Lew Hing: A Kinsman to the Rescue - CHSA · c hinese historical society of america earthquake : the...
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CHINESE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA EARTHQUAKE : THE CHINATOWN STORY EXHIBITION APRIL 3–SEPTEMBER 16,2006 Lew Hing: A Kinsman to the Rescue [CONNIE YOUNG YU] O AKLAND WAS NOT prepared for the sud- den influx of refugees, and the Chinese who escaped there by ferry received the worse situa- tion, kept in an open area at Lake Merritt, with meager provisions and without shelter from the soaking rains that were to come. At this dire moment one San Francisco Chinese, Lew Hing, took the initiative and launched his own relief effort in Oakland. He was an established man of means, but on April 18th, like everyone in the devastated city, Lew Hing, had lost his home and his business. Fortunately, his family was on a visit to China and no one was injured in the cannery building that the Lews called home. Although he was unable to save any of his belongings in the rub- ble, Lew Hing had purpose and a destination as he waited among the desperate throngs of his fellow countrymen for the ferry to Oakland. Born in Canton in 1858, Lew Hing was sent to San Francisco by his father to join his broth- er in his metal shop. A year after he arrived, his brother died and left 13 year old Lew alone in America. But he was resourceful, eager to work and to learn, studying English at a mission school, working at the metal shop and finding odd jobs besides. By the time he was 18, he started a cannery in San Francisco with kins- man Lew Yu-Tang at the northeast corner of Sacramento and Stockton streets. He married in 1877, and his wife gave birth to their first child in their residence on Commercial street, and later the family lived above the Stockton Street cannery with other kinsmen. Canning was a new concept in the 1890’s and Lew was a pro- gressive, far-sighted man. With the success of his first, he started an another cannery in 1904, the Pacific Coast Canning Company in Oakland, a most propitious choice of location, at 12th and Pine Street.. It was the cannery he established in the quiet town of Oakland that would play such a major role in the recovery of the Chinese com- munity. They were all on the same boat, but the Chinese, segregated from whites, were in a pre- carious situation, subject to mistreatment from authorities. Lew Hing, an “alien ineligible for citizenship” was well familiar as were all Chinese, with harassment and discrimination. He had to carry a Certificate of Residence as required for Chinese workers by the Geary Act with his bearing the stamp, “other than a labor- er.” During the disaster, most of the Chinese did not speak English and were often physically shoved around and waited fearfully in relief lines. All their lives they had experienced hos- tility outside their community. The earthquake gave rise to rampant misuse of authority in Chinatown. The looting of Chinese businesses went unchecked in the hours before the firestorm, with national guardsmen keeping Chinese from returning to their homes and businesses while they and white civilians alike
Transcript of Lew Hing: A Kinsman to the Rescue - CHSA · c hinese historical society of america earthquake : the...
C H I N E S E H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y O F A M E R I C A
E A R T H Q U A K E : T H E C H I N A T O W N S T O R YE X H I B I T I O N A P R I L 3 – S E P T E M B E R 1 6 , 2 0 0 6
Lew Hing: A Kinsman to the Rescue[ C O N N I E Y O U N G Y U ]
OA K L A N D W A S N O T prepared for the sud-den influx of refugees, and the Chinese whoescaped there by ferry received the worse situa-tion, kept in an open area at Lake Merritt, withmeager provisions and without shelter from thesoaking rains that were to come. At this diremoment one San Francisco Chinese, Lew Hing,took the initiative and launched his own reliefeffort in Oakland.
He was an established man of means, but onApril 18th, like everyone in the devastated city,Lew Hing, had lost his home and his business.Fortunately, his family was on a visit to Chinaand no one was injured in the cannery buildingthat the Lews called home. Although he wasunable to save any of his belongings in the rub-ble, Lew Hing had purpose and a destination ashe waited among the desperate throngs of hisfellow countrymen for the ferry to Oakland.
Born in Canton in 1858, Lew Hing was sentto San Francisco by his father to join his broth-er in his metal shop. A year after he arrived, hisbrother died and left 13 year old Lew alone inAmerica. But he was resourceful, eager to workand to learn, studying English at a missionschool, working at the metal shop and findingodd jobs besides. By the time he was 18, hestarted a cannery in San Francisco with kins-man Lew Yu-Tang at the northeast corner ofSacramento and Stockton streets. He married in1877, and his wife gave birth to their first childin their residence on Commercial street, andlater the family lived above the Stockton Streetcannery with other kinsmen. Canning was anew concept in the 1890’s and Lew was a pro-gressive, far-sighted man. With the success ofhis first, he started an another cannery in 1904,the Pacific Coast Canning Company in Oakland,
a most propitious choice of location, at 12th andPine Street..
It was the cannery he established in thequiet town of Oakland that would play such amajor role in the recovery of the Chinese com-munity.
They were all on the same boat, but theChinese, segregated from whites, were in a pre-carious situation, subject to mistreatment fromauthorities. Lew Hing, an “alien ineligible forcitizenship” was well familiar as were allChinese, with harassment and discrimination.He had to carry a Certificate of Residence asrequired for Chinese workers by the Geary Actwith his bearing the stamp, “other than a labor-er.” During the disaster, most of the Chinese didnot speak English and were often physicallyshoved around and waited fearfully in relieflines. All their lives they had experienced hos-tility outside their community. The earthquakegave rise to rampant misuse of authority inChinatown. The looting of Chinese businesseswent unchecked in the hours before thefirestorm, with national guardsmen keepingChinese from returning to their homes andbusinesses while they and white civilians alike
Veronica Sese
raided the bazaars and homes for wares andvaluables.
Word of the discriminatory treatment ofChinese during the disaster reached PresidentTheodore Roosevelt. Although he ordered thatthe Chinese be treated fairly, prompting author-ities to make better provisions for Chinese, it didnot deter city officials from planning to relocateChinatown and evict the residents. The Chinesewere on their own.
Once in Oakland Lew Hing rose to meet theneeds of his people. His Pacific Coast CanningCompany employed Italian and Portugueseimmigrants as well as Chinese. It was a largeproperty on two blocks. Lew Hing directedworkers to set temporary housing and distributeemergency provisions. Soon the cannerygrounds would be a field of tents with capablecooks making hot Cantonese meals for the hun-gry refugees. At last the exhausted Chinesewere part of a familiar community, safe andprotected until they could be on their feet again.
Leading the way for self-determination forChinese, Lew Hing started a branch of his fami-ly association in Oakland to assist his fellowclansmen in re-establishing their lives.
With attempts to destroy their communityand the degrading treatment they suffered dur-
ing relief efforts, Chinese needed their ownbank. Led by Fook Tin Eli, an experiencedbanker, The Bank of Canton was incorporatedin 1907 and Lew Hing was the President. Lewexpanded his investments in Chinatown,rebuilding his Stockton Street cannery, invest-ing in two hotels and other enterprises. In 1915he was chairman of the Board of Directors forthe China Mail Steamship line..
Lew Hing’s role in the relief and reconstruc-tion efforts of Chinatown is never mentioned inthe grand histories of the San Francisco earth-quake, but his descendants have documentedhis life. Bruce Quan, his great-grandson has col-lected family recollections, records and papersof Lew Hing’s business, and describes him asremarkably generous man with high principleswho lived simply and was devoted to his fami-ly. Jean M. Liu, his grand-daughter and authorof Lew Hing- Family Portrait, describes him as“a tall, large-framed man” with a determinedwalk and voice that characterized a leader whorose to challenges in the face of adversity.
The greatest challenge came when all waslost in Dai Fow and this courageous Cantonesewould go across the bay to provide relief for hispeople and direction for a strong ChineseAmerican community.
Pacific Coast Cannery,where Lew Hing providedshelter to Chineserefugees of the earth-quake (Oakland Tribune,December 28, 1905).
