Resonance - a story about early chinese american immigrant -

 At just 10 years old, Joe Lung left Kaiping, China, with his older brother and journeyed across the Pacific to Texas. He worked on the Houston & Texas Central Railroad before opening one of downtown Austin’s most popular cafés. More than a business owner, Joe quietly acted as a private banker, lending money to fellow immigrants and helping them survive and build new lives in a land that was often unwelcoming. He also sent money home to build Long Hui Lou Tower, a fortified watchtower that later sheltered villagers during wartime.  

 His daughter, Inez Lung Lee, carried his legacy forward. In 1919, the same year women in America won the right to vote, she became the first Chinese woman admitted to the University of Texas at Austin. Facing the dual barriers of racial exclusion and gender discrimination, she persisted, devoting more than 30 years to teaching girls in southern China, even during WWII. Traveling back and forth between China and the U.S. with wartime supplies and medicines, she was remembered by Austinites as a wartime hero.

This is not just a family story—it is an overlooked Chinese immigrant story and a truly original Texas story that deserves to be told.

We are creating a video art performance using music, contemporary dance, and archival imagery to bring Joe and Inez’s journey to life. Our goal is to complete the project by January 2026, so it can premiere during AAPI Heritage Month—coinciding with the centennial of Joe Lung’s passing. Your support will help fund production, editing, and public presentations in Austin, Houston, and other major Texas cities. Together, we can ensure this story of resilience, generosity, and legacy is finally shared.

Donate today to help us preserve and share this powerful legacy of resilience, generosity, and Texas history.

Call–to-Action: Your gift will help us complete this project by January 2026, so it can premiere during AAPI Heritage Month and mark the centennial of Joe Lung’s passing. Together, we can share this overlooked Texas story of resilience, generosity, and legacy with the world. 

Our organization is verified by Benevity.   All you have to do is to search Asian American Art & Culture Initiative at your employee dashboard. Your employer will match your contribution dollar to dollar to support our cause