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Chin (Frank) Papers
Wyles Mss 103
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Description
The Frank Chin papers contain personal and professional materials of Frank Chin from 1940-2001. The collection is divided
into five series spanning 122 archival Boxes. The bulk of the collection consists of Chin's manuscripts, including essays,
articles, novels, scripts (film and theater) and notes.
Background
Frank Chin is a UCSB graduate (1965) and is widely recognized as the most influential Asian American dramatist and writer
(novels, short stories, essays) in the country. He is one of a handful of top literary figures in Asian American literary
and cultural communities, and he is distinguished as being the first Asian American playwright produced in New York City.
He founded the Asian American Theater Workshop in San Francisco which later evolved into the Asian American Theater Company
(AATC). In discussing the value of the papers, Chin remarked, "I hope that my collection of research, letters and experimental
manuscripts will stimulate a more traditional study of Asian American literature, beginning with an introduction to the Asian
children's stories shared by China, Korea, and Japan since pre-historic times, and the "vernacular novels" developed to spread
Chinese heroic tradition of the Ming, as a conscious expression of the myth of civilization throughout Asia." "By making my
papers available to the public, I hope that my efforts to treat knowledge of Asia and America as equally important will be
seen and used."
Extent
68 linear feet
(122 document boxes; including 1 oversize container)
Restrictions
Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or
quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given
on behalf of the Department of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply
permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.
Availability
The collection is open for research. The collection is stored offsite. Advance notice is required for retrieval.