Chinese American Eyes: Chinese Exclusion Act

Showing posts with label Chinese Exclusion Act. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Cartoon: One Effect of the Geary Act

Geary Act

The World (New York, New York), August 22, 1892

The artist was James Franklin Vansant.

(Next post on Wednesday: Chan Toy and Chop Suey)

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Photography: Marysville Chinese Family Portrait

Leslie’s Weekly, July 27, 1899

(Next post on Wednesday: Russell Eng Gon, Calligrapher)

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

A Few Details About Betty Lee Sung from 1924 to 1950

After reading Betty Lee Sung’s obituary in The New York Times, I thought it would be easy to find her family in census and travel records at Ancestry.com. It wasn’t easy. The Lee family was in the census but under a different name. Fortunately, there were just enough clues in the obituary to help me find them.

The obituary said Betty, her sister Rose and a brother fled China in 1938. I used that information to find the trio in a passenger list, on lines seven to nine, at Ancestry.com. According to the obituary, Betty was born in Washington but it was actually Baltimore, Maryland.

I believe her Chinese Exclusion Act case file number is 7030/6373

and located at National Archive’s branch in Seattle.

Apparently the Lee children traveled with other members of their village. From Seattle, Washington, they made their way to Washington, D.C. (see Defiant Second Daughter: My First 90 Years)

To find the trio in the census, I searched using their first names and birthplace. I discovered their family name was “Sing”. Betty’s father told the census enumerator that his name was Lee Sing. The enumerator wrote Sing as the family name. For decades, the Lees were Sings.

In the 1940 census, Betty ironed clothes at her father’s laundry. The family lived at 1310 Pennsylvania Avenue which was near The White House and Washington Monument.

In 1948 Betty graduated from the University of Illinois in Urbana.

A year before her graduation was an announcement in Newsday (Melville, New York), June 25, 1947.

Announce Betrothal of University of Illinois Student

The engagement of Miss Betty Lee Sing sister of Mrs. Arthur Lem [Rose] of Hempstead to William Hsi-Yunn Sung has been announced by Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Lem.

Miss Sing is studying at the University of Illinois for an A.B. degree in economics and is residing in Hempstead for the Summer. The bride-elect formerly lived in Washington D. C. Her fiancé holds an A.B. degree from the National Southwest Association University in China, a M.S. degree from the University of Illinois and is continuing his studies for a Ph.D. degree from New York University.

The Evening Star (Washington, DC), January 28, 1948, listed Betty and Sung’s marriage license application.

Yuan Sung, 26, New York University, and Betty Sing, 23, Champaign, Ill.

The 1950 census said the family settled in Oakland Gardens, Queens, New York at 67-23 223rd Place. Betty was a script writer for the State Department. The census was enumerated on April 19. Betty’s daughter, Lina, was born in March.

Betty’s research for the Voice of America was reported in the Cohoes American (New York), December 6, 1950.

SIDEBAR

In the 1950 census, Betty’s brother, Joseph, lived in Washington, D.C., where he managed a restaurant. According to his World War II draft card, he was born on December 25, 1926 in Baltimore, Maryland.

In 1955, Joseph flew from Hong Kong to Seattle. Also on the passenger list was Charles Lee. It’s not clear if they were related. The Social Security Death Index said Charles was born on June 17, 1891 and passed away in July 1968.

Joseph passed away on January 29, 2016 and was laid to rest at Calverton National Cemetery.

Milton was born on December 24, 1922 in Baltimore. During World War II he enlisted in the Army. On September 16, 1950, Milton married Ruth Helen Troup in Washington, D.C. Milton passed away on May 19, 2015 and was laid to rest at the Maryland Veterans Cemetery.

Rose was born in around 1922 in Baltimore. On July 14, 1940, she married Arthur Lem in Washington, D.C. The newlyweds resided in Hempstead, Nassau County, New York at 11 Madison Avenue.

The 1950 census said Rose had three sons, Larry, Warren and Howard.

Rose’s husband passed away on July 5, 1997. An obituary appeared in Newsday, July 6, 1997. The status of Rose is unknown.

(Next post on Wednesday: Betty Lee Sung’s “Mountain of Gold”)

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Poy Gum Lee (Li Jinpei), 1921, 1923 and 1926

The Boston Herald

(Massachusetts)

August 21, 1921

Chinese-Americans Have Annual Banquet

Citizens’ Association of Boston and New England Dines

(click images to enlarge)

About 250 members of the Chinese-American Citizens’ Association of Boston and New England gathered last night for the eighth annual banquet at Grand Garden restaurant on Washington street and at other restaurants in Chinatown. At the former place, invited guests and friends from outside the organization were present for the first time on such an occasion.

The speakers at the main banquet included William P. Callahan, immigrant inspector; Dr. D.L. Martin, W.F. Davis, Jr., Paul Poy G. Lee of New York; Freeman O. Emerson, Atty. Russell Clein Shue, Soon W.B. Seetoo, Harry Cheng, and Frank Tsung Y. Goon, president of the association. William Moy Ding acted as toastmaster.

The formal opening of the new headquarters of the association, at 4 Hudson street, with a membership of more than 300, took place during the afternoon. The rooms were decorated with American and Chinese flags and Chinese embroidery and paintings.

Passport Application

Name: Poy Gum Lee, age 23

Birth: January 14, 1900; 13 Mott Street, New York, NY

Residence: 32 Mott Street, New York, NY

Occupation: Architect and Engineer

Description: 5 feet, 4 inches; brown eyes, black hair

Father Name: Lee Yick Dep, born in China

Residence: 32 Mott Street, New York, NY

Chinese Exclusion Act Case File

National Archives New York City Branch

1926 Marriage Certificate

(Updated September 15, 2014; tomorrow: Poy Gum Lee, Building in China)

Friday, September 13, 2013

Poy Gum Lee (Li Jinpei), Student

1917 Clintonian

DeWitt Clinton High School

Bronx, New York City

(click images to enlarge)

Bottom row, far left

Sketch.....Lee, Eaton

DeWitt Clinton Alumni Association

Notable Alumni

see page 8

Who’s Who of the Chinese in New York
Warner Montagnie Van Norden
1918

Lee Gum Poy—is a son of Lee Yick Deep, and was born in New York in 1900. Mr. Lee has attended the public and high schools of this city and studied art in the De Witt Clinton High School. At present he is attending Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, N.Y. During the taking of the State Military census in the Spring of this year, Mr. Lee offered his services and acted as secretary. He is a member of the Chinese Boy Scouts. Address—32 Mott.

Lee Gum Poy’s father, Lee Yick Deep, is profiled on pages 55 and 56.

The Sun
(New York)
May 4, 1919

...Poy G. Lee, ’19...

Brooklyn Daily Eagle
(New York)
June 26, 1920
“450 Get Diplomas at Pratt Institute”
(see bottom of column)

Brooklyn Standard Union

(New York)

June 26, 1920

“438 Are Graduated by Pratt Institute”

(see column two)

Prattonia 1920

page 81: Poy Gum Lee, “Gumpoy”

32 Mott St., New York City.

Soccer, ’17, ’18, ’19

Basketball, ’18

Hockey Manager, ’18

Glee Club, ’19, ’20

page 108: Glee Club

Columbia University Catalogue 1922–1923

Directory of Students

Lee, Poy Gum e 32 Mott St

Chinese Exclusion Act Case File
National Archives New York City Branch

(Updated July 22, 2021; tomorrow: Poy Gum Lee (Li Jinpei), 1921, 1923, 1926)

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Yook Yee Wong in Boston and at MIT

Yook Yee Wong
(Huang Yuyu / 黄玉瑜)

1920 Boston Directory
Wong Yookee draftsman 122 Ames bldg rms 699 Wash
(Coolidge & Shattuck, architects)
detail, page 1687

(click images to enlarge)

Tufts College Bulletin December, 1920
Annual Catalogue 1920–1921
Catalogue of Tufts College 1920–1921
Bromfield-Pearson School
Wong, Yook Yee ce [Civil and Structural Engineering] Boston

1922 Boston Directory
Wong Yook-Yee draftsman 122 Ames bldg res 32 Tyler
(Coolidge & Shattuck, architects)
detail, page 1775

Boston Globe
July 23, 1922
Chinatown Proud of It’s Boy Scouts—and It Has Good Reason for It
“...Y.Y. Wong is the physical instructor....”

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Reports of the President and Treasurer

June 30, 1923

The F.W. Chandler Prizes

Triglyph Fraternity Prizes

1923 Technique

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Rifle Club

Architectural Society

Wong, Yook Yee, 1924, 95 Wing Lock St., Hong Kong, China

1924 Technique

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Chinese Students’ Club

Architectural Society

Wong, Yook Yee, 1924, Hong Kong, China

1925 Technique

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Wong, Yook Yee, 1925, 95 Wing Lock St., Hong Kong, China

American Institute of Architects
Member, 1925

Boston Globe
June 16, 1925
Complete List of Degrees Conferred by Technology

After graduation, Wong resumed work at
Coolidge, Shepley, Bulfinch & Abbott, architects;
one of his co-workers was Edward Durell Stone;
Stone and Wong worked on the Fabyan Building.

F.D.S. [Full Scale Drawing]
Number 86
1st Floor Balustrade
Y.Y.W. [Yook Yee Wong]
September 2, 1926