Citizen Wong

Wong Chin Foo's extraordinary life is portrayed in a compelling fictional romance with a wealthy married suffragist, whose father eagerly imports Chinese labor to build the Transcontinental Railroad ... until he runs for President of the United States.

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Wong and his lover are caught in a fierce contest for the hearts and minds of friends, family and voters as Congress passes the Chinese Exclusion Act, threatens to deport Asians and strip naturalized Asian Americans -- including Wong -- of their U.S. citizenship.

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This play by Richard Chang explores the Gilded Age's themes of class inequality, immigration, tribalism, and human values.

 

The world premiere in New York in 2022 was produced by Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, directed by Ernest Abuba and Chongren Fan.