Finding Aid - Curtis Choy Collection

Donor Information: Curtis Choy used his film making skills and equipment to document the people and stories within San Francisco's Manilatown and the International Hotel. He worked with Al Robles in documenting the stories of the elderly manongs, and he also documented the I-Hotel anti-eviction movement. Choy continues to make films. His website where his films can be found and purchased is at www.chonkmoonhunter.com.

Scope and Content: This collection includes two documentaries called "Fall of the I-Hotel" and "The Manilatown Series."

“Fall of the I-Hotel” documents the story of a broad-based movement of senior citizens, churches, labor groups, and community activists to preserve the I-Hotel as low-cost housing for the elderly and as [a Filipino American or] Asian American community center. It is a blend of cultural history and personal vignettes which dramatically portrays the conflicts between individuals, corporations; and those who must enforce the law. Originally released in 1983, this film was revised in 1993 and released in 2005.

The “Fall of the I-Hotel” was also part of a film showing at panel discussion at UC Berkeley, with Harvey Dong, Estella Habal and Bill Lee, where they discussed issues and topics relevant to the International Hotel protest. The "Fall of the I-Hotel" is exclusively available to be purchased at Chonk Moonhunter (www.chonkmoonhunter.com), Manilatown Center and a few selected bookstores. (58 minutes.)

“The Manilatown Series” is a compilation of documentary vignettes of life and history of manongs and individuals who lived in Manilatown and the I-Hotel spanning from 1972 to 2003. Titles in the compilation are: “Tino’s Barbershop Quartet in Action” (1972); “Manongs” (1979); “Manilatown Lives!” (1985); “The Rise of the I-Hotel” (2003). “The Manilatown Series” was donated to MHF for the use of the Manilatown California Project on February 5, 2006. (52 minutes).

Physical Location of the Archives: Manilatown and Freedom Archives.
Copyright Information: Please contact Curtis Choy at chonkmoonhunter [at] yahoo [dot] com, or write 1824 South Cordova St. Alhambra, CA 91801.