EXCITING TIMES
EXCITING TIMES
By Gerrye Wong March 1, 2020
My favorite mantra is “Let’s celebrate family” and that is exactly the theme that the CHINESE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA based in San Francisco has chosen for the theme of its upcoming annual gala dinner. Recognizing the popularity of cultural family traditions in our Chinese culture, the CHSA’s 2020 annual benefit dinner theme is “IN CELEBRATION OF FAMILY” which will be held March 28, Saturday evening at the Grand Hyatt Hotel just outside of San Francisco’s Chinatown. As Co-Chairman Jane Chin so eloquently put it, “It is so important during these times to celebrate the ways families and children of immigrants have strengthened and enriched our society. We are showcasing two remarkable families tonight but we know that there are so many more personal stories from everyone in the community that need to be shared.” Co-Chair Goretti Liu echoes these sentiments, adding, “It is so important that we bring the proud history of Chinese American immigrants to the attention of the greater American public before it is all lost and forgotten. That is what our museum will continue to do.”
Caption: Chinese Historical Society Fong Family Honoree Tommy Fong welcomes all to his Fishermen’s Wharf property over 50 years ago.
I am so pleased to have nominated and the CHSA has chosen to award the 2020 Phil & Sarah Choy Community Service Award to the Bay Area-based Fong Family. I knew personally Patriarch Thomas Fong, who, as proprietor of the popular Tommy’s Jewelry Store in the heart of Chinatown actually sold my husband and me our wedding rings way back in 1955.
Caption: Thomas and Eva Fong remembered at Wax Museum anniversary
In true immigrant style, he worked hard to achieve a common Chinese dream of acquiring property of his very own. Not buying within the confines of Chinatown as so many of his associates did, he bravely purchased property on the fringe of Fisherman’s Wharf, then only a small local destination for fresh seafood.
Caption: Wax Museum Front Lobby
With son Ronald Fong, they developed the property and opened the first Wax Museum in America’s West Coast which soon ranked as one of the top destinations for San Francisco visitors. The Fong property has become the hub where San Francisco tourists throng to for its intriguing Wax Museum and surrounding shops and restaurants. Business and community leader, Ronald Fong will accept the honors with his two sons and the succeeding fifth generations of the Fong Family.
Caption: Fong busy at work in his Wax Museum of San Francisco
Entrepreneur and civic leader Rodney Fong who continued in the family business with his father, recently earned the title of President and CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. He annually hosts a Thomas and Eva Fong Scholarship fundraising Golf Tournament in honor of his grandparents commitment to helping community.
Caption: Brothers Rodney and Barre Fong in China
Son Barre Fong continues the family’s community spirit and served once as the Chinese Historical Society’s President He recently received acclaim for his directorship of the acclaimed documentary “Finding the Virgo” about Vietnamese refugees reuniting with the heroic captain and crew of the boat which aided in their escape from war torn Vietnam.
Caption: Three generations of Fong Family assemble
It will be CHSA’s privilege to recognize and honor the Fong Family of San Francisco, CA.
Another family, the Lawrence Chu Family will be honored at the CHSA’s annual gala dinner. Outstanding Artistic Achievement Award will be presented to “Crazy Rich Asians” Director Jon M. Chu who has earned many honors in his young career in Hollywood. Already touted as one of the projected top movies of 2020 will be his newest film, “In The Heights” with music by Lin-Manuel Miranda due out this summer.
Caption: Chu Brothers Jon and Larry Jr. herald restaurant anniversary
Photo by Frank Jang
A hometown boy growing up in Los Altos with four other siblings, from the age of 5, his mother Ruth recounts, “He always loved music and performing. He played every instrument he could find and sang on stage in a local production of “Pacific Overtures” as the little boy in the tree. He hosted a DJ show on television in his teens. Being the youngest, I gave him a video camera once on a family vacation and told him it was his job to photograph us. Maybe that piqued his interest in film and I’m proud to say, in college he won the Grace Kelly Award on his first movie entry competition.”
Caption: Chef Lawrence Chu
Sharing the Chu honors will be Jon’s father, Lawrence Chu, better known as Chef Chu, proprietor of his popular Silicon Valley Restaurant, cookbook author and Master Cooking Teacher. As Lawrence told us, “My Chef Chu’s Restaurant this year celebrated its 50th year of operation with an all-day event for the patrons who have been our loyal customers since my wife Ruth and I opened our small noodle shop in 1970. It was a tiny takeout shop with only a few tables, short lunch counter and a menu of 12 entrees at a busy corner in what eventually became Silicon Valley. It was our immigrants dream to make it something to be proud of even then.”
Caption: Chu Family greets hundreds of patrons at 50th anniversary celebration
Photo by Frank Jang
The plucky 25 year-old Lawrence Chu and his then fiancée Ruth soon heard that while his customers thought his food delicious, they preferred a more high-end family restaurant that offered a cultural experience and broader menu. Thus the concept of Chef Chu’s came into being!
Caption: Father and son unite – Lawrence and Jon Chu
photo by Frank Jang
In its 50 years, it has been known for its welcoming and friendly atmosphere where families could celebrate special occasions and businessmen could bring their company staff and customers. Lawrence Chu’s entrepreneurial spirit always involved family and throughout the restaurant’s timeline, family members have always been involved in its success. In its beginning days, Ruth and her parents, Maggie and Ben worked there. Eventually daughters Christina and Jennifer were hostesses with traditional Chu smiling welcomes. Today son Larry Jr. now serves as Manager welcoming all congenially as his father did and continues to do for the past 5 decades.
Caption: Fellow Chef friends of Lawrence Chu , Martin Yan and Khai Duong join in the 50th anniversary celebration
Photo by Frank Jang
Approximately 400 guests are expected to attend to herald the feats and family traditions the Fong Family, Chef Lawrence Chu and son Jon Chu have embodied in their careers and lives. A reception will open the evening event and a Night Market will be there where guests can shop for housewares, books and goods that celebrate our Chinese heritage. ABC/KGO-TV news anchor Kristen Sze will emcee the CHSA exciting evening. Songstress Maddie B., known for her blazing renditions of the national anthem at Golden State Warrior Games and other sport events, will perform. As a special remembrance of the occasion, guests will receive a special gift made exclusively for CHSA by designer Mulan
Leong-Suzuki to commemorate families, honor culture and appreciate history.
Caption: Chef Chu family celebrate 50th anniversary celebration
photo by Frank Jang
Chinese Historical Society of America has continued its mission to present and preserve Chinese American history at its museum. During my tenure on the Board over a decade ago, I was honored to be Capital Campaign Co Chair with Doris Grover that worked together with then Mayor Willie Brown to enable the purchase of the former Chinatown YWCA building on Clay Street which now is the site of the CHSA museum. To see it continue its goals in honoring immigrants, and tonight’s immigrant families, is very rewarding for me to see. As CHSA President Doug Chan says, “The 200 year story of Chinee America matters because it represents everything from the pioneer tales of railroad workers, farmhands and builders to the immigrant labor of the seamstress, the fry-cook, and especially the soldiers, sailors and aviators whom we will honor later this year. Today’s visitors to our museum soon realize that the past informs the present and we welcome all to come to the museum to support our cause.”
Since the organization’s founding in 1963, the Chinese Historical Society of America has been dedicated to preserving Chinese American history and telling stories to enlighten a new generation. Its museum and learning center in San Francisco Chinatown welcomes thousands of visitors annually. I wholeheartedly encourage all to come to CHSA’s annual event “In Celebration of Family” on March 28. For more information on CHSA 2020 gala, visit chsa.org/gala2020. Let’s all come and applaud our Honorees the Fong Family, Lawrence and Jon Chu and enjoy an evening in support of Chinese American history.
CHI AM CIRCLE LEGACY GALA
The Chi Am Circle of ladies in Silicon Valley love to party and eat, in addition to being a very active social service organization. So when the thought of a 55th Anniversary came around, 2019 President Sylvia Eng probably said to her Board, “Why not use this as an excuse of a gala party to honor the club’s founders who have continued being valuable members? Also why not also honor those members who had been loyal leaders and members for over 30 years too?” she added.
Caption: Chi Am Circle alumni members of over 30-55 years.
So with that occasion in mind, Gala chairwomen Helen Kwan, Sandy Joe and Eva Wong went to work making arrangements for a gala 55th Anniversary celebration this year and to call it “A LEGACY GALA”. They gathered the efficient efforts of a determined dozen members, Sharon Lai, Nikki Chow, Kelly Matsuura, Rose Low, Jenny Leung, Juliet Sham, Beverly Harada, Liza Wong, Ellen Lau, Sylvia Eng, Mary Ann Wong and Rebecca Feng.
Caption: Legacy Gala Committee members celebrate together
Held at the Sheraton Hotel in Palo Alto, it was a rollicking fun evening that started off with a brightly lit splash bang conga line with committee members frolicking on the dance floor waving flashing lighted batons as they danced among the 150 guests assembled for the anniversary party.
Caption: Chairman Helen Kwan leads Conga Line opening the Legacy Gala Celebration
Fifty five years was a long time ago for senior’s memory but being a founder, I shared with the audience how it all began. “It all started when a newcomer from Salinas, Betty Young moved into town. Knowing only 4 others, she said why don’t we all invite one friend to come to my house one night to make an arts and crafts project? The first five had so much fun, they again each asked a new friend for the next month, and as the chain grew, within 6 months, the number of Asian American women members grew to over 70.
Caption: Chi Am Circle Founders Gerrye Wong, Ruby Fong and Muriel Kao
I was privileged to be among the original 10 who decided to form a club and name it Chi Am Circle. We were all newly arrived to the Valley, following the surge of our engineer husbands finding new exciting jobs in the emerging high tech industry, and raising new generations of Asian Americans in the predominantly white communities of Santa Clara Valley. We were wives and mothers eager to make new friends and thrilled to have one night out a month away from those household duties of cooking for kids and husbands,” I said to much understanding laughter.
Caption: Co Chairman Sandy Joe presents Founders Award to Gerrye Wong
Fellow founder Muriel Kao added her memories, saying “ In the beginning we busied ourselves making fancy household crafts, but our service juices soon came alive and in the early 1970s, Chi Am Circle threw their first fashion show fundraising lunch which drew over 700 people. Serving the needs of the new growing Chinese American community, Chi Am women helped open a Chinese language school, sponsored a Chi T teen club, and supported a new senior center piloted by Self Help for the Elderly organization from San Francisco.” Dr. Rickey Fong, bringing his mother Ruby, a club founder, on stage, recalled how Chi Am Circle activities played a major part of his mother’s life through all its years since the first official meeting when she took the very first minutes in 1965, and actually found them in her file cabinet recently. Rick Quon spoke on behalf of his mother Frances Quon, also an original founder, saying “My parents were sole children away from their parents when we moved to Santa Clara with no family nearby. My mother always said our newly found friends will be our family, and her Chi Am Circle friends and their families did eventually become our family just as she hoped for.”
Caption: Legacy Gala Co Chairwomen Helen Kwan, Sandy Joe and Eva Wong
Benson and Helen Kwan produced a nostalgic video of photos from Chi Am Circle’s 55 years of fun-filled and meaningful activities and social events. Besides the four existing founders being honored on stage – Ruby Fong, Frances Quon, Muriel Kao and Gerrye Wong – a dozen other 30 year long standing members were also recognized. Coming on stage and receiving beautiful silver necklaces for their dedication and loyalty to Chi Am Circle were Virginia Bakken, Carol Fong, Pauline Fong, Gloria Hom, Jennie Hong, Carolyn Jow, Helen Kwan, Mabel Lai, Alice Lee, Pearl lee, Susan Lee, Violet Lee, Pat Lum, and Mary Ann Wong. Other over 30 year veteran members recognized but unable to attend were Anita Chan, Elizabeth Chan, Helen Chew, Evelyn Gate, Coleen Gee, Valerie Jeung, Cleo Jong, Aimee Leung, Mary Ann Sing, Joanne Tanabe and Lillian Timm. Obviously member loyalty is a key factor to Chi Am Circle’s continuing success.
Caption: Calvin and Gerrye Wong family enjoying Legacy Gala Celebration
Today Chi Am Circle stands proudly with its over 100 members busily immersed into monthly activities. The new Board, led by Presidents Carol Yiu and Verna Wong, will continue the Chi Am Circle’s signature project, that of awarding scholarships to high school seniors annually. From a small beginning when probably only a handful received modest honorariums of a few hundred dollars, the scholarship sponsorship program has grown to giving up to 30 awards totaling over $75,000 from up to 100 applications received each year.
Caption: Greeters at Registration Table were Maria Lu, Kelly Matsuura and Eva Wong
The celebration of Legacy continued throughout the night between the new and old friends of Chi Am Circle ladies and their supportive husbands. Everyone enjoyed a night of reminiscing in between participating in casino games of craps, blackjack and poker. In true Asian style, four active tables of mah jong tiles could be heard clicking away. Each table had one male player competing against three Chi Am sisters, but the men out-won the ladies, so Howard Woo, Aaron Wong, Calvin Wong and Vernon Wong happily went home with a nice $20 li see prize.
Caption: Alan and Kathy Eustace generously donated top raffle prize.
Eager and effervescent Chairman Helen Kwan led line dancing on the dance floor at the Sheraton Palo Alto followed by active ballroom dancers during the evening. Every Chi Am event ends with guests happily winning prizes. Kelly Matsuura’s earned prize was for ending up with the most “funny money” cache. Maelene Wong won the top raffle prize of a coveted Stay and Play package at the Half Moon Bay Ritz Carleton generously donated by Alan and Kathy Eustace. It was a night to be remembered by all to celebrate a feat not many non-profit service clubs run totally by volunteer members can achieve — a Legacy Gala Celebrating 55 Years !!
