Rochelle Kwan (yiuyiu 瑤瑤) | Chinatown Records: Sonic Memories and Oral Histories

Chinatown Records 華埠錄音 is a homegrown collective and archive based in New York City’s Manhattan Chinatown. Started in 2018 by DJ historian yiuyiu 瑶瑶, Chinatown Records has evolved into a collective effort to preserve and bring to life the memories and histories that come with our favourite songs. Tune in to learn more about the work Chinatown Records has been doing in New York Chinatown and beyond. In this episode, Rochelle Kwan, aka yiuyiu 瑶瑶, sits down with host Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee to discuss how Chinatown Records has evolved from a way to reminisce with her dad to a community collection of sonic memories, why she believes Chinatowns are cultural homes for all immigrant groups, and how, you too, can use music to spark personal family conversations and record memories across generations. "Dream Factory: Cantopop Mandopop 1980s-2000" is now on view at the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver’s Chinatown until August 2026. Monthly curator tours are available in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. To learn more or book tickets, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/.