By Peter Young, CHCP Director and HELP Grant Chair

Rancho Milpitas Middle School held its annual Asian American Heritage Night Thursday, May 15th.  The event was held at the outdoor school quad and was partially funded by a CHCP HELP Grant that was used to purchase costumes, props, decorations, and cultural food items sold at the event.  Approximately 150 students, parents, and faculty members were treated to a variety of 11 ethnic Asian performances.  Performances included Bollywood, Vietnamese, K-Pop, Hawaiian, a Filipino Tinikling performance to a non-Filipino song, and a piano performance by the daughter of Rancho Milpitas Middle School faculty member Yen Mai.  Decorations included life-sized drawings of Asian costumes by the students.  CHCP Co-President Kimberly Eng Lee and Board Members Peter Young, Brenda Wong, and Edith Gong attended and shared information on CHCP and upcoming events with the attendees.

Dr. Kimberley Connor's talk on "Beer, Bitters, and Batteries: Glass from the Market Street Chinatown" presented the first results from a new analysis of glass containers and tablewares from the Market Street Chinatown in San Jose. Her presentation told us about everyday life in the Chinatown, technological changes in glassmaking, and the types of products consumed.

By Christina Li, SBHCACC Vice-President

This year’s Ching Ming Jie had many newcomers who came to learn about the land’s 100+ year history and participate in a cultural event that honors our ancestors. For me, it was especially meaningful as we were able to debut the monument from Black Pearls of Geneaology. This marble monument has a history of the cemetery and the names of those buried. We are already thinking of how to make the event more accessible to families next year!

View a KPIX/CBS News broadcast about the 2025 Ching Ming Ceremony at the Historic Chinese American Cemetery:

By Kimberly Eng Lee, CHCP Co-President

CHCP’s Vice-President of Education, Dr. Chris Jochim gave a bilingual workshop on April 4 at the Avenidas Chinese Community Center (ACCC) in Palo Alto. Dr. Jochim presented in both English and Mandarin about the importance of the local temples, compared the Chinese American Historical Museum (CAHM) (in the replica Ng Shing Gung building) to other Chinese American temples, explained the meaning of various couplets, and discussed why most early Chinese immigrants’ temples disappeared or became museums.

Attendees listened intently and participants had many questions about the topic, including who was responsible for upkeep of the Ng Shing Gung temple, where had the altar been stored after the temple closed, and what were relations like between Chinese residents of Heinlenville and adjacent Japantown.

CHCP Co-President Kimberly Eng Lee also described the still active Bok Kai Temple in Marysville, which CHCP visited in early March during the Bok Kai Festival.

For Women's Heritage Day at History Park, CHCP's Student Docent Cultural Ambassador Program (SDCAP) screened several short videos celebrating contributions and accomplishments of Chinese women from the past and the present.  SDCAP Members Zacharee Ho and Megan Tian assisted in presenting the videos.

By Russell Low, Guest Speaker

We celebrated Women's Month at San Jose's History Park in the Chinese American Historical Museum (Ng Shing Gung Museum). The upstairs temple provided a wonderful setting for the presentations. I was privileged to speak about my new book, which honors Tye Leung Schulze—a trailblazer for women's and human rights over a century ago. Standing just 4'9", Tye was a towering figure in Asian American history. She became the first Chinese woman to vote in 1912 and the first to hold a U.S. government job at Angel Island in 1910. She fought human trafficking alongside Donaldina Cameron and advocated for women's reproductive rights. Sharing her legacy with a new generation is an honor I deeply cherish. Tye's grandson, Ted Schulze, attended the presentation, adding a special and meaningful touch to the event.

NOTE: Russell Low was also a featured speaker at CHCP's 08/13/22 Spirit of '45 celebration.

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The City of San Jose has officially proclaimed February 24th as Thomas Foon Chew Day. The Proclamation pays tribute to the groundbreaking achievements and lasting legacy of Thomas Foon Chew, a pioneering Chinese American entrepreneur whose contributions to the agricultural industry left an indelible mark on the Bay Area and beyond.

Thomas Foon Chew, often referred to as the "Asparagus King," revolutionized the canning industry in the early 20th Century. Despite immense challenges faced by Chinese Americans at the time, including systemic exclusion, Chew expanded his family's modest cannery into one of the largest and most innovative operations in California. His business not only provided employment opportunities for thousands but also bridged cultural gaps, employing a diverse workforce and setting a remarkable example of leadership and inclusivity.

The City of San Jose has recognized Chew’s extraordinary story as a vital part of local history. "Thomas Foon Chew was as much a local pioneer as he was a business visionary. His success paved the way for many to follow in his footsteps," said Councilmember David Cohen of District 4 who authored the Proclamation.

Cohen credited a 16-year-old high schooler from CompassPoint Mentorship with proposing the holiday. “All of this started because of one student, Grant Han,...who contacted my office and decided he wanted to preserve this piece of history”. Han stated that he saw Chew’s story as “an inspiration for future generations.” He hoped this holiday could “inspire future generations to follow in Thomas Foon Chew’s footsteps.”

The Proclamation was presented by Mayor Matt Mahan to Gloria Hom, Chew’s granddaughter, at San Jose’s City Hall. It was preceded by a celebration of life event in Alviso, where Chew established the Bayside Canning Company. Over 140 residents, historians, students, public officials, family, and friends attended the celebration hosted by the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project and CompassPoint Mentorship. Tours of the portion of the Bayside Cannery still standing and the surrounding levee were followed by a presentation at the South Bay Yacht Club, where Gloria Hom spoke about her grandfather’s legacy. During its heyday, the Bayside Canning Company was the third-largest cannery in the United States. The local economy was dependent on Chew, said Dick Santos, Director of Valley Water District 3, and “according to my Father who worked for him, was an honorable man and was the major provider of the then City of Alviso residents’ employer.”

Born in 1882, Thomas Foon Chew inherited his father’s small cannery in the early 1900s and transformed it into a major enterprise known as the Bayside Canning Company with locations in Alviso, Isleton, and Mayfield Palo Alto. His ability to innovate, coupled with his commitment to fair labor practices and community engagement, solidified his place in history as a trailblazer for Chinese Americans.

CompassPoint Mentorship’s mission is to help children around the world convert ideas into world-changing actions through education, mentorship, and leadership opportunities.

The Chinese Historical and Cultural Project (CHCP)’s mission is to promote, preserve, and educate about Chinese and Chinese American history and culture. CHCP operates the Chinese American Historical Museum, offers cultural and educational events and activities, student docent and intern programs, and resources to advance AAPI interests throughout the Silicon Valley region.

By Kimberly Eng Lee, CHCP Co-President

CHCP proudly introduced three Pioneer Chinese Families of San Jose at a gathering of the Chinese American Heritage Network in Marysville, CA on March 1st, organized by Brian Tom from the Chinese American Museum of Northern California. CHCP Co-Presidents Kimberly Eng Lee and Arthur Jue, Treasurer Elizabeth Lee, Director Brenda Wong, Co-Founder Gerrye Wong, and CHCP Member Angela Chan were joined by Grant Han and William Tang from CPMentorship (under the guidance of Catherine Liu). The 14 Northern California historical associations and organizations gave testimony to the significance of the region and memorialized the story of early Chinese settlers.

Chinese immigrants came to America not only to mine the gold mountains and build railroads and levees, but they labored invisibly in many trades with expertise that helped build up California and our United States. Sharing of Chinese culture and traditions, then and now, fortifies social networks, furthers cross-cultural understanding, and substantiates the presence and permanence of Chinese in America.

Pioneer Chinese Families of San Jose:

Connie Young Yu, a third generation Chinese American on her father’s side and fourth on her mother’s, owes her life’s work to her parents. Her paternal grandfather fled the Market Street Chinatown arson fire in 1887 and became a community leader in Heinlenville Chinatown. Her maternal grandfather was a foreman on the Transcontinental Railroad. His son, Lee Yoke Suey, was a merchant, yet his wife was detained on Angel Island for 15 months. The Young family’s oral history, personal archives, research, and advocacy contributed to the restoration of Angel Island’s Immigration Barracks, creation of the Chinese American Historical Museum, founding of Asian Americans for Community Involvement, projects with the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, PBS’s documentary “Asian Americans,” the City of San Jose’s apology for past injustices toward Chinese, and creation of Heinlenville Park. Connie said, “It has always been my destiny to be part of the American movement for social justice and civil rights, given my family background of struggling against discrimination, and overcoming. My mission is to establish Chinese American history as American history.”

Thomas Foon Chew was an entrepreneur and innovator, renowned for transforming the canning industry in early 20th-century California. He moved the family business to Alviso after San Francisco's Great Earthquake in 1906. With expansion of the Bayside Canning Company to Isleton and Mayfield, and extensive farm lands in the Sacramento Delta, it became the third largest cannery in America. Chew employed a diverse workforce, provided transport, room and board, and established Alviso as an essential port town in the Bay Area. Nicknamed the 'Asparagus King', he was the first Chinese American in California to join the Masons, and was the third richest man in California when he died in 1931. This year, at the prompting of a local student, the City of San Jose Proclaimed February 24th to be "Thomas Foon Chew Day".

Gordon Chan's family legacy starts with grandfather, Chin Hong Dai, the 'Chinese Potato King' who leased 1,100 acres in the Sacramento Delta in 1901, reaching Eastern markets ahead of competitors. His father Ted, farmed flowers and Gordon transformed the business into one of the largest growing operations in Santa Clara Valley, specializing in cut roses shipped nationwide. Gordon’s leadership extended beyond farming to uniting Chinese flower growers, supporting new immigrants, participating in many Chinese Benevolent Associations, and mentoring young Asian American leaders. He broke barriers as the first Chinese American on key County Boards including the Farm Bureau, Planning Commission, Redistricting Commission, Open Space Authority, Cut Flower Commission and County Fair Board, earning him an honorary doctorate from the People’s Republic of China. The main post office for San Jose was renamed after him in 2009: "Gordon led a life of leadership and participation...He was about social change and social justice".

CLICK HERE to view the full text from CHCP's Pioneer Chinese Families of San Jose exhibit.