Roots: Him Mark Lai Family History Project

In search of their ancestral villages, 11 people of the Chinese diaspora hailing from the Bay Area and Boston will soon travel to the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong 廣東省, China. We will visit 5 different areas, including Kaiping 開平, Taishan 台山, Xinhui  新會, and Guangzhou 廣州. 

Sarah Tan 譚美婷

Village

My mother’s and maternal grandparents’ village. 永安村 (Yong’an Village) in 台山 (Taishan)

What do you do for fun?

I enjoy strength training at the gym, hanging out with friends and family, attending music concerts, watching basketball, and learning more about photography.

How did you hear about Roots?

My sister had a handful of co-workers who participated in Roots Plus (2018). They wrote a blog post for work and my sister shared it with me. I also recently found out that my favorite professor at UCLA was a rooter!

What are you looking to accomplish?

Growing up, my mother told me many stories about her humble beginnings and what it was like to grow up in a village. I look forward to living and experiencing the community and environment my mother and maternal grandparents came from before immigrating to the United States.

What are your expectations?

I do not have any expectations going in. I just know it will be a trip of a lifetime and this experience will help me reflect on who I am today

Choose a food that describes you?

 BURRITOS! Yummm!

Alexander Kwok 郭智光

Village

I would like to visit my paternal grandfather's village 隔塘村 (gaak tong cyun) in Zengcheng 增城. I decided to save my paternal grandmother's village 南朗鄉 in Shunde 顺德 for another time, as I have a lot more resources on my paternal grandfather's side than I do for my paternal grandmother.

What do you do for fun?

I like to read, play video games, blog, listen to music and podcasts, bake; go camping, hiking, kayaking; try new foods and explore new places!

How did you hear about Roots?

I've been doing research on my paternal grandfather's side of the family for 5 years now but hit a wall when I tried looking for our home village. As a lot of the resources seemed to focus on the Sze-yap area of 廣東 Province, I wasn't able to do much more and stopped trying to find it.

One day, I was looking for more resources and came across an old website under the Chinese Culture Center, which redirected me to the Him Mark Lai Digital Archive. After some exploring, I found the database of villages in 廣東 with associated surnames, but none of them included my home village.

I thought I had hit yet another brick wall - until I started googling one of the headers in the Digital Archive, "The Roots Program". I quickly found references to the program and old exhibits on a few websites but thought they might have stopped the program because I didn’t see anything recent. Imagine my surprise when I found the Friends of Roots site & the Tumblr blog…!

What are you looking to accomplish?

Growing up my paternal grandparents spoke mostly Cantonese, so I never got to ask them questions about their childhood, how they met, or what it was like to raise a family in Hong Kong, let alone about my ancestors or our home villages. I’m hoping to regain some of these stories from our family through visiting relatives in Hong Kong, where my grandfather’s and father’s generation grew up and paying my respects at family graves across Hong Kong.

Through visiting my paternal great-grandfather’s home village in China, I also hope to regain a sense of identity that our family has since lost. Even though my paternal great-grandparents left the home village to go to Hong Kong in the late 1930’s, my great-grandfather had to leave the family at the start of the war, because the family was afraid something would happen to him in a city under Japanese occupation. Our family never heard from him again, and it was presumed that he had passed away back in the home village. Though my grandfather has been back to the village in the late 2000’s, he didn’t talk much about his trip with the rest of our family, and we don’t have any records where the village may have been.

So, in visiting my home village and reconnecting with whatever family is left there, I hope to learn more about my great-grandfather and grandfather’s generation, as well as reconnect with family still there. I also hope to get a sense of what growing up in the village might have been like for my great-grandfather, what he liked to do, what the village looks like, etc.

What are your expectations?

I don’t have many expectations other than going back, reconnecting with family there, and seeing what the village looks like. My great-grandfather returned to the village in the early 1940s, so I would like to visit his grave if I can. I’ve heard that when my grandfather went back to the village, he rebuilt his father’s tomb at the time. 

But I can’t wait to taste all the delicious food in Hong Kong & Guangdong, learn more about overseas Chinese - including those who migrated to Southeast Asia, hopefully, and get a sense for what Southern China is like.

Choose a food that describes you?

Jakarta-style bakmie - It's something that I grew up eating as a part of birthday celebrations, represents both the Chinese & Tionghoa (Chinese Indonesian) sides of my family, & reflects on a range of experiences that I share with others being a part of multiple cultures.

Rachael Tang 鄧安琪

Kathleen Wong 黄玉明

Village Kaiping, Guangdong Province, China. 開平中股鄉赤坎屋上樓村. 

What do you do for fun? Rock climbing, running, cooking, and adventuring!

How did you hear about Roots? I heard about Roots through co-founder Al Cheng.  My boyfriend introduced me to him as we were having a delicious bun bo hue lunch.  At the end of the lunch, Al remarked that I probably have roots in Guangzhou.  We connected on Facebook and I saw his program posts.  I was intrigued, applied, and the rest is history!

What are you looking to accomplish? After an intimidating visit to Hong Kong in 2011, where I could not demonstrate enough language skills to get around, a visit to China seemed so intimidating.  This will be my first trip to the mainland so I’m hoping to get a better understanding of Chinese culture and connect it with my upbringing.

What are your expectations? Good food, good company, and hopefully not too many mosquitos!

Choose a food that describes you? Ice Cream :) Sweet and refreshing!

Jenny Lau 劉健儀

Village

漢塘村 in 台山市省冲蔞镇達材鄉. The village is where my parents were born and raised and also where my paternal grandfather was born and where my maternal grandfather grew up starting around five years old. 

What do you do for fun?

I enjoy hanging out with my friends, eating good food, being in nature, exercising, watching movies, sharing stories, being present. 

How did you hear about Roots?

I visited the Roots website after seeing a facebook post linking to it from a friend.

What are you looking to accomplish?

I am looking to better understand my parents by visiting the village where they were born and grew up and to imagine what life must have been like for them. I also want to talk to people who might remember my grandparents and have information about them.

What are your expectations?

I would like to connect with my fellow Rooters, hear their stories and why they wanted to do Roots, visit my village with my brother, who is also a Rooter this year, and to see the village that he chose. I would like to learn more about Chinese history, especially when my parents and grandparents were living in China and to contextualize family events within broader Chinese history.

Choose a food that describes you

Some of my staple foods: white rice with laap cheng and chau baak toi thlem (Chinese sausage with stir-fry baby bok choy) and unsweetened Hong Kong (HK) style milk tea. The rice dish appears simple but is very hearty like me, with the right mix of meat/veggies, sweet/savory. At the same time, I am unique in my bold and deep expressions, similar to HK milk tea, which is a unique spin to a classic tea with milk concept but it's particularly bold in flavor because it's double- or multi-brewed and it's full of depth from evaporated/condensed milk. 

  Michael Tom 譚振豪

Village: 台山水步毛坪村 (Taishan Shuibu Maoping Village)

What do you do for fun?  I like to do indoor bouldering, taking photos, and hanging out with people

How did you hear about Roots?

My cousin, Scott Leung, and my aunt and uncle, Ray and Karen Leung, all went on Roots and recommended that I check it out

What are you looking to accomplish?

I just wanted to see where my grandfather grew up and where my greatgrandfather and greatgrandmother lived

What are your expectations?

 I didn't have any expectations because my family hasn't had any communication with the village since for the past 40 years. I went in with an open mind, ready to accept every new experience

.Choose a food that describes you? 

Kettle Corn. Savory is serious. Sweet is fun. I'd like to think I'm both, but also 90% hot air.

Angela Yip 叶嘉宝

Village

Wong Cyun in Toisan - 台山 三合 潢村 河清里. This is my paternal great grandfather's village

What do you do for fun?

Eat! There's so much amazing food in the Bay Area. I also love keeping up with my bullet journal, going on hikes, and reading fiction. I've really been enjoying reading books by Asian American female authors lately. Some recent favorites are Chemistry by Weike Wang, Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, and A Place for Us by Fatima Fahreen Mirza.

How did you hear about Roots?

I heard about Roots from my mom's cousin's wife Liana Koehler, Roots alum and Roots lecturer. It came up in conversation at dinner after my grandpa's funeral. She said I had to do Roots, and I was immediately sold. Roots came at the perfect time.

What are you looking to accomplish?

I am hoping to learn more about a side of my family that I don't know much about--my paternal grandma's side. I grew up extremely close to my grandma, and I want to be able to show her pictures of her father's village because she was never able to visit. I also just want to learn more about Toisan, even basic information like what people eat and grow and what they do for fun. Both sides of my family are from Toisan, so it has shaped my family and my experience of being Chinese in the US in huge ways, but I know very little about the region.

What are your expectations?

I hope to find the right village! Other than that, I am trying to approach my rooting with little expectation and to stay open to whatever might happen. I expect it to be an emotional experience for me for sure.

Choose a food that describes you?

Fried rice from Fung Wah on Mission Street in Daly City

Jeffrey Lau 劉健仁

Village: I'm visiting my paternal grandma's village of 衝洋向南村

What do you do for fun? I hang with people that are easier for me to hang with for fun.

How did you hear about Roots? I learned about Roots two years ago from a friend's Facebook feed! I marinated on the idea of applying until I actually did.

What are you looking to accomplish? I’m looking to reflect on my relationships with family members who’ve had the most direct impact on my life—like the one with my paternal grandma, who raised me. I want this trip, in the long run, support my process of grounding more of my life in my Chinatown organizing work.

What are your expectations? My expectations are simply to get a feel and look of where my grandma grew up. She don't tell me much herself, so I’m gonna discover more about her myself.

Choose a food that describes you? I'm gonna say fries. Fries done well are golden and crispy, but get kinda whack over time as they get soggier. I usually start strong in many things but my energy dips over time and some times I'm kinda whack towards the end, haha...

Hannah Yee 余壽玉 

Village - Dick Hoi, Toisan

Fun - I dance, garden, bake, and love being in the outdoors

Hear about Roots - Through my sister who found out through social media haha

Accomplish - (?) in life? in roots? - For Roots I wanted to accomplish finding my village, seeing the school I have heard so much about, and finding a base of friends who want to explore their Chinese American identities together and eat good food together. Expectations - I didn't know what to expect from this program. I expected it would be exciting, rigorous, tiring, and fun. I also expected it to be like solving a mystery/Clue/puzzle

Food - Dung/Jung - Have to open up the leaves to enjoy the inside! Filled with surprises like peanuts, lup cheong, egg, etc. Warm, comfort food that is a classic! Picture - I'll send you one once I get home!

Fiona Wong 黃寶賢

1. Village

中國廣東省台山市白沙鎮潮境众亨鄉潮興里

Bak Sa, Toishan

2. What do you do for fun?

I enjoy exploring new places, trying new things, and checking things off my to-do/travel bucket list during my free time. I love spending quality time with friends and family while having delicious food. As long as it is a day with blue skies, I do not mind what I'm doing as long as I'm outside!

3. How did you hear about roots?

I heard about roots through a friend who went on this program and shared her experience through social media.

4. What are you looking to accomplish?

I am looking to dive deeper into the history of China and Chinese immigration to the states with emphasis on Cantonese and Toishanese context. I am excited about the opportunity to visit other villages in the Pearl Delta River Region and to return to my ancestral village.

5. What are you expectations?

I did not have much expectations going in other than hoping that our cohort will support one another wholeheartedly.

6. Choose a food that describes you

Some type of dish that has onions because I have a lot of layers.

Nicole Wong 王雅斯 

 Village

I'm visiting my paternal great grandfather's village: 江門市蓬江區荷塘镇三丫沙滘村.

What do you do for fun?

I love to cook food and sing with friends, join the occasional pick-up soccer game, try different dance classes, read, and get outside.

How did you hear about Roots?

I first learned about Roots from my mom, but it wasn't until I heard Steve Owyang speak about the program at a CAA anniversary dinner that I seriously considered applying.

What are you looking to accomplish?

To learn more about my family's history so I can understand myself better and connect more deeply with my Chinese heritage.

What are your expectations?

To meet my Xinhui relatives and see the village, old house, house, and gravesite of my ancestors.

Choose a food that describes you?

by Jeffrey Lau 劉健仁

My rooting came after my sister’s in our parent’s village of漢塘 (hon3 tang4). I chose to root at my paternal grandma’s village—the one she grew up in as a young girl. After our Roots group had lunch with our two relatives, whom we call 大姨 (daai6 ji1) and 阿丈(aa3 zoeng6), 大姨led the way to衝蔞鎮 (cung1 lau4 zan3), where we would go see this allegedly impressive bedframe my paternal great grandma slept on after she got married.

My sister Jenny and I hopped off the bus to walk the rest of the way in front of our parents’ former middle school in 衝蔞, which was now an elementary school instead. 大姨 told Jenny and me that the school’s old sign from my parents’ time was taken down just the year before. I had a picture taken of me looking past the school gate, but it felt embarrassing thinking about how I wanted to pose well for it, haha. Michael, my rooting’s primary photographer, was a good sport about it like he was for the three rootings before, even when I was visibly nervous in front the camera.

Jenny and I hit up the bed with 大姨，阿丈, Al, and some of the Roots interns responsible for documentation. The bed was OK. I have never really felt amazed by old-looking things, even for the things I have seen in museums. People like Al and Jenny seemed more amazed by the bedframe. What was cool about it for me was that it was stored in our relative’s old store on 賭博街 (dou2 bok3 gaai1), Gambling Street. I thought to myself that this street must have had a long and serious history of gambling for it to be called that. I am unsure if it is an official name, though.

When we arrived in 衝洋向南村 (cung1 joeng4 hoeng3 naam4 cyun1), where my grandma grew up, I did not immediately feel connected. I was lost at the fact that in history, only the villages that men come from are remembered, and that less often the womxn’s family history before being married is not a priority to recall. The sexism shows up in how genealogical records only show men’s names, too. Knowing this, I believed that it would be hard to learn more about my grandma, and that being here would be a lost cause. She too also told me to make sure I visited my dad’s village, even when I told her I was going to visit hers and that I was excited to do that more than see where my dad grew up. Throughout my time in 衝洋村for my rooting, I figured I would not give up despite how unimportant my grandma thought it was for me to see her stomping grounds.

I look back on the pictures taken on that day, and I have to say it was a good looking village by way of it looking orderly, but also lush. A watchtower my grandma’s family had collapsed some time ago, and there was a big banyan tree growing out of it! That was cool. Her childhood home became a storage house for the housekeeper’s belongings. My 大姨 did help with the set up for Jenny and I to pray to our ancestors though. Bless her. Some other things I experienced were 1) meeting my grandma’s neighbor who grew up with her, 2) climbing up the collapsed building, and 3) getting the village’s genealogical record!!

大姨 told me people put money back into the village to spruce it up. Seeing how the crops and bamboo plant stakes were lined up in the fields helped me feel at ease. Seeing such order helped with calming my anal tendencies.

I am still working on the apathy I feel most times towards my family. If filial piety was used to measure how Chinese I am, I would not be Chinese at all. I am grateful to Roots interns like my sister Jenny, Michael, Angela, and Nicole for being curious about me for my sake on the trip and encouraging me to dive deeper. I hope in the long run, after this Roots experience, that I do not give up on the history of my family, and particularly that of womxn in my family. Mao Zedong says womxn hold up half the sky, but womxn like Jenny, my 大姨, and my grandma in our family hold up way more than that, and I believe it is true for most families. My role models are many of the womxn in my family. I want to recognize and remember them in their entirety like we all should.

Jeff 健仁 and his 阿丈

6/28/19

A wonderful joyful visit to the ancestral village and home of the maternal grandfather (雷) of Michael Tom 譚振豪 in Taishan. 台山水步毛坪鄉福隆里. 

Author: Michael

For the past half year, I’ve been involved in Roots. Roots is a 29 year-old program facilitates and encourages discovery of family history, specifically for Chinese with ancestry in the China’s Guangdong Province. Over the past few months, I’ve learned a bit about Chinese culture, demographics, and government. All of this culminated in a trip to China with the other 10 interns (also searching for ancestral roots) and the program leaders. Each of us were allowed to visit an ancestral village of our choice after extensive research done prior to the trip. I chose my maternal grandfather’s village — 台山水步 Taishan Shuibu. . Prior to the trip, I had no expectations. I didn’t think there would be a house or family left in the area because the last contact my family had with the village was in the late 70s and early 80s. I imagined it would be a quick stop; I would see the village and say that I was there and we’d be on our way. However, through Roots’ help and relationship with local government, I was able to see the house, guided by a previously unknown cousin (who was contacted via said local government.) At my village I had the chance to pay respects to my ancestors and see the village that my grandfather grew up in. 

Visiting the ancestral place of the paternal grandfather (余) of Hannah Yee 余小平 in Taishan. 台山安懷村. He donated his home to build a new school for the community. 

Author: Hannah

My visit to my ancestral village in Toisan was very serendipitous and special. Thanks to my Roots leaders and the Chinese officials, I was connected with a distant relative I never knew I had. My “Auntie” Ling greeted me at the entrance of the village and it was there that I found out that my grandfather’s family and all the neighboring families donated their homes and money so that a school could be built. Although almost no homes remain, over 100 students come to the village everyday to receive an education.

My Roots group visited my village on a Saturday, so school was not in session and the building was locked. My Auntie Ling, showed me around the area but told me the principal (who lives in Hoiping, the neighboring area) was the only one who has access to the key. While I was sad that I was not able to get into the school, I was grateful that I could at least walk around and see the beautiful hibiscus flowers that reminded me of Hawaii, look at the large pink building that made up the school, and pay respects to my ancestors at the very old ancestral tablet. But after an hour of exploring, I got news from my Roots leaders that my auntie got ahold of the principal, and told her he was going to send someone to drive the key to the school and open it for me. I was ecstatic! Once the key arrived, I was able to go inside the auditorium, classrooms, and administrative rooms, see pictures of my grandparents inside the rooms, and take it all in.

Thank you Roots for bringing me to my village in Southern China. This is something I never thought I would be able to do. And thank you for encouraging me to process my Chinese-American identity and for helping me understand the sacrifices my family and ancestors made to help me get where I am today.

6/26/19

The paternal grandmother’s ancestral village (司徒) of Kathleen Wong 黄玉明 in Kaiping, Guangdong Province, China. 開平中股鄉赤坎屋上樓村.

6/30/19

Visiting the ancestral home, village, and graves of the paternal grandmother (黎) of Nicole Wong 王雅斯 in 江門. 江門市蓬江區荷塘镇三丫村‬. 

Upon visiting our respective villages, all of our Rooters honored their ancestors in various 拜祖先 ceremonies.  Nicole’s, by far, was the most elaborate!  Nicole was expecting to meet several relatives at the village, but as our bus pulled up, she received the full family welcome – Aunts, Uncles, and cousins from near and far came to greet her.  

We walked our large group up to the gravesite of 4 of her ancestors.  Nicole participated in the complete 拜祖先: grave cleaning, incense burning, food and drink offering, and paper money burning with our group and her relatives present.  It was an incredible sight to see!

After visiting the gravesite, she visited the ancestral home of her great great grandfather, where the roast pig awaited carving.    

More family members joined us for a banquet style lunch featuring delicious Sun Wui region specialty foods.  A huge group photo followed!

At the end of the decadent ceremony, Nicole left feeling overwhelmed with gratitude for her family’s kindness and acts of love.  No doubt the sheer number of new family members was a lot for her to process in a short period of time.  After receiving such abundance, she ended with some thoughts on expanding her definition of family and left wondering how she could find a “home outside of her home in the US.”  With her Rooting completed, her journey of claiming her Chinese identity is only beginning.  She looks forward to staying connected with her new family members.

6/25/19

Greetings from Kaiping 開平, China!  The 11 members of the Roots 2019 cohort and our 5 leaders have successfully crossed from Hong Kong to China to gather for the first time ever - we couldn’t be more stoked to start our journey!  The group will be touring the Guangdong area, rooting in 11 different villages and finishing our trip at tourist spots in Nanxiong and Guangzhou city. Kathleen and Jenny will be your resident bloggers to give updates to family and friends throughout the trip.

Did you know?   One of the cool things about this program is that each Rooter will have his or her own personal entourage to help document the trip?  There are so many of us on the trip -- each person will have a daily role to play.  If you are “rooting” that day, your entourage will include a primary and secondary camera person, a primary and secondary video person, a mapper to draw out landmarks in the village, a mule (to carry Rooter’s personal items), and a landscape photographer.  These roles will allow the Rooter to be fully present in the experience, rather than fumbling with equipment in an often emotional and foreign situation.

Kathleen is up first to do her rooting in Hoiping!  She will be visiting 屋上樓村, her paternal grandmother’s village.  Her grandmother left her village at the young age shortly before WWII broke out and has returned twice, most recently in 2005 to reunite with her classmates from Junior High.  Her grandmother’s brothers were last to leave the village in the 1980s after immigration policies relaxed and shared memories of their time there.  In fact, they were able to share some photos of their last visit with Kathleen to aid her on her trip!  Even though most of her extended family members have immigrated to Los Angeles and beyond, she looks forward to getting a sense of their upbringing by visiting the surrounding area and hopefully the ancestral home!

Interesting facts about this area:

- Watchtowers “diaolou 碉樓” were built in the early 20th century to protect against bandits in the region.  Many of them are preserved in Kaiping 

- The nearby market town Chikan is currently undergoing historic preservation.

7/1/19

Today was the last day of our rootings! We started off with Alex. Alex wasn’t feeling well last night so we conducted his briefing today on the bus on the way to Alex’s paternal great grandfather’s village in 增城. Alex first became interested in his family’s history when a relative of his passed away in the mid 2000s and his realization that his family won’t be around forever. For Alex, this rooting is about connecting with family. Getting information for Alex’s rooting has been challenging. Alex’s paternal great grandfather immigrated to Hong Kong from China and since then only Alex’s paternal grandfather had visited the village. Alex’s grandfather has dementia though and it has been challenging to get information from him. It was discovered that the village name that Alex provided didn't have Kwok family members and there have not been sources available to verify the information. However through the persistence of the Roots leaders, Alex, and the local contacts in China, Al was 99% sure that the local officials had found the right village when we were headed to the village.

It turns out that a woman in one of Alex’s grandfather’s photos is still alive and is actually Alex’s great grand aunt – wife of the younger brother of Alex’s great grandfather. Her son (Alex’s “uncle”) showed Alex around the village, including where Alex’s great grandfather’s house once stood. Apparently the house had collapsed a long time ago and then a road was constructed through part of where it once stood thereafter. On the site of the former house, a piece of old ceramic was found that Alex took home with him. We then went past a lychee tree and the stump of a 300-year-old tree that belong to the Kwok family and where Alex’s grandfather had also visited when he was last there in the 2000s. This was on the way to the grave site of Alex’s great grandfather. In order to get to the grave site, Marcus and Alex’s uncle had to make a path through overgrown shrubbery and bamboo in order for a small group to get to the site. After Alex paid respect to his great grandfather, Alex’s uncle went to visit the gravesite of his great great grandfather.

The group then went to a local place for lunch, which had really great food. There Alex got to meet up with other relatives and get to learn about their lives and more about his grandfather and his father. Alex learned that his grandfather had immigrated to Hong Kong when he was sixteen years old, which was older than what Alex had thought. During the rooting, Alex also learned the full name for his great grandfather. Alex had only had two of three characters of his great grandfather’s name. Alex didn’t expect to find family nor to find the grave site of his ancestors to be so close to his village.

After lunch, we went to Rachael’s village. Our first stop was to meet officials at the local government building, which was huge and the largest we had seen out of the other townships. We then went to a smaller local government building where we were greeted with a sign that welcomed our group along with plates of fruits. The local officials gave us a presentation about the village, including the local median income for the village, number of households, and the future development plans for the village.  The timing was very fortunate for Rachael, who would probably be the last to visit the village in its original layout.

Next, we visited the ancestral home.  In a blink of an eye we were transported from a city setting to a 300 year old village town!  She obtained some tender stories from her family about her grandfather playing in the village streets before the ancestral 拜祖先 ceremony.  Rachael was moved to recognize her the Tang family name on the ancestral tablet before proceeding to place incense and burn paper money to honor her ancestors.  She spent a quiet, reflective moment to take in her feelings about the house and her family before rejoining the group.

Rachael’s Rooting took a welcome turn when her relatives offered to take our group to visit her ancestral gravesites.  It was a beautiful hike (with a few mosquitos), passing sweeping city views and grassy landscapes to do 拜山 for her five ancestors.  

Visiting Wong Cyun in Toisan 台山 三合 潢村 河清里 the ancestral home and village of the paternal great grandfather of Angela Yip. He left the village when he was 20 years old, and, to Angela’s knowledge, no one in the family has gone back until now.  

Author: Angela

Leading up to my rooting, I told myself that as long as I was able to see my great grandfather’s village, then I would be happy, even if nothing else happened during the visit. What I found exceeded my expectations and made my heart overflow. With the help of some curious locals who recognized my great grandfather’s name, I was able to enter my great grandfather’s house and pay respects to my ancestors. I also got to meet the closest living relative to me in the village, my great grandfather’s brother’s grandson, who showed me to his house and welcomed me without question. Feeling welcomed by my kaufu and folks in the village helped me affirm my Chinese identity. They did not question my right to be there, so maybe I could start to accept it, too. I left the village feeling so joyful for what I found, knowing that this experience would help me share new information with my family back in the States and reflect on what it means for me to be a Chinese American with Toisanese ancestry.

6/29/19

Another powerful and emotional visit to the ancestral village, home, and grave of the paternal grandfather (黃) of Fiona Wong 黃寶賢 in Taishan. 

Author: Fiona

This tombstone replaced an old one that were two slabs. There’s a little story within our family that the gap in between the two slabs was the reason why our family didn’t have any sons to pass on our last name. So when my uncle replaced the tomb, Ethan came out right after hahaha. Also, cheers to the man who helped me get out all the remorse and guilt I’ve been holding in for the past few years. Al kneeled by my side as I had the moment to speak to my ancestors. I felt the need to say what was in my heart in Chinese and Al helped me translate it out loud as I violently cried my eyes out. This may be one of the best moments in my life. As we were leaving, he put my hand on my shoulders and said, “now that you’ve gotten everything off your chest, go and change the world and make your grandma proud, do it for her.” Al also pointed that my uncle said the neighboring gravesites are getting removed for construction and that my ancestors waited for me to come back before ours get uprooted. I’m still trying to process everything that happened during my visit and it’s going to take some time. Can’t forget some of my biggest supporters throughout this journey of searching for my roots. 😭😊☺️ 

Amanda’s Rooting (one month later)

Months leading up to this trip, I'd consistently ask my mom and dad and other family members anything they knew about my grandfather (both paternal and maternal). The answer I would always get would be "I don't remember, it's been too long. You don't have any family members left there anyways. They're all in America." 

I found family members (of distant relationship, but still family) in both my Rootings. What a surprise! After visiting my Yeh-Yeh's beautiful village in Toishan (Fu Cho Yurng), I was able to reconnect my great aunt in US with those currently occupying my Yeh-Yeh's home. I learned my Yeh Yeh left the village at the age of thirteen to attend school. He was a studious man and focused on doing well enough to provide for his family (my Grandma, two aunts, and my dad). After escaping China and swimming to Hong Kong, his father (my great grandfather)  helped in bringing my Yeh Yeh to the US. My great grandfather had established a laundromat in San Francisco in the early 1900s and had been sending money back to the home in Toishan. After building the home, he found life in China to be much harder and decided to stay in SF. 

As the village official walked me to my Yeh Yeh's home, I was already in awe by the village itself. It was huge, and I mean huge! Between the very first gate and the second gate were vast fields of rice, a watch tower, and water tank (how modern!) We drove past an ancestral hall, a senior center, a pond, and a recreational center until the van stopped. I was greeted by a  very kind lady who is a distant relative of mine. She lived in a newly built home behind my Yeh-Yeh's house. Right in front it was a garden with beautiful flowers, various plants, and some clothesline. To the left stood the ancestral home. A large two story brick home standing in great shape. Perhaps the most breathtaking feature was the altar on the second floor. Pictures don't do it justice. I paid my respects to my Yeh Yeh, thanking him for doing all he did to ensure my family a better life. He gave up living in such a beautiful home, in a country he knew, for new territory in the US. Yet he thrived -- even purchasing a home in the Sunset district to which my and my sisters live in today. Seeing my Yeh-Yeh's home was a reminder of the sacrifices my own roots made to provide for their offsprings, including me. 

Nick’s Paternal Grandfather’s Village in Zhongshan

July 4, 2018

We started the day by visiting the Jiangmen Wuyi Museum of Overseas Chinese, which commemorates the experiences and contributions of ethnic Chinese around the globe. As we toured the exhibits, I was reminded of the deep rooted history that has shaped my own Chinese American identity. I thought about how when I was growing up, we never really learned about Chinese American history in school. We seemed to be left out of U.S. history textbooks, but I know Chinese people in America were pioneers, leaders and heroes too. I left the museum with a deeper understanding of my place in the context of this legacy.

As I reflected on the hardships and triumphs of those men and women before me, I thought about how my own family’s immigration from China to Hong Kong to the U.S. fits into the historical narrative of struggle, resistance, and growth. We’re all seeking the same things: peace, love, and prosperity. You see me wearing my quintessential Chinese colored red and gold San Francisco 49ers hat. You probably know that the Niners derive from the Gold Rush era, when many left China for opportunities in America, just like my family members did throughout the 20th Century. My paternal grandfather’s (Yeh Yeh’s) dad settled in Susanville, CA where he herded cows for a living. He returned to Zhongshan once he saved enough money to build a house, which is the same home I visited today.

I was surprised by how developed and massive the “village” was. Apparently there are over 5,000 people living in this area of Zhongshan now. I imagine it’s quite different than how my Yeh Yeh remembers it because there are lots of shops and cars driving by. Relatives still own the home but another family is currently renting it. I initially felt like I was intruding on their personal space, but I was reassured that the tenant was glad I returned to see where my Yeh Yeh grew up. They even kept my ancestral altar in place, so I was able to pay my respects there.

This was a bit more brief compared to my rooting in Hoiping, where I had alone time to give offerings to my ancestors. Honestly, I didn’t feel as strong a connection to this house in Zhongshan as I did to my Paw Paw’s old home in Hoiping, because her house seemed to be like a time capsule. Nobody lived there and it was filled with dusty old things, so I imagined it was more similar to what it must’ve looked like when she lived there. There were even some pictures of her brothers on an old dresser. Nevertheless, I appreciated the opportunity to revisit the place where my Yeh Yeh lived. I got to go up to the second level of the home where his room was. The ceilings of the house were very high compared to other ancestral homes we’ve visited, which I learned was characteristic of houses in this area.

On the other hand, three of my relatives greeted me in the village, which made me feel more at home. I think everyone was a little confused about proper titles, but family is family, and I felt the strong bond immediately. Some of them visited my Yeh Yeh in San Francisco within the past few years, so they had recent photos of me and my family. I was surprised because they even whipped out a couple baby pictures of mine. That was sweet. After touring the house, we walked over to the recently renovated 120-year-old ancestral hall.

This is where generations of family are honored. My branch of the family genealogy is inscribed and hung on the wall. As a 25th generation Lau, I was humbled by the thought of all that history behind my family. As I paid my respects to my ancestors, I thanked them for giving me power and watching over me every day. I thanked them for their sacrifices, bravery, and hard work, which have given me and future generations a foundation to live on. I was then gifted a copy of my family genealogy book, which I’ll bring back to my Yeh Yeh. He’ll probably laugh at me for not being able to read it, but it will give him an opportunity to explain more of our history to me. I know he’ll be happy that I have a better understanding of where we come from.

After paying my respects at the ancestral hall, we went to a nearby temple dedicated to a Taoist Water God, Bok Eye. Al mentioned it was constructed without any nails or mortar, but had been standing for over 400 years. I was excited because I happened to visit Marysville, CA during the annual Bok Kai parade (aka Bomb Day), where the locals pay tribute to the same deity to protect against flooding. It was pretty cool to come across this temple in my Ye Ye’s village because now I have more appreciation for traditions that have traversed the globe.

Day 1 (nighttime) & Day 3 (June 29): Hoiping - Candace Maternal grandfather’s village: 坑美村 (keng mei) (continued) 

   90 years. Ninety years since my grandfather was sold. Sold at age 7 to another clan due to poverty, famine, sickness and financial desperation. The hardest choice a parent could make. How does one make the decision to give away a child of their own blood? My grandfather does not like to talk about it much as the the shame and embarrassment is hard for him to handle. However, I feel there is a piece of him that still longs for a re-connection. 

   In his autobiography, he documents his life in the village and the hardships his family endured. 

 “The life of a farmer was just about the hardest undertaking for a man. He toiled incessantly in the field all day long to keep the family from hunger. Without any education or some industrial knowledge, farming was about the only alternative available to him. Father was such a man. Millions upon millions of people in rural villages of China were in the same predicament. It was tough on father with so many mouths to feed. He worked from dawn to dusk to provide just enough rice and vegetables for the family without much rest in between. The only break was at lunch time when a family member brought his lunch from home. I never knew how he managed to have money to buy the basic foods such as oil, salt, salted shrimp paste, salted fish, salted fat pork and fermented bean curd which were staple foods for the poor. 

   Big sister had to help mother with the baby and the household chores. Big brother and second big brother had to help father in the field. Third big brother was my mentor; his responsibilities in the family were to take care of the family water buffalo and me under the supervision of second big brother. We were so poor we were living under the condition what the Chinese called “TIEN SHENG TIEN YANG” (天生天養) which means "heaven sent you here and heaven or nature will feed you." Unfortunately, it was not that simple; you have to use your intelligence to help nature feed you. You have to plant your own rice, grow your own vegetables, raise your own domestic animals or fowls and go catch your own fish to survive. You have to work hard to ease your hunger. 

   Father became ill one day returning from the field. He was never sick a day in his life before that. But this time he had to stay in bed for days.The herb doctor examined him and said that his condition was really serious. He needed immediate care and medicine, but the family had no money for either. We had no relatives to call upon for help. Baba, Mama and DAI GAW had a conference at Baba’s bedside. They came to the conclusion that the only solution was to sell either the baby or me to pay for the doctor and the medicine.” 

   On June 30th, I learned how gut wrenching that decision must have been when I tried looking for remnants of my grandfather when searching for his birth village in Dufook, Toisan. I never expected to find much during my visit to his home, Sai Cheng Cun. Al told me that they found a “cousin” of sorts but, “cousin” could mean anything. When we finally arrived at the administrative office for the town, i was unexpectedly flanked by supposed aunts and uncles who were waiting for me. I was immediately overwhelmed as we tried to figure out who everyone was and how they were related. They presented me with a 80 something year old letter written by my grandfather to his mother and they kept it ever since. They have been looking for him for 80+ years after he left for America, and the pain caused from losing him has carried with them till this day. Such a surreal and emotional experience that I will never forget. 

   Throughout that day, I had the opportunity to visit my grandfather's house, eat lunch with my newfound family, and pay respects at some of my ancestors grave sites. We had to trek up a mountain to get to the graves, but the views from the top were absolutely incredible. My grandfather is the epitome of success. He finished high school in New York City and then went on to get an engineering degree at Steven's Institute. One of his major professional accomplishments was being an engineer who helped design the HVAC system in the original World Trade Center. He has brought up an incredible family here in the U.S. with 3 sons and and a daughter and brought his brother and his two daughters over to have a better life as well.The opportunities he was afforded here would have never happened had he stayed in China, and he definitely wouldn't have been alive at 98 years old. I won't know how this will really affect my family moving forward until i sit down and share this story with them. But I do know that family stays with you forever, and no matter how far apart or how long it's been, family is always number one.