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Fall - San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
San Diego Chinese Mission Building 404 Third Avenue San Diego, CA 92101 T: 619 338 9888 F: 619 338 9889 www.sdchm.org [email protected] Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Extension 328 J Street San Diego, CA 92101 FALL 2010 The mission of SDCHSM is to collect, preserve and share the Chinese American experience and Chinese history, culture and art and to educate the diverse community and its visitors. MUSEUM HOURS Tuesday-Saturday 10:30am-4:00pm Sunday 12pm-4pm Closed Mondays Admission $2 Members Free Group tours are available upon request. Please share this information with your local school or organization. HUI brightness, glory, shining Written by Zhao Meng Fu 趙孟頫 1254-1322 C.E during the Yuan Dynasty 元朝 輝然 very happy, to brighten up 輝煌 glorious, very bright 交輝 brightly, shining Fall 2010 AN ELITE EXHIBIT AND POPULAR OPENING Priscila Echeverria, Museum Staff On the afternoon of July 31st, the museum’s latest exhibit made it’s debut in the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Extension building. The Elite and Popular Culture of Old China 中國文化遺產 features a variety of artifacts ranging from calligraphy implements and examples to carved jade, everyday tools and common household utensils, to old books and other scholarly items. The much anticipated exhibit aims to give visitors a glimpse of the various groups and social classes that coexisted in traditional Chinese society for thousands of years. Tying the entire exhibit together is a Qing Dynasty 清朝 reproduction of the famous twelfth century scroll painting by Zhang Zeduan 張擇端, Along the River During Qingming Festival 清明上河圖, which provides Alex Stewart quizzes the audience about a window into the various classes, professions, daily Chinese Opera. Can you name this character? activities, and entertainments that composed Chinese (See the answer on page 18) society during the Northern Song Dynasty 北宋 (960-1127 CE). The turnout at the exhibit opening was excellent with over sixty visitors attending the event! As usual, Education Coordinator Alex Stewart delivered a thoroughly researched and informative PowerPoint presentation introducing the themes of the exhibit to museum visitors. In his lecture, Mr. Stewart provided an overview of the various groups and social classes in traditional Chinese society and he explained how these groups coexisted for thousands of years and formed the basis of Chinese society. He also elaborated on the various art forms featured in the exhibit such as the scholarly arts of calligraphy, jade carving, and literature, as well as Chinese Opera, which was enjoyed across all levels of Chinese society and was based on themes ranging from literary classics to subversive folk stories. In his typical fashion, Mr. Stewart artfully engaged the audience by teaching them how to recognize the various stock characters of Chinese Opera by their facial makeup or masks. He then tested their observational skills by showing them a series of pictures of opera characters and having them guess which character types they represented. The audience was clearly well versed in the stories of the Chinese Opera as they not only guessed whether the characters were “heroes” or “villains,” but also provided the specific names of the characters. *Special Report: Following the lecture, the guests were free to browse Our Museum’s New Addition the exhibits. Many visitors asked thoughtful questions about the various artifacts on display and commented *Abbreviated Biography of on how much they enjoyed Mr. Stewart’s lecture. After Lin Wei Cheng taking the time to carefully examine the collection, *The Eye of the Tiger visitors crossed the street to enjoy the reception in the museum garden. Staff members and a dedicated team *A Sweet Taste of History of volunteers, including Agnes Chuang and Lance and In This Issue Continued on Page 18 The San Diego Chinese Historical Society & Museum is funded in part by the Commission for Arts and Culture, City of San Diego PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE D San Diego Chinese Historical Society and Museum Board President Lilly Cheng ear Friends and Supporters of the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum, Summer came and went so fast this year! In July, we honored our dearest Tom Hom on the USS Midway at the Asian Heritage Awards, and in September we honored the work of David Seid at the 75th anniversary of the House of China. It was so wonderful to celebrate the accomplishments and achievements of these selfless individuals. We had quite a few exciting programs at the museum over the summer. On a beautiful afternoon in July, many people came out to hear the stories of children’s book author Oliver Chin. It was great to see three generations of our museum supporters gathered to listen to children’s literature. It was also wonderful to see new faces and old acquaintances at many of the museum’s other events. This summer I also had the opportunity to visit the Shanghai Expo. There were too many people waiting in line to see the Chinese Pavilion, so I gave up. I was told that the exhibition is an interactive piece on the painting, Along the River During Qingming Festival 清明上河圖. Our museum is currently presenting an exhibition featuring the same painting. During the exhibit opening, Alex Stewart presented an excellent talk explaining the piece and the various aspects of traditional Chinese society represented in the painting. Again, we were mesmerized by the details and beauty of this exquisite piece of art. The board continues to work hard to ensure that we provide excellent programs for all of you. Our dedicated staff members have devoted their energy to making our museum a landmark in downtown San Diego. Thank you all for your support, and see you all soon! Thank you very much, Lilly Cheng BOARD OF DIRECTORS HONORARY CIRCLE MUSEUM STAFF Dr. Lilly Cheng, President Michael Yee, Vice President Marion So, Secretary Eleanor Bregman, Esq. Ruth Carpenter Dr. Alexander Chuang Diana Marjip - Chuh Sawyer Hsu Donna Lee Dr. Teh-Hsuang (Tom) Lee Dr. Polly Liew Linda Tu Dr. Sandra Wawrytko Dolly Woo Sandy Woods Shian-shi Yao 2 Jenny Benson Dr. & Mrs. William & Margaret Chang Dr. & Mrs. Shu-Sing & Yui-May Chang Dr. Winnie Wong Chase Peggy Cheong Drs. Shu & Kuang-Chung Chien David Du Gorman & Delores Fong Dr. & Mrs. Y.C. & Luna Fung Dr. & Mrs. Richard & Sophia Henke Tom & Loretta Hom Jeffrey Hsieh Dr. J. Jim Hsieh Theresa Lai Dr. & Mrs. Shao-Chi & Lily Lin Betty Ma Dr. & Mrs. Harry & Constance Mow Larry & Theresa Song Drs. Charles & Lily Wang Edward G. & Ellen G. Wong Dr. & Mrs. Savio & Pattie Woo Drs. Jung Fu & Jennie Wu Dr. & Mrs. William & Amy Yuan Executive E xecutive Director: Dr. Alexander Chuang Treasurer: Dr. Teh-Hsuang (Tom) Lee Curator of Chinese American History: Murray Lee Museum Operations Coordinator: Norman Fong Education Coordinator: Alex Stewart Graphic Designer: Jessica Matsumoto Administrative Assistants/Docents: Alex Stewart, Mary Anne Lacaman, Jessica Matsumoto, Priscila Echeverria Administration Consultant: Tom Hom Display Consultant: Daisy Kuan Community Relations Coordinator: Michael Yee San Diego Chinese Historical Museum CONTENTS ON THE COVER: AN ELITE EXHIBIT AND POPULAR OPENING 2 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 3 MUSEUM UPDATE COVER CALLIGRAPHER 4 MUSEUM SPECIAL REPORT 5 THE SWEET TASTE OF HISTORY 6 ABBREVIATED BIOGRAPHY OF LIN WEI CHENG 9 CURATOR’S CORNER 10 MUSEUM PHOTO GALLERY 11 ANGEL ISLAND IMMIGRATION STATION: BASE CAMP ON GOLD MOUNTAIN 12 THE EYE OF THE TIGER SAN DIEGO CHINESE HISTORY TRIVIA ANSWERS 13 EDUCATION UPDATE 14 APHAFIC UPDATE 16 HISTORICAL PHOTO GALLERY LIN WEI CHENG 18 FUNDING AND DONOR SUPPORT ARCHIVE & LEARNING CENTER BUILDING FUND UPDATE ENDOWMENT FUND UPDATE Fall 2010 MUSEUM UPDATE MUSEUM UPDATE By Alexander Chuang, Executive Director This past summer has been a very busy season! On June 22nd, SDCHM welcomed a group of ten Chinese delegates who were taking part in a Chinese American Education Leadership Seminar hosted by the SDSU College of Education, San Diego County Office of Education and Sister Schools of San Diego. The participants enjoyed a tour of the museum and had the opportunity to learn about the history of the Chinese community of San Diego. On July 7th, Education Coordinator Alex Stewart and I met with Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Mo`olelo Performing Arts Company, Seema Sueko. I am excited to announce that the museum will be collaborating with Mo`olelo for one of their upcoming productions. Yellow Face, written by Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly), runs from October 7-31. I encourage everyone to attend a performance! We were delighted to have children’s book author Oliver Chin join us on July 11th for an afternoon of storytelling and children’s crafts and activities. A few days later on July 16th, the museum hosted a group of high school students from San Diego’s Sister City in Taiwan, Taichung 台中. The students enjoyed a museum tour and lunch in the garden. On the last day of July, the museum debuted its latest exhibit, The Elite and Popular Culture of Old China. Just three days later on the morning of August 3rd, the entire museum staff was at work bright and early (or should I say dark and early) at 5am to prepare for several oncamera interviews for the Fox 5 morning news show. I would like to thank Jing Jing Evans, Krishangi Groover, Matthew Tay, and Dustin Stern-Garcia of the Jing Institute of Chinese Martial Arts and Culture for their participation in the final segment of the interview. For the second year in a row, the museum hosted students from the Confucius Institute’s summer program. During the month of August, two groups of students came to the museum and spent nearly the whole day taking a tour of the two museum buildings and the Asian Pacific Historic District and enjoying a lesson on Chinese paper cutting in the museum garden. The museum hosted two additional author events this summer. On August 14th John Jung joined us at the museum for an informative presentation on his latest book, Sweet and Sour: Life in Chinese Family Restaurants. On September 11th, authors Erika Lee and Judy Yung spoke about their book, Angel Island: Immigrant Gateway to America. With this busy summer season drawing to a close, I am looking forward to the various events and activities at the museum that will fill the coming months. I thank you all for continuing to come and support the museum, and I look forward to seeing you all here! - AC COVER CALLIGRAPHER: Zhao Meng Fu 趙孟頫 (1254-1322 C.E.) Originally from Huzhou 湖州, in the Zhejiang 浙江 Province of China, Zhao Meng Fu, also known as “Zi Ang,” 子昂 was the best known calligrapher and painter at the time of the Yuan Dynasty 元朝. Zhao’s wife, Guan Daosheng 管道昇, and his son, Zhao Yong 趙雍, were also talented in painting and calligraphy. During Zhao’s time, China was under Mongol rule. The Mongols were great cultural patrons, and as the leading calligrapher and painter of that time, Zhao received much support and encouragement from the Mongols – especially from Emperor Khublai Khan 忽必烈汗. Khublai Khan gave Zhao a court position, making him a high official. A descendent of the Song 宋朝 imperial family, Zhao served the Mongols as an official in the Ministry of War. Khublai Khan and later Mongol emperors admired Zhao’s paintings and continued to promote and reward him, presenting him with the position of President of the Hanlin Academy 翰林学士 in 1316, the most prestigious body of scholars in China. Chinese scholars of his own time and later dynasties denounced Zhao for renouncing his own people to serve the Mongols. 3 SDCHM SPECIAL REPORT Special Report: Our Museum’s New Addition By Alexander Chuang, Executive Director Last year the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum received the distinction of being named one of the top 10 museums and galleries by DK Eyewitness Publishing. This year, I am proud to say that the voting public on the KFMB-TV Mojo Awards website chose SDCHM as the #1 best museum in San Diego among ninety nominees. In addition, The San Diego Union Tribune wrote several articles this year on the museum, and over the summer Fox 5 featured the museum in four live segments during their morning news show. SDCHM has also been invited to support several community events including Tony Awardwinning playwright David Henry Hwang’s Yellow Face, a production of Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company, and the 2010 San Diego Asian Film Festival. Clearly, SDCHM has been recognized as a significant part of San Diego’s thriving arts and cultural community. We thank all the members, donors, and friends who have so generously supported the museum over the years. Your support has been vital to the museum’s success. As a nonprofit organization, our resources are very limited, and we are often forced to “get by” with a minimum number of staff and volunteers. We do not employ professional designers or exhibit installers, yet our exhibits are always praised by visitors. We do not have professional writers, editors or photographers on our staff, yet the museum has already published a catalogue of our Five Dynasties of Chinese Pottery exhibit and, thanks to a generous grant from the Ellen G. and Edward G. Wong Family Foundation, will unveil its second publication in November, Through the Eyes of Heroes: A Tribute to San Diego’s Chinese American Veterans. In addition, the museum newsletter, written and edited by staff members along with contributions from museum members and visitors, is one of the best in San Diego, according to reader feedback. Over the past ten years, the museum’s Education and Outreach program has grown to be a great success and an integral part of the museum. Each year, staff members visit between 30-40 schools and other institutions around San Diego County and deliver interactive educational presentations to roughly 2,000 students including preschool through high school, college and adult groups. We currently offer a dozen courses as well as a number of lectures and tours. In addition, this year we have expanded our adult educational offerings. The museum’s education coordinator, Alex Stewart, and our curator of Chinese American history, Murray K. Lee, are experts on Chinese and Chinese American history and culture and are the 4 instructors for our adult programs. Mr. Stewart has been invited to give lectures for various prestigious institutions including the San Diego Museum of Art’s Asian Arts Council and the Mingei International Museum, and Mr. Lee has also been invited to speak for a number of groups including the Riverside Metropolitan Museum. To be invited to speak at these museums is quite an honor and underscores just how much SDCHM has accomplished despite its small size. In 2004, SDCHM unveiled its Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Extension building to house rotating exhibits. The building consists of three exhibit galleries, a lecture hall, and a small library. However, due to the expansion of the museum’s collection and the increase in activities and educational offerings, we have once again outgrown our space. Consequently, we began a search last year for another building to house our growing collection of artifacts and museum archives, an area to prepare for exhibits, and for education programs. Due to the scarcity of available buildings in the downtown area, it took us one year to find an appropriate building. With a $250,000 donation from Dr. and Mrs. Alexander and Agnes Chuang, the museum finally acquired a building on 2nd Avenue, only two blocks from the museum’s historic mission building. Dr. Tom Lee and I have spent quite some time preparing a set of as-built drawings as well as a renovation plan for the building. The new facility will include a classroom, a lecture hall, an artifact preservation area, a storage room, a workshop, two offices, and an archive storage loft. Currently, we are working with a contractor to obtain an estimate for the project costs and are requesting building permits. The cost of renovation will be appreciable, and we will establish a building fund to complete this project. The addition of this new facility marks a significant step in the expansion of the museum and offers the opportunity for museum members and friends to leave a lasting legacy by making a donation to the building fund. Donations at all levels are meaningful gifts to the museum. For those who are interested in making larger donations, several naming opportunities are available. We welcome anyone who is interested to come view the site and plans once we complete the primary phase of the renovation. The fundraising efforts and the renovation of this new facility will mark the third time since the museum’s inception that I have faced such a challenge. However, I confidently believe that with all of your help the dream of SDCHM’s new Archive And Learning Center will soon become a reality. - AC San Diego Chinese Historical Museum SDCHM EVENT �e Sweet Taste of History By Alex Stewart, Museum Staff Each time John Jung comes to the museum to present his books about the experience of Chinese laundries, Chinese markets, being the only Chinese family in town, and now, Sweet and Sour: Life in Chinese Family Restaurants, so many Chinese immigrants and their children share in the experiences he describes that it evokes the nostalgic atmosphere of a family reunion. Dr. Jung began by reflecting on his Chinese name, 勞思源, which is derived from the Chinese saying, “When you drink water, remember the source. 飲水思源” This notion drove the professor of psychology to begin writing about his parents and other early (left) Professor Jung speaks to a packed house in the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Extension. (right) Alex Chinese immigrants who worked hard to make Chuang presents John Jung with a certificate of appreciation. a living amidst hostility and discrimination. the 1950s “going slumming” in San Francisco’s North Beach A childhood spent in the only Chinese laundry in Jim Crow- to see beatniks. For economic reasons, Chinatowns generally era Macon, Georgia inspired Dr. Jung to write about the hand were found in the more seedy and dangerous parts of town. laundry business, then fans of the first book inspired new And the stereotypes of Chinese cooking pets, eating rats, or projects about Chinese grocers in the Mississippi Delta, and corrupting white women no doubt compounded whites’ sense now, Chinese family restaurants. of adventure. The allure of the exotic, often accentuated by Food is so central to Chinese culture that, “Have you eaten? colorful Chinesey décor, remains a common marketing strategy 吃過了没有?” is a common greeting in China. So it would today, but it has not prevented Chinese food from becoming a seem that restaurants would be a natural part of Chinese ubiquitous part of American culture. immigrants’ integration into American society. But Dr. Jung Of course, most of the early Chinese immigrants couldn’t dispelled some common theories about why so many Chinese afford to eat out very often, so it made economic sense to entered the restaurant business: Most of these restaurateurs cater to white tastes instead. In the 1920s and ‘30s, Chinese were not in the food service business in China, at first there was food became so popular that the La Choy company (founded no real market among Americans for strange Chinese foods, by a Korean American and a white man) began marketing and the work wasn’t really any less challenging than the laundry dried mixes to help people make Chinese dishes at home. business or the other forms of hard labor open to the Chinese at But ignorance and mistrust persisted as many criticized the the time. Discriminatory laws and ordinances had pushed the “devious Chinese” for not giving out the “right recipe” for Chinese away from fishing, buying farmland, working mining dishes like chop suey, which was not actually a native Chinese claims, and other industries, and towards more “feminine” dish, but a random assortment of stir-fried leftovers. Indeed, occupations like cooking, laundry and domestic servitude. Prof. Jung observed that this dish, although “held in contempt Many early immigrants were able to translate new skills gained by all self-respecting Chinese,” actually “turned the tide” in through necessity (like how to cook Western dishes) into self- making Chinese food popular. Chinese American food may employment. But others didn’t even know how to cook before not be authentic, but immigrants showed remarkable skill in opening a restaurant. Indeed, good chefs were “worth their adapting their cuisine to American tastes while retaining an weight in gold,” and restaurateurs often took cooks with them exotic caché. This has given us fascinating hybrids like chop on family vacations, lest a competitor steal then. suey sandwiches and Sichuan 四川-style alligator. During an age when the American populace feared the Sadly, the family Chinese restaurant appears to be fading “yellow peril” of “heathen Chinese,” it is no surprise that white away like the corner hand laundry before it. Big chains Americans were not the primary market for Chinese food. But like P.F Chang’s and Panda Inn have all but replaced small the Chinese Exclusion Act prevented predominantly single and establishments with awkwardly transliterated names like Hung male Chinatown residents from bringing wives or families into Far Low and Fu King, where dad does the cooking, mom waits the country; so Chinese restaurants provided much-needed the tables, the kids do the dishes, and the whole family lives companionship and a taste of home. While Chinese patrons upstairs. But when today’s American-born Chinese consider came to experience the familiar, whites eventually began the source of their financial security and university degrees, showing up for a taste of the exotic. they remember parents and grandparents sweating over stoves, Professor Jung compared the ventures of curious white irons or cash registers, and they realize that a somewhat sour people into early 1900s Chinatowns to his own experiences in history has never tasted so sweet. - AS Fall 2010 5 SDCHM EXCLUSIVE Abbreviated Biography of Lin Wei Cheng 林偉成 Compiled By Dr. Shao-Chi Lin, Honorary Circle The Shanghai City Regional Archives Office 上海市地方志办公室 compiled this article and posted it on the website www.shtong.gov.cn. Bai Yilin 白以麟 in Beijing, a former classmate and good friend of the translator, brought it to his attention on May 18, 2006. Shao-Chi Lin, son of Lin Wei Cheng and Professor Emeritus of University of California, San Diego, has translated and annotated the original article and reproduced supplemental pictures and other materials from the Lin family photo albums, archives, and other sources. The translator’s additions are italicized. Please refer to pages 7 and 17 for more illustrations and footnotes to this article and the Historical Photo Gallery on page 16. Lin Wei Cheng 林偉成 (1902–1947) was a man from Bo Lo 博羅 County, Guangdong 廣東 Province. [According to family records, Lin Wei Cheng actually was born on May 17, 1901.] At the end of 1920, he abandoned his medical studies to learn the skill of flying from the flight-training branch of the Tu Qiang (literally “striving for strength”) Airplane Company 圖強飛機公司 founded by a group of overseas Chinese in Hawaii led by Yang Xian Yi 楊仙逸. After completing his flight training, Lin returned to China in 1922. In early 1923, he was commissioned as the leader of the 2nd Air Squadron organized by the Aviation Bureau within the headquarters of Grand Marshall Dr. Sun Yat-sen 孫中山1,2. April of that year, he flew over the area of Huizhou 惠州 in the pacification campaign against the rebellious armies led by Chen Jiong Ming 陳 炯明. [After Yang Xian Yi died in a torpedo boat accident on September 20, 1923, Dr. Sun Yat-sen appointed Lin Wei Cheng to replace him as Head of the Aviation Bureau. Lin was also commissioned to lead the air squadrons during the Northern Expedition campaign.1,2,3,4 ] In November of the following year, he and Chen Zhuo Lin 陳卓林 received orders to go to the Soviet Union to investigate that country ‘s progress in aviation and airplane replacement. In June of 1925, Lin led a flying squadron to join the battle against the rebellious armies from Yunnan 雲南 and Guangxi 廣西 provinces. Each time, both before take-off and upon return from the mission, he received comforting commendations and anxious inquiries about the outcome of the mission from Dr. Sun Yat-sen. [Dr. Sun died on March 12, 1925, so he could not have comforted and commended the air officers in June 1925. This actually took place during the earlier campaign against Chen Jiong Ming in 1923.1] The morale of Lin and his friends in combat was very high. The leader of the rebellious armies, Commander Zhao Cheng Liang, 趙成梁 was killed by the bombing, forcing 20,000 rebels to surrender. (left) Medical student Lin Wei Cheng 林偉成 in California5 at age 19. (right) Commander Yang Xien Yi 楊仙逸 (Young Sen-yet in his village dialect)6 a brilliant young Chinese American from Hawaii who volunteered to help Dr. Sun Yat-Sen’s new revolutionary government in Guangzhou (廣州 Canton) in 1917. (top) A seaplane pilot’s license belonging to Yang Xian Yi,7 flight instructor and mentor to Lin Wei Cheng and other young aviators like Zhang Hui Zhang 張惠長 and Chen Qing Yun 陳慶雲. The Aero Club of America issued this license, bearing a very early Certificate No. 62, on November 29, 1916. He also had received a land plane pilot’s license at an earlier time. Continued on Page 8 6 San Diego Chinese Historical Museum SDCHM EXCLUSIVE (left) Curtiss HS-2L patrol boat used as a patrol bomber in the Sun Yat-Sen air squadrons during the pacification campaign against the rebellious armies led by Chen Jiong Ming 陳炯明 and others in 1919-1925. (right) The Curtiss JN-4D “Jenny” was used as a light bomber/ air attack aircraft in the 1923-1925 pacification campaign.10 (left) The Aeromarine 39B light reconnaissance/trainer seaplane used in the 1923-1925 pacification campaign10 (middle) The Rosamond ground attack bomber had better performance and 50% higher load-carrying capacity than the “Jenny.” Yang Xian Yi (in civilian clothing at center) and his design team designed and produced it in a factory in Guangzhou 廣州, China. 1st Air Squadron leader Huang Guang Rui made the first flight test in June 1923.1,2,8,4 As the pacification campaign heated up, the first batch of six aircraft the factory produced was thrown into combat service in a matter of days.7 (right) The R-1 reconnaissance/bomber aircraft supplied by the Soviet Union was used by both Sun Yat-sen’s air squadrons and Soviet political advisors in the early phase (1926-1927) of the Northern Expedition campaign.10 (left) This document contains the signatures of the initial donors for construction of Sen-yat Middle School, including Chiang Kai-shek and many of Yang Xian Yi’s aviation students and friends. Upon learning of Yang’s death, Sun Yat-Sen cried in sorrow and ordered a field service with full military honors.1 Once the Eastern Front stabilized, Sun returned to Guangdong for a formal memorial service, which included the beginning of fundraising for Sen-yat Middle School, a posthumous promotion from Maj. Gen. to Lt. Gen., and the bestowal of the title, “Father of the Air Force” on Yang.5 (top, from left to right) A 1926 photograph of flight instructors Ding Ji Xu 丁紀徐 and Zhou Bao Heng 周寶衡, Academy Commandant Huang Guang Rui 黃光鋭, and Air Cadet Mao Bang Chu 毛邦初 in the 2nd enrollment class on a training airfield at the Republic of China’s Air Force Academy founded by Dr. Sun in Guangzhou in 1924. These four men and another air cadet, Wang Shu Ming 王叔銘 (not in this photograph), all became leaders of the Chinese Air Force in the national war of survival against Japan in 1937-1945.11 (left) At the graduation celebration for Group B of the 3rd enrollment class of 100 in the R.O.C. Air Force Academy on March 9, 1930, Generalissimo and Madame Chiang Kai-shek sat in the center of the second row. To Chiang’s left in white uniform was Academy Commandant Huang Guang Rui. The first officer one row behind him was newly commissioned 2nd Lieutenant Zheng Zi Xiang.1 This whole group was promptly invited by Gen. Chiang to help him build a new “Central Air Force” in Nanjing and a Central Air Academy in Jian Qiao 筧橋, a suburb of Hangzhou 杭州, with Mao Bang Chu as Commandant. Fall 2010 7 SDCHM EXCLUSIVE A scene from an air show sponsored by the Guangxi Air Force10 (left) Lin Wei Cheng in Guangxi, 1931-1936.5 (right) Some officers /flight instructors in the Guangxi Air Force in front of an Avro Avian 616 primary trainer aircraft. The third officer to the right of the aircraft’s propeller was Major Ning Ming Kai, a graduate from Group A in the 3rd enrollment class of the Guangdong Air Academy. (top) A formation of Avro 631 Cadet intermediate trainers in routine practice over the Liuzhou 柳州 air base, Guangxi.10 (left) CNAC ordered two of these Sikorsky S-43 twin-engine amphibious aircraft in early 1937 for use in a new coastal route from Guangzhou 廣州 to Hong Kong 香港, to Xiamen 厦門, to Wenzhou 溫州, and then Shanghai 上海. CEO Lin Wei Cheng first checked out this new route and aircraft in June 1937 with a copilot from the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation. (photo courtesy Ray Wagner, San Diego Aerospace Museum). (right) Lin Wei Cheng as CEO of CNAC in Shanghai 上海, May-August 1937 Continued from Page 6 The National Revolution Army and Air Force rallied to begin the Northern Expedition [In this campaign, Gen. Chiang Kai-shek 蔣介石 led a coalition of eight National Revolutionary Armies, and several air squadrons to defeat or pacify all the warlords in North China and fulfill Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s will to re-unify China. It began in Guangzhou on July 9, 1926 and was successfully completed in Beijing by the end of 1928.1,3] The Aviation Bureau was reorganized into a more compact Aviation Department within the General Headquarters Air Squadrons of the Grand Marshall, and Lin was appointed head of the department. In early 1931, Li Zong Ren 李宗仁 and Bai Chong Xi 白崇禧 [then Co-Governors of Guangxi Province] and Huang Shao Hong 黄绍竑 [then Commander-in-Chief of all the armies in Guangxi Province] invited Lin to become Chief of the Guangxi Civil Aviation Bureau. In October of the same year, when the Guangxi Civil Aviation Bureau was re-organized into an Aviation Department within the General Headquarters of the 4th Army Corps, he was appointed head of the department. In April of 1934, the Civil Aviation Department founded a separate aviation school called the Southwest Aviation School in Guangxi. In September, Lin began serving double-duty as a Commandant of that school as well. In June of 1936, he was appointed Deputy Commander of the 2nd Field Army Air Force of the National Revolutionary Army. Shortly after that, he was re-assigned as an Advisory Member of the Aviation Committee of the National Government.[On July 20, 1936, the Guangdong Air Force, Guangxi Air Force and Central Air Force combined to form a unified Chinese Air Force (CAF).4] On May 5, 1937, at the recommendation of Chief Secretary of the Aviation Committee of the Republic of China [the committee was in charge of all civil as well as military aviation matters] Soong Mei Ling 宋美齡 [Madame Chiang Kai-shek], Lin was appointed the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, and also the fifth Chief Executive Officer of the China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) [This was a joint venture 55% owned by the Ministry Continued on Page 15 8 San Diego Chinese Historical Museum SDCHM AND THE COMMUNITY CURATOR’S CORNER By Murray K. Lee, Curator of Chinese American History On June 19, I delivered the presentation “Little-Known Stories, Mysteries, and Puzzles of San Diego’s Early Chinese” to the Friendship Force of San Diego. On July 10, I attended the Asian Heritage awards ceremony aboard the USS Midway. Among the many award recipients that evening was one of our museum’s founders, Tom Hom, who was named as this year’s Special Tom Hom receiving a proclamation Tom Hom’s family at the ceremony aboard the USS Midway from County Supervisor Ron Roberts at Recognition Honoree. the Asian Heritage Awards ceremony On July 1, a representative from the Voice of San Diego contacted me for an interview in my home about San Diego’s Chinatown. It went online the next day and they received so many hits that I was asked to provide more information and some photos of Chinatown. On July 9, three museum staff members came to my house to look at my files on the Chinese American Jeanie Ming in front her garage where some of Redwood model of the proposed Chinese junk veterans for the museum’s Margaret Kuey’s trunks are now empty monument, made by the curator. upcoming book, Through the Eyes of Heroes: A Tribute to San Diego’s Chinese-American Veterans. consequently opposed to designating the building as part of the They were able to fill in some of the gaps in their records with Chinese/Asian Thematic Historic District. The mission was the information from various oral history interviews and ultimately designated a historic building and in 1988, Pam Hamilton of CCDC sent a letter to members of the Chinese early records. On July 17, I attended the Congress of History monthly community inviting them to the transfer of the building from meeting at the San Diego Women’s Museum. Attendees at the Tyson to the Chinese Historical Society which would take place meeting voted in support of the effort by the La Playa Trail on August 1. Regardless of their former positions in regard Association to include a monument to the Chinese fishermen. to the preservation of the mission building, both women Through my work with the La Playa Trail Association, I have thoroughly enjoyed the tour and seemed very pleased with the come across an opportunity to erect a monument dedicated way the museum has developed. On the afternoon of August 14, I attended a book signing and to San Diego’s early Chinese fishermen and shipbuilders. The lecture on the history of Chinese restaurants by John Jung in monument would be on Point Loma along the La Playa shore near the San Diego Yacht Club where the fishermen had a the museum’s Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Extension Building. On August 21, I accompanied David Ming and his wife village and shipbuilding business during the late 1800s. The proposal has been submitted to the San Diego Port District Sharon to Orange to see the historic artifacts that his late brother Dennis had kept stored in his garage. Most of the for approval. On the morning of August 14, I conducted a walking tour artifacts were from their grandparents, Margaret and Chin at the museum of the Asian Pacific Historic District for a large Bak Kuey, who had lived in Ah Quin’s home on Third Avenue. group of visitors. Two members of the group, Marie Burke These artifacts were part of those that had been previously held Lia and Pam Hamilton, each played a significant role during by their mother. I have gone through the artifacts and believe the early stages of the struggle to preserve the museum’s that they should be preserved by our museum as an important historic mission building. Marie Burke Lia represented a part of the Ah Quin legacy. - ML the owner of the mission property, Charles Tyson, and was Fall 2010 9 MUSEUM PHOTO GALLERY The Elite & Popular Culture of Old China exhibit opening Book Signings & Lectures, Fall Education & Outreach Alex Stewart describes the actual size of a hand scroll. A packed house listens to Mr. Stewart’s lecture. A museum visitor views scenes from Along the River During Qingming Festival Oliver Chin addresses the audience during his engaging lecture. Young visitors enjoy paper cutting and coloring activities after Oliver Chin’s lecture. Murray Lee asks Jung’s lecture. John Jung signs a book for Agnes Chuang. Julia Chiang, John Wang and Alex Chuang pose with Mayor Jerry Sanders during the Taichung students’ visit. High school students from Taichung 台中, Taiwan pose with Alex Chuang and John Wang. Alex Chuang, Lilly Cheng and Alex Stewart with Confucius Institute Summer Program participants and volunteers Judy Yung (left) and Erika Lee (right) speak to a full house during their lecture. Mo`olelo Artistic Director Seema Sueko and the cast of Yellow Face pose with Alex Chuang before a museum tour. 10 a question after John San Diego Chinese Historical Museum SDCHM EVENT Angel Island Immigration Station: Base Camp on Gold Mountain By Alex Stewart, Museum Staff In a lecture at the museum based on their new book, Drs. Real or imagined political affiliations also played a significant Erika Lee and Judy Yung examined the experiences of diverse role in determining who would be allowed into the U.S. The immigrants detained on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay authors found that fears of communist agitators infiltrating the between 1910 and 1940 in order to better understand the country after the Russian revolution were largely unfounded United States’ ambivalent relationship with outsiders. as most of the immigrants were “white Russians” fleeing the They began by presenting two characterizations of the Bolshevik regime. However, many South Asian nationalists U.S.: a “nation of immigrants” were investigated and deported that welcomes the poor and because of their attempts to free downtrodden to participate in the their homeland from the British American Dream and the opposing Empire. One such South Asian idea of a “gate-keeping nation,” immigrant gained U.S. citizenship protective and xenophobic. They only to have the courts strip it from eventually concluded that both of him, contributing to his eventual these are only partially true, and suicide. His note conveys the dark it is just this uneasy juxtaposition side of the immigration experience: that makes immigration issues so “Obstacles this way, blockades that, complicated and contentious. bridges burnt behind.” The predominantly European Immigrants’ experiences at Angel immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island varied widely according Island in New York City generally Judy Yung (left) and Erika Lee (right) field questions from the to their race, gender and past about their recently released book, Angel Island: had an easier time entering the audience circumstances. One European Jew Immigrant Gateway to America. country than the Angel Island who escaped the Holocaust called arrivals, but it would be overly it the “most beautiful place on simplistic to name ethnicity as earth,” but for others detention the sole determining factor for was an intensely humiliating and successful immigration. Race degrading experience. Everything definitely played a large part, but on Angel Island was segregated by class and gender also held significant race and gender including waiting roles in determining who would rooms, dining rooms, and even be allowed into the U.S. It seems recreation periods. European that immigration officials mainly immigrants enjoyed greater concerned themselves with rooting freedom to move around and have out “persons likely to become public visitors; they even put on musical charges,” but exclusion laws also and theatrical performances for the required them to deport all Chinese station’s staff. But even while they who were not established merchants lived in luxury compared to their or did not already have relatives Asian counterparts, immigrants in the U.S. Of the approximately Erika Lee (foreground) and Judy Yung (background) sign their from Russia and elsewhere still 300,000 people detained at Angel book for museum board member and treasurer, Tom Lee. wrote poems lamenting the Island between 1910 and 1940, the authors estimated there were weakness of their homeland and the League of Nations in their 100,000 Chinese, 85,000 Japanese, 8,000 South Asians, 8,000 inability to help refugees. No matter what perks it included, Russians and European Jews, 1,000 Koreans, 1,000 Filipinos, forced detention was still unpleasant. and 400 Mexicans. The authors remained somewhat pessimistic about the Immigrants had to be literate in at least one language and present-day situation in which immigrant detention is still show some evidence that they would be able to support the fastest form of incarceration, but they did end with the themselves. Regardless of their own skills, women were judged optimistic tale of Tom Hom’s family. His father, David Hom, according to their “moral character” and the earning potential arrived in San Francisco in 1909. Since this was the year before of their husbands. the immigration station opened, he underwent the same process of interrogation and investigation while still aboard Continued on Page 19 Fall 2010 11 SDCHM EVENT ThE EyE of thE TigER Oliver Chin regaled the audience with an inspirational tale of how he successfully merged a love of writing and drawing with devotion to his Chinese heritage in order to launch a successful publishing enterprise. His personal journey illustrates how celebrating Chinese heritage can be the key to a successful career and an excellent means of giving back to the community. This talk had something for everyone: an informative lecture for adults and interactive story time complete with fun voices for the kids. Chin travels around California and the U.S. to read his stories at schools and libraries, and he even teaches young people how to make their own comic books and presents other lessons that encourage reading Oliver Chin signs one of president Nancy Lo. and writing. The author is a third generation Chinese American from San Francisco who attended Harvard and became the school newspaper’s cartoonist (which, he recalled, caused his parents some chagrin at first). Subsequently, he worked in the design industry for various magazines, children’s television, and even Pokemon. In 2002, Chin published his first book, The Tao of Yao, discussing why basketball star Yao Ming has become known as “the most famous person in China” and even, “the eighth wonder of the world.” Chin shared that he is not a Taoist himself, but it was useful to employ Taoist ideas since they are so deeply infused By Alex Stewart, Museum Staff into Chinese culture. And he was glad to hear that readers who weren’t especially into basketball still enjoyed the book. The next year, he published 9 of 1: A Window to the World, in which nine eleventh graders interviewed adult strangers about their reactions to the tragic events of September 11, 2001, their views on how the world came to be in its present state, and what they think young people need to learn in order to deal with it. Presented in a graphic novel style, this book helps young people to deal with complex and emotional issues by presenting them in a thoughtful and accessible format. The birth of his sons Lucas and Eli in 2002 and 2005, inspired Chin to focus his books for APHAFIC on children’s books that feature Asian American themes and characters. He founded Immedium Publishing in 2004 in order to produce literature that would integrate Chinese culture with the experience of children in the 21st century, while also reinforcing their motivation to learn. The company has published about four books a year since then to make twenty books total. His Octonauts series, which he describes as “Hello Kitty meets Jacques Cousteau,” is such a hit in the U.K. that it will soon be an animated series on the BBC. True to his goal of celebrating diversity, Oliver depicts these undersea creatures in a variety of colors, including black, white, green, and yellow. - AS SAN DIEGO CHINESE AMERICAN HISTORY TRIVIA PART TWO QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 1. Besides working on the Hotel Del Coronado, Chinese laborers worked on other developments in Coronado in the 1880s. What was their daily pay? One dollar a day 2. Pink tourmaline was cherished by the Empress Dowager Cixi 慈禧太后 of China for use as buttons on her gowns. Tourmaline was mined in the nearby mountains and shipped to China by local merchants. What was the name of the most productive pink tourmaline mine? Himalaya Mine at Mesa Grande 3.The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) building at 428 Third Ave. is on one of the most historic sites in Chinatown. What was the first structure that was located on this site? A “joss house” or a Chinese temple. Most early Chinatowns had one. 4. Among the artifacts excavated from the former Woo Chee Chong site were several stream-worn pebbles that archaeologists said did not belong there. What was their origin? The pebbles were used for the narcissus bulbs that the store sold. 12 5. San Diego’s early Chinatown did not have prolonged tong wars like those of other large cities, but Mamie Chan, who lived at 4th and J, said that there were some tong rivalries in the early 1900s and a man was killed. Where was his body found? In front of the CCBA building at 428 Third Avenue 6. Most of the early buildings of Chinatown were wooden. In 1998, Chinatown lost one of its oldest. Where was it and what caused its demise? The Ying On Labor and Merchant Association Annex was condemned after the brick wall of the Ying On building fell on it after an El Nino storm. 7. Tom Hom, the second president of the Chinese Historical Society and some of his brothers were born at 222 J St., just behind the museum. What was the name of the building? The group of two-story buildings was called “Hung Far Low.” Editor’s Note: San Diego Chinese American History Trivia Part Three and Four will appear in subsequent issues of the newsletter. San Diego Chinese Historical Museum SDCHM EDUCATION EDUCATION UPDATE By Alex Stewart, Education Coordinator History, like art, is in the eye of the beholder, and looking at museum exhibits through the eyes of various groups shows how one museum can help different people to come to grips with their past, connect with their present, or prepare for their future. On July 16, John Wang of the Taichung-San Diego Sister City Organization brought a group of high school students from Taichung 台中, Taiwan on a tour of the museum. The group attentively viewed the exhibits and asked a few insightful questions, but they were particularly interested in the museum library, where they found a copy of Mao Zedong’s 毛澤東 infamous little red book of quotations. They giggled hysterically as they read random quotes in Chinese and posed for pictures holding it. When asked why they preferred a dusty old book to the Han Dynasty 漢朝 (206 BCE-220 CE) pottery on display nearby, they told me, “We don’t have this in Taiwan.” Of course, when those little red books were first published, their authoritarian author was leading the indoctrinated masses of Mainland China in calling for an invasion of Taiwan and overthrow of its anti-communist leadership. What many Americans see as a quaint relic of the Cold War might not be too dangerous as propaganda in today’s Taiwan, but it can still be an uncomfortable reminder of ongoing tensions. Of course, these high schoolers were more amused than their parents’ or grandparents’ generation would have been, but for them, the museum provided a new, and perhaps more objective, perspective on their own nation’s history. A group of teenagers from the Union of Pan Asian Communities came in for walking tour of the Asian Pacific Historic District on August 19. Most of these youngsters were Filipino Americans, and seeing the area where the first generation of Filipino immigrants settled not only provided an opportunity to learn about their past, but it also connected them to this local community in the present. As I led the group down Fifth Avenue, a black street musician announced that he would play a blues riff just for our group, and I realized that this scene (minus the amplifier) could have occurred in this diverse area called “Harlem of the West” 100 years ago. It was a strong reminder that our history is still being written. In early August, the Confucius Institute at San Diego State University brought each of its summer camp’s two sessions to spend a day at the museum. These children toured the museum and the Asian Pacific Historic District, learned the art of Chinese paper cutting, and enjoyed lunch in the museum garden. Most of the participants study Mandarin at Barnard Elementary, Riverview International Academy, or Hamilton Elementary, and it’s amazing to see how fast language skills progress when one starts young. One student even showed off his translation skills and another gave the tour guide a break by introducing the First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang 秦始皇, to his classmates. For these bright young children, most of whom were not ethnically Chinese, the museum is not so much a window into the past, but a gateway to a prosperous and cosmopolitan future. - AS Fall 2010 FALL CEPS Presented July - September 2010 CEPS AND MUSEUM TOURS: Confucius Institute Taichung Sister City Program UPAC Summer Program Mo`olelo Cast of Yellow Face San Diego Chinese Academy TOTAL: 40 students 30 students 25 students 10 people 40 students 145 PEOPLE COMMUNITY OUTREACH REPORT JULY - SEPTEMBER 2010 July 10, 2010 APHD Walking Tour Docent: Michael Yee July 16, 2010 Taichung Sister City Students Reception and Museum & Garden Tour Docent: Alex Stewart August 3, 2010 Fox 5 Morning News Segment Alex Chuang, Priscila Echeverria, Alex Stewart August 4, 2010 & August 11, 2010 APHD Walking Tour/Museum & Garden Tour Confucius Institute at San Diego State University Chinese Summer Program Docent: Alex Stewart August 14, 2010 APHD Walking Tour Docent: Murray Lee August 19, 2010 Union of Pan Asian Communities APHD Walking Tour Docent: Alex Stewart September 11, 2010 APHD Walking Tour Docent: Michael Yee September 25, 2010 Smithsonian Museum Day Offered free admission to Smithsonian Magazine subscribers and visitors to Smithsonianmag.com. 13 APHAFIC aphafic Update By Nancy Lo, APHAFIC President APHAFIC Summer Poolside Party This year’s poolside party, held on August 21, 2010, featured a talk by Ms. Akiko Izumitani based on her experience of filming Silent Shame, a documentary focusing on Japan’s role in war crimes in Asia during WWII Akiko Izumitani, who was born in Japan, first learned about the Nanjing Massacre in high school and became increasingly interested in the Asian holocaust. In 2003, Akiko came to the United States to study Ms. Akiko Izumitani shares her experience Nancy Lo presents a certificate of appreciation to Ms. Akiko Izumitani. filmmaking at the UCLA School of Theater, making the film Silent Shame. Film and Television. After watching the film Schindler’s List, she was impressed by the power of the film and its ability to convey untold stories to a broad public. She decided to make her own documentary film to learn more about war crimes, record personal testimonies, and share these stories with more people. In regard to her reasons for making the film, Akiko stated, “My goal is to educate the Japanese society and the rest of world The audience listens to Ms. Akiko Guests enjoying the entertainment at the as well on what has really happened so Izumitani’s speech. poolside party we don’t make the same mistake again.” Akiko indicated, “After interviewing victims, historians and veterans, I didn’t find myself conflicted Approximately 60 people attended APHAFIC’s summer event. as a Japanese person, but more disturbed by the brutality of the In addition to Akiko’s talk and Q&A session, the afternoon lineup crimes themselves. It was unbelievable to me to learn how people included several performances. Maggie Lin’s Cantonese opera group were capable of being so cruel to one another and that there exists performed Sorrow and Bitterness in the Western Chambers, and Paotoday such strong anti- Japanese sentiment. But the film isn’t about Chin Chu performed Empty City Strategy. Other singers included nationalities; it’s about learning about the horrible things that have David Hu, Howard Chang and a duet by Jack and Wendy Meng. gone on in the past so that we can hopefully not repeat them.” In Rounding out the performances was a joke by Alex Chuang and a the course of making this documentary, the filmmaker realized that Japanese song by Frank Chiang in order to show his appreciation of Japanese researchers and activists receive a tremendous amount of Akiko’s effort in making a film to educate the general public about resistance on this topic by right wing Japanese. Akiko interviewed the truth of WWII in Asia. In between performances, Anne Chu led Japanese WWII veterans, researchers and activists in an attempt to the attendees in various line dances. discover why the Japanese people are so reluctant to talk about the Other contributors to this event are Mary Yan-Lee, the program MC; Lilin Wang and Julia Chiang, registration; Julia Chiang and unpleasant side of their history. Akiko attended the first two APHAFIC annual meetings in 2003 Agnes Chuang, food ordering and preparation; Alex Chuang, sound and 2004 at the Carmel Valley Library. When Iris Chang came equipment; and Sam Shulin He, photography. to speak at the second APHAFIC annual meeting in 2004, Akiko accompanied Iris and drove her down from Los Angeles. The world premiere of Silent Shame took place at the Beijing International Film Festival (www.beijingfilmfest.org/) on June 27th, 2010. Akiko began a busy season of screenings for her documentary when she left Los Angeles for China on June 24th to attend the Beijing screening. She returned to the U.S. for the July 23rd screening at the Action On Film International Film Festival in Pasadena and later attended a screening on September 19th at the San Gabriel Film Festival. Silent Shame will likely be screened at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles in the near future. To show our appreciation to Ms. Akiko Izumitani, Nancy Lo presented her with a certificate of appreciation and an honorarium. 14 San Diego Asian Film Festival - City of Life and Death APHAFIC will sponsor the film City of Life and Death (www. cityoflifeanddeath.co.uk/) at the upcoming San Diego Asian Film Festival, which will take place from October 21-28, 2010. The screening of the film will be held on Sunday, October 2nd at 2:00pm at the Mission Valley Ultrastar Cinemas, Hazard Center. Tickets will be available at a discounted price with mail orders. Limited free tickets will be available for students. For more information, please contact Jack Meng at 619-417-7767, Jackhmeng@aol. com, or Mary Yan-Lee at 858-484-4385, [email protected]. APHAFIC is co-sponsoring the film with the San Diego Chinese American Association (SDCAA) and American Chinese Culture and Educational Foundation (ACCEF). - NL San Diego Chinese Historical Museum SDCHM EXCLUSIVE (left) Lin Wei Chang as a CAF officer again in September, 1937 (second from left) In 1936, 102 Hawk III aircraft were produced in China under license from the Curtiss Aircraft Company. These fighters were successful against the Japanese bombers over the Jianqiao 筧橋 airfield on August 14, 1937.10 (third and fourth from left) Polikarpov I-15 and I-16, respectively, fighter aircraft supplied by the Soviet Union and flown in large numbers jointly by CAF and USSR volunteer pilots contributed greatly to the 1938-1939 defense of Lanzhou 蘭州 and Wuhan 武漢.11 (left) An Ilyushin DB-3 long-range bomber in a CAF air base 45 of these were effectively used by CAF and USSR volunteer pilots for close air support of the Chinese armies in the three crucial “Battles of Chang sha 長沙,”11 1939-1941, which denied Japan from gaining effective control over most of China’s territory through out the eight-year war with Japan (July 1937-August 1945). (center) A CAF flight crew posed in front of a Curtiss C-46 transport aircraft in Chengdu 成都. After the United States entered World War II in December 1941, it became a close ally and provided new aircraft and other important assistance during the second half of the 8-year war.5 (right) Curtiss P-40 fighters of Maj.-Gen. Claire L. Chennault’s American Volunteer Group (AVG) on an airbase in Kunming, China, in early 1942.12 This group of about 60 aircraft in three squadrons, 100 pilots, and 200 ground support staff, all recruited and trained by Chennault, was highly successful in helping China’s air defense from January 1942 until it was integrated into the 14th U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) in July 1942.12 Continued from Page 8 of Transportation of the Republic of China and 45% belonging to China Airways, a subsidiary of Pan-American Airways.] Soon after he assumed duties, the “7/7 Incident 七七事變” occurred, [Also known as the Marco Polo Bridge Incident 盧溝橋 事變, this skirmish marked the beginning of Japan’s full-scale invasion of China on July (left) A Curtiss P-40 and pilots of the CAF-14th USAAF Composite Wing in the Hengyang 7, 1937.11] followed by the “8/13 Battle 淞 衡陽 airbase south of Changsha, Hunan 湖南, 1943-1944 From left to right, the 5th person kneeling in the front row was Zheng Zi Xiang, author of Reference 1. 滬會戰” to defend Greater Shanghai 上海 [Beginning August 13, 1937, this was the first full-scale battle of the war between the Chinese and Japanese armies]. As a matter of principle, Lin Wei Cheng took a strong stand on the need to provide support, transportation, and military material for the defensive war efforts, but this stance earned him the scorn of personnel on the American side of CNAC. When Pan American Airways decided not to use any American personnel to fly missions transporting military material, Lin promptly sequestered two each of the Corporation’s Ford 4-AT and Stinson transport planes in Nanjing 南京. He replaced the American flight crews with Chinese personnel who would transport military resources for the duration of the war. The Chinese government yielded to pressure from the American side and dismissed Lin from CNAC Continued on Page 17 Fall 2010 15 HISTORICAL PHOTO GALLERY Lin Wei Cheng (left) In March, 1943, about eight months before the Cairo conference to discuss the war against Japan, the Chinese government in Chongqing 重庆 received an invitation from the Allied Headquarters in Cairo to send a small team to observe the North African campaign.12 The Chinese government sent a team of four officers, Lin Wei Cheng 林偉成 and Lt. Col. Wang Shu Biao 王樹標 from the CAF and two officers from the Chinese Army. By the time the Chinese team made it over “the Hump”12. to Cairo via Burma, India, Iran, and the Middle East, the Allied forces had started the last phase of the North African Campaign. By traveling the coastal route through northwest Egypt and Libya, they were able to catch up with the British army. The Chinese observation team reached Tunisia just before the end of the North African Campaign and was able to observe some battles and meet many Allied commanders including the Allied Supreme Commander, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. (right) Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery, Commander of the British 8th Army; Lin Wei Cheng; Allied Air Commander Marshall Sir Arthur Tedder of the British Royal Air Force (RAF); the Army Officers in the Chinese observation team; an unidentified officer; Lt.Col. Wan Shu Biao 王樹標 of the CAF; and three other unidentified officers. (left) Upon meeting General Carl A. Spaatz, Commander of the 8th USAAF in North Africa, Major General Lin Wei Cheng was invited to fly a pre-invasion bombing mission over Sicily, Italy. Due to the extreme space and weight limitations of a fully loaded B-24 bomber, Lin gladly agreed to serve double-duty as a waist-gunner and observer. On April 24, they successfully flew this mission and it was duly recorded in the Republic of China’s Historical Archives.13 (center) Lin Wei Cheng carrying out some of his official functions, such as coordinating Allied air and ground actions in the China-Burma-India Theater12 and pinning CAF medals on Allied officers for their meritorious services. (right) The last July 4th celebration at the Allied Headquarters in India before World War II ended in August 1945 Officers sat in the front row; the fourth person from the right was Lin Wei Cheng. The second person sitting to his left was Lt. Gen. George E. Stratemeyer, Chief of the USAAF in the China-Burma-India Theater5. 16 San Diego Chinese Historical Museum SDCHM EXCLUSIVE (left) Lin Wei Cheng serving as Chief of the CAF Office in India, 1944-1945 (center) Lin Wei Cheng after a good day of hunting with friends in the countryside outside of Nanjing, circa 1946-1947.5 (right) Commandant Hu Hui De 胡惠德 of the CAF Academy at Jianqiao lays a wreath during a memorial service with full military honors held for Major General Lin Wei Cheng a few days after the accident. Continued from Page 15 [After CNAC moved its headquarters and aircraft to Chongqing 重慶 and Chengdu 成都 in 1939, passenger and cargo services continued with a fleet of Douglas DC-3 and other aircraft types.10] Upon returning to the Chinese Air Force (CAF), Lin was appointed, in succession, Head of the CAF Training Department, Head of the CAF Education Department, Chief of Staff of the CAF, and Chief of the CAF Office in India, during the 8-year war against Japan (July 1937-August 1945). On November 28, 1947, Lin rode a Jeep from the Air Force Academy in Hangzhou 杭州 to Qian Shan 潛山 [A mountain range about 150 km west of Hangzhou] for some hunting and was killed in an accident [The accident occurred when Colonel Wang of the CAF Air Academy bumped off the professional driver designated by the Academy and took over driving a WWII weapons carrier nicknamed “the Big Jeep.” Colonel Wang failed to negotiate a sharp turn upon entering an unguarded single-lane bridge and the jeep rolled over.] - SCL Zheng Zi Xiang ( Posthumous) A Struggling History of the Republic of China’s Air Force in Guangdong, Zhongshan Historical Literature Gazette No.34. 《民國 廣東空軍滄桑史》，鄭梓湘遺著， 《中山文史》第 34 輯，中國人民政治 協商會議，廣東省中山市華僑 港澳台人物編輯委員會選載，1994年1月 20日出版. 1 Heroic Eagles of Southern Guangdong, Ed. Guangdong Aviation Veterans Association, Collected Works of the Guangdong Air Force Historical Material, ISBN 7-5360-2976-4.《南粵雄鷹》，廣東空軍史料選集，1911-1949, 廣東 航空聯誼會編 ，花城出版社出版發行 (1999) 2 Northward March Campaign – Air Force Squadrons Commanded by Lin WeiCheng, Zhang Jing-Yu, http://www.2499cn.com/jiangxijunfa3.htm《北伐戰爭 - 航空隊由林偉成張靜愚指揮》. 3 Lt. Gen. Huang Guang Rui (1899-1986), Over 30 Years of Service in the Air Force, unpublished memoir, circa 1960-1980. A 171- page hand-written manuscript of this memoir was kindly given to the author by the Huang family in 2005.《三十 餘年來從役空軍回味錄》， 黃光銳著，尚未出版. 原稿復印本一份，承 黃光銳家人2005年贈閱留念，特此致謝. 4 Zhao, Rong Fang. Biographies of Xiangshan Aviation Personalities, Xiangshan Historical Literature Gazette Issue No. 16, Zhongshan, Guangdong: Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Historical Literature Committee, Flower City Press, 1989. 《香山航空人物錄》，趙榮芳編撰，《中山文 史》第16輯， 中國人民政治協商會議，廣東省中山市委員會文史委員會 1989年8 月30日出版 . 8 Huang family photo album 9 Huang, Xiao Ci. “Tracing the Roots of Aircrafts used in China,” Air Force of China/Air Force of the Republic of China, No. 722 -788 (2000 -2006) 《中國飛機 尋根》, 黃孝慈編著. (A) 雜誌系列，共 55 章《中國的空軍/中華民國的 空軍》, 空軍出版社, 台北 (2000-2006); (B) CAF 01- CAF 54 http://www. Cwlam. 2000hk.sinaman.com. 國際網絡系列，《中國空軍》，共 54 章. 10 Wilson, Dick. When Tigers Fight - The Story of the Sino-Japanese War, 19371945. New York: Penguin Books, 1983. 11 The Oxford Companion to World War II. Ed.I.C.B. Dear and M.R.D. Foot. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995. 12 Our Air Force Major General Lin Wei Cheng Participated in the Mission of Allied Air Attack on Sicily, Daily Historical Record of the Republic of China, April 24, 1943, Entry #5《我空軍少將林偉成參加盟機襲西西里之役》http://www. qglt.com/bbs/ReadFile=1064881&typeid=17 13 Lin Family Photo Album 5 Lum, Yansheng Ma and Raymond Mun Kong Lum. Sun Yat-Sen in Hawaii, Activities and Supporters Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1999. 6 Sen-Yat Middle School - Special Commemorative Issue for Joint Celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the Middle School, Completion of the Founder Cheng Du Chun Building, and Establishment of the Alumni Association, Zhongshan: Sen -Yat Middle School Press, 1985. 仙逸中學六十 週年校慶， 程度純館落成，暨校友會成立專刊，中山市仙逸中學編印，1985年十二月 八日出版. 7 Fall 2010 Factual Record of China, Soviet Union, and U.S. Allied’s Air War Against Japan, Special Commemorative Issue edited and published by the Beijing Aviation Association on the 60th Anniversary of the China, Soviet Union and U.S. Allied war against Japan, August 8, 2005. 蘇美空軍抗日空戰紀實》中國抗日戰爭暨 世界反法西斯戰爭勝利六十周年專刊，北京航空聯誼會暨世界華僑華人社 團聯合總會編委會2005年8月出版 14 17 FUNDING & DONOR SUPPORT DONOR JULY - SEPTEMBER 2010 CASH AMOUNT Philip Cohen David Du Seema Sueko & Troy Hirsch Fah-Seong & Polly Liew Donald & Diane Wozniak House of China Subtotal $144.00 $1,000.00 $100.00 $1,000.00 $50.00 $200.00 $2,494.00 IN MEMORY OF PETER CHANG Gloria S. Chang $500.00 IN MEMORY OF JO-HSI CHENG Howard & Tao Tao Chang K. K. & Linda Tan Sherwin & Julie F. Wang Subtotal $100.00 $100.00 $1,000.00 $1,200.00 IN MEMORY OF MRS. KAO CHIEH WU Therese M. Liu $100.00 GRAND TOTAL ARTIFACT DONATIONS Richard & Sophia Henke Qing Dynasty portable hat rack Bamboo Cricket Cage, modern 19th century brass Japanese mirror Book about Chinese herbal medicine, printed around 1900 Chinese compass, early 1900s Bound feet shoes, early 1900s Jewelry box with semiprecious stone & mother of pearl inlay, c. 1800 Jewelry box with semiprecious stone & mother of pearl inlay, c. 1800 Steel Health Balls, early 1900s Crackle-glazed pale silver ding, c. 1850 Painting of a man on a camel, c. 1940s Man’s Silk Robe, c. 1940s Small Lacquer Jewelry Box, late 1800s Embroidery of a lake scene, modern Wood box with inlaid bone and stones, c. 1800 Mao hat $4,294.00 SDCHM Archive & Learning Center Building Fund DONOR Alexander & Agnes Chuang PLEDGE $250,000 PAID $137,348 OUTSTANDING BALANCE $112,652 (to be paid in Spring 2011) Sdchm Endowment Fund Update Hwei-Chih & Julia Hsiu Endowment Fund Alexander & Agnes Chuang Shao-Chi & Lily Lin Teh-Hsuang & Dorothy Lee Jung Fu & Jennie C.C. Wu Fah-Seong & Polly Liew Winnie Wong Chase Drumright Memorial Fund Tom & Loretta Hom Joseph & Vivian Wong Kwan L. & Marion So Norman & Pauline Fong Shu & Kuang-Chung Chien Genghis Khan Furniture Peter Shih Koun-Ping & Lilly Cheng Sandra Wawrytko/Fu Foundation $70,000 $30,000 $20,000 $20,000 $16,000 $12,500 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $8,000 $7,000 $5,000 $5,000 $4,000 Andrew C. & Janet C. Wang James Ho Anthony Y.H. & Lillian W. Lu Merck Partnership for Giving $3,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 (matching Anthony & Lillian Lu) George & Jean Kung Dee & Susan Lew Edward G. & Ellen G. Wong Theresa F. Lai Ernest Chun-Ming & Huei-Jen Huang Charles W. & Linda C. Tu Michael & Criselda Yee Chun & Donna Lee Raymond & Lilian Cheung Steve C. & Susanna Y. Kuei $2,000 $2,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $200 $200 $100 $50 GRAND TOTAL $275,050 - at The San Diego Foundation Continued from Page 1 Eliza Chuang, worked hard to prepare an array of snacks and refreshments to serve the guests. Like all of the museum’s exhibit openings, the day started with nervous anticipation as the cases and artifacts that make up the displays were checked and rechecked to ensure that everything was just right for the coming visitors. Fortunately, the efforts of the executive director and staff were rewarded with a successful opening and a large group of very pleased, complimentary, and enthusiastic visitors. We thank everyone who made it to the exhibit opening, and we look forward welcoming more members and friends at the museum in the near future! - PE *The character pictured on the cover is Cao Cao 曹操 from Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三國演義. 18 San Diego Chinese Historical Museum UPCOMING EVENTS Ongoing Events APHD Walking Tour $4 (includes museum admission) Explore Old Chinatown and the Japanese and Filipino neighborhoods in San Diego’s old Stingaree red light district with Murray K. Lee or Michael Yee. The Asian Pacific Historic Collaborative is a cosponsor. For more information, please contact the museum. Reservations are required. 11th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival OCTOBER 21 - 28, 2010 SDCHM IS CO-PRESENTING THE FILM EMPIRE OF SILVER FOR MORE INFORMATION AND SHOWTIMES VISIT WWW.SDAFF.ORG PLEASE RSVP BY 4PM THE FRIDAY PRIOR TO THE TOUR: MO`OLELO PERFORMING ARTS COMPANY PRESENTS 619 338 9888 or [email protected] Yellow Face Planned Giving To leave a legacy for yourselves and for your family, please consider adding the museum to your will or trust. Special recognition will be given for donors who make the museum a part of their “family.” Please call Alex Chuang if you are interested at 619 338 9888. by David Henry Hwang OCTOBER 7 - 31, 2010 FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT MO`OLELO AT 619.342.7395 OR VISIT WWW.MOOLELO.NET BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL! In summertime, museum education is easy. School’s out of session, just a few tours to guide. But now school is back, so it’s time to book some new programs. So call us today, and give our back-to-school special a try! SAVE $10 ON ONE EDUCATION PROGRAM OR $25 ON TWO EDUCATION PROGRAMS! With the back to school shopping craze, it’s easy to get caught up in the race to stock up on school supplies and clothes for the new school year. This fall, why not share the gift of Chinese culture and history by giving a gift certificate for one of the museum’s education programs to a lucky student, teacher, or school? Friends of the museum will receive an exclusive discount this fall when they book one or more CEPs (Classroom Exhibit Presentation), Museum & Walking Tours, or Curator Presentations or when they purchase an education program and/or gift certificate.* The museum offers programs suitable for all ages from preschool through adult. For a description of the museum’s various CEPs, program costs, and booking instructions, visit the museum’s education page at www.sdchm.org/education.php. *EDUCATION PROGRAMS MUST BE BOOKED BY OCTOBER 31, 2010 AND TAKE PLACE BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 2010. BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL MUST BE MENTIONED AT TIME OF BOOKING TO QUALIFY FOR DISCOUNT. SPECIFIC DATES ARE SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY. Continued from Page 11 the ship, proving that his father, who arrived in 1872, was already in the U.S. Tom Hom smiled serenely from the audience as the authors recounted his election as the first ethnic minority San Diego City Councilperson and subsequent election to the California State Assembly. After answering questions from a full house and signing numerous books, the authors joined the crowd in the Chuang Garden to enjoy some light fare and conversation. Surveying the community of academics, history buffs, and other museum supporters it was hard to believe that most of these people’s ancestors had been detained in crude barracks and made to prove their worth. But, as a Holocaust survivor and Angel Island detainee quoted in the book reflects after recounting a tremendous tale of hardship, “That’s the way it was.” And we’re grateful for people like Drs. Lee and Yung for helping to ensure that we do not forget it. - AS Fall 2010 19 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP Active Active Couple Senior (60+) Senior Couple Student $25 $40 $20 $30 $10 LIFE MEMBERSHIP Life Life Couple Senior Life (60+) Senior LIfe Couple Corporate $250 $400 $200 $300 $750 SDCHM MEMBERSHIP 2010 BECOME A MEMBER TO APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP Please return your membership application with cash or check payable to: San Diego Chinese Historical Museum 404 Third Avenue San Diego, CA 92101 T: 619 338 9888 F: 619 338 9889 www.sdchm.org [email protected] NEW MEMBER RENEWAL *Please fill out form completely and check appropriate boxes* Welcome to all of our new and returning members to the San Diego Chinese Historical Society and Museum! We appreciate your support, as well as your prompt renewals of membership. **Members receive quarterly newsletters, invitations and discounted admission to all special events/openings, as well as complimentary general admission to both the SD Chinese Historical Museum and the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Extension.** ACTIVE ACTIVE COUPLE SENIOR (60+) SENIOR COUPLE STUDENT LIFE LIFE COUPLE SENIOR LIFE (60+) SENIOR LIFE COUPLE CORPORATE NAME ............................................................. SPOUSE ................................................................................................. CHINESE NAME ........................................... SPOUSE’S CHINESE NAME ............................................................... ADDRESS ........................................ CITY ................................................................ STATE .................................... ZIP CODE ........................................... E-MAIL ............................................ HOME PHONE ............................................. WORK PHONE ..................................................................................... OCCUPATION ............................................... COMPANY/SCHOOL .......................................................................... .
