There were two interviews recorded on this tape. In the first interview, Elsie Chang provides a personal view of Hazel Ying Lee, a female aviator who flew during the 1930s and 1940s. She discusses their close friendship, which began in China when they were young, and delineates the many fearless traits of her friend. Elsie also talks about her life in Portland and the discrimination she faced as an adult. She remembers the last time she saw Hazel and describes where she was when she first learned of her death. In a separate interview, Professor Jeffrey Barlow of Pacific University contextualizes racial and gendered landscape of early twentieth century Portland, Oregon and discusses the stereotypes and expectations with which Chinese American women such as Hazel would have had to contend. Prof. Barlow discusses how Hazel may have made the decision to become an aviator and how she was able to do so despite various constraints. These interviews are part of the Hazel Ying Lee & Frances M. Tong Collection and were conducted as part of the research and making of the documentary film, A Brief Flight: Hazel Ying Lee and the Women Who Flew Pursuit (2002), directed by Alan Rosenberg.

Marjorie Lee, a librarian and archivist at the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, briefly discusses Hazel Ying Lee, a Chinese American woman pilot who flew in the 1920s and 30s. She shares her insights into the flying club established by the Chinese community to express their patriotism before World War II, and contextualizes the decision of Hazel to pursue aviation within the historical gender norms of the times. This interview is part of the Hazel Ying Lee & Frances M. Tong Collection and was conducted as part of the research and making of the documentary film, A Brief Flight: Hazel Ying Lee and the Women Who Flew Pursuit (2002), directed by Alan Rosenberg.

Frances M. Tong is the sister of Hazel Ying Lee, a Chinese American female aviator who served in the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) program during World War II. In this portion of the interview, Frances discusses various topics in relation to Hazel, including her immigration and that of her siblings to Hong Kong, her stance on office work versus homemaking, the difficulty Chinese American women had with breaking into office professions and working outside the home, the different roles in a Chinese family, and her admiration for her sister, Hazel. This interview is part of the Hazel Ying Lee & Frances M. Tong Collection and was conducted as part of the research and making of the documentary film, A Brief Flight: Hazel Ying Lee and the Women Who Flew Pursuit (2002), directed by Alan Rosenberg.

There were two interviews recorded on this tape. The interviews are with Leah Hing, the first Chinese American woman to earn a pilot license, and Frances M. Tong, sister of Hazel Ying Lee. The interview begins with Leah Hing discussing her flying career and her encounters with Hazel as acquaintances working in the same building. At the 8 minute mark, the interview with Frances M. Tong begins. Frances begins by recalling stories about her childhood growing up in the United States. A series of questions are asked about the personality of her sister, Hazel, and her career as a pilot in China, as well as her in the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) program. Other topics include discrimination, immigration, and family names. These interviews are part of the Hazel Ying Lee & Frances M. Tong Collection and were conducted as part of the research and making of the documentary film, A Brief Flight: Hazel Ying Lee and the Women Who Flew Pursuit (2002), directed by Alan Rosenberg.

Patrick Adiarte is a Filipino American actor and dancer born in 1943. Patrick played Prince Chulalongkorn in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical, “The King and I” in 1956, and Wang San in the 1958 production and 1961 movie version of “Flower Drum Song.” In this interview, Patrick discusses “Flower Drum Song” and his acting career. He goes into particular detail about Flower Drum Song’s casting process and his recollection of opening night. This interview is one of a series of 18 interviews that author David Lewis Hammarstrom conducted in 2003 as part of research for his book, Flower Drum Songs: The Story of Two Musicals (2006).

Alvin Ing (1932 – 2021), a pioneer Asian American actor and singer, has performed in more productions of “Flower Drum Song” than any other actor. His audition for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s original 1958 musical production did not land him a role, however he was cast as an understudy for the character of Wang Ta in the accompanying national tour. He continued to perform in numerous subsequent productions, most recently as Uncle Chin in the updated and revised 2002 Broadway revival by playwright David Henry Hwang. In this interview, Ing recalls his experience auditioning, performing and touring. He also shares first impressions and memories of Rodgers and Hammerstein and fellow cast members, makes comparisons between the original, revival, and film versions, and discusses stereotypes, audience reception, and financial difficulties of the show.  This interview is one of a series of 18 interviews that author David Lewis Hammarstrom conducted in 2003 as part of research for his book, Flower Drum Songs: The Story of Two Musicals (2006).

Wonci Lui was a part of the dance ensemble in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s original production of Flower Drum Song from 1958 to 1960. Lui, born in 1930, is a Chinese American actress and dancer known for her performance in Kismet as an Arabian dancer. In this interview, Wonci Lui talks about her experience as a dancer in the original production of “Flower Drum Song,” the opening night, and her recollection of director Gene Kelly. Lui discusses how she was cast in "Flower Drum Song," Asian stereotypes in the show, and the development of the musical leading up to opening night. This interview is one of a series of 18 interviews that author David Lewis Hammarstrom conducted in 2003 as part of research for his book, Flower Drum Songs: The Story of Two Musicals (2006). Please note that this interview was conducted by phone and the audio quality is extremely poor throughout.

Arabella Hong was cast as Helen Chao in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1958 musical “Flower Drum Song.” In this interview, Arabella discusses her experience on the show, including auditioning for the role, receiving vocal coaching, and making changes to her scene. She also provides a window into the creation and honing of her song “Love, Look Away” and the writing of the script. Rather than being given a printed script, she shares that she was observed and the part written for her. Topics she covers in the interview also include Gene Kelly and issues with direction, stories about and interaction with Rodgers and Hammerstein, her view on Asian stereotypes in the original “Flower Drum Song,” the show’s fidelity to C. Y. Lee’s book, comparisons between the original and new “Flower Drum Song,” why the show failed on Broadway, her view on reviving shows from another period, a discussion of various composers, and her nostalgia for the beautiful melodies of the past. This interview is one of a series of 18 interviews that author David Lewis Hammarstrom conducted in 2003 as part of research for his book, Flower Drum Songs: The Story of Two Musicals (2006).

David Lober was part of the dance ensemble in Rodger and Hammerstein’s 1958 musical “Flower Drum Song.” He has also performed in numerous musicals during the 1940s through 1960s such as “Wonderful Town,” “My Fair Lady,” “Here’s Love,” and “Fiddler on the Roof.” In this interview, David shares various aspects of his experience on “Flower Drum Song,” including auditioning, working with choreographer Carole Haney and director Gene Kelly, serving as dance captain, being let go during the national tour, appealing his firing through an Actors’ Equity arbitration, and meeting his wife, who was also a dancer on the show. He also offers his thoughts on critiques that the show modeled offensive Asian stereotypes, David Henry Hwang’s modern rewriting of the show and whether it was sacrilegious to rewrite musicals from the golden era, and how he thinks musical theater has changed since the 1940s and 1950s. This interview is one of a series of 18 interviews that author David Lewis Hammarstrom conducted in 2003 as part of research for his book, Flower Drum Songs: The Story of Two Musicals (2006).

Baayork Lee was one of the children cast in the ensemble of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1958 production of “Flower Drum Song.” Asked to share memories of rehearsals or shows, she recalls working closely with choreographer Carole Haney on some of the dance numbers, understudying and unexpectedly going on as “Fan Tan Fannie” for one performance, and watching and learning dance steps on the side. She also offers her views on such topics as Asian stereotypes in the original show, David Henry Hwang’s rewriting of “Flower Drum Song,” why the show did not succeed on Broadway, racial cross-casting, and opportunities for Asians in the arts. This interview is one of a series of 18 interviews that author David Lewis Hammarstrom conducted in 2003 as part of research for his book, Flower Drum Songs: The Story of Two Musicals (2006).