Historic Newton and the Newton Free Library present the final installment of the 2026 Newton History Series on Thursday, March 12 at 7pm at the Library: The Origins and Transformations of Chinese Communities in Boston, with Professor Lisong Liu.

When did Chinese migration to Boston begin? How did Boston’s Chinatown take shape, and what is its current status? This talk traces the origins of the Chinese presence in the region and examines their experiences from the early years of the United States, through the Chinese Exclusion Era (1882–1943), to the recent decades that have witnessed the community’s significant growth across Greater Boston, as well as the many challenges it continues to face.