Presented by Debbie Chinn

What happens when a Chinese American girl lives in two worlds? By day, Debbie Chinn navigated a hostile school environment as the only child of color. By night, she entered her family’s Polynesian nightclub—frequented by mobsters, celebrities, priests, and athletes. Blending humor and history, Debbie offers an insider’s look at immigrant hustle, supper-club glamour, cultural mashups, and reinvention.

Debbie Chinn was raised in her family’s restaurant turned Polynesian nightclub, The House of Mah Jong. A former hula and sword dancer, Debbie is now an arts activist, nonprofit CEO, cultural leader, author, filmmaker, and audiobook narrator. Her memoir Dancing in Their Light (2022) is currently being adapted into a limited series. Her other books include Year of the Dragon (2024) and Polynesian Nights (2025).