MOCA CINEMA - Blurring the Color Line

Where did Chinese Americans sit on the bus during Jim Crow? Blurring the Color Line challenges the rigid Black-and-white narratives of segregation by centering the often-overlooked experiences of Asian Americans in the American South. While much has been written about the systemic oppression of Black communities under Jim Crow, far less attention has been given to the social positioning of Asian Americans during this period.

The Museum of Chinese in America is honored to host a screening of the documentary Blurring the Color Line, continuing vital conversations about the historical and contemporary relationships between Asian American and Black communities. At a moment when "Sinners" is competing for the Academy Awards and drawing renewed attention to Chinese American life in the South, this documentary offers timely historical context and deeper insight into the lived experiences of Chinese communities under Jim Crow. By tracing a shared yet complicated past, the film invites critical reflection on today’s racial tensions and the legacies that connect them.

Inspired by filmmaker Crystal Kwok’s grandmother’s memories of her family’s grocery store in Augusta, Georgia, the film draws from lived experiences within a Black neighborhood to reveal the contradictions and inequities of a deeply racialized system.

A post-screening talkback with filmmaker Crystal Kwok and additional panelists will follow.

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Host or Publisher Museum of Chinese in America