Boston Busing in Chinatown: 50 Year Reunion of Immigrant Mother Organizers
The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, the nonprofit responsible for the management and care of The Greenway, is pleased to announce the arrival of Boston Busing in Chinatown, a traveling public art installation from artist Daphne Xu and the Chinatown Community Land Trust, in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture as a part of their Un-monument initiative, supported by a grant from the Mellon Foundation.
Boston Busing in Chinatown, 1975 is a photo series highlighting the mothers, students, and teachers who organized for educational equity in 1975. In that year, Boston Public Schools began busing elementary school students to other neighborhoods following the 1974 decision by federal judge W. Arthur Garrity Jr., who ruled in Morgan v. Hennigan that Boston Public Schools were unconstitutionally segregated. While the focus of the desegregation effort was equal access to a quality education, Boston Public Schools had not addressed many of the concerns about safety, communications, and representation from Chinese families about busing their children into predominantly white neighborhoods. As a result, Chinese immigrant mothers organized to demand safety and educational rights for their children, culminating in a highly successful school boycott that brought the School Committee to the negotiating table. The mothers’ victory was an early example of working-class immigrant women using their power within Chinatown and at the city level. This photo exhibit is part of the Immigrant History Trail, a multimedia public art project of the Chinatown Community Land Trust. The Immigrant History Trail activates Boston Chinatown’s archives to share its immigrant working-class histories. The trail features framed lenticular photographs of both historic and contemporary images that shift with the viewer’s perspective. QR codes link to www.immigranthistorytrail.com, which highlights stories, images, and audio fragments and directs visitors to where they can learn more. In July 2025, the Immigrant History Trail team gathered former teachers, parents, and students who were involved in the historic 1975 event for a picnic reunion next to Posner Hall. It was here that Chinese parents issued a list of nine demands to the Boston School Committee 50 years ago. During the reunion, they created a living and photographic un-monument and an opportunity for reflection and conversation.
Boston Busing in Chinatown, 1975, includes photographs from the July reunion, interspersed with the few existing historic photographs from 1975. By inserting new images of the same people 50 years later into existing photographic archives, we have created compelling images that highlight how busing affected the Chinese community in Boston and how its legacy extends to other neighborhoods.
“As we celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, it’s important to broaden our collective understanding of history,” said Lydia Lowe, executive director of the Chinatown Community Land Trust. “This deeper look at Boston busing grew out of efforts to map an Immigrant History Trail in Chinatown, serving as both a historic and living community anchor for immigrant, working-class families. This exhibition honors the voices of those who fought for educational equity fifty years ago while creating space for intergenerational dialogue today,” said Daphne Xu, Lead Artist of Boston Busing in Chinatown, 1975. “By juxtaposing past and present, I hope to build a living archive that celebrates resilience, centers community knowledge, and challenges singular narratives about this neighborhood’s history.”
“We’re honored to welcome Boston Busing in Chinatown, 1975 to The Greenway,” said Dr. Audrey Lopez, Director and Curator of Public Art at The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy. “This exhibition holds space for the individuals and families whose advocacy shaped educational policy and community life, while thoughtfully bringing past and present into conversation. At a time when questions of heritage, belonging, and safety remain deeply relevant, presenting these layered histories in a public park invites reflection, recognition, and connection across generations.”
Boston Busing in Chinatown, 1975 opened to the public beginning February 4, 2026, at Chin Park on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, and will be on view through May 15, 2026. A reception and tour will be held at Chin Park on The Greenway in early May 2026 – more details to come.
Stay connected with updates on these and related public programs as they are announced throughout the season on our social media channels: @greenwaypublicart and @chinatownclt.
About the Artist
Daphne Xu is an artist and filmmaker exploring the politics and poetics of place. Her films have premiered at festivals and institutions including the Toronto International Film Festival, the Museum of Modern Art, and Cinéma du Réel. She has led and supported public art projects in Boston Chinatown since 2018, coordinating the community process for Chinatown Master Plan 2020 and working in collaboration with multiple community organizations, including the Chinatown Community Land Trust and the Chinese Progressive Association. She is the Lead Artist on the Boston Chinatown Immigrant History Trail and is devoted to supporting local historic and cultural preservation through civic media and public art.
A Special Thank You to Our Supporters
Boston Busing in Chinatown, 1975 is brought to The Greenway in partnership with Chinatown Community Land Trust and through a grant from the City of Boston. Project support for “Boston Busing in Chinatown, 1975” is generously provided by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture’s Un-monument initiative, supported by a grant from the Mellon Foundation. Thank you also to the Boston Arts Commission and the Boston Desegregation/Busing Initiative, and all project contributors. These include teachers and activists Suzanne Lee, Cynthia Yee, Ann Moy, Michael Liu, and May Louie; mothers Sin Wah Lee, Suet Wah Lung, Anna Lee, Marie Yee, May Chan; students Howard Wong, Siu Tip Lam, Su Leung; Chinatown Community Land Trust members Suzanne Lee, Lydia Lowe, Vivian WuWong, Nora Li, Franny Wu, Ann Wong; event volunteers Elisha Zhao, Jonathan WuWong, Jenny Li, and supporting artist Wenhua Shi. In loving memory of Lai Mui Yu (1935-2025). Public Art on The Greenway is made possible with major support from the Barr Foundation, Goulston & Storrs, the Wagner Foundation, the Richard K. Lubin Family Foundation, the Mass Cultural Council, The New Commonwealth Fund, and Robert and Doris Gordon. Additional support is provided by the Deborah Munroe Noonan Memorial Fund, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee. Special thanks to our fabrication partners Jaywalk Studio and Jacob Chang of 4th District for documenting the installation.
About The Greenway and the Greenway Conservancy (rosekennedygreenway.org)
The Rose Kennedy Greenway is a contemporary public park in the heart of Boston and one of the most visited attractions in the Commonwealth, welcoming millions of visitors annually. The Greenway is managed by the Greenway Conservancy, a non-profit responsible for the administration and care of the park. The majority of the Conservancy’s annual budget is made up
of generous donations from the community, and it is with their support that the Conservancy cultivates a gathering space where all are welcome and celebrated.
The Greenway Conservancy Public Art Program brings innovative and contemporary art to Boston through free, seasonal exhibitions that engage people in meaningful experiences, interactions, and dialogue with art, each other, and the most pressing issues of our time. Past Greenway exhibitions can be viewed on the Public Art Instagram (@greenwaypublicart) or the Conservancy’s website.
About Chinatown Community Land Trust (chinatownclt.org)
The mission of the Chinatown Community Land Trust is to stabilize the future of Chinatown as a neighborhood for working-class families and a regional hub for the Greater Boston Chinese community. We work for community control of the land, development without displacement, permanently affordable housing, and shared neighborhood spaces, consistent with the vision of the Chinatown Master Plan.