity.

  Time.news Editor: the ballet incorporates poetry carved into the walls of the detention center. How does this element enhance the storytelling?

  Dr. Eleanor Vance: The poems are incredibly powerful. They offer a direct, unfiltered glimpse into the emotions of the detainees – their hopes, fears, and despair. By integrating these poems into the music and choreography, the ballet gives voice to those who were silenced for so long. It transforms individual experiences into a collective narrative of resilience and resistance. The Oakland Ballet dancers bring these poems to life on angel Island itself [[3]].

  Time.news Editor: The article also touches on the symbolic use of a 40-foot braid in one segment. What is the significance of this imagery?

  Dr. Eleanor Vance: the braid, in Chinese culture, is deeply symbolic. It represents ancestry, memory, and connection to one’s roots. In the ballet, the braid initially symbolizes these positive connections, but it gradually transforms into a symbol of constraint and entrapment, reflecting the immigrant’s loss of control and the limitations imposed upon them by discriminatory policies. It’s a powerful visual metaphor for the complexities of the immigrant experience.

  Time.news Editor: This project was spurred by an incident of anti-Asian hate. How critically important is it for art to address social injustices?

  Dr. Eleanor Vance: Art plays a crucial role in raising awareness, fostering dialog, and challenging societal norms. When art confronts social injustices head-on, it can be incredibly impactful. In this case,the “Angel Island Project” not only honors the memory of those who were detained but also serves as a reminder that prejudice and discrimination are not relics of the past. It compels us to examine our present and work towards a more just future.

  Time.news Editor: For our readers who want to learn more about Angel Island and this period of history, what resources do you recommend?

  Dr. eleanor Vance: I highly recommend visiting the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation’s website (aiisf.org). They have a wealth of primary source documents, oral histories, and educational resources that provide deeper insights into the experiences of the detainees. Exploring these resources can offer a richer understanding of the historical context and the personal stories behind the ballet.

  Time.news Editor: dr. Vance, thank you for sharing your expertise with us. This ballet sounds like a truly moving and important piece of art, and we encourage our readers to learn more about it and the history it portrays.

  Dr.Eleanor Vance: My pleasure. Thank you for highlighting this vital story. I hope the “Angel Island Project” sparks conversations and inspires action towards a more inclusive and equitable society.