The Last Hoisan Poets - Haw Meong Suey (Good Life's Water) - Free Audiobook

Audio recording of the first read through of “Haw Meong Suey,” a collaborative poem written by poets Nellie Wong, Flo Oy Wong, and Genny Lim, recorded on May 13, 2021 via Zoom.

The poem, “Haw Meong Suey,” was performed with accompaniment by the Del Sol Quartet on Saturday May 22, 2021 for the United States of Asian America Festival 2021, presented by the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center. “Haw meong suey” is a Hoisan-wa phrase that translates as “good life's water.” A person who has “haw meong suey” is a vessel of blessings.

The Last Hoisan Poets - Nellie Wong, Flo Oy Wong, and Genny Lim - trace their roots to China's Toisan villages, home of the Hoisan-wa Chinese dialect. These three influential women write poetry in English and Hoisan-wa, to pay homage to their mother language which is at risk of fading from collecting memory.

Del Sol Performing Arts Organization’s “Angel Island Insight” explores the history of the Angel Island Immigration Station by offering a suite of virtual and in-person programs, in conjunction with the premiere of composer Huang Ruo’s “Your Wall is Our Canvas: The Angel Island Project” in October 2021.

This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit www.calhum.org

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