[PLACEHOLDER FOR PROJECT INTRO]This project explores the history and impact of Chinese-language cinemas in North America, focusing on theaters that catered to Chinese diaspora audiences from the 1930s through the 1990s.The peak period for these cinemas was the 1960s-1980s, when Hong Kong studios targeted overseas markets and immigration laws expanded Chinese communities. More than 60 North American cities had theaters that screened Cantonese and Mandarin films, often sourced from Hong Kong studios, as well as, at times, titles from mainland China, Taiwan, and Japan.