The country’s first Asian American citizens lived remarkable lives and left behind a complicated legacy  in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The Broadside

WUNC News

The original Siamese Twins

MAY 14, 202629 MIN
The Broadside

The original Siamese Twins

MAY 14, 202629 MIN

Description

The first Asian residents of North Carolina were a world-famous pair of conjoined twin brothers. And they later became quite possibly the country’s first Asian American citizens. This week, we tell the almost unbelievable story of Chang and Eng Bunker and explore the complicated legacy they left behind in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.Featuring:Joe Orser, author of The Lives of Chang and Eng: Siam's Twins in Nineteenth-Century AmericaEli Chen, digital news producer at WUNC NewsLinks:From Now On from the musical Chang and EngThe Siamese Twins Museum in Mount Airy, NCCover photo: From the National Portrait Gallery and The Frederick Hill Meserve Collection, Chang and Eng Bunker and children circa 1860.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.