2013.022.002 Oral History Interview with Don Kao

 

In this oral history Don Kao discusses his life living in Chinatown along with his involvement in Asian American and gay rights activism organizations. Kao first discusses his family background along with the professions his parents had. He compares the different cities he grew up in along with the schools he went to during his childhood. The interview continues as Kao comments on the racism in the community he grew up in along with meeting other Chinese Americans. His experiences during the gay rights movement, being among individuals of the gay community, and other collaborating with Asian Americans is discussed in depth. Lastly the interview concludes with Kao reflecting on living with HIV and AIDS along with others he knew in the gay community that contracted these infections.

0:00 - Introduction, family background, moving to the United States, living in Wilmington, Delaware, the jobs and schooling his mother and father had, living in Florida, other extended family members in China.

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7:56 - A sister Kao has that lives in China, moving to Brunswick, Maryland and his father opening a private family practice, living in a small town, racism he experienced, the economic situation his family was in growing up, going to Washington D.C.

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13:55 - Going to boarding school with his brother, not thinking he was gay, transferring to Lawrenceville, his close relationship with his brother, getting into University of Wisconsin and other schools that he applied to, wanting to be white and discrimination he experienced.

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19:31 - His friend Harry Payne, growing up with other people of color, how other classmates treated him at Lawrenceville, the difficulty of inter race relations, going to Taiwan with his brother, the political views of his father.

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26:33 - Meeting other Chinese Americans on his trip to Taiwan, starting the first Asian American group at University of Wisconsin, getting involved in the anti-war movement, going to protests, starting to work in Chinatown with CANE.

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38:57 - Not being as involved in the Gay rights movement in the 1970s, going to The Peoples College of Law in LA, moving to New York to with Jack Tchen, his Asian American group, getting involved with Basement Workshop.

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43:14 - The Midwest Asian American Conference, various other Asian American gatherings, other people knowing he was gay, discussions at the Midwest Asian American Conference, Wing Lamb and their views, talking about his own sexuality in the origination.

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50:45 - The fear of coming out, various centers for people of color, closing the various centers, not having a space for Asian Americans, coming to Basement Workshop, starting Gay Asian Gay Pacific Islander men of New York.

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56:05 - Getting fired from his job, working in afterschool daycare, working with his Asian American students, going to DC to meet the cast of Pacific Bridges with his students, closing the children's center at basement workshop, creating the Center for Educational Equity, teaching classes to children.

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65:17 - Starting at Project Reach, Chinatown gangs, the borders of Chinatown, discrimination against Chinese workers, working with the Chinese American Planning Council, working with a LGBT drop-in center, the Third World Gay Men of New York, conference and gay march in Washington, D.C.

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77:18 - National gay march in 1987 with Asians and friends banner, the Asian lesbian group, being HIV positive, the Asian Pacific Island Coalition on HIV and AIDS, ALEC: Asian lesbians of the East coast, Project Reach, being gay in Chinatown.

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99:12 - Discussion of AIDS, going on a retreat to Delray beach, coming out as HIV positive, getting a necklace for protection, the first cases of AIDS, getting sick while being HIV positive, his brother as his doctor, not taking the HIV medication.

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114:08 - Going to the hospital and not taking his medication, looking for other Asian Americans with AIDS, various medications that were released to treat HIV and AIDS, friends in his support group.

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121:20 - Talking with a man that was sick with AIDS, how he contracted HIV, talking with the family of the man when he passed away, the sensitivity of discussing AIDS in families, Dave Malala and Project Reach.

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