With great sadness, we announce the passing of Charles Chiu, the central figure in our documentary Far East Deep South, who died on August 4, 2024, at 86 years old. Charles, a U.S. Air Force veteran, husband, father, and grandfather, passed away with his family by his side following cardiac arrest and a prolonged battle with kidney disease.
Born on April 17, 1938, in Sunwui (新會 Xinhui), Guangdong Province, China, Charles immigrated to the U.S. at 14 aboard the S.S. Cleveland, arriving in San Francisco in 1952 with his grandmother, Shee Chin. 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 Charles’ 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 on August 12, 1973, and enjoyed nearly 51 years together, raising two sons, Baldwin and Edwin. In 1982, Charles moved his family from San Francisco to Rancho Cordova, CA, where he lived until his death.
In recent years, Charles developed a profound understanding of his family’s history through the making of the documentary, Far East Deep South. The film opened Charles’ 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, Charles gained insight into the complex circumstances that separated him from his father and the depth of his father’s love.
Subsequently, Charles 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.
Charles will be laid to rest at Mount Vernon Memorial Park in Fair Oaks, CA. He is survived by his wife, two sons, two daughters-in-law and three granddaughters.
In lieu of flowers, those who wish to express sympathy can consider making a charitable donation to Far East Deep South’s continuing education campaign under the designation “In Memory of Charles Chiu.”
If you would like to offer your condolences or leave a memory, you can do so on his official memorial page.