AIISF - Immigrant Voices
AIISF is pleased to present the following stories about the immigrant experience. As we celebrate 100 years of Pacific immigration from 1910 to 2010, these stories, which reflect diverse experiences in different eras, underscore the common desire for a better life held by all immigrants. These stories offer testimony to the perseverance, courage and tenacity of immigrants whose belief in the American ideals of freedom and justice was unshakable despite hardships and discrimination.
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We wish to thank all the contributors whose stories enrich all our lives.
| Lim, Fook Keung | |
| Low, Dick | |
| Low, Raymond | |
| Lum, Fong Shee | |
| Moy, Damon | |
| Wong, Poy (James) | |
| Yee, Chan Teung | |
| Yee, Helen | |
From China to the Keystone State – Fong Horn’s Journey by Jennie A. Horn
Daughter Jennie Horn provides a vivid description of her father’s interrogation and detention on Angel Island. Her article transports the reader back to 1922 when two paper brothers boarded the S.S.Nanking in Hong Kong and set off on a journey that would end in Pennsylvania.
Stories from our Father, Sam Herbert Huey (aka Sam Shu Huey), an Angel Island Immigrant by the Huey children
Known to family and friends as "Herb," Sam Shu Huey lived an interesting and accomplished life. Arriving on Angel Island when he was 10 years old, Sam endured two months of questioning before being reunited with his father. Years later he served in the U.S. Army until 1952 when he was discharged with the rank of Major. A career as a civil engineer followed. In his retirement years, Herb remained actively engaged in the Asian American community.
Sharing the Angel Island Immigration Experience of How Jiu by Lena and Polly Fong
How Jiu’s journey to America was full of drama and daring. Daughter Lena Fong and granddaughter Polly Fong share this account of a remarkable woman’s life in Oakland Chinatown during the tough Depression through the post World War II years.
Memories of Angel Island: Mrs. Kou Kitano by Chizu Iiyama
Mrs. Kou Kitano arrived on Angel Island in 1914 and waited for her husband, who she had only seen in a photograph. Thus, begins the journey of a Japanese picture bride, as told by her daughter, Chizu Iiyama.
The Story of Jiro “Dick” Kobashigawa by Grant Din
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Mr. Kobashigawa moved to Japan with his family when he was six years old. When he became 16 years old, his father sent him back to the U.S. to work and support the family. He spent three weeks at the Angel Island Immigration Station in 1931. His account of life in the Detention Barracks provides a detailed description of the isolation and anxiety immigrants experienced.
DON YEE FUNG LEE: My Journey from China to America
Adapted from an interview conducted by William Wong, edited by Jordan Yee and Eddie WongDon Yee Fung Lee looks back at the hardships and trials of his life with great candor and feeling. From very harsh beginnings, he forged a life that is rich with accomplishments on the professional and personal level.
Leong Quong: From Immigrant to Flower Grower by Helen Leong
A life of hard work as a gardener in San Francisco leads Leong Quong to become a prize-winning flower grower in Milpitas, California.
On the meaning of being Chinese
Beleza was born and raised in Brazil, and has been living in the Bay Area for over seven years. As the daughter of Chinese immigrants in Brazil and an immigrant herself in the United States, she has witnessed the struggles and difficulties of newcomers. She has seen how cultural and language barriers prevent even the most hardworking from successfully adapting, and how broken immigration laws also prevent high-achieving students from becoming active members in society. Beleza's work towards social justice include teaching at-risk youth, writing for ethnic media, and mentoring immigrant students.
Biography of Fook Keung Lim (January 3, 1909 – February 20, 1986) by Hazel Lim Hoshiko
Daughter Hazel Lim shares the wide arc of her father’s life, who was detained on Angel Island at age 15, worked in San Francisco Chinatown restaurants in his youth, served in the Army-Air Force in World War II, and retired in San Gabriel as a grocery store owner.
A Tribute to My Father, Dick Low, on his 90th birthday, 1995 by Kenneth Ko Low
Ko Shew immigrated to the U.S. in 1921 under the name Dick Low. He worked hard throughout his life, starting out as a farm laborer and eventually becoming a department store manager. Kenneth Ko Low reflects upon the many gifts and life lessons his father bestowed upon him.
A Remembrance of Raymond Low by Arthur Low
Arthur Low traces the life of his father from humble beginnings in Toisan. China to life in Sacramento, CA. Despite difficult times, Raymond Low worked hard at two jobs, bought a house and raised four children with his wife Yvonne. Today, his grandson, Evan Low is the Mayor of Campbell,CA.
Sowing Strength in a Strange Land: The Life of Lum Fong Shee by Carla Koop
The following is a biography of my grandmother, Lum Fong Shee, who travelled from a village in southern China to the United States as a new bride in an arranged marriage. She was 21 years of age when she left, and spent the remainder of her 78 years in California. I call my grandmother’s story “Sowing Strength in a Strange Land” because of the personal strength she drew upon, living as an illiterate, non-English speaking woman in a foreign culture and land. Despite her challenges, she raised a large family and achieved business success.
This narrative is based on a series of interviews I conducted with my grandmother between 1990 and 1996. Because my grandmother spoke only Chinese and I speak none, my mother, Frances Koop, acted as translator and full participant in the interviews. Eventually I was able to complete a written oral history that gave my grandmother's experience a more permanent voice. I am grateful to have this opportunity to share her experience as part of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation's “Immigrant Voices” project.
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