“Photos of Chan Ying Tak,” 1923 & 1933, Chinese Exclusion Act case files, RG 85, National Archives-Seattle, Chan Ying Tak file, Seattle, Box 854, Case 7031/503.
Chan Ying Tak was born 8 January 1906 in Hong King, China. She was a student in Oi Hoi Village, Sun Whai District from 1912 to 1919 and Pui Ching School in Canton from 1919 to 1923. She came to the United States in 1923 as a student under the provisions of the Section 6 exemption of the Chinese Exclusion Act. She received her B.A. degree from Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio and obtained her medical degree at Rush Medical College at the University of Chicago. She interned for one year at the Women’s College Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1933 she was a medical researcher at the University of Chicago.
In 1933 Miss Chan was applying for a re-entry permit so she could visit her family in China. Her father provided her with $2,000 a year while she was attending school. She described him as retired but a stock owner in various department stores and railroads in China. The interviewer asked if she would describe him as a retired Capitalist. She replied, “Yes, I think I would.”
Dr. Ying Tak Chan received an excellent letter of recommendation from B. C. H. Harvey, Dean of Medical Students, the University of Chicago and Edward H. Parson, Immigrant Inspector approved her application. Information not in the file: She returned to the U.S. and was very successful. Details to come…
“Woo Sing family portrait,” 1898, Chinese Exclusion Act case files, RG 85, National Archives-Seattle, Charles William Sing file, Seattle, Box 1070, Case 8787/3-8.
This photo was taken in Richmond, Virginia about 1898 of the Woo Sing, his wife Sue King, their son Charles William, and their daughter.
Charles William Sing, born 16 November 1895, was said to be the first Chinese baby born in Richmond, Virginia. [In 1908, the Acting Chinese Inspector stated that the Department of Health did not records birth in the City of Richmond during the years 1888 to 1900.] Woo Sing, knowing that his son nativity might be questioned in future years and his rights under the Constitution may be endangered, had several affidavits recorded in Chancery Court. Woo Sing stated that he was born in China and came to the United States in 1875 at the age of nine, married Sue King, of Chinese descent, but born in San Francisco. They were married there according to the laws of the State of California. They moved to Richmond about 1894 and lived at 2 South 7th Street. He set down the date of his son birth in Chinese and that statement was attached to the affidavits of the attending midwife and two persons who knew him personally. His affidavit was signed 28 April 1898. He paid $1.75 in filing fees. Minetree Folkes, a Notary Public for the City of Richmond, certified Woo Sing’s document.
Walter Christian, Clerk of the Hustings Court of the City of Richmond, certified Folkes’ qualifications.
Caroline Claton, a colored woman, swore in an affidavit that she was a midwife, resided at No. 4 Jackson Street, Richmond, and that on 16 November 1895; she attended to Woo Sing’s wife in the birth of a male child afterwards called Charles William.
Jefferson Wallace swore that he had his linen washed at the laundry of Woo Sing, sometimes called Hop Sing, He knew Woo Sing four or five years, knew that his wife bore a male child in the autumn of 1895 and the child was named Charles William Sing.
Bettie T. Hayes, residing at 817 Floyd Avenue, Richmond, swore the Woo Sing was her tenant and that she has no doubts about the time and place of the birth of Charles William Sing and that his mother brought him to her house on numerous occasions.
These statements were admitted to record on 8 August 1899 by Charles O. Saville, Clerk of the Court of Chancery. The documents were recorded in Deed Book 166 “B”, page 63.
In early September 1908, Woo Sing’s attorney asked the immigration authorities to do a pre-investigation on Charles William Sing to assure that he would not have any problems re-entering the United States. John H. Sargent, Inspector in Charge, in Seattle, complied. On 25 September 1908 John C. Williams, Acting Chinese Inspector, Norfolk, Virginia reported that he had done a thorough check of records and reported that “all the evidence produced and the people interviewed would seem to indicate that there is no doubt of the birth of a Chinese child at #2 So. 7th St., Richmond, Va. about the time set forth in the father’s affidavit.”
On 19 April 1911 Woo Sing, also know at Woo Yip, testified that he was 46 years old, a cook, and living at 655 West Highland Drive, Seattle. His wife and son and daughter were living in China. His statement was in reference to his son, Charles William Sing, coming to Seattle to live with him. Charles, age 16, arrived in Seattle on 15 April 1911 and was admitted. He went back to China in 1913 and 1927 for visits. The final document in his file shows that he was re-admitted on 23 April 1928. He was married. His married name was Woo Gong Jim; his Chinese name was Woo Gong Foon. He had seven children—four sons and three daughters, age 8 to 2. The oldest was born in China and he was staying in Seattle. The others, all born at 1023 King Street, Seattle were going back to China to attend school and return later. He had birth certificates for the children born in Seattle.
Other information not included in the file obtained from Library of Virginia : The Richmond Dispatch, a Richmond, Virginia newspaper published an article, “Woo Sing Has a Son. He paid $1.75 Yesterday to Certify to this Fact. An [sic] Unique Paper Filed in Court” on 9 August 1899.
[There must have been a problem with Charles William Woo’s return in 1908 because these articles were in the local Richmond, Virginia newspapers.]
“Richmond-Born Chinaman is Denied Re-Admission,” The Richmond Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia 24 September 1908, p.10, col 1.
“American Chinaman Barred,” Appomattox and Buckingham Times, Volume 16, Number 48, 30 September 1908, p7, col. 2.
Photo of Little Dancie Wong, form 430, 1933; Photo of Little Dance Wong, Certificate of Identity Application, 1937, Chinese Exclusion Act case files, RG 85, National Archives-Seattle, Little Dancie Wong file, Seattle, Box 742, Case 7030/10486.
Little Dancie Wong was not a happy baby when she had her photo taken in 1933. She was 2 years old, 2 feet, 8-1/2 inches tall. This photo was taken when Little Dancie and her mother and brothers, Pershing and Kellogg, were applying to leave the U.S. for a trip to China. The 1937 photo was taken when Little Dancie and her family returned from China and were headed back to Rosedale, Mississippi. She was now six years old and 3 feet 6 inches tall. They arrived on the S.S. President McKinley on 10 November 1937 in Seattle, Washington. This photo was on her Certificate of Identity number 75531.
Information not included in the file:
According to FindAGrave.com, Little Dancie Wong died on 24 February 1951 and is buried in Beulah Cemetery, Bolivar County, Mississippi. If anyone knows more details about Little Dancie, please let us know. See the Contact Form.
Photos of Little Dancie Wong and Ng Dancie Yet, affidavit, 1933, Chinese Exclusion Act case files, RG 85, National Archives-Seattle, Little Dancie Wong file, Seattle, Box 742, Case 7030/10486.
Little Dancie Wong and her mother obtained an affidavit for the purpose of identification. They were applying to the U.S. Immigration authorities at Angel Island, California in 1933 for a Return Certificate, form 430, which would enable them to re-enter the U.S. after a trip to China.
Ng Dancie Yet, her husband, and several white witnesses were interrogated. Some of the information from the interrogation: Henry Wong, also known as H. Wong and Wong Ge Ye, was born in Gilroy, California on 22 Jan 1908. He and Ng Dancie Yet were married in Ft. Worth, Texas on 17 April 1925. He was a merchant at grocery and meat market called Wong Company in Rosedale, Mississippi.
One of their white witnesses was Dr. Charles W. Patterson, a practicing physician in Rosedale and a graduate of Tulane University. He delivered the Wongs’ three children: Pershing, born in 1926; Kellogg, born in 1928 and Little Dancie, born in 1931.
G. W. Heckert, the Immigration Inspector reviewed the Wongs’ marriage certificate and noted that it was recorded in the Ft. Worth, Texas 1925 marriage records, volume 58, page 242, number 59881. Heckert asked if they could keep the certificate in their permanent files. Ng Dancie Wong refused and the certificate was returned to her. She stated that she was born 18 January 1905 at Fort Worth, Texas.
[According to Heckert, they were trying to determine if H. Wong was Ng Dancie Yet’s first and only husband. They wanted to make sure she had not lost her U.S. citizenship by marriage to an alien ineligible to citizenship. ]
During Ng Dancie Wong’s interrogation she was asked if she was “an expectant mother.” She said that she was four or five months pregnant. Ng Dancie Yet was also known as Ng Yook Hong or Mrs. H. Wong.
Little Dancie Wong, Mississippi Birth Certificate, 26 September 1931, Chinese Exclusion Act case files, RG 85, National Archives-Seattle, Little Dancie Wong file, Seattle, Box 742, Case 7030/10486.
Ng Dancie Yet provided Little Dancie’s birth certificate. It says the Little Dancie’s father was born in Getlow, California instead of Gilroy. Ng Dancie said that the doctor “put it down Getlow because it sounds like that when we pronounce it.”
More about Little Dancie next week…
Hom Toy Hop family photo, 1921, Chinese Exclusion Act case files, RG 85, National Archives-Seattle, Hom Toy Hop Foy file, Box 939, Case 7032/1755.
1921 photo of Hom Toy Hop, her husband, James Yee Quil, and their children, Rosalie, age 7; Grace, 6; Joseph, 4; and Howard, 22 months. They were living at 824 Penn Avenue, Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. Hom Toy Hop was born in Sunning, Kwangtung, China about 1885.
The family applied for return certificates in 1921 and were approved but they did not leave at that time.
In 1932 Hom Toy Hop applied again to leave. She had another daughter by then, Evelyn Yee Quil. They departed from Seattle, on 11 June 1932 on the SS President Jefferson and returned on SS President Taft in April 1933.
Portrait of Eng Moon’s family ca. 1914, Chinese Exclusion Act case files, RG 85, National Archives-Seattle, Eng Sing file, Box 225, Case4280/10-15.
Eng Sing (on the right) was about three years old when this photograph was taken ca. 1912 with his mother and brother. Eng Sing, age 13, arrived in Seattle on 26 November 1925 on the SS President Jefferson. His father, a merchant, was unable to prove his relationship to his alleged son so Eng Sing was deported on 4 February 1926.
[Fake backgrounds were popular in portraits at this time but this is the first time I have seen a fake dog in a photograph.] [Note traditional haircuts on the boys.]
Chin Sic & Chan Mow photos on affidavit, 1910, Chinese Exclusion Act case files, RG 85, National Archives-Seattle, Chin Sic file, Portland, Box 11, Case 2230.
Chan Mow, a Chinese merchant in Portland, Oregon, for about twenty-one years, was requesting that his 19-year old son, Chin Sic, be allowed to come to the United States and join the family business. Chan Mow was a member of the Suey Wo firm.
Chin Sic (Yip Sue), Translation of a Chinese letter, 1910, Chinese Exclusion Act case files, RG 85, National Archives-Seattle, Chin Sic file, Portland, Box 11, Case 2230.
This is the translation of a letter written by Chin Sic (Yip Sue is his married name) to his father on 6 March 1910. He was telling his father about the birth of his son, Wing Yum, and the expenses incurred for his “shaving feast” and “opening of a lantern.” The translator explains the meaning of the “opening of a lantern.”
He signs the letter Yip Sue.
Photos, 1930, Chinese Exclusion Act case files, RG 85, National Archives-Seattle, Lee Chan Wah file, Box 833, Case 7031/43.
Photographs for Rev. Kai Chong Yeung and family. Rev. K. C. Yeung was the minister at The First Chinese Presbyterian Church, 225 East 31st Street, New York, New York. He applied to have his wife, Lee Chan Wah, and their four children join him in New York. Their eldest daughter, Margaret Mo-Hing stayed in China.
“Lawrence Leong, Witness Affidavit,” 10 June 1940, Edward Leong (Leong Kwong Yin) Case File; Chinese Exclusion Act case files, RG 85, National Archives-Seattle, Box 814, Case 7030/13183.
Lawrence Leong’s affidavit tells us that he was born in Berkely [sic], California on 29 August 1906 and Edward Leong is his brother. Edward was born in San Francisco on 6 December 1908. Their father, Leong Geet, died in January 1933 and their mother, Sam [Sum] Shee, died on 11 July 1937. Both died in San Francisco.
Certified copies of the birth certificate for Edward Leong and the death certificate for his mother, Leong Sum Shee, are included in the file.
Yep Sue Passport, page 4 & 5, 23 March 1938, Yep Sue case file; Chinese Exclusion Act case files, RG 85, National Archives-Seattle, Box 749, Case 7030/10751.
Information from pages 2 & 3: Description of bearer: Height: 5 feet 6 inches; Hair: gray; eyes: brown; place of birth: Portland, Oregon; date of birth October 24, 1877; occupation: none
The passport was valid for two months and could not be renewed.
