A multi-generational collection of intimate Chinese American oral histories from China, Hawaii, and the mainland, tracing migration, labor, and remittance economies during the Depression and wartime. It follows families moving from Hawaii and China to California’s Central Valley, Grass Valley, Harlem, and Oakland, working in farming, shops, and teaching Chinese, and explores kinship, arranged marriages, language preservation, and community networks. Central themes are perseverance and resilience amid poverty and social barriers, with episodes of gambling, entrepreneurship, and a grandfather figure whose risks symbolize the effort to pass lessons to future generations.

Full Transcript of the Video:

John, sit down and say hi, really quick.

Hi.

No, you're not in the picture.

Sit there.

Hi.

Hi.

You guys see something flying?
Hi.

Hi.

Hi, John.

No, no, no, no.

Hi, Ben.

Hi, Yobin.

Hey, how are you?
Thanks.

Yo.

I don't know much.

I don't know anything about Honolulu.

Because you were so young.

Yeah.

But what do you remember about Honolulu?
I stayed there for 16 years and a half.

What was it like?
Huh?
What was the village like?
Oh, well, well, you mean with a tire foot, huh?
Well, at that time, the school is not large now, it is just one, only one teacher, private.

So.

How many students in one class?
About 34 years of my dad.

And one teacher.

All grades.

All grades.

Wow.

So what was, do you remember your house where you grew up?
My house?
Yeah.

Oh, I got some picture.

Oh, okay.

Who owns the house now?
Now.

Nobody owns the house.

But someone take care, you know, no rentals, they just let them leave, you know.

Yeah, it's hard to focus.

This is the kitchen.

You know what's bad is like this camera is like doesn't focus very well on small things.

I didn't know how clear the actual pictures are either.

It was hard to make out detail.

There wasn't any frame of reference.

You just see this wall and this thing.

The picture is not very clear.

Okay.

Do you want to use them?
Do you want to just go through real quick?
I think.

You're growing up as a child.

Do you remember like the kind of games you would play with your brothers?
Yeah.

Well, we, we, we play this, we're going to sum up, we're going to set you up.

Sum up what?
We're going to just like go and have fun.

Jax?
Oh, Marble.

They call Marble too.

Yeah.

I thought Marble was a children's play, you know.

Yeah.

That's good, yeah.

Marble?
Yeah.

Oh, they have number?
Yeah.

You, you know, you, you go to the, like Reno.

They got, they got those square ones.

Huh.

Square ones.

Oh, it dies.

Oh, it dies.

Yeah.

Dies.

Not Marble.

Okay.

So what kind of chores, you know, you wake up and, oh.

We play those things, you know, and we use, we use matches.

Matches for money?
Like for.

Matches instead of money.

You say we're gambling, huh?
Yeah.

That's good.

What else?
You're fishing or?
Huh?
We, we, before go to school or after school, you know, we play that.

And we, we got lots of things to play.

We go to swimming and we go to hit some kind of cracker.

Cricket.

Cricket, huh?
Cricket, yeah.

You know, they got a cracker.

There's a pretty big, bigger than, than about, about inch and a half long.

They, they fight.

They, they fight.

Some people fight for money.

Some people fight for a whole, whole pig, you know, those little things.

Rose pig, huh?
Huh?
How do they fight?
You put in, how?
Yeah.

You have to, when you keep that, you have to use separate.

You can put them together so they fight, you see.

So, then they, uh, did they kill each other?
How do they, how do they, you know, who win?
Well, if we sell them kids, I'm gonna kill.

It's just the one.

Oh, you tell me first.

How?
How do you know?
Lost?
Yeah, lost.

Yeah.

How do you know he lost?
The one win, oh, they both fight, see.

The one lost, the, the one win, right?
Win?
Win.

Chase, chase them, you know.

Okay.

And every year, one season, maybe three months of like that.

So, we, we, we go kids, many of them, but youth, uh, uh, could go to China.

Yeah.

Youth in China, uh, about, about that tall, uh, something.

Each, each one, keep one, keep one, those, those, crack, crack it.

Cook it.

You mean the China Bowl, like you eat out of, or you put song, that kind of bowl.

You keep one, and you pile another one, you put one, and then you like that.

Not, not like that.

That's like a long, uh, just like kick fan, you know, about that high.

And each one, you know, keep, maybe, they maybe keep five, six, one, that high.

I don't mean I don't know how high, but, but each, each one, we keep one, one.

Or else they fight, yeah.

Yeah, you can put them together.

Did you play with your brothers and sisters?
You, you close friends with them?
Not sister.

We, we played with a boy.

What did the girls do?
What did the girls do to play?
When?
Oh, what kind of games did they play?
Oh, so they got lots of games.

Many kinds, but uh, but I, I only know few kinds.

I, I, um, see, they play cards sometimes, you know.

Cards?
Yeah, just like American cards.

Oh.

Yeah, two.

What games?
Same games too?
Uh, yeah, just about the same, about the same.

So, I, I haven't played, I can't.

What, uh, what kind of chores, what kind of work did you do?
What kind of work?
In, in China, we, like, uh, you know, chores around the house?
Most people, 80% people is farmers.

Farmers?
Uh-huh.

And some people, they go to, like, Hong Kong, maybe Japan, maybe Singapore, all over the
world.

Some, some people, they go that, they go, they go to work for money, you know, send
back to China, support the family.

Uh, but very seldom people, the, the, besides the farmer, the rest depend on, on people
who go, you know, go to foreign countries, sometimes they, they send money back.

Why did your father go to Hawaii?
In Hawaii?
Yeah, why did he go to Hawaii?
Why did he leave China?
You know?
Why didn't he, why did your father leave China?
Oh, my great-father, my grandpa.

Your grandpa?
Yeah.

Father.

Father.

Uh-huh.

He, he went there for his, he went there, he, he make some, make good money.

And so, he bring the, the wife forward there.

So that's why my mother is born in Honolulu, but when she, when she, uh, like teenager,
my, my, uh, great, uh, my grandfather.

Oh, grandfather.

My father's father.

Mm-hmm.

Welcome over there.

Okay, well, uh, when your mother was a teenager, did your mother's fatherYeah, they, they, they send her back to China.

Oh.

Maybe, maybe go with the, the mother's who, see, my, my grandmother.

Go back there to get married.

She married my father.

That's why my father can go, can go to, uh, Hawaii.

Mm-hmm.

And so you and, uh, Philip, everyone was born in Hawaii.

The oldest one, not only, only heard born in China.

Only one.

Yeah.

See, after they married, they got my old sister.

I, I think three years, three years old, some like that.

They, they come back to Hawaii again.

Mm-hmm.

Uh.

Um, tell me, I don't remember my grandfather very much.

No.

Were you close to your brothers?
You good friends with your brothers?
Philip and Sherman?
Not Philip.

Philip old and me seven years.

Ah.

So, so when, when she went to Honolulu first, when she, 16 years old, she, she, she come back to Hawaii.

So you didn't know him very well?
Mm-hmm.

So, I was, see your, no, no father.

My grandfather.

My grandfather.

Mm-hmm.

Sherman.

Yeah, Sherman.

I forgot I talked to him.

Were you good friends with Sherman?
No.

Well, no, I got my, I got my friend, he got his friend.

What was he like?
Huh?
What was he like?
What kind of person?
Personality, what was it?
Almost the same, you know, because no work, besides farming, you, you had to find work.

No.

No.

No.

What was Uncle Sherman like?
Uncle.

Outgoing, talk a lot, what kind of person?
Did he study a lot?
Was he nice?
Was he, he argue a lot?
No.

No.

Daddy, maybe you should tell her how, how that Bahubi, Bahubi, Bahubi.

Oh, yeah.

Oh.

See, in China, I don't know in Japan, too.

Oh, yeah.

See, like, my grandpa got six, six children, six boys, but his brother, none, only one,
but, but he died very small.

So, in Chinese, custom, you, the laws, he had to give, give them one, one child, see?
Calm, continue, you know what I mean?
Family name.

Yeah.

In Japan, got like that.

I don't know.

Your father, your father got, got, suppose got one brother, he got no children, your
father got, your father got few, give him one.

So, my grandfather was given to his uncle.

Oh.

Yeah?
Japan got 32.

Oh, no, no.

In China, Sherman was given to his uncle.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Was that sad for him?
Huh?
Was he sad?
No.

No?
No, no sad.

He, he just, well, he, he moved to, to them house, you know, to live.

Now, he is there, he, oh, they, they take care of him, they support, you know.

But still, he couldn't live with his brothers and sisters.

He had to go away, you know, right?
Yeah.

It's, it's someone, someone, they, they, they, they come back too.

Oh.

It's not like some people sell them, you know.

Yeah.

No, no son, pay money, go to get one.

It's different like that.

Hmm.

So, you still saw him a lot?
Oh, yeah.

He put you every day come home.

Every day come home?
Yeah.

He, he, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my father, my grandfather.

So his son died, so my great-uncle died too, but this wife, we call him great-uncle, great-uncle,
the children, his child died.

So I don't know, it's my father or my grandfather to give your
father an adopted son.

But you still son every day.

So Philip, oh good, no go ahead.

So he stayed there until, I think he was 17 years old, who came to this country.

So he didn't go to Hawaii which, because my uncle Philip, he first time he went to Hawaii, but maybe stay one year or two years, he came over seven
That's why your father come, your grandfather come, don't go to Hawaii, come to San Francisco, who is it?
And then you came after?
Not two years, I came.

Did Philip and Sherman live together, San Francisco, no?
No, Philip, he went to Los Angeles at that time to go to school.

To study what?
To study English.

But what did he study in school?
I don't know.

Oh, chiropractor?
Yeah, chiropractor, I see.

No, not so good, you know, we got a name.

How did you learn English? How did everyone learn English?
Mostly go to Iowa school.

In China or here?
No, in this country.

How did you learn English?
Your father and I just go to school few months.

Few months?
Yeah, all together, not quite one year.

You learned a language in less than a year?
Yeah, that's why I don't want to read.

How about to read, you learned to read and speak in one year, or less than a year?
Yeah, don't read much, don't know much.

You know that time when I come, depression, you heard about 30%?
Oh, lots of people, no job.

And that time, because I'm Chinese, no store, no high Chinese people.

So Chinese people come over here, mostly farmer.

So every year, I go from April May, I have to go in Sacramento River to the last Chinese farmer there.

I go to walk in the farm.

So.

.

.

What did you farm?
Pick fruit.

Pick fruit?
Yeah.

With my grandfather, did you work with him?
Yeah.

No, I now go with him.

He goes to different farms, you know.

So you guys did not stick together?
No.

Brothers all went apart?
Sometimes together, sometimes same place, sometimes now.

Sometimes the other farmer, high people, we go to.

.

.

So that's why I suffered.

Every year, we went first time, go to Sacramento River.

Like Walnut Grove, Luck, Iron Tender, that few times.

So, first time we go, maybe pick apricot that I'm cherry.

Just come first, you know.

And if we went before that, we have to pick fruit, you know.

The farm, they plant some sugar beet and some kind of vegetable.

We have to take off the fruit, you know.

How much did you get paid?
I found about $2,000 or $3,000.

A week or?
One day.

For how long?
$3 for how much time?
One day.

For one day?
That's good, yeah, good.

And how long?
How many hours?
About nine hours.

Nine hours?
Where did you live when you worked on the farm?
Where?
It's Sacramento River.

What was it like?
A lot of Chinese?
Yeah, lots of Chinese.

At that time, lots of Chinese people won.

Because they came to speak English, you know.

Speak a little bit just like me.

Dad, when you lived, when you worked on the farm,
did you and the other men live the same place?
The farmer gave you a place to stay?
Yeah, we lived in the barn.

The barn?
The barn, you know.

The barn.

The barn.

Sometimes we lived in the barn.

Sometimes we lived in the house.

How many people all in the barn?
You know, big farm, maybe 20, 20 people.

But small farm, only few.

It just depends, you know.

Did you have to cook yourself?
No.

No, they got cooked.

The food is, you know, three meals a day.

Good food?
Not very good.

What did you eat?
What kind of things?
You know, the last time they buy it for only, you know,
not a big piece.

Some of them, they learn.

They learn.

They buy it.

It's easy, you know.

Just, just, just warm up.

You just eat?
Yes.

Sometimes it's, I forgot.

Sometimes they just, you know, change different, you know.

But lunch, we, at 12 o'clock, they knock the piano, you know,
we hear it.

We go back to eat lunch.

So after one o'clock, we go back to work until maybe five o'clock tonight.

After that, what did you do when you didn't work on the picking fruit?
What was your work?
We finished, in the community, we paid, you know.

We finished.

We had to move to Meriswell.

You have Meriswell?
Yeah.

In there, they cut the grapes.

Some, some form cut the, like, fillets, muskets, and those eating for food, you know.

But after that, we, we cut the, make wine.

Make wine.

How did you make wine?
Wine?
Not really.

We just cut the wine.

The grapes.

Oh, yeah, okay, okay.

We don't know what to make.

They say, wow.

Learn how to make wine.

Oh.

Okay, so you did a lot of farming.

And then finished, we go, you know, those figs, prune.

Prune?
Figs.

Figs, yeah.

Figs and prune, you know, for dry prune, we go to pick that.

Then about September, October, or November, I don't know if you've got what to do now.

We still, we stay about, about November, November as they can be finished.

Then we move back to San Francisco.

Can't find no job for a long time, for over 10 years.

No, every year like that.

So we only, we only got about $300 something to go out.

So that's who, we have to, we can spend too much money.

And at that time, I have to support my mother in China.

I have to send, everyone send $1000 back.

So at that time, in China, things will be cheap too.

They like, like, what you call, what you call, like, my, my knees.

Oh yes, eh?
Yeah.

She's back in the village, yeah.

And she, she comes to my house, stay with her and her sister, come to my house, stay with my mother.

And they go, they go to school.

So you, how many people live off of $300?
You have $300 to live off of for the whole year in San Francisco?
Yeah, you have to support my mother too.

But in China, I sent $100 back to there.

Oh, they can hire someone, hire a lady cooking, you know, very cheap.

Only few dollars, Chinese money, four dollars.

So.

How did you live off of that?
What did you eat?
What did you, how did you pay for things?
$300 is not, you know.

It doesn't, it doesn't change very cheap.

You know, like, tomato sauce, sometimes, tin can for father.

Small can, milk.

Six can, five can, six can for father.

Wow.

So, $35 in one pound coffee.

Sometimes cheaper than that.

If you, if you buy a good coffee, of course you have $35 in milk, about $11, $12 in.

But the big store cheaper, $2.

21, $2.

25.

The bread, $0.

10 low bread.

$0.

10?
Yeah.

$0.

14, the good can, the pounded hand.

How much did clothes cost?
Clothes, clothes like shirt, or we pay maybe $10 or something.

Good shirt, maybe $2.

30, but we don't buy so good pen, about $2.

30.

So, with so little money, what did you do for fun?
How did you, you couldn't, you know, what did you do to have a good time?
What?
Do you go see movies, or?
Some movies for children, you know, fight sin by attacking.

But I rarely see them go to see movies.

Oh, we, we just feel, we feel tough, we pay, we lose paper.

I'm like, nothing, nothing for, for, for fun.

Hmm, gosh.

That's hard.

So, out for 10 years, no work.

Yeah, long time.

Did you live in Chinatown the whole time?
When?
Chinatown?
I'm in, I'm in Sicily.

What was it like?
Oh, we only paid $5, $6, rent one room.

To rent a room for a month?
Yeah.

What, how big was the room?
What about that, something?
How many people?
Oh, one people.

Oh, one person.

So, did, you know, Sherman went to Grass Valley.

What happened, he left during those 10 years, he went to Grass Valley?
Most time.

And then you stayed in San Francisco?
Yeah.

Did Norman stay in San Francisco?
I stayed in Grass Valley, too.

You went to Grass Valley, too?
Yeah, first time, I came in 1994, I came to this country.

And Sherman, in 1995, he went to Grass Valley.

So, he went there before that, but that's why I go, I go first, why is who?
Because he's in there, so I go with him.

And Uncle Phillip?
Uncle Phillip in Los Angeles.

Oh, yeah, he's still in Los Angeles.

So, you went with Sherman to Grass Valley.

You worked together in Grass Valley?
Well, we can run any work.

So, we go to, Sherman goes to buy, buy a flute.

You know, inside, lots of people got a backyard.

They plant some pear or apple, you know.

They got the bow, or some of them got tian tree, some of them got tony tree, tony tree.

So, Sherman asked them, one, buy them, you know.

The flute's still on the tree, buy like that.

So, the people, they got no use, you know.

They sell to Sherman, and we just all together go pick pear.

We pack them, sometime, send to New York, sometime send to Sherman's school.

You got more, you send to New York, you got, not many, some of them got tony tree, we send to Sherman's school.

How did you get them, you put on the train to New York?
How did you get the fruit to New York?
Oh, you just take them to the people, they take care.

They send them, you got the store name, the market, you know.

But, no money.

We do many years, you know, take off and everything.

Those commission houses, we don't remember them, we don't remember them.

So, you know, Phillip went to school.

How come you and Sherman didn't continue with school?
When we come late, see, he come earlier, not so bad, you know.

The depression is not income.

Yes, so, depression, little by little, one year after one year, when we come doesn't very bad thing.

But, when he come, he can find some books.

So, he go get fruit too, but that's how we just smell better.

You know, you lived in Chinatown in San Francisco?
And you lived in Chinatown in Grass Valley?
Yes.

Where's my tiny home? Oh, terrible.

You know, rainy water, like it's wintertime, raining, oh, very muddy, very muddy, you know.

Flooded?
Yeah, wet and very old, those houses.

I bought one block called Chinatown.

One block, huh?
What was the house like, Nick?
Oh, very cheap.

Sometimes, someone use, use tin.

Tin route, huh?
Like a shed, kind of.

Yeah.

Do you remember, you know, the white people during the time?
Yeah.

What were they like to the Chinese people then?
Did you personally get, have trouble with them?
No.

Sometimes few, few bad people, maybe the Chinese people, trouble now.

But they had, were very good.

It's very good?
Yeah.

You know, they had people who were, they had some time, the, what do you call it now?
No, it is more peaceful than now.

That, you know, people are much like now to bed, see?
Why do you think that is?
I don't know.

You know, even if the war is better, or depression, and even while people is last, and while people know war,
some of them, some of them, if you, if another stay, the, the mining time, you know,
no good things, no price, the mining closed, closed down, and the people, whole town people
lay up the window and door, the whole town people moved away.

And they somehow, good furniture, they talk they can keep it, they can take it my way.

They got no money to buy carpet, so they have to stay on top of the train, the flat,
fashion, not the fashion, they all come up there, all young men, women, all stay up there,
and sometimes running, they all got wet, the people, they got no money.

The little town called Colfair, it's a new quest, only two days in a row.

One time I went there, I saw the train come, it's a running thing, people all got wet.

The train stopped, maybe five minutes, everybody come down, go to buy some bread to eat.

The train gone, you have to wait until another train comes, so that company let them stay up there.

Now they don't let you.

So after the depression, what did you do?
After the depression, after the war, the second world war.

What was that like?
So first time, you know, after the second world war and Korean war, you see,
for about two, three years after the Korean war.

But the people, this is not so good, not much you want to be there, you know.

But after the Korean war, then the second world war,
lots of people go to war, factories, factories, factories,
lots of people go to war.

Even women, women who go to war, they make a war.

They make good money yourself, I forgot how much, but much is good, much better than before.

So what did you do during the war?
You know, they sent Japanese people, they sent them all to Utah, in California.

So I bought the store from Japanese people, because they have to go.

And at that time, I'm very lucky, because the Japanese only store,
he wants people to buy the store and let them stay until the time goes to Utah.

So quite a few before then me, but they don't let them stay.

They said they want to buy them, they want them to move, but they don't want to.

They want to stay there until they move, until the time, you know.

So I'm the only one allowed them to stay together.

We got pretty friendly, you know.

Do you remember their names?
Yeah.

Umora, I guess.

Umora? Umora?
So you became friends with the family?
Yeah, he got three dollars, and one father, the old man.

The old man took care of the vegetable and cleaned the vegetable now.

So we lived together very good.

How much did you buy the store for?
2400.

Pretty good buy, you know.

He is very good.

We were together for 47 days before he moved.

So I bought his house, and I can tell he took quite a bit against of my wife.

It's all me.

He is here, but I don't hear.

Because I treat them good, they treat me good.

In those times, after the war, they thought I come to see me.

You stayed friends?
Yeah.

During that time, did Japanese and Chinese get along usually?
Yeah.

Yeah.

Because you know, you always hear, history, the Japanese and the Chinese don't get along, you know.

It's all like that.

We went to the market by vegetables, lots of Japanese farmers.

My relatives on my Japanese side, yeah.

Okay, so you had the store after the depression and during the war.

Do you remember things happening, like bomb threats, planes flying over?
Was there a lot going on during the war?
Do you remember that time?
You know what?
You mean this?
Yeah.

Yeah, we saw a lot of airplanes, the trainings.

So.

.

.

And then they asked American Chinese to raise money to send back to China to help China.

Yeah.

Auntie Lily has a picture of you in a parade.

Can you talk about how they gather money?
What do they do?
I mean, how did you get in the parade and everything?
I forgot.

You remember what?
They send it back to the National Party to help Mr. Sun Zhongshan.

Yeah.

Do you remember when they asked American Chinese to raise money to send back to China?
Yeah.

I remember when they were working.

Yeah.

They were working.

You know, sometimes these people have to send money back to China.

Why?
For what?
For the war.

For the war?
So Chinese Americans are paying for Chinese for that time.

They're helping them out.

You paid money?
You sent money back?
Yeah.

It's not me.

Somebody, they come collect the money.

But you could say yes or no, or they made you.

.

.

Yeah, we can say that.

Why did you decide to give money?
Why did I decide to give money?
Well, we.

.

.

You paid just like those churches up to you.

How many you want, they don't force you.

They get up to the many who get sent back to China.

How much did you give?
We don't give much.

No, because people got much money.

I think about $100 or something like that.

$100?
That's pretty much.

.

.

How did you keep in touch with your family back home?
In China.

Did you write a lot?
You've been sending money back.

Did you write to your mother a lot in China?
Do you remember what.

.

.

Did she pass any wisdom on to you?
Any Chinese tradition?
Anything that you kept from your mother or your father?
Any lessons, you know?
Like sayings or Chinese philosophies or.

.

.

Advice, you know?
Yeah, I don't want to spend that short of an hour.

Yeah, I think so.

I want to translate something.

We'll wait for her to come back.

When did you meet Daisy?
When did you meet your wife?
In 1928, we got married.

So, how I met?
I never see her before.

I got a father-in-law, mother-in-law.

They both knew my wife's parents.

Because she got sewing machines.

After all, the machines made her clothes.

So, they are friends.

So, I think Daisy's father.

.

.

They both.

.

.

He is the one that fill up father-in-law.

Recommend my Daisy to me.

Give me a picture.

And tell me how to send her to school to meet him.

So, I went to send her to school.

I don't know what happened to me.

Quite tower.

You know, quite tower.

He take me there, go there.

And want me to decide.

You married with so-and-so Nazi.

So, I found Nazi.

I said, I do.

Wow!
Very quick, whirlwind.

You know, I asked him, but he wanted to wait for you to come back.

Mother, I don't know.

I guess she was like most mothers.

As long as she didn't get dirty and came home in time for meals.

She never really said much.

Because I asked the same thing.

I said, what was she like?
What kind of person?
What did she like to do?
Was she talkative or quiet?
He really can't tell me much.

He's never been able to tell me much about him.

He said when he was a little boy, he really didn't pay too much attention.

Get up, eat, go out and play or go to school.

Not too much interaction.

And he said that you might be able to ask that cousin more information about her.

Because she actually lived with, when she was in China, just before my grandmother died.

She lived with my grandmother for a while.

See, he hasn't seen her since he was 17.

And I guess she was like in her 40s then.

But when she died, just before she died when she was in her 60s,
then that cousin lived with her.

As an adult or an older person, she might be able to give you more information.

My dad once told me when he came to the United States,
in 10 years he had 10 jobs.

He picked fruit.

Is it still on?
Yeah.

He picked fruit.

He washed dishes at restaurants.

He sold vegetables.

He said that when he came,
he said that even people who had graduated from college were unable to find jobs.

Right, dad?
And then he said, even he's washing dishes.

Someone else washing dishes had a master's degree, but couldn't find any job.

So by the time he and Sherman came over,
there really wasn't much use or opportunity to find to go to school.

Because even if you went to school, you couldn't earn.

And even if you got your degree or something, you couldn't find a job.

So it's very difficult.

So he did a lot of different types of work.

And then he and your grandfather, Uncle Sherman,
they had a vegetable business together.

And later on, he taught Chinese in Grass Valley.

In fact, your grandmother, Auntie Lily and her sister, Auntie Ida,
they were two of his students.

This was when they were young girls before they got married.

Oh my gosh.

What kind of, were they good students?
Was my grandmother, Lily and Auntie Ida, were they good students?
Chinese, go out and eat grass valley when you're a teacher.

Auntie Lily, Auntie Ida, are they good students?
Oh, yeah.

No, they talked a lot, huh?
I was feel sorry for them, them kids, you know.

No, if don't know Chinese.

You know, they said they are Chinese.

You don't know anything.

It's bad for them, you know.

So that's why I just start to, I'm not qualified,
but I start the school.

Later on, I got a friend, come from New York, see,
where he, I don't know, he's not more than me or not.

So I let him do it.

So that's the job, the teacher's job.

So after that, Philip, teacher for you,
I don't, for children anyway.

Why that Philip was in Los Angeles?
Oh, that time she quit school.

Oh, he quit school, then he came to teach with you.

Oh my gosh.

So you didn't talk much about Sherman,
and I would like to know, yeah, what kind of person, Sherman?
My Sharon, Sherman.

He's a nice guy, I tell you about him.

He know your grandma, your grandma only 12 years old.

So he went into West Hollywood,
you know, your grandma's mother is a compound.

My country, Zen village.

I heard she was a Chan too.

Chan too, yeah.

So that's why they know each together.

So he know your mother.

But what kind of person was he?
Was he a generous person?
Was he loud?
Was he quiet?
Was he a kind of person?
He is the, he told me I went to school at him.

This woman, she told me, she told me, Tian Da Men, so he, he said, don't go to school,
no, no, no use, because in that time, nobody had signed his feeble, no, no, no, no, no,
to find job, so he want me to go to fairway table, go borrow money, buy a youth shop,
taxi shop.

I, I forgot how much, then, ah, I don't know how to try, he don't know how
to try and yet there's a time, there's a time lots, lots of people got no, no, all of them
of you.

So he, what was it?
You wanted my second hand shot?
Yeah, my second, and I thought we both don't know how to try, but your grandpa, he's very,
yeah, because Austin, very, when, when he, he, he, he all the way to the west table already,
see, we do not have the drive, so the man, we bought the, the truck, the truck, he, he
he, he teaches us how to drive, but only, only maybe two days, because the west table
come back already, you don't see how we all, we fought at that time, we, we all, we fought.

So, so, so he, first time he said let, let him drive the, the truck, he drive the truck
all black, oh, that, about that high, some store, you know, the corner store, the whole
car, jump up, jump up to the, ah, then we, we were very sorry, you know, we were very,
very sorry, I said, let me drive, so good things, one day all right here, but where
we have to get business, you know, this start, the new one, ah, sorry, finally we, we, we
do it for few months, sometime I got, ah, like green onion, I got, I got it in, in the
car for a year, but I went to knock the door, the back door lady asked me, I, I asked her
do you want any vegetable, she said, do you have onion, green onion, I forgot, I didn't
know, ah, ah, I, I, I don't know green, but green onion, I forgot, I said, so, so after
I, I, I, I, I show, I show, no, I haven't got any, ah, ah, ah, so I went a couple of
black, I said, green onion, I forgot them, you know, I, you, you, Chinese, put them,
not exactly easy, but I, I remember, I, my son, ah, some kind, some kind of Chinese,
oh, I, I, I said, oh, it's green onion, then ah, I know, but I don't want to go back
I asked her, I said, so, I have to start from no one, you know, do you sure men easy to
work with or hard to work with, it's okay, he, was he, was he easy to work with, to get
along? Not very easy, not very easy.

Why? He, he got a petian, ah, ah, ah, I, I, ah,
ah, ah, he, ah you with him, through them, I, I am boy cut, ha, ha, so I go to manufacturing
school, so firstly, he go to, he go to find me, he go to one day I, I, I went, stayed
I stayed with the other Chinese, you know, and we both got a key.

So one day, the other one, the roommate, you know,
he opened the door for someone to get in.

When I opened the door, I saw him inside my room.

Then he kind of apologized, you know.

So then after that, we together again.

Did he not have a bad temper after that?
Oh, yeah.

So he did not change?
No, he's the one with three brothers.

He's the one gamble during him.

Also, he got angry inside.

He started gambling out.

That store is one old man, his son and him,
together in China, same school.

So when he came, he went to Wichita,
the schoolmate's father.

So that's why he stayed up there.

So that old man, when he was there,
he got a gambling house, you know.

Then later on, maybe two years or so later,
he went back to China to retire.

And then Sherman took over.

So Sherman ran a gambling house?
Oh, you know, it was one house.

I think it was a five-house, one home, one rent.

A few dollars, one rent.

The whole China town belonged to one person.

So he started gambling out.

There are not many people inside.

But you know Chinese people, they like gamble.

So my grandfather liked to gamble, huh?
And drink, huh?
Did you scold him?
Well, I didn't scold him, but sometimes he's cranky, you know.

When he married my grandma, did he stop gambling?
Oh, yeah.

Oh, he did?
At that time, not many people resigned.

So he quit.

After he married, he was really poor, you know.

He stayed with the.

.

.

in a new great-grandmother's house.

And they asked, very smart, you know,
you great-grandmother,
you want him to go away, you see?
You want him to go look for a job.

But he got no money.

Well, he seldom provided no money to get married, you know.

So he got no.

.

.

You know, because he got bad temper,
and when he talked, not very nice.

You know, some.

.

.

lots of people don't like him at that time.

Some people said to your great-grandmother,
say, why you married a daughter, marry him.

Oh, no.

So that's why he can get.

.

.

he can get married, you know.

So how did he get the money for the store?
The store?
This is the store.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Only a few things.

Like what things?
Some people cooking, you know,
want to buy those chips,
those poor people buy.

.

.

not much money, you know,
maybe 25,000 or something like that.

And there's no business, you know.

And we just.

.

.

the old man went back to China,
just let him have the store, that's all.

But then he opened the store in Alta Street.

Huh?
Then he opened the store in Alta Street.

You know.

.

.

Not yet.

Oh, not yet, okay.

Not yet.

Then he got no money,
and really smarter when he go away, you see.

And he got no money.

How can he go?
So one day he talked to me,
said, you know,
people who have no money,
they don't even know how they feel.

So I was thinking,
but I said to everybody like me,
really smarter,
and how would you know?
You know how would.

.

.

He's what?
He's smarter.

They all like me.

So.

.

.

So one day I said to.

.

.

I said to children,
I want to have people to do something,
you know, make a living.

But in grass valley,
the only you can go to the.

.

.

go to the vegetable,
beside if you know how to cook.

You can find a job,
like this one or something like that.

So I.

.

.

One day I.

.

.

I talked to.

.

.

really smarter.

It's human talk to talk to them,
which said I and him together
go to start the vegetable peddler, you know.

So really, mother,
he said, she said,
if I go to do it,
they.

.

.

They loan me the money, so.

.

.

So they're okay, you know.

So that's why they loan me some money.

I was teaching them.

So I got a little bit money.

That's why we buy our old truck,
go to peddler.

And I think that is really.

.

.

luck, you know.

Gee, we bought one.

.

.

a little vegetable and food.

We go to sell.

We both go to sell.

Oh, really good business.

Then from that time,
every week we had to come to
Harlem vegetable.

Doing good, very good.

Make lots of money.

When he got the store in Outer Hill,
I and him
supposed to partner there together.

But I.

.

.

I.

.

.

about two.

.

.

I don't know, got three years or not.

We go to sell.

We don't.

.

.

not a truck.

One for him, one for me.

We.

.

.

we sell very good then.

So.

.

.

So every week.

.

.

So you start your own business.

We took those together.

Right.

Company.

But at that time,
Philip.

.

.

Uncle Philip got.

.

.

got a friend
called Emerson Chiu.

You know who he is?
Yeah.

Yeah.

And I got the friend from New York.

I give him a top position.

They both.

.

.

they both want to start business.

But they got no money.

I think that Emerson Chiu
maybe got $200 or something like that.

The other one maybe got $100 or something.

So.

.

.

Philip and I put up the money.

Each one put up $900 to start the business.

After Emerson Chiu,
he is long sequel.

He.

.

.

he can.

.

.

he.

.

.

kind of.

.

.

you know, kind of stingy for people to eat, you know.

At that time, you know how much meal complete.

Got soup, salad,
vegetables, everything.

Coffee.

You can drink coffee, coffee.

$25 then.

Wow.

That's why no business
and it happened to mine.

.

.

the mining.

.

.

on strike.

So they got no money, no business, you know.

And they had to lay off the coal.

She pushed him.

They went up and said,
this is a higher head coal.

And once this was.

.

.

they had to rent a hotel.

You know that.

.

.

they called it.

.

.

what is the name?
That's why on Main Street
and Church Fire
were on the corner.

That's where my grandparents had their honeymoon too, right?
Oh yeah.

Yeah, the hotel.

I forget.

Oh, I don't remember.

Recently, I often.

.

.

hire lazy real-life people
and call Ida
to be a waitress.

Then, you know, I was in jail
and my friend.

.

.

he's a.

.

.

Chinese man.

They both.

.

.

they both want.

.

.

one.

.

.

Ida.

They both want to marry Ida?
No, they both like together, you know.

And.

.

.

store the.

.

.

the rest of the business.

And really, you know,
someone Ida could work for us.

And later on, I got married.

She's well on the table,
but no money paid.

We only make enough money
for pay rent
and hire the lady you got paid
or the white lady.

So you didn't make any money off the business?
No way.

So.

.

.

We only.

.

.

we work for.

.

.

for.

.

.

I don't know, one year or more than one year.

We put up a store for sale.

One day.

.

.

it's too late.

Too late.

Our old man
come in and want to buy the business.

So.

.

.

you know, we like sale.

And.

.

.

and sale when he.

.

.

he said,
I give you the shop.

And.

.

.

I don't know, $200 a month
to buy the business.

$200?
How much?
The truck and how much?
About $200.

Oh!
Then.

.

.

he.

.

.

we don't understand.

He gave me the things to leave for the shop.

Well, we don't understand
having to sign the name, eh?
So he do all of today's business.

He said, I don't want the business.

See, he's in sign.

I have to give him back
this, you know, the.

.

.

the.

.

.

the things to leave.

Oh, we.

.

.

we still feel bad at home.

And.

.

.

we have to hire a lawyer.

Oh, no.

$60.

You know, hire a lawyer.

The lawyer.

.

.

scare him.

You know, that he can sue you in.

.

.

in a court then.

And, you know, he.

.

.

because you.

.

.

you run the people's business already.

So, finally,
the old man.

.

.

because he.

.

.

he is.

.

.

he is all I.

.

.

I take the.

.

.

the rest.

.

.

Oh, man.

So, you sold the restaurant and then what?
What did you do after the restaurant was sold?
Well, I don't know.

.

.

I don't know how long he.

.

.

he.

.

.

he sold it.

But what did you do after?
Oh.

.

.

I.

.

.

I.

.

.

I.

.

.

I've got no reason to have it already.

So, I moved.

.

.

I moved out.

.

.

to San Francisco Boys.

And someone.

.

.

wanted me to stay in a store.

So.

.

.

I.

.

.

I got no money though, see?
But we.

.

.

we do business.

And.

.

.

so, a man.

.

.

started the store,
pretty good life story, you know?
He.

.

.

he.

.

.

he buys lots of.

.

.

food.

For sale.

He got the meat he had,
and he spent lots of money.

I.

.

.

I don't know.

.

.

maybe.

.

.

maybe $10,000.

Then, when I come.

.

.

when I come out,
I.

.

.

I tell.

.

.

I tell people.

.

.

I say, I got to go to San Francisco
because they see one.

.

.

one.

.

.

when we move out, I.

.

.

go home, go look for a job, you know?
So.

.

.

I.

.

.

I said.

.

.

I.

.

.

I said.

.

.

I said, I don't.

.

.

I need some money.

So.

.

.

he said,
give you all of.

.

.

$19,000.

I know, $19,000.

$19,000.

$19,000.

$19,000.

So, we.

.

.

so I took it, you know?
Then we.

.

.

we moved.

.

.

moved to.

.

.

to, uh.

.

.

San Francisco.

Oakland.

Oakland.

San Francisco, Oakland.

That's him.

They see his mother
living in Oakland.

So, we.

.

.

which time we move out,
someone recommended me
to the fire store.

And that store.

.

.

I think.

.

.

I think about.

.

.

$250.

$250?
Yeah.

They.

.

.

they got no business.

Oh.

.

.

On.

.

.

on, uh, 96th Avenue.

96th Avenue?
Yeah, Oakland.

So, we want a landlord
to make a big department.

So, his.

.

.

his spend,
I don't know, about $1,000
all together,
started the big department.

So, Uncle.

.

.

Uncle Ben
take care of.

.

.

the big department.

I take care of it.

You know?
This corner is my store.

This corner, just.

.

.

just.

.

.

you know, same size,
same block, see?
He got a store in this corner.

I got a store in this corner.

So, he.

.

.

he took the.

.

.

the chair,
the chair out.

He.

.

.

he sit down there.

You know, the people, the neighborhood people, see?
They are trying to come in my store.

Because they.

.

.

they all used to be buy from Ben, you know?
So.

.

.

so, we don't look good.

And one block,
not as high as one block,
another store.

So, they opened for a long time.

They got a regular customer.

We just start doing it.

So, that's why we got no business.

You know, one day,
it's Monday,
Saturday, the breadman
for two.

.

.

two long bread
in my store.

When he go now,
the old man,
he talked to him before,
for his.

.

.

to talk to the breadman.

That's why the breadman,
when he come out,
he show him.

.

.

Saturday,
Saturday and Sunday,
Monday.

.

.

Monday, he come.

See, I want to have a long bread.

For two days.

For two days.

We got a business.

We opened in the morning,
seven o'clock,
until nine ten.

Opened the.

.

.

the cash register.

Sometime four by nine.

Business,
not make four by nine.

And.

.

.

Oh, we.

.

.

many times,
the landlord come to collect them.

They're like, please, come next to me.

We can buy.

So, because then,
good thing I got the truck.

You know, turn the business to.

.

.

So, I got to start the business.

Go open, go.

.

.

house to house, you know.

Sell vegetables.

With.

.

.

I don't do much,
but.

.

.

but I got.

.

.

I got couple, three.

.

.

good customer.

I got one 40 gig customer.

Got a big family.

And the lady.

.

.

Oh.

.

.

Good customer.

She trust me.

Every.

.

.

every week,
she.

.

.

she bought the food,
she said she does.

.

.

grocery.

Wow.

So.

.

.

I.

.

.

She.

.

.

she don't want.

.

.

she let me.

.

.

She trusts you.

So, I.

.

.

every week,
I pick up the girl, everything,
and take them to her house.

She said,
Chen, you.

.

.

you do better than I.

.

.

I order you.

I know what you need.

Some.

.

.

so.

.

.

during the war time, everything.

.

.

was called control.

.

.

Ration.

Ration.

Sometimes.

.

.

one time, I keep.

.

.

they allow.

.

.

I don't.

.

.

I don't allow.

.

.

which they mean sugar.

Sugar?
I serve.

.

.

101 sugar.

Wow.

Because.

.

.

because she.

.

.

used lots of sugar.

She did.

So.

.

.

I got more, you know.

.

.

I.

.

.

I.

.

.

I.

.

.

You stand by.

.

.

by meat, by.

.

.

by sugar.

So.

.

.

So, it's interesting.

Could you start out in the country selling vegetables,
and then you did it again,
later, much later?
So.

.

.

I don't sell much.

Because.

.

.

those people live there.

.

.

they.

.

.

they not.

.

.

they not reach people.

Most.

.

.

common.

.

.

God.

.

.

God.

.

.

my God.

.

.

God don't make much money.

So.

.

.

they buy from those big markets, you know.

So I go to sell.

.

.

I don't do much here.

But good thing I got.

.

.

the customer.

And another one.

.

.

good customer.

.

.

we sell.

.

.

we sell one too, you know.

.

.

pork one.

So.

.

.

one man.

.

.

he.

.

.

he.

.

.

we give him credit, you know.

He.

.

.

I am a man.

.

.

he.

.

.

he.

.

.

but.

.

.

he buys.

.

.

Did you send money back to China
the whole time, all this time?
Yeah.

Keep sending back?
You know.

.

.

you know, I.

.

.

when I come.

.

.

not very long, you see.

.

.

by.

.

.

Phillip Sawyer.

.

.

he.

.

.

he said.

.

.

you didn't come.

.

.

Phillip.

.

.

send the money back.

But now you come.

.

.

you have to respond.

.

.

to.

.

.

send the money back to China.

So they don't send.

That depends on me.

Oh.

.

.

So Sherman and Phillip did not send money back
but you have to send money.

I have to.

.

.

I have to.

.

.

respond to.

.

.

How much should you send?
About 10 dollars.

See.

.

.

I.

.

.

I only have about 3 months.

.

.

I send one.

.

.

one time.

.

.

and 30 dollars.

.

.

but they leave good.

Right.

Yeah.

Because I ask.

.

.

I ask.

.

.

Your niece?
Huh?
You ask your niece?
Your niece? No.

Do you have a niece?
Yeah, my niece.

.

.

not a niece too.

They.

.

.

they go.

.

.

they go to school in my house.

.

.

stay with my mother.

That's good.

Good.

Yeah.

So.

.

.

before we finish.

.

.

because I don't know how much time we have left.

.

.

do you have.

.

.

any words of advice?
You know, if I show this.

.

.

to my grandchildren.

.

.

or people in the future.

.

.

you know, family.

.

.

is there something that you.

.

.

personally.

.

.

would want remembered about yourself?
Or.

.

.

or advice that you want to give
to future.

.

.

children.

.

.

in the family?
In your next generation.

.

.

if you ask me.

.

.

what you want to teach them.

.

.

or if they know.

.

.

what I mean by myself.

.

.

what I want to teach them.

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how to do it.

.

.

what you want to say in the next generation.

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.

they will know.

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.

what you want to say.

.

.

and they will tell you.

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.

what you want to teach them.

.

.

You teach them how to read book.

.

.

to teach them how to read school today?
How do they know you like it?
I want.

.

.

I like them everyone and my.

.

.

grandchildren.

.

.

Everyone I go to college.

.

.

then I need a good job
I.

.

.

I.

.

.

I.

.

.

I can play the, you know, how far you do that?
Tuition.

Tuition.

You helped them.

That's good.

So what about?
Then they can make a living.

You know, they can blame on me.

Good.

Anything else? Any words of advice?
I haven't got much.

Do you really connect with them? Connect with them?
Yeah.

I hope they get successful.

Two things, you know, like that.

But I don't know what they go to do, you know.

That's good.

Okay.

That's good.

Are you glad that you came to America?
Do you think that it was a good move to come to America, or do you think?
Oh, before I came to America.

Because ten years.

I don't save money, not any money.

And even one time, I missed not much money.

In the morning, I cut down one meal.

So when I come here, I see the white people.

They don't see the Chinese, the people lying, you know.

They don't see the Chinese.

So we, at that time, I said, if I know how to be forming, I go back to China.

You know, at that time, when the new people come like my.

.

.

Her mother-in-law, her husband, her father.

You know, before people, they come to this country, the Chinese people.

They have to buy what you call them.

Anyways, some people who come over here have cost money, you know.

Taking sixteen years to buy up that bill.

Sixteen years.

So, you see, now the people, they let the people come in so easy.

But at that time, oh, very hard.

You know, they have to stay in Angel Island, you know, Angel Island.

Angels Island, yeah.

Yeah, Angel Island.

So all Chinese people come, have to stay in some of the ones, no question.

Some people, lots of people kill themselves.

Suicide.

So, that's why if I know how to be forming, I go back to China.

I don't like it.

Are you glad now that you stayed?
No, but after the war, I got the chance, you know, to have to work hard.

Then I do it good.

But for the first ten years, you wanted to go back to China?
No, not too late.

Well, thank you.

Okay.

Yeah, I just wanted to, like, who the people are in the picture for the camera.

Yeah.

Yeah.

DisneyZero.

How are you? Who is the man in the group?
How are you?
Who is it?
English.

This is my father.

My father is your grandfather.

Great-grandfather.

Great-grandfather.

What is his name?
Kim Yeo.

What is his name?
What is his name?
How do you know him?
Chen Chihou.

Chen Chihou.

Now, who is his wife?
Chen Chihou.

Who is that?
This is my mother.

What is his name?
My mother.

Yan Zi.

Yan Zi.

What is his name?
My older sister.

What is his name?
Chen Yuxu.

My older brother.

Philip.

Chen Chihou.

What is his name?
Chen Chihou.

Uncle Philip.

My sister.

Chen Yuxu.

My sister.

Chen Yuxu.

And you're not in the picture because you weren't born yet, all right?
No.

So this one is my sixth uncle.

What?
My sixth uncle.

Is that your sixth uncle?
No.

My sixth uncle is my father.

No.

Oh, hello.

What is your name?
It's okay.

It's okay.

You already did it off.

Yeah.

Good.

I don't know how you switch.

Bye.

Bye.

All right.

Bye.

Thank you.

Come back anytime.

Okay.

Thanks for all the information.

Oh, you're welcome.

Good luck.