CHINATOWN ‘75 is an interactive walking tour that tells the story of the police brutality case that rocked Chinatown and the protest movement that arose in its wake. In May of 1975, 25,000 protesters marched from Chinatown to City Hall to demand justice for the beating of Peter Yew.
Based on archival research and oral histories with march participants, CHINATOWN ‘75 traces the route of the original Peter Yew protest march to paint an in-depth portrait of a transformative moment in Chinatown’s history. We’ll explore how the interactions between radical social movements, community organizations, and the NYPD shaped the ensuing demonstrations, and how the iconic photographs of the march came to symbolize a generation of Asian American activism.
Important: The meeting location is the south side of Canal Street and Elizabeth Street. The ending location is Foley Square. Tour runs rain or shine.
Tours will be led by Dr. Michael Menor Salgarolo, a New York City-based historian, walking tour guide, retired stand-up comedian, and founder of UNASSIMILATED Walking Tours. He holds a PhD in History from NYU and is now an Assistant Professor of History at Bard College.
This walk is presented by UNASSIMILATED Walking Tours and Think!Chinatown, as part of the 2026 Chinatown Storytelling Festival.
UNASSIMILATED is a walking tour company that crafts unique narrative experiences to tell a people’s history of Asian America. We bring knowledge from the archive to the sidewalks to amplify forgotten and silenced Asian American voices from the past. Walks include Blood and Water, The Original, Manila Bayou, and Chinatown ‘75. Follow us on Instagram @unassimilatednyc
Think!Chinatown is a creative placekeeping non-profit here to create intergenerational spaces of art, joy, belonging and connection in Manhattan’s Chinatown. At the intersection of arts, storytelling and neighborhood engagement, T!C works to grow community agency in our own neighborhood’s built environment as well as the narrative of our own stories. T!C is the team behind Chinatown Nights (fka Chinatown Night Market), Chinatown Arts Festival, Chinatown Block Party, Chinatown Storytelling Festival. Their home is the Think!Chinatown Studio, at 1 Pike Street, where you can find exhibitions, cultural and food workshops, small performances and talks.
Photo Credits: Jason Cion