Poetry Finder Guide
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Angel Island poets were largely Cantonese-speaking Chinese men from villages in the Pearl River Delta region of Guangdong Province in South China. These men, often with limited formal education, wrote to express their deep frustrations, anger, hopes, and reflections during prolonged and uncertain detention. Most poems appear to have been written mainly by men detained for a long time or those awaiting deportation. Regrettably, none of the poems identified appear to be written by women. Often undated and unsigned—likely out of fear of retribution—these poems stand as a powerful, anonymous testament to the emotional resilience and literary creativity of Chinese detainees.
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In traditional Chinese culture, poetry is a way to express personal thoughts, dreams, and emotions. It's easy to imagine that these young men, hopeful for a better life in America, arrived by ship full of ambition—only to find themselves locked away and isolated on Angel Island. The shock and sadness they felt is clear in the poems they left behind.
Common themes in these poems include:
Homesickness – Missing family and their home villages
Broken dreams – Feeling disappointed when hopes for a better life were not met
National pride – Expressing concern for China and its people
Pain and despair – Feeling hopeless or angry about being detained
Daily life in detention – Describing the hardships of life on the island
Historical references – Mentioning ancient Chinese stories, legends, or famous figures
Many of these feelings—frustration, loneliness, and longing—reflect the complex emotions of youth facing an uncertain future.
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Angel Island’s poetry was mostly written in traditional Chinese styles, especially those popular during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE), known as Tang poetry. Some of the poems followed strict rules—such as rhyming schemes, paired lines (couplets), and set rhythmic patterns. However, not all poets followed these rules.
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The translations used in AIIS Poetry Finder tool came from two definitive collections: Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island, 1910-1940 (2nd Edition) by Him Mark Lai, Genny Lim, and Judy Yung, and Voices of Angel Island: Inscriptions and Immigrant Poetry, 1910-1945 by Charles Egan.
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154 Chinese poems and inscriptions from the detention barracks have been recorded and translated: 102 are from Island and 52 are from Voices of Angel Island. The poems are named and numbered after their sources. For example, Island 102 would be poem #102 from Island; Voices 22 is Chinese inscription #22 from Voices of Angel Island.
There are still dozens—if not hundreds—of untranslated poems and inscriptions on the barracks’ walls. Many are remnants of larger inscriptions that have been obscured by layers of paint, damaged, unfinished, or lost to time.
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Each room has wall illustrations showing where the inscriptions are found. The walls are labeled North, East, South, and West, then numbered from left to right. Clicking on the wall illustrations will open a separate page with the poems. Use the illustrations to match where they are on the wall. You can also download a map of the barracks to use on your next visit.
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Poems include an audio recording* of it read in the poet's regional dialect. Cantonese is used if the poem doesn’t mention a location. The following dialects are represented: Cantonese, Dowmoon, Fah Yuen, Heungshan, and Toishanese.
*Audio recordings will open in a new window on your mobile device.
Reading the Poetry
Chinese poetry is traditionally written in four vertical rows of seven characters each. Most of the barracks’ poems follow this tradition and can be read from top to bottom and from right to left. For modern audiences, these characters are presented horizontally, from left to right.
Acknowledgments
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Cantonese
Calvin Ong, with assistance of Victoria OngDow Moon
George Chin, with assistance of Connie Young Yu and Palma YouFah Yuen
Mr. Jiang, with assistance of Jeannie Young, Lawrence Kong, Grant Din, and the Fah Yuen Chong Sen Benevolent AssociationHeungshan/Shekki
Ching Man Hing, with assistance of Samuel Lee; and Herman Jeong, with assistance of Kenneth Jeong and Xavier GoinsHeungshan/Shekki/Long Du
Dr. Guoren Li, with assistance of Dr. Russell Jeung, Pastor Brian Leong, and Eric WongSam Yup
Yat Gor YanToishanese
Yu Poon Ng, with assistance of Judy Yung; and Ze Xi Yu, with assistance of Daniel Soo Hoo and the Yee Fung Toy Family Association -
Dr. Charles Egan
Dr. Judy Yung
Genny Lim
Angel Island State Park staff and volunteers: Ben Fenkell, Casey Dexter-Lee, John Clagett, and others
Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation board and staff: Buck Gee, Edward Tepporn, and Russell Nauman
Architectural Resources Group
California Department of State Parks and Recreation
Dan Quan Design
Jeffrey Louie (technology) with the assistance of Sam Louie
Greg Li with the assistance of Gwen Chan
Kelly Li (Chinese calligraphy) with the assistance of Donna Chan
Janette Liu (Chinese calligraphy) with the assistance of Gwen Chan and Nancy Lim-Lee
And the assistance of Dr. Lawrence Yim, Dr. Lorraine Dong, Felicia Lowe, Grant Din, Hop Jeong, Jia Jie Su, Myrna Yee, and others.
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We would like to thank the following people whose generous donations made the Poetry Finder project possible.
Abby Bullerdick LeMay, Edward Tepporn and Dean Leri, Herna Cruz-Louie, Amy Drummond, Ned Ascher, Newton Don, Duy Nguyen, Calvin Gock Lum, Brenda Wong, Susan Yu, Chris Stockdale, Samuel Louie, Kou-Ping and Connie Young Yu, Samuel Lee, Byron Chan, Don and Marian Louie Seiki, Joyce Lowe, Nicholas Bartel, Chinatown OPTI Ms. Club, Claudia Jeung, Jia Jie Su, Ned Ascher, Lena C Fong, and Harmony Beth
The ANGEL ISLAND IMMIGRATION STATION POETRY FINDER was adapted from the “Angel Island Immigration Station Carved Poem Locator,” an interpretive resource created by Angel Island State Park volunteers Sam Louie and Samuel Lee. Web design, graphics, and photography by Russell Nauman, Exhibitions Curator, AIISF.