2017.041.003 The Family Journey of the Wong Family
In this interview, Wong family representatives, David, Nancy, and their mother discuss their early lives in Colorado, the story of their journey to California and LA, and their lives in San Francisco. They remark on their education and their experience working and helping at the family grocery store. They discuss family history, specifically about paper sons. This interview was conducted in English with few conversations in Toishanese.

0:00 - Introduction, Parents came to America (1947), Staying in San Francisco for a month, A job offered to father in Colorado, Living in Colorado until 1965, Mother parenting five kids, Parents contacting Toishanese Association in the US to arrange the trip, Restaurant business in Colorado, Chinese people in the neighborhood, Café where father worked, leaving Colorado(1965), Travel to California and LA, Buying a house and their store (1968, 1970).

Play segment Segment link

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords:

Subjects:

6:34 - Parents’ guidance for children, Moving to San Francisco to start a new life, Limited income, Vegetables in their garden in San Francisco, Using Toishaneseat home, Lives in San Francisco, Buying a grocery store, Chinese school, Relationship with Chinatown, Home on Broadway, Grocery store on Union Street, Moving to near Ghirardelli Square, Caucasian neighborhood, Wong association, Not much time for family time, How children spending their times,

Play segment Segment link

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords:

Subjects:

14:18 - Discrimination, Parents asking them to study hard, Children attending good universities, Family tradition (celebrating Christmas and Thanksgiving), Mother’s siblings, Father’s well-to-do family in Philippine before the Japanese Invasion, One offamily members winning a lottery in the US, Father’s father was a paper son, Father came as a paper son, Angle Island,Father coming in 1939 as a houseboy, Father serving in the US Navy, Wong family having their name back by 1965.

Play segment Segment link

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords:

Subjects:

23:44 - Wong as their new surname, Celebrating Lunar New Year, Family members celebrating mother’s ninetieth birthday, Sam coming back to the US for Lunar New Year to see mother, Family reunions.

Play segment Segment link

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords:

Subjects:

33:06 - Nancy’s family, Background of Carrie (one of Nancy’s daughter), Background of Laura (one of Nancy’s daughter), Details of six grandchildren, Mother’s perspective toward Harvard, American dream, A relative from mother’s side edited a Chinese English Dictionary.

Play segment Segment link

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords:

Subjects:

41:36 - Discussion about World War Two, Father passing away and his tomb, Hearing family history and respecting their ancestors,The relative who edited the dictionary.

Play segment Segment link

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords:

Subjects:


Search This Index
Search Clear