Chinese - Family History & Genealogy Message Board

CHEW / KEW - Chinese characters?

Manaia_A — 8 Apr 2008 3:11:22 GMT

Can someone give me the Chinese characters (or
equivalent) for the surnames: KEW and CHEW.

.....

In China, esp. the provinces of:

Kwangtung Province (China)
Canton (China)
Swatow (China) Guangdong Sheng (China)

~~ and ~~

Fukien Province (China)
Amoy (China)
Fu-chou shih (China)
Lin Village (Fukien Province, China)

.....

Would the Chinese characters be the same for KEW/CHEW
surnames in the areas listed above?

In China are KEW/CHEW surnames similar in sound?

Does the letters 'c' and 'k' have the same sound in
China? or different?

Would KEW and CHEW be different characters for the
same surname in China?

Could the Chinese surname of KEW/CHEW be found in one
province? Or many provinces?

Can someone give me the Chinese characters for KEW and
CHEW?

.....

I appreciate all thoughts/comments/suggestions to
stumble a few bricks to reach closure for my query.

Best Regards,
--Manaia

Charley Ning, Hastings, Nebraska 1918

becky_applegate — 9 Sep 2007 3:42:49 GMT

Nebraska City News, Tuesday, January 22, 1918
Nebraska City, Otoe County, Nebraska

To Save His Laundry
At Hastings, Neb., Charley NING, Chineses [sic] laundryman gave as his reason for purchasing war savings certificates that if Germany should win it would spoil the laundry business in this country. Ning bought $1,000 worth of certificates. He says he don’t want to vote, but will fight if the country needs him.

CHINESE AND AFRICAN AMERICAN

nanasallthat151 — 21 Aug 2007 8:28:44 GMT

Does anyone have any info about a family named Davis living in Arkansas in 1ate 1890's and early 1900's? Some names are Joe,b.1854, Clarence, b.1880, Mattie,b. 1876, Mary, b. 1872, Clarence, Jr. b. 1906. Any info will be helpful.

Curator Seeking Angel Island Immigration Papers

ray16402 — 8 Apr 2007 10:51:33 GMT

The following is a news article regarding the curator of Angel Island Immigration Station in the San Francisco Bay Area seeking official immigration documents to be exhibited. Chinese immigrant hopefuls were detained there from 1910-1940.........

Park asks for documents detailing Angel Island's hostile welcome
By Jessie Mangaliman
Mercury News
San Jose Mercury News
Article Launched:04/05/2007 01:36:01 AM PDT

The curators of Angel Island Station are asking for public help in finding genuine government documents called certificates of identity - a precursor of the American green card, or permanent resident card - that were issued to Chinese immigrants who were detained on Angel Island from 1910 to 1940.

The dollar-bill sized certificates - some of them handwritten, stamped and with a photograph - will be photo-engraved on a granite table that will be the main feature of a permanent exhibit, "The Interrogation Table," where all immigrants were questioned upon arrival.

Located in the middle of San Francisco Bay, Angel Island, the "Ellis Island of the West," was the first stop for immigrants coming from Asia across the Pacific. But unlike its Eastern seaboard counterpart, Angel Island was a detention center patrolled by armed guards, a place where the government enforced the Chinese Exclusion Act, a law that strictly limited the number of Chinese immigrants entering the United States. A million immigrants from China, Japan, Russia, India, Mexico and New Zealand came through Angel Island.

The building where the Interrogation Table used to be no longer exists, but in its footprint, a 4-by-8-foot table will be placed to illustrate for visitors the hostile welcome that immigrants from Asia received upon arriving in San Francisco.

"They were asked all sorts of questions: `Why are you coming?' `How long are you going to be here?' " said Erika Gee, education director at Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation. "They were looking to exclude people, in particular the Chinese."

Faded memories

Hop Jeong, a retired accountant from San Lorenzo, was 10 when he arrived at Angel Island in 1940, alone, to join his grandfather and a younger brother who arrived two months earlier from Canton.

He does not remember the interrogation. But 10 years ago, wanting to pass on personal history to his children and grandchildren, Jeong obtained records of his arrival - and his interrogation - from the U.S. National Archives in San Bruno. There were four pages of questions.

"They asked me very silly questions," he said. "How many windows did we have in our house? Where did everybody sleep? Where is the market? How do you get there?"

Jeong was detained two months at Angel Island, but he has little memory of his time. According to historical record and the personal accounts of detainees, it was an unwelcoming place where immigrants were housed in cold, crowded, prison-like barracks.

"What I do remember is looking at the lights on land across the water," he said. "I thought, `That's where I'm going.'"

Last spring, Jeong took his grandchildren to the island, now a state park. Learning about the armed guards who kept watch of the detained immigrants on the island, his grandchildren remarked, "Like a prison," Jeong said.

Jeong's certificate of identity will be part of the exhibit.

Barry Wong, a 45-year-old San Francisco firefighter, grew up knowing nothing about his family's journey from China and their time on Angel Island.

"A lot of things dealing with my family history were repressed," Wong said. "They really just tried to fit in."

But Wong has since learned that his fraternal grandfather was one of the lucky few: He had been conferred citizenship status. He returned to China in 1924 to fetch his wife, and his son, Wong's father. They spent a few days on Angel Island, and were issued the certificates of identity.

"There were always questions in my mind about how they migrated," Wong said. "After my father passed away, I found all these documents and I started thinking, gee, how can I share this history?"

Building up exhibit

Wong has given a copy of his father's certificate of identity to Angel Island, as part of the "Interrogation Table" exhibit.

Gee is looking for at least 30 certificates to scan. Transcripts of the interrogation will also be engraved on the table. On one side, there will be two granite chairs, to represent the inspector and interpreter. There will be another chair on the other side of the table, to represent the arriving immigrant.

The station is closed for renovation. Restoration of the remaining buildings on the island has been under way since 2004. Gee said the construction of exhibits is part of a larger project to tell the story of the island and the story of immigrants who were detained there. The station is expected to open in January 2008.

"We want to convey to visitors what happened to immigrants at the station," she said, "and this is a good point to begin that story."

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED

Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation is seeking certificates of identities of Chinese immigrants who came through Angel Island, as well as documents brought by other immigrants. For more information, call AIISF at (415) 561-2160, e-mail info@aiisf.org, or visit the Web site www.aiisf.org.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact Jessie Mangaliman at jmangaliman@mercurynews .com or (408) 920-5794.

Chinese in Indonesia

rttan88 — 4 Sep 2005 4:02:14 GMT

I am trying to research my ancestors, Tan Tek Tho who were born in Padang, Indonesia, which is on the island of Sumatra. He was born around 1869, and died in Semarang around 1946-9.

Does anyone have any experience in researching genealogical records for the Chinese in Indonesia?

CHINESE ANCESTOR

JP — 8 Oct 2003 1:43:03 GMT

I'm from Trinidad & Tobago in the Caribbean. My Great Grandfather entered Trinidad somewhere in the 1800's. His name was Lo si Kai (Lo Shi Kai) not SURE. I am trying to find information about my chinese ancestors.

Old Chinese Cemetery Uncovered in Los Angeles

Raymond — 15 Mar 2006 8:07:27 GMT

Here's the link to an LA Times article on the recent discovery of an old Chinese cemetery in Los Angeles: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-chinagrave15mar15,0,... It appears that the cemetery contained the gravesites of the early Chinese immigrants to the Los Angeles area around the turn of the century, and most all were males. Check it out.

Chinese in Maine

gary w. libby — 29 Sep 2003 1:40:56 GMT

I am researching Chinese who settled in Maine. I have an extensive database of Portland, Maine, Chinese people back to 1858 & up to the present. I have a less extensive database of Chinese people in other parts of Maine from 1880s to various dates. Am willing to share & would like any info you have.

George Chee Kee Kock

Sera — 28 Jul 2005 5:20:26 GMT

Can anyone shed some light on my grandfathers name? I know little of him except that he came to Trinidad in the caribbean where I was born. He died when my mother was a child and I believe he was around 50yrs old in 1925. He therefore appears to have come in the 1800's and we were told that he came with considerable wealth. He had 6 children by my grand mother and at least a daughter and a son by other partnerships. I havent a clue as to his real name and was very interested to note that there is a village in China called Buji that might have something to do with part of his name. I expect his surname was probably Chee. And would you happen to know of any chinese who came to the caribbean from Buji previously known as Puk Kwak or something like that?

Need help with Chinese names

mstephens37 — 4 Jul 2005 4:16:53 GMT

I am transcribing federal census information for the Rootsweb Census Project. Specifically, the 1860 census for Calaveras county, CA. I have come across hundreds of Chinese names with "Ah" listed as the first name. What does this mean? Is this truely a first name and is the second name most likely the surname?

Any clarification will be appreciated.

research on chinese jews!!

lian yeow — 29 Sep 2003 1:26:35 GMT

Hi there!
My name is lian and I just found out recently that my grand ma's last name Li/lee is one of the 7 surname that the Ming dynasty bestowed upon the jews in the 14th century.Until today this 7 surname is still recognized to be associates with the jew bloodline. My question is what happen to the Li before the 14th century? Are they jews too? Many ritual that we did in our family that we thought that it is part of taoism actually are so similar to the jews ritual. Is there anyway that any of you out there could help me.Please let me know if you have any information that could lead me to my research. I appreciate it very much! thank you so much ! lian