Ep. 136 | Wong Chin Foo
Once again after an almost record-setting gap in the action, we look at a great but unknown Chinese American, Wong Chin Foo (王清福). Though not a well-known person from history, he nonetheless played a major role during the 1880’s and 1890’s fighting against the racist anti-Chinese immigration laws passed by the U.S. Congress.
Author Scott Seligman’s book, The First Chinese American tells the whole story of Wong Chin Foo and can be found in the Resources section below. I would highly recommend it if you’re interested in learning more about this remarkable person.
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Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Amy Tan | 谭恩美 | Writer (born in Oakland) |
| An Wang | 王安 | Co founder of Wang Laboratories and great engineer (born in Shanghai) |
| Anna Sui | 萧志美 | Fashion Designer (born in Detroit) |
| Charles K. Kao | 高锟 | The “father of fiber optics”. Won the 2009 Nobel in physics (born in Shanghai) |
| Charles Wang | 王嘉廉 | CA Associates International co-founder (born in Shanghai) |
| Daoguang Emperor | 道光帝 | Qing dynasty emperor during Opium Wars |
| Dengzhou | 登州 | Present day Penglai, where Wong Chin Foo lived |
| Gary Locke | 骆家辉 | Former Washington State governor and US ambassador to China |
| Hua Mei Xin Bao | 华美新报 | The Chinese American, Wong’s first paper |
| Huang | 黄 | Surname (means “yellow”) pronounced Wong in Cantonese |
| I.M. Pei | 贝聿铭 | Chinese American architect (born in Guangzhou) |
| Jimo | 即墨 | City of Wong Chin Foo’s birth, just north of Qingdao |
| Judy Chu | 赵美心 | U.S. Representative from California’s 27th Congressional District |
| Nancy Kwan | 关家蒨 | 1960’s actress (born in Hong Kong) |
| Ng Poon Chew | 伍盤照 | Started the first Chinese language newspaper in the US. (born in Taishan) |
| Norman Assing | 袁生 | Community leader in San Francisco’s Chinatown |
| Penglai | 蓬莱 | City in north Shandong, formerly called Dengzhou |
| Qingdao | 青岛 | Beautiful coastal city in Shandong |
| Samuel C.C. Ting | 丁肇中 | Won Nobel Prize in 1976 in Physics (born in Ann Arbor) |
| Shandong | 山东 | Province in China |
| Steven Chu | 朱棣文 | Won Nobel Price in Physics 1997. US Secretary of Energy 2009-13. (born in St. Louis) |
| T.D. Lee | 李政道 | Won Nobel in Physics in 1957 (born in Shanghai) |
| Vivienne Tam | 谭燕玉 | Fashion designer (born in Guangzhou) |
| Wang | 王 | Surname (means “king”) pronounced Wong in Cantonese |
| Wong Chin Foo | 王清福 | The subject of today's episode (Pinyin: Wang Qingfu) |
| Wong Sa Kee | 王缓祺 | Wong Chin Foo’s earliest name |
| Wong Yen Ping | 王彦平 | Another name Wong Chin Foo went by |
| Xianfeng Emperor | 咸丰帝 | Qing Dynasty emperor |
| Yantai | 烟台 | Coastal city in Shandong |
| Yo-yo Ma | 马友友 | One of the greatest cellists of his age (born in France) |
| Yung Wing | 容闳 | First Chinese to graduate from a US university (1854) (from Guangdong, Xiangshan) |
| Zhenjiang | 镇江 | City on the Yangzi River in Jiangsu |
| Zhifu | 芝罘 | Early name for Yantai |
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Some lighter fare this time as we look at the life of a Chinese-American many of us grew up with.