Contents

• Charter President's Message
• President's Message
• Biography of Incoming President
• MCAH's Gala Banquet: Showcasing our History
• Garnier Building Update
• The New Traveling Exhibit: Portraits and Voices
• New Member Profile
• Donors
• Board of Directors and Newsletter Staff

Since some important milestones have occurred recently, I thought we should bring you up to date.

First: El Pueblo Monument received a response from Catellus Corporation to its Request for Proposals for the development of the Pico and Garnier blocks south of the Plaza. It is hoped that the City Council will authorize the Chief Legislative Analyst's Office and El Pueblo staff to negotiate a contract with Catellus. This company is a neighbor of El Pueblo and is developing a large amount of property behind Union Station. If the contract is negotiated and approved and these blocks are revitalized, it will bring new life to this part of the Monument which includes the Garnier Building where our museum will be located.

Second: Our fundraiser at the Biltmore Hotel was a resounding success with over $150,000 grossed. As a bonus, our project received a great deal of media coverage and several individuals and companies have come forward offering to assist us. I would like to express special appreciation to the J. Paul Getty Trust and its former president, Harold Williams. They recently donated $10,000 to the museum and have supported us since 1994 through the Getty Multicultural Summer Internship Program.

Finally: We have elected a new president, Judge Ronald Lew, and selected a President Elect, attorney Robert Kwan. They are both highly qualified, as you probably know already, to lead us as we move ahead.

Thank you all for your enthusiastic support and encouragement throughout the past decade. With your help, we have made excellent progress! Esther and I will continue to be active as members. Let us proceed together in creating the Museum of Chinese American History.

Your friend,

Dan Louie, Jr.

Greetings! I am honored to serve as the new president of the Friends of the Museum of Chinese American History.

Charter President Dr. Dan Louie, Jr. (L) and
incoming President Hon. Ronald Lew (R).

This museum is the first in the Greater Los Angeles area dedicated to recording the stories of our ancestors. Our mission is to share the richness and vitality of the Chinese American experience and bring to life their challenges and achievements which have contributed to the dynamic and diverse community of Southern California.

This important institution is becoming a reality largely due to the dedication of Charter President Dan Louie. Since 1987, he and numerous board members have worked tirelessly on projects such as fundraisers, traveling exhibitions, artifact acquisition, and architectural plans. As president, Dan's achievements in quality and quantity will be difficult to match. He inspires us all at the Friends to follow in his footsteps and aggressively forge ahead toward the completion of this museum.

I look forward to collaborating with the devoted and capable board members, who were the main reasons why I enthusiastically accepted the position of president. Furthermore, I wish to welcome two new board members, Peter Woo and Julia Keh. Julia is a financial planning representative at Prudential Preferred Financial Services. Peter is the co-owner and CEO of Megatoys as well as the president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

Please join the board of directors and myself as we strive toward opening the museum doors in the year 2000. To achieve this goal, we must involve not only the local Chinese population, but also the entire Los Angeles community. The Museum of Chinese American History is not only for Chinese Americans, but also for all Americans to learn about this important aspect of our nation's history.

Thank you all for your continuous support. We hope to see you at the Second Annual "Historymakers" Awards gala banquet at the end of this year.

Yours truly,

Ronald S. W. Lew

In May of 1987, Judge Lew was appointed to the federal bench where he now serves in the Central District of California. He is the first Chinese American appointed as a United States District Judge in the continental U.S.

Judge Lew is very active in civic, community, church, and legal affairs. He was a founder of the Chinatown Service Center and the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association. He is also a member of the committee of 100, a chair of the Chinese Heart Council, and President of the Museum of Chinese American History.

Judge Lew is married to Mamie Lew, who was born in Canton, China. They have four children.

Six honorees received "historymakers" awards: (L to R) Charles Woo, Larry Wong, Hon. March Fong Eu, Harold Williams, Hon. Matthew Fong, and Peter Woo.
Mr.Pedro Chan (M) and Mrs. Chan (L) contributed $50,000 to MCAH on behalf of the Center for Chinese Medicine.	Joseph, Betty and Gregory Wong (L to R) also donated $10,000 to the museum.

The Museum of Chinese American History held its premier event, Showcasing Our History, on October 22, 1997, in Los Angeles downtown's Regal Biltmore Hotel. Five hundred guests attended this fundraiser and awards ceremony and contributed more than $150,000 to the museum. Also on this evening, six notable honorees received historymakers awards.

Five hundred supporters attended
MCAH's First Annual "Historymakers" Awards gala banquet

The awards banquet commenced with warm words of welcome from event Chairwoman Betty Wong Oyama. Broadcast journalists Sharon Tay and Frank Kwan served as the mistress and master of ceremonies. Dr. Dan Louie, President of the Friends of the Museum of Chinese American History, recognized and presented trophies to the major donors. After dinner, a promotional video produced by Pamela Tom and Sherie Yang entertained and informed the guests regarding the museum's past, present, and future activities. Next, Dan Louie awarded Historymakers medals to six honorees for achievements in their areas of expertise.

Mistress and master of ceremonies, Sharon Tay (L) and Frank Kwan (R).

County Supervisor Michael Antonovich (L) expressed his enthusiastic support for MCAH.

Two awards in the category of government were presented to Hon. March Fong Eu and her son, California State Treasurer Hon. Matthew K. Fong. The Megatoys brothers, Charles and Peter Woo, received medals for their accomplishments in business. Larry Wong, a dedicated community activist with an impressive record of humanitarian achievements, earned his award for leadership. Harold Williams proudly accepted the service to history award on behalf of the J. Paul Getty Trust of which he served as president until his recent retirement.

In addition to these dignitaries, numerous esteemed guests attended the fundraiser in support of the museum. They included Mrs. Judge Ronald Lew, County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, and Councilman Michael Gin of the City of Redondo Beach. Joanne Hale, President of the Autry Museum of Western Heritage, also honored the Friends with her presence at the gala banquet.

The event was organized by Chairwoman Betty Wong Oyama and Co-chairs Munson Kwok, Chi Kin Mui, and Dan Louie. Banquet Consultant, Lang, Murakawa & Wong, guided its production. Under their leadership, seventy dedicated volunteers created not only a successful fundraiser but also an excellent party.

According to Munson Kwok, Showcasing our History surpassed the event committee's goals in quality, finances, and attendance. It also succeeded in spreading awareness in regard to the importance of completing this institution. The Friends continue to seek contributions in artifacts, funding, and volunteered services. Only with the generous support of the public will the Museum of Chinese American History become a reality and open its doors in the year 2000.

Sherie Yang

All banquet photos: Tom Eng

The Garnier Building located in El Pueblo de
Los Angeles Historic Park, will be home to the
Museum of Chinese American History.

The good news is that the long awaited renovation of the north bay of the Garnier Building will soon begin. The architectural plans prepared by Scott Field of Parkinson, Field, and Associates have received the approval of the City of Los Angeles' Plan Check Department. Therefore, work can now proceed. El Pueblo Monument has made an agreement with the City's General Services Department to do the construction work. At the same time, the City has hired a firm of architects to draw up plans for the seismic stabilization of the entire building and to take the necessary steps to provide handicapped access. This work may require modifications in the approved plans. As Mr. Field has moved to Austin, Texas, the Friends recently sent out a Request for Qualifications seeking an architect to replace him who could work with the city's architects on the aspects of the seismic and ADA work that will affect the north bay. When the architect is selected, he or she will not only collaborate with the city's architects for the north bay renovation which is the first phase of construction for the museum, but will also make plans for the rest of the space that has been made available to us. This includes all floors of the north bay of the Garnier Building and the basement under the Turner Building close by. The museum now has close to 6,000 square feet of space as opposed to the 2,400 square feet originally assigned to the project.

Following review of their proposals, interviews with prospective architects were held in early February by a committee composed of Chi Mui (Chair), Jerry Jann, Dr. Munson Kwok, Jean Bruce Poole, and Tom Woo. The architectural firms under consideration for this project are: Choy Associates, Lawrence Man, Architects, and RTKL Associates Inc. A final selection will be made by mid-February.

Jean Bruce Poole
Historic Museum Director

Portraits and Voices is on display in the Chinatown Library during the month of February.

Artist Tyrus Wong's biography is one of seven featured in the new exhibit.

The black and white portrait always shows a prominent personage, obviously successful and undeniably self-confident. The story behind the picture needs to be discovered or even re-discovered, for our rich heritage and role in establishing Southern California is slipping away. That is why last summer's Getty interns, Grace Chen and Tabitha Pang, dedicated their efforts to unveiling the histories of seven prominent Chinese Americans of Los Angeles who have made significant impact on our community since the turn of the century.

Our subjects for a summer's discovery include: Peter Soo-Hoo, a key founder of New Chinatown; Y.C. Hong, L.A.'s first Chinese American lawyer; George Lem, a successful restaurateur; Tom Leung, an herbalist and activist; Low Chew, a pioneering patriot and civil rights fighter; Ng Poon Chew, a notable editor and minister; and Tyrus Wong, an artist, craftsman, and raconteur-- a genuine original from the present day.

Using oral histories and family photos provided by their descendants and through archival research, our tireless interns unearthed important facts about these pioneers and discovered how their experience became key threads in the fabric of a community development. The findings of our young scholars have melded picture and word into the newest edition of the museum's traveling exhibit

Entitled Portraits and Voices, MCAH's latest is on display in the Chinatown branch of the Los Angeles Public Library during February. For subsequent months, the exhibit will travel to various other Southern California public libraries, where new visitors can learn about the contributions of Chinese Americans to this region.

Munson Kwok

Mr. Lem first learned about the Museum of Chinese American History at the "Historymakers" award and fundraiser ceremony last October. Recognizing the importance of this museum, he immediately offered his support and joined the Friends.

"There is a Japanese American National Museum and a Korean American Museum, yet there is no museum dedicated to the history of the largest ethnic Asian group in the United States." Mr. Lem, a retired high school counselor, further expressed, "It is about time that we create this much needed educational institution for future generations of Americans."

When Richard was a student in the 1930's through 1950's, his history books' coverage of the Asian American experience was not much more than a sliver of information on the WWII internment of Japanese Americans. Throughout his life, he saw stereotypical media portrayals of the Chinese restaurant waiters and laundrymen. His Chinese relatives and friends, however, did not match these limited images. The school books did not tell the stories of pioneers such as his grandfather.

Richard helped to created the current traveling exhibition by providing photographs and interviews about George Lem. Mrs. Patricia Soo-Hoo Lem, contributed information about her father, Peter Soo-Hoo, who is also featured in Portraits and Voices.

Sherie Yang

MAJOR MUSEUM SPONSOR
Mr. & Mrs. Pedro Chan, Center for Chinese Medicine

PATRON SPONSORS
Yim Hom, DCH Automotive Group
J. Paul Getty Trust
L.A. Chinese Produce Merchants Assn.
Betty, Joseph & Gregory Wong,

BENEFACTOR SPONSORS
Kaiser Permanente
John & Silvia Yasuda, KSCI/Channel 18
Standard Savings Bank

GOLD SPONSORS
Catellus Development Corporation
Chan Law Group LC
Home Savings of America
Kong Chow Benevolent Association
Megatoys
Prudential Preferred Financial Services, Southern California Asian Agency
Cheng Lin Tsun-Ku

SILVER SPONSORS
American Chinese Garment Contractors Association of Southern California
California State University System
Johny Chang
Lily Lee Chen
China Society of Southern California
Chinatown Service Center
Chinese American Citizens Alliance, Los Angeles Lodge
Chinese Americans Engineers & Scientists Association of Southern California
Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association
Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
Coors Brewing Co.
Eastern International Bank
Friends of the Museum of Chinese American History
Friends of the Chinatown Library
Ka Wah Bank
Korean American Museum
Munson A. Kwok, Ph.D.
Ky Ho
L.A. International Lions Club
Kevin La, Loh Sun International, Inc.
Lee On Dong Association
Anna & Billy W. Lew
Dr. & Mrs. Matthew Lin
Los Angeles Dodgers
Dan Louie, Jr., Ph.D.
Lung Kong Tin Yee Association
Pacific Asian Consortium for Employment
Soo Hoo-Leong Corporation
South Pasadena Chinese American Club
Southern California Chinese American Lawyers Association
Southern California Teo-Chew Association
Drs. Timothy & Annie Sui
Jeffrey Tung
Vietnamese American Friendship Association
Eddie Wong, the Jerde Partnership International
Dr. & Mrs. Hing C. Wong
Wong Family Association

FRIENDS

Alhambra Hospital Bow On Family Association Cathay Pacific Airways Limited Benson Chan David & Wendy Chan Wellington Chan William Chan, G. M. Market Lena Chang, Fil-Am Sports USA, Inc. Shireen Chang Shu-Chi Chang, Cultural Division, TECO Mr. & Mrs. Vicente Chang Chia Chun Chao H.K. Cheng Henry & Lois Chi Pete Chinn Accountancy Corporation Marilyn Chiu William Chun-Hoon Lena Chung Mr. & Mrs. Jim & Chris Cook Eugene Cooper Evelyn Cucchiarella Susan Dickson Carol Duan Cindy Fong Daniel Fong Saykin & Tina Foo Agnes Fung Elmo Gambarana Gee How Oak Tin Association Dolly Gee Harry & Fay Gee Councilman Mike Gin Fred Gong, Jr. Hency Brokerage Service, Inc. Hency Transportation, Inc. Mabel Wong Hogle Nancy Adams Holliday Roger Hong Marina Hsieh Hop Sing Tong Association Eastwood & Elizabeth Im Gerald Jann William Jeung Johnston C. Chu, D.D.S., Inc. Robert & Edith Jung Ella Kao, M. K. Development Co. Ken Marcel Construction John Khoe Victor King Joseph Ko, Telko Inc. Robert Kwan Beulah Kwoh Collin & Susan Lai Irvin Lai Martha Lan David Lau, Sam Woo BBQ Restaurant Louisa Lau Celeste Lee Holly Lee J.J. & Sage Lee Marjorie Lee Yukie Lee Wei Ching Lei Marian Leng Margaret Lew Winifred Lew You & Fong Choy Lew Amy Lewis

Diana Ling Lippobank Park & Margaret Liu Cindy Lo, Amwest Travel Service Roella Hsieuh Louie Hoover & Ruby Louie Louie Way Benevolent Association Sam Sik Low Albert Lum Stanford Lyman David Ma Franklin Mah Lawrence Man, Lawrence Man Architects Dr. & Mrs. Wing & Joyce Mar Tom & Liz McDannold Eugene Wong Moy Mary & Stanley Mu Ming & Josephine Ng John & Trudy Nishizu Organization of Chinese Americans - Greater Los Angeles Pacific Alliance Medical Center Pacific Heritage Books Jean Bruce Poole Ella Quan Ernest Quan Marilynn Quon William Quon Glen Reed, G.A. Productions Adam Ritter 888 Seafood Restaurant Kathleen Siu Al Soo-Hoo Peter Soo-Hoo, Jr. Soo Yuen Fraternal Association Julius Sue Iris Sun Diana Tang June Thomson Clara Tom Herbert W. Tom William Tom T.C. Construction Corporation Mark Tung C.W. & C.P. Tzeng Betty Wang H. E. Frank Wang The Westin Bonaventure Hotel Angi Ma Wong Chuck & Susan Wong Cy Wong Dolores Wong Jeannie Wong Kam L. & Beatrice Wong Tana Wong Mr. & Mrs. William Wong Yep Wong James Woo Winston Wu Yang Chow Restaurant Jane Yang Robert Yang John Yee Karyn Yin Ming Yeung Adeline Yoong Jeannette Young Mr. & Mrs. Paul Zee