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March/April2007CALENDAR OF CHSA EVENTS
& EXHIBITS
CHSA co-presents the following films atthe annual Asian American InternationalFilm Festival at the Castro Theatre:Hollywood Chinese (3/18, 6 pm), FlowerDrum Song (3/17, 9 pm), PavementButterfly (3/18, 12:30 pm), and Big Troublein Little China (3/16, 10 pm).
April 26Author and Chinatown native William PoyLee, will read from his new memoir TheEighth Promise. CHSA, 7 pm.
April 28The world premiere of composer Jon Jang’sChinese American Symphony, a tribute to theChinese builders of the transcontinental rail-road, will take place at the SacramentoPhilharmonic (www.sacphil.org), 8 pm
May 2CHSA is proud to partner with KQED ontheir Documenting China exhibition and pro-grams. Opening reception at KoretAuditorium, 5-7:30 pm.
May 9Remembering 1882 will honor the eventsand history of the 125th anniversary of the1882 Exclusion Act. Philip Burton FederalBuilding (450 Golden Gate, SF), 4-6 pm
May 18Tribute to UC Berkeley Professor EmeritusLing-chi Wang, recognized in AmerasiaJournal’s newly published L. Ling-chi Wang: TheQuintessential Scholar-Activist. Co-sponsored bythe UCLA Asian American Studies Center.CHSA, 6-8 pm
ExhibitMiss Chinatown USA now through June 30,Philip P. Choy Gallery.
Alice Fong: A Retrospective, now thoughsummer, Frank H. Yick Gallery.
All CHSA events are free tothe publicFor more info, call (415) 391-1188 or visitwww.chsa.org
BulletinCHINESE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA | MARCH APRIL 2007 | VOL . 43 , NO. 1
Glamour, Glitz, and GlitterReign in Miss Chinatown USA
he reception in celebration of our
new exhibit Miss Chinatown USAwas a glamorous and grand affair. On the
evening of Friday, Febraury 23, past &
present contestants gathered at CHSA
including: Penny Lee Wong, Miss Chinatown 1948; Ruby
Kwong Chee, Miss Chinatown 1957; June Gong Chin, Miss
Chinatown USA 1958; Leona Lee, Miss Chinatown USA 1959;
Linda Shen Lei, Miss Chinatown USA 1971; Sandra Wong
Dietrich, Miss Chinatown USA 1973; Rose Chung, Miss
Chinatown USA 1981; Sandra Young Chew, Miss Chinatown
USA 1983; Ivy Hsu, Miss Chinatown USA 1994; Lori Young
Timmons, Miss Chinatown USA 1997; and Carol Chen, Miss
Chinatown USA 2005. Many pageant organizers, contestants,
escorts, and volunteers were also present.
The event was co-sponsored by the SF Chinese Chamber
of Commerce, Hawaii Chamber of Commerce of Northern
California, and United Chinese Society of Hawaii. Thanks to
Hukilau, Poleng Lounge,
Butterfly, and Takara Sake USA
for their food and beverage
donations. e
See more photos fromthe Miss ChinatownUSA reception andexhibit on pages 4 & 5.
T Miss Chinatown USA2007 court andcontestants present SueLee, CHSA ExecutiveDirector, with a specialcommemorative plaque.
riends, family, and
supporters feted
acclaimed artist AliceFong during a receptioncelebrating her solo
exhibit, Alice Fong: ARetrospective, at CHSAon February 3. Presented
luminously in varying
media—from prints,
paintings, sculpture,
watercolors, oils, and
acrylics—Alice's collection celebrates nature,
family, and Chinese American cultural
traditions. It is on display in the Frank H.
Yick gallery now through summer 2007. e
he 20th anniversary of the seminal journal
Chinese America: History and Perspectives was atthe center of CHSA’s Annual Meeting & Volunteer
Appreciation Luncheon on Saturday, January 20 at
the Empress of China. The newly renamed AnnieSoo Spirit Award, given to CHSA’s unsung volun-teers, was bestowed upon Ruthanne Lum McCunn, Judy Yung, and HimMark Lai for their years of work on the publication. Charlie Chin per-formed tongue-in-cheek poetry written to honor the three awardees.
This year’s Chinese America: History and Perspectives features the proceedings
from the October 2005 Chinese American Studies conference. If you have
not yet received yours, please contact the CHSA office at (415) 391-1188. e
C H S A B U L L E T I N n P A G E 2
CHINESE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY OF AMERICA
B O A R D O F F I C E R S
Calvin Fung, President
Robert Fung, 1st Vice President
Willard Chin, Secretary
Paul Fong, Treasurer
B O A R D D I R E C T O R S
Donald Chan
Joyce M. Chan
Linda A. Cheu
Colleen Fong, Ph.D.
Frank Jang
Agnes Lam
Alexander Lock
Kenneth Louie
Galin Luk
William G. Roop
Connie Young Yu
Jeffery P. Woo, Esq., Legal Counsel
B O A R D E M E R I T I
Him Mark Lai
Philip P. Choy
F O U N D E R S
Thomas W. Chinn
C.H. Kwock
Chingwah Lee
H.K. Wong
Thomas W.S. Wu, D.D.S.
S T A F F
Sue Lee, Executive Director
Judy Hu, Communications Manager
Lianna Koehler, Weekend Supervisor
Marisa Louie, Exhibitions Coordinator
Anna Naruta, Ph.D., Director ofCollections
Russell Ow, Bookkeeper
Candace Tom, Operations Administrator
Charlie Chin, Artist-in-Residence
T
F
Annie Soo Spirit Awardwinners Judy Yung,Ruthanne Lum McCunn,and Him Mark Lai withCHSA Executive DirectorSue Lee and BoardPresident Calvin Fung.Photo by Donald Chu.
Annual Meeting & VolunteerAppreciation Luncheon
Honoring Alice Fong
Alice Fong’s grandsons, Alexand Derek, the artist AliceFong, and daughter andCHSA board member ColleenFong. Photo by Frank Jang.
Ling-chiWang: The
QuintessentialScholar-Activist, isa commemorative
edition from
UCLA’s Amerasia Journal and the first
collection of essays from the former
Chair of UC Berkeley’s Department
of Ethnic Studies and Director of
Asian American Studies. Professor
Wang’s groundbreaking writings on
Red Envelopes:Lai Si and Hong Bao Reception
rtist-in-Resident Charlie Chin rung in Lunar NewYear at CHSA for several dozen young children and
their parents on February 10. The attendees were treated to
storytelling, Chinese folktales, and a glimpse of Charlie's
personal collection of vintage red
envelopes. Every child also received an
authentic red envelope for good luck! e
M A R C H A P R I L 2 0 0 7 n P A G E 3
n The Eighth Promise, authorWilliam Poy Lee provides a rare
glimpse of the Chinese-American
immigrant experience from a moth-
er-son perspec-
tive. This affect-
ing tale criss-
crosses both time
and place from
his mother’s war
torn childhood in
China during the
1930s to the
housing projects
of San Francisco’s Chinatown to
the counterculture of North Beach
in the 1960s. Exuberant and
sprawling, The Eighth Promise is told
in two voices: the author’s own
and that of his mother. The moth-
er’s perspective provides a sense
of tradition and culture as the
author becomes completely
American—only to realize that his
simple Toisan farmer mother has
been his greatest wisdom teacher.
It is a stunning tale of injustice, for-
titude, survival, and ultimately
redemption. e
I
Chinatown in MiniatureHSA is proud to pre-
sent historical ren-
derings by renowned
Hollywood set designer
and Chinatown native
Frank Wong. Through thedesign and furnishing of
detailed miniature rooms,
Wong offers meaningful,
first-hand interpretations
of San Francisco China-
town’s past and the lives of its people. Works on display include: scenes
from a Chinese laundry, a single occupancy room in the International
Hotel, and an herb store on Clay Street. Six miniatures are now perma-
nently installed in the CHSA Wells Fargo Foundation Learning Center.
Please inquire at the front desk to see them. e
Honoring Ling-chi Wang,Quintessential Scholar-ActivistMay 18, 6-8 pm, CHSA Museum
Reading withWilliam Poy Lee:The Eighth Promise
April 26, 7-8 pm CHSA Learning Center
C
L.
ACharlie Chin showsvintage red envelopesto young attendees.Photo by Frank Jang
bilingual and higher education,
Chinatown politics, and U.S./China
relations have actively shaped the
domestic and global frameworks in
the field of Asian American Studies.
For the future, they will continue to
have great relevance to the rela-
tionship of Asian Americans to
American society and to Asia while
serving as essential readings for
educational research, transnational
studies, and historiography. e
C H S A B U L L E T I N n P A G E 4
Miss Chinatown USA1958 June Gong Chin,Miss Chinatown USA2005 (and the currentlyreigning Miss SanFrancisco) Carol Chen,and Miss Chinatown1948 Penny Lee Wong.
Jean Moon Liu, daughter of 1915Chinatown Queen Rose Lew, and RoseLew’s granddaughter, Roxine Chow.
Felicia Lowe, MissCongeniality1965, with thebeaded cheongsaam she wore onparade night.
Miss Chinatown USAReception & Exhibit
P H O T O S B Y F R A N K J A N G
Cindy Hu and guest,Darryl Higashi, andDaniel and VyoletChu dance to themusic of Da CastilloBoys at the end of afestive evening.
Miss Chinatown Then& Now: Rose Chung,Miss Chinatown 1981,poses next to a shot ofher crowning glory.Photo by Calvin Jeng.
Miss Chinatown USA escortBenji Wong and 1969 contestantMelanie Feng Kolda.
M A R C H A P R I L 2 0 0 7 n P A G E 5
Miss ChinatownUSA 1971 LindaShen Lei, MissChinatown USA1958 June GongChin, CHSAmember SarahChoy, Amy Tan,1959 contestantPatricia HewLee, 1969contestant LindaLew Woo, andRosalind Jeong.
appy Year ofthe Boar! The
Lunar New Year
event sponsored by
PG&E at CHSA on
February 26, 2007
was a smashing suc-
cess! Despite the
rain and hail, more
than 300 people
filled the museum,
enjoying wine &
hors d’eurves while
mingling the night away. Attendees included San Francisco Supervisors
Aaron Peskin and Ed Jew, District Attorney Kamala Harris, as well as friends
of PG&E, CHSA members, and community folks. e
HA Very Piggy New Year!
(left) Bill Lee, his wifeCarolyn, Mary EllenO’Brien, Doug Chan,and Ditka Reiner ringin the year.
(below) Greg Chew ofDae Advertising withCHSA’s Sue Lee.
Exhibit volunteer Carolyn Shek (2nd from left) and MissChinatown USA 1994 Ivy Hsu, with friends.
1969 contestant Stephanie Lum Castorpoints to herself in the exhibit.
C H S A B U L L E T I N n P A G E 6
Karen Jue Iovino, Calvin Jue &Gail Garcia (via Frank Jang):More than 600 photos by HarryJew, depicting the Miss ChinatownPageant, San Francisco Chinatown,
Angel Island, Locke, andother historically significantscenes.
Francis Wong: Copy of Oct23, 2006 Chicago Tribunereview of 11th annual AsianAmerican Jazz Festival Finale.
Anonymous: State ofCalifornia certificate ofincorporation for “Sai GarJeong Yee” Benevolent Asso-ciation [Chung YeeAssociation], dated August22, 1907, headquartered at37 Spofford Alley, San
Francisco, in original frame.
Connie Young Yu: Digital videocassette copy of Jung Sai—ChineseAmericans, Sanders & MockProductions, American FilmFoundation, 1977; DVD copy ofWomen Warriors, composed ofMaking Up, Chonk MoonhunterProductions, 1974, and The Year ofthe Ox: The 1973 Chinatown LivestockShow, 1985.
Alex Lock: Pan Am Airlines menufeaturing Dong Kingman watercolorof San Francisco Chinatown NewYear’s parade, Grant and California.
Julian Low & Elaine Joe: Fouralbums—Chris Iijima and CharlieChin, Back to Back (1982, East/WestWORLD Record); Jon Jang, Are YouChinese or Charlie Chan? (1984, RPMRecords); Jon Jang, The Ballad or theBullet? (1987, AsianImprovRecords), inscribed to the donor;Fred Houn, A Song for Manong—Thesoundtrack to Part 3 of Bamboo thatSnaps Back Featuring The AsianAmerican Art Ensemble and KulintangArts (1988, AsianImprov Records)
Him Mark Lai: Donor’s summary ofinterviews with members of andresearch on the Jeong YeeAssociation (Chung YeeAssociation), 37 Spofford Alley,San Francisco, and the GarmentWorkers Guild, Jinyihang (Gam YeeHong), of San Francisco.
Connie Young Yu: San FranciscoExaminer, May 10, 1969, page 15,“The Golden Spike’s unsungHeroes” by Connie Young Yu; Fall1972 Bulletin of Concerned AsianScholars, Special Issue: Asian America;
Dong Kingman fills San Francisco’s Chinatown with dragons in thiswatercolor for a Pan Am Airlines menu. Gift of Alex Lock, 2006.59
Jon Jang appears onThe Ballad or theBullet? (1987,AsianImprov Records).Gift of Julian Low andElaine Joe, 2006.60.3
AccessionedDonationsOctober 12 toDecember 4, 2006SUBMITTED BY ANNANARUTA, DIRECTOROF COLLECTIONS
M A R C H A P R I L 2 0 0 7 n P A G E 7
Request for DonationsHSA is currently reorganizing its collections and is looking for
the following equipment:
r Map drawers
r Metal storage cabinets
r High resolution flatbed scanner
r Fireproof filing cabinet
r Camera tripod with swivel head
r Photocopy machine with pdf scanning capability
Please contact Anna Naruta at (415) 391-1188, x103 or
anaruta@chsa.org with inquiries about potential equipment
donations. Thank you! e
C
Scan of Kem Lee photo of CathayPost American Veterans of theForeign Legion parade in SanFrancisco Chinatown; Four post-cards of the paintings at Kan’sRestaurant painted by Jake Lee in1963 to educate about andcelebrate Chinese American historyand culture; Postcard of rubbing ofpoem carved into wall of detentionbarracks at Angel IslandImmigration Station; Copy of 1948Chinese Press article, “ChineseMourn Death of Historian WilliamJ. Hoy;” Copy of East West July 11,1967, pages 1-2; Bound volume ofHarper’s, December 1882–May 1883;Exhibit catalog and brochure from2005 and 2006 New York andGerman gallery shows by MarleneTseng Yu; four black and whitephotos, late 1910s–early 1920sChicago: Tuen Hip Wey Associationon first (1919) and thirdanniversary; 1921 group portraitoutside Mon Sang & Co.
In Memory of Ruby Tom Joe: Copyof collection of newspaperclippings about Tom Gunn thatincludes both primary source andsubsequent historical features, acopy of Willie L. Nye’s biographicalresume of Tom Gunn for a KRON-TV project, 1971, a copy of theSmithsonian Institution materialon Tom Gunn, 1989, and photo andpaperwork relating to 1973-1974exhibit CHSA and CCF exhibit forwhich Tom Gunn items wereborrowed from the family.
Anonymous: Digital images of TomGunn collection items held byfamily members; includingnewspaper articles, photos, badgesand identification, and personalremembrances of pioneeringaviator and native San FranciscanTom Gunn, 1890-1925; authorizedfor donation to CHSA.
Paul Louie: Seattle Timesarticle of Nov 5, 2006, onWing Luke AsianMuseum’s salvage-attentive renovation ofthe East Kong Yickbuilding, where donorgrew up, in Seattle’sChinatown; NorthwestAsian Weekly article,“[Seattle] Chinatown gateproject delayed.”
Anonymous: Hip WoChinese School yearbookand commemorativealbum, 1924-1960.
Charlie Chin: SouvenirProgram for “Pear Gardenin the West,” June 14-17, 1984, TheFirst San Francisco ChineseAmerican Performing Arts Festival.
DONATION TO THETEACHING COLLECTION
Judith Wilkes:Sheet music ChingChong (Chicago,1917), music byLee S. Roberts,words by J. WillCallahan.
With a photographic career spanning fourdecades, Harry Jew captured images of historicevents, family and individual portraits, andscenes of everyday community life. Harry JewCollection, Gift of Karen Jue Iovino, Calvin Jue,and Gail Garcia, 2006.54.450
Pioneering aviatorTom Gunn’s 1912Aero Club Licenselist his residence,358 Fifth Street,Oakland.Anonymous Gift,2006.63
Visiting the Museum?HSA can provide pre-arranged exhibit tours to
groups of 10 or more. Make reservations by
calling (415) 391-1188, x101 or by emailing
info@chsa.org. e
CHINESE HISTORICALSOCIETY OF AMERICA
965 CLAY STREET
SAN FRANCISCO
CALIFORNIA 94108
415 391-1188 TEL
415 391-1150 FAX
INFO@CHSA.ORG EMAIL
WWW.CHSA.ORG WEBSITE
TIME DATED MATERIAL
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
P A I D
Permit No. 9103
San Francisco, CA
The CHSA Bulletin is published bi-monthly. To contribute articlesabout Chinese American community and historical news and events,
please submit articles to judy@chsa.org.
Editor: Judy Hu || Design: Elaine Joe
TransitionsHSA welcomes Judy Hu on board as theirnew Communications Manager. Her
responsibilities include media and public rela-
tions, community outreach, marketing, and
programming. Judy has worked the past few
years in public relations at a local, alternative
publishing house. She has also been actively
involved in the community with many local
groups and political campaigns. Beginning with
this issue, she is also the new editor of CHSA’s
Bulletin newsletter. Judy can be reached at (415)
391-1188, x107 or judy@chsa.org. e
In MemoriumHSA notes the passing of Alice Lee, alongtime member, volunteer, and support-
er on January 6, 2007. We also honor the mem-
ory of Chaney N. Wong, the former ExecutiveVice President of Trader Vic’s Restaurants, who
died on January 4, 2007. e
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