August 14, 2024 (Rancho Cordova, CA) – U.S. Air Force veteran Charles Chiu, who was the central figure in the award-winning documentary Far East Deep South, died on August 4, 2024, at the age of 86. Chiu, a beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away with his family by his side following cardiac arrest and a prolonged battle with kidney disease. Charles served honorably for 25 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a Master Sergeant.
Born on April 17, 1938, in Sunwui (also known as Xinhui), China, Chiu was the son of K.C. Lou, a merchant in Pace, Mississippi, and Jung Yuk Lon. When Charles was one year old, his father returned to the U.S. to run their family grocery store. Strict U.S. immigration laws of that era, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act, made it difficult for Chinese women and children to enter the United States. When Charles was eight years old, his father passed away in Mississippi, and as a result, Charles never had the opportunity to know him. His quest to recover his lost history is chronicled in Far East Deep South.
Chiu immigrated to the U.S. at 14 aboard the S.S. Cleveland, arriving in San Francisco in 1952 with his grandmother. He attended and graduated from Oakland Technical High School while working various jobs to support himself and his grandmother.
Faith played a significant role in Chiu’s life. He began attending chapel services in the Air Force, was baptized at First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco, and later joined The Salvation Army. It was through a minister at The Salvation Army that he would meet his future wife, Rebecca. They married in 1973 and enjoyed nearly 51 years together, raising two sons, including Baldwin Chiu, one of the producers of Far East Deep South. In 1982, Chiu moved his family from San Francisco to Rancho Cordova, CA, where he lived until his death.
In recent years, Chiu developed a profound understanding of his family’s history through the making of the documentary, Far East Deep South. The film opened Chiu’s eyes to the history he and others never knew about Chinese families in the Mississippi Delta during the Jim Crow and Chinese Exclusion era. Through this journey, Chiu gained insight into the complex circumstances that separated him from his father and the depth of his father’s love.
Subsequently, Chiu became passionate about educating others about restrictive immigration laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act and the interconnected history between the Black and Chinese American communities in the segregated South. He also sought to highlight the long-standing legacy that many Chinese families, including his own, have in America.
Chiu will be laid to rest at Mount Vernon Memorial Park in Fair Oaks, CA and his full obituary can be viewed on their website. He is survived by his wife, two sons, two daughters-in-law (including director and recording artist Larissa Lam) and three granddaughters.
About Far East Deep South
Far East Deep South is an award-winning documentary about Chinese American families in the Mississippi Delta during segregation that premiered on the World Channel (PBS) series, “America Reframed.” The film won a 2022 Telly Award and is currently streaming on Tubi, PBS Passport, Xfinity and Kanopy. Visit http://fareastdeepsouth.com for more on the film.
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