poets Curtis Choy and George Leong in San Francisco in 1970 to self-define (in the
manner of "Chicano" ) that which was "Chinese-American", and to escape an imposed
hyphenation/definition by the lackeys, compradors, and apologists of the power
structure, and "Moonhunter", a component of Iron Moonhunter, the legendary
Chinaman-built railroad created from stolen Central Pacific Railroad parts that would
take them home to China. This is a story unearthed and promulgated by author Frank
Chin, and relayed as oral history until Kathleen Chang's interpretation in book form
(The Iron Moonhunter, 1974).
of creating Asian American works that would
record our history and define our identity. This
came on the coattails of the civil rights movement
spearheaded by blacks, agricultural reforms led by
chicanos and Pilipinos, and the anti-Vietnam War
movement. We produced segments for the
Dupont Guy radio show on KPFA and KFRC, aided
in the construction of a radio studio at Chinese For
Affirmative Action, produced the first Asian
American Film Festival, "Screaming Yellow
Hordes", in 1977. Curtis Choy designed and built a
sound recording/film editing facility in Oakland to
service Chonk Moonhunter projects, but also took
in commerical clients. Dupont Guy: The Schiz of
Grant Avenue received the documentary award
from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences (yeah, that Academy).
its continuous use in Asian American Studies classes. Unfortunately, to this present day, banks
and private investors do not see these themes as sufficiently universal to produce revenue,
and thus, do not make the monetary commitments necessary to produce the work. As always,
the real work is done ad hoc and guerilla-style. Chonk Moonhunter, after completing The Fall
of the I-Hotel, was obliged to go on a 20 year hiatus from its own work, while eking a livelihood
by serving commercial documentary and feature projects. In the craft of location sound
recording, Curtis Choy has continued to aid other Asian American projects (Chan is Missing,
The Joy Luck Club, Three Seasons, Better Luck Tomorrow, American Fusion, Finishing The
Game...)
--- some French guy
the very first Asian American Film
Festival in history was created by
Chonk Moonhunter.
see the original Program
this far down the page...
Here's free admission to view art
you'll never see in a museum or
commercial gallery... GO
Who is Chonk Moonhunter?
check out the Braggert's Corner.