She Marches in Chinatown

Remembering one of my inspirations - documentary filmmaker, photographer, and beautiful friend Della Chen.

Della with her daughter, Georgia and son, Henry on a trip to New York City for a screening of She Marches in Chinatown.

On February 22, 2025, Della was driving home from the airport with her daughter, Georgia and her husband, Ryan, after a trip to see their son, Henry in New York City. In a senseless and enraging act, she was killed by a drunk driver. My heart is crushed by her absence and I still cannot wrap my head around the fact that I can no longer hear her laugh.

Della was a badass. She was scrappy, she was hilarious and she was perseverant, she literally did not let anything get in her way when she put her mind to whatever she intended to do. Generous with her time, truly curious about people, and with a no-BS barometer, Della was simply pure joy to be with. She was incredibly committed to her family and her community, and was a mentor to countless young people though her work at Pablove and Youth in Focus. She was also a visionary, deeply committed to her visual artistry and her storytelling. She remains my inspiration.

Della was a Seattle native, and a photographer by trade with a gifted perspective and a love of storytelling. She had an uncanny knack for capturing the humanity in people on film. Her first documentary film, the multiple award-winning She Marches in Chinatown, focuses on the Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team. The film tells the history of this uniquely Seattle institution, which was founded in 1952 by Ruby Chow because Asian-American girls had no extracurricular activities. The drill team is the only one of its kind in the entire world, and remains an active force 70 years after its inception, surviving gentrification, a global pandemic, and an increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans and serves to represent and celebrate the evolving Asian American experience. This film will make you laugh and cry in the very best ways. You can see the trailer HERE.

Della's greatest hope was that She Marches in Chinatown would be used in schools and universities throughout the country to teach young people the value of tradition and culture and to break stereotypes of Asian American women and girls. She worked tirelessly to connect with people and institutions all over America to make this happen. If you are interested in screening this amazing film in your community, please contact Good Docs HERE. I hope to see her work continue.

Missing you, Della.