Dinwaa!

A short visual novel about life as a switchboard operator in 1911 Chinatown

Dinwaa! (Cantonese for Telephone!) was inspired by the ladies of the Chinatown Telephone Exchange in the early part of the 20th century. Famously, these women spoke five dialects of Chinese and had over 2000 names and numbers memorized. Our game puts the player in a new operator's first day on the job, connecting calls for neighborhood people with issues of the day.

In the development of this game, the creators explored the archives and library of Chinese Historical Society of America, the oldest institution dedicated to the history of Chinese people in the US. The team was able to research the costuming of characters, the graphic design of telephone directories, and historic photos of the exchange building. This building (now a branch of East West Bank) was part of a post-Earthquake effort designed to make San Francisco's Chinatown an alluring tourist hot spot. Inside, the ladies working the exchange served their community as vital conduits for pre-internet communication.

Created by (in alpha order) Tyler Chan, Kenneth Deng, Isabel HoFogo, and Liwon Kim

Produced by Chinese Historical Society of America

The Chinese Historical Society of America collects, preserves, and illuminates the history of Chinese in America by serving as a center for research, scholarship, and learning.

with funding from International Sites of Conscience/Institute of Library and Museum Services