The Chinese Lady Resource Center

Learn more about the history that shaped this story, and continues to shape our present

Afong Moy’s story begins in 1834, but the questions raised by The Chinese Lady about visibility, identity, and who controls our narratives resonate across generations. These resources offer historical context for Lloyd Suh’s play and explore the broader experiences of Asian American communities, from demographic growth to systemic erasure to present-day legal battles in Texas and Houston.

Afong Moy & Historical Representation

The Chinese Lady: Afong Moy in Early America
Nancy E. Davis, Oxford Academic, 2019
A comprehensive historical account of Afong Moy’s life and her significance as the first Chinese woman in America.

America’s First Chinese Woman Was Treated as a Circus Oddity
Sally Wen Mao, YouTube, 2024
Video essay exploring how Afong Moy was exhibited and the lasting cultural impact of her story.

Where Did The ‘Asian Fetish’ Come From?
Dolly Li, YouTube, 2021
Video examining the historical roots and ongoing impact of the fetishization and hypersexualization of Asian women.

Teaching Asian America in Elementary Classrooms
Noreen Naseem Rodríguez, Sohyun An, and Esther June Kim, Eye on Education, 2023
This book amends the superficial treatment of Asian American histories in U.S. textbooks and curriculum by providing elementary teachers with a more nuanced, thematically driven account.
Video on Mabel Ping-Hua Lee’s contributions to the women’s suffrage movement.

Asian Americans in Texas/Houston

Houston’s Asian Population Has Blossomed for Decades. These Maps and Charts Document Its Rise
Jacob Carpenter, Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2026
Data-driven exploration of Houston’s rapidly growing Asian American community through maps and demographic analysis.

Fastest growing group in Texas: Asian Americans
Berenice Garcia, Texas Tribune, 2024
Census data reveals Asian Americans as the fastest-growing demographic group in Texas.

Asian Americans quietly made Houston history. Now we must be heard
Anne S. Chao, Houston Chronicle, 2021
Personal essay on the contributions of Asian Americans to Houston and the need for greater visibility and representation.

Documentary on the Asian-American community’s response to a megachurch pastor’s racist sermon in Houston—continuing a deep-rooted tradition of multicultural solidarity in the American South.
Rice University Houston Asian American Archive, 2020-present
Oral histories documenting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of the Houston Asian American community
Dr. Yali Zou, Dr. Melody Yunzi Li, and Dr. Sammy Hwang, University of Houston Asian American Studies Center, 2021
Storymap and timeline documents the proliferation of anti-Asian racism across New York, California, and Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Systemic Erasure & Displacement

Rethinking the Growth Machine: How to Erase a Chinatown from the Urban Core
Anthony Knapp and Igor Vojnovic, Urban Geography, 2013
Academic study examining how urban development policies systematically displaced ethnic enclaves like Chinatowns.

Congressional gerrymandering by Texas Republicans cut out the heart of Houston’s Asian community
Neelam Bohra, Texas Tribune, 2021
Investigation into how redistricting divided Houston’s Asian American neighborhoods, diluting their political power.

New state law allows Houston neighborhoods to redact racist deed restriction
Adam Zuvanich, Houston Public Media, 2022
Reporting on legislation that permits removal of discriminatory language from historical property deeds.

Contemporary Legal & Political Challenges

Laws banning Chinese from buying property dredge up old history
Rachel Hatzipanagos, Washington Post, 2023
Analysis of state laws restricting property ownership by Chinese nationals and their echoes of historical xenophobia.

National security or xenophobia? Texas restricts Chinese owning and renting property
Mengchen Zhang, BBC, 2025
International perspective on Texas’ SB 147, which bans certain foreign nationals, including Chinese citizens, from purchasing property.

ACLU, other groups sue to block Texas’ DEI ban on K-12 public schools
Nicholas Gutteridge and Atirikta Kumar, Texas Tribune, 2025
Legal challenge to SB 12, which prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Texas public schools.

As doors close and funding fades, students worry UT-Austin is taking Texas’ new DEI ban too far
Kate McGee and Ikram Mohamed, Texas Tribune, 2024
Student perspectives on the impact of Texas’ DEI ban on campus resources and multicultural programming.