Bulletin CHINESE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA | JANUARY FEBRUARY 2006 | VOL. 42, NO. 1 CHSA 2006 Spirit Award Jan/Feb HONORING LORRAINE DONG, PHD 2006 FOR EXTRAORDINARY DEDICATION CALENDAR OF CHSA EVENTS & EXHIBITS C HSA is very pleased to honor Lorraine Dong with our 2006 Spirit Award Jan 8 Family Appreciation Day. for her astonishing dedication to CHSA. CHSA & other city museums free for families who live in San Francisco. More Beginning in 1990 as a newly-inducted info at www.sfgov.org. CHSA board member, Lorraine’s tireless Jan 17 Opening of Dragons, and energetic commitment to CHSA spanned Drums, Floats, and Firecrackers, an fourteen years until her retirement from the exhibition of the history of the San board in 2004. During these years, she served Francisco Chinese New Year Parade. Philip P. Choy Gallery. as president for six terms, not to mention a number of other Jan 19 Book reading of John Jung’s board offices, as Bulletin editor, chair of numerous committees Southern Fried Rice: Life in a Chinese Laundry in and annual galas, and as CHSA’s volunteer interim executive the Deep South. CHSA Learning Center, 7 pm. director in 2003. She also served on the leadership group that Jan 21CHSA Annual General coordinated CHSA’s transition period, culminating in the move to Meeting & Volunteer Recognition the Julia Morgan-designed YWCA building. Luncheon. Empress of China Restaurant, 838 Grant Avenue, SF. 12 pm, $35 mem- Lorraine was born, raised, and educated in San Francisco ber, $50 non-member. Chinatown. She received her BA (summa cum laude) and MA from Jan 28-29 Chinese New Year San Francisco State University, and her PhD from the Dept. of events and programs with Rosemary Gong, Asian Languages and Literature from the University of Oliver Chin, and Charlie Chin. CHSA CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Learning Center. See Bulletin article on page 4 for details. 1906 Earthquake Feb 4-5 Chinese New Year events and programs with Charlie Chin. CHSA Centennial Learning Center. LOOK FOR THESE UPCOMING COMMEMORATIONS Feb 18 Conversations between Generations: Collecting Stories for the Chinatown is Burning! Historian/performer Charlie Chin Angel Island Oral History Project, present- will bring 15-year-old Hugh Liang to life, sharing the quake ed by the Angel Island Immigration survivor's life experiences with audiences of all ages. Check Station Foundation. CHSA Learning performance schedules on www.chsa.org or arrange a group Center, 1:30 pm. performance (schools, churches, etc.) through Leonard Shek Exhibition reception for Talk Feb 23 at [email protected]. Story: An American Family, with artist Flo Oy Wong and curator Lenore Chinn. CHSA Museum. 5:30 pm. Earthquake: The Chinatown Feb 25 In Search of Roots Story will present the impact of Presentation by 2005 Interns. Chinese the quake on Chinatown and its Culture Center of San Francisco, 750 residents. Scheduled for the Kearny Street, 3rd Floor. Time TBA. More Philip P. Choy Gallery beginning info: (415) 986-1822, www.c-c-c.org. in April, look for updates in All CHSA events are free to future Bulletins. members, except as noted For more info, call (415) 391-1188 or visit Earthquake Centennial Dinner www.chsa.org. April 17, Palace Hotel, San Francisco. Conversations CHINESE Between Generations HISTORICAL COLLECTING STORIES FOR THE SOCIETY OF ANGEL ISLAND ORAL HISTORY PROJECT AMERICA SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1:30-3:00 PM, CHSA BOARD OFFICERS Willard Chin, President Since fall 2004, college students Philip P. Choy, 1st Vice President have been conducting interviews to Donald Chan, 2nd Vice President collect the experiences, recollections, Russell Jeung, Ph.D., Secretary and impressions of immigrants who Frank Jang, Treasurer came through Angel Island Immigration Station during its years BOARD DIRECTORS of operation, from 1910 to 1940. Irene Poon Andersen Interviewees and their interviewers Joyce Chan will be reunited for a conversation Colleen Fong, Ph.D. about the process of recording first- Paul Fong hand experiences of immigrating to the United States through Angel Island. Speakers will share their process Him Mark Lai of recording oral histories, lessons learned, and how these personal nar- Agnes Lam ratives will be used for future generations. This program is co-sponsored Catherine S. Lam by CHSA, Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, and the Pacific Alexander Lock Regional Humanities Center based out of UC Davis. For more informa- Kenneth Louie tion, contact AIISF at (415) 561-2160 or [email protected]. j Galin Luk Anna Naruta Honoring Lorraine Dong William G. Roop CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Washington in Seattle. Lorraine was also a former Rockefeller and FOUNDERS Fulbright fellow. She wrote Sewing Woman, an Oscar-nominated documen- Thomas W. Chinn tary about a Chinese immigrant woman in America, and co-wrote two C.H. Kwock other award-winning Chinese American films, Lotus and Forbidden City, Chingwah Lee USA. In addition to publishing essays and articles, she co-authored the H.K. Wong book, The Coming Man, 19th Century American Perceptions of the Chinese, with Thomas W.S. Wu, D.D.S. Philip P. Choy and Marlon K. Hom. Lorraine is currently pro- CHSA ANNUAL MEETING & STAFF fessor and acting chair of Asian VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION Sue Lee, Executive Director American Studies at SFSU. LUNCHEON Ruth Chan, Collections Manager The CHSA Spirit Award is Saturday, January 21, 2006 Charlie Chin, Artist in Residence one of our highest honors, Empress of China Restaurant established to acknowledge our Marisa Louie, Exhibitions Coordinator 838 Grant Avenue, San Francisco volunteers and the unsung Reception 11:00 am, Luncheon 12:00 PM Russell Ow, Accountant heroes who have given extraor- $35 CHSA member, $50 nonmember Leonard Shek, Program Coordinator dinary time and energy to our Candace Tom, Operations organization. Please join us at Honoring Lorraine Dong, PhD Administrator our annual meeting to honor Featuring “Chinatown is Burning!” Ivy Wong, Weekend Supervisor Lorraine’s amazing dedication to a preview performance by Charlie Chin CHSA and to the Chinese Jeffery P. Woo, Esq., Legal Counsel For information, 415 391-1188 or www.chsa.org American community. j CHSA BULLETIN n PAGE 2 Dragons, Drums, Floats, and Firecrackers Chinese CHSA EXHIBIT, JANUARY 17 – MARCH 19 New Year Dragon, the world, San Francisco’s Chinese Commerce, and other contributors, circa 1948, New Year Parade is also one of the the exhibit traces the historic and courtesy of Benjamen oldest in the nation—a uniquely cultural roots of the parade and Chinn Chinese American celebration with provides a behind the scenes look roots in old Chinese traditions. at this incredible event. The items P artnering again with the Designed to attract tourism and and artifacts document the colorful Chinese Chamber of Commerce business to Chinatown, the parade history of a community celebration and the San Francisco Chronicle, CHSA and the larger Chinese New Year that represents the strong bond presents the exhibit, Dragons, festival draw participants from between San Francisco and its Drums, Floats, and Firecrackers! around the country. Chinese American identity and to honor the tradition and pagaen- Using photographs, memorabil- population. try of the Chinese New Year Parade ia, and artifacts from CHSA's col- Visit www.chsa.org for more in San Francisco. lections, the San Francisco Chronicle information on “Dragons, Drums, One of the largest parades in archives, the Chinese Chamber of Floats, and Firecrackers.” j Talk Story: John Jung: An American Family Southern JANUARY 10 - APRIL 9, CHSA MUSEUM Fried Rice JANUARY 19, 7 PM, San Francisco Bay Area visual artist Flo CHSA LEARNING CENTER Oy Wong will open 2006 with her new installa- tion, Talk Story: An American Family, at What was it like to be a CHSA. Featuring monoprints, artist books, Chinese American child growing up drawings, and her signature rice sacks, “Talk in the deep South in the 1940s? Story” acknowledges the influence of Gee Seow Retired psychology professor John Hong, Wong’s father, on her artistic calling. Jung recounts his youth in Macon, Previously exhibited at many renowned Georgia and the history of Chinese institutions and galleries—such as the Angel American communities in the South in Southern Fried Rice: Life Island Immigration Station, the Ellis Island Gee Seow Hong Immigration Station Museum, and the in a Chinese Laundry in the Deep Smithsonian, and local venues such as the M.H. de Young Memorial South (2005). His parents, both Museum, Chinese Culture Center, and Oakland Museum—Wong’s art is Cantonese immigrants, operated a again directly situated in San Francisco Chinatown after her December Chinese laundry in Macon for over 2005 opening at the Flomenhaft Gallery in New York. The pieces featured 20 years. Isolated from other in “Talk Story” evoke memories of family life in Oakland Chinatown, Chinese Americans, the Jung family beginning with an incident that nearly took her father’s life in Flo’s infan- lived between white-black racial cy, and moving into her visual expressions of her older siblings’ stories. tension. Jung’s story, crafted from The exhibition text is bilingual, engaging both English and Chinese- personal memories and archival speaking communities with themes of family, narrative art, and sharing research, reflects upon the toll of family stories. A brochure, produced by “Talk Story” curator Lenore the immigration journey and living Chinn, includes educational activities for families and classes visiting the in the South on his strong and show and is available for free from CHSA. resilient parents. The public reception for “Talk Story” will be held Thursday, February Following the book reading, 23, at 5:30 pm. Wong’s sisters and brother will also join her for a free Jung will meet guests and sign books. Free to the public. family panel presentation on Thursday, March 30 at 7 pm.