Ella Yee Quan collection2022.M.1.Quan
Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
Contributing Institution:
Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
Title: Ella Yee Quan collection
Creator:
Ella Yee Quan
Creator:
Yee Wah Yee
Identifier/Call Number: 2022.M.1.Quan
Physical Description:
3.53 Cubic Feet
3 Banker's boxes, 1 document box
Date (inclusive): 1903-2014
Abstract: Ella Yee Quan was an educator in the Los Angeles Unified School District as well as an active community leader in numerous
educational, civic, and cultural groups. In 1975, she helped found the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California (CHSSC),
where she would later serve as president. This collection includes Quan's personal records, including class photographs from
her time teaching at Castelar Elementary School; artifacts belonging to her herbalist grandfather, Yee Wah Yee; immigration
records for Quan's relatives dating back to the early twentieth century; and publications as well as other documents pertaining
to Santa Barbara Chinatown, where Quan was originally from.
Language of Material:
English
, Chinese
.
Biographical / Historical
Ella Yee Quan was born in Santa Barbara, California in 1926. She initially worked as a nurse's aide and as a typist before
entering the field of education in the late 1950s. She earned her Bachelor's and Master's degree in Education as well as an
Elementary and Adult Teaching Credential from California State University, Los Angeles. She also received a Secondary and
an Administrative Credential from Mount St. Mary's College and a Bilingual Cross Cultural Credential from the University of
Southern California. From 1964 until her retirement in 1989, Quan worked as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal
in several schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District, including Castelar Elementary School in Chinatown. She
also developed bilingual teaching materials for non-English speaking students of Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and
Samoan descent. In addition to her illustrious educational career, Quan was involved in several community organizations, including
the Chinese Drum and Bugle Corps, Chinese Language School, Services for Asian American Youth, and Asian American Educators
Association. She was also a founder of the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, where she would serve as president.
Quan passed away in 2014, after which her materials were donated to CHSSC.
Scope and Contents
This collection includes documents, photographs, and artifacts belonging to Ella Yee Quan that pertain to her career in education,
research on the Santa Barbara Chinatown community, herbalist materials, ephemera dating back to the 1920s, and immigration
records. A significant portion of the collection consists of medicinal artifacts and realia belonging to Quan's grandfather,
Yee Wah Yee. Publications such as journals, newspaper articles, maps, and brochures related to Santa Barbara and the city's
Chinese American community make up another substantial part of the collection.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by topic into three series: 1. Yee Clan Materials; 2. Santa Barbara Chinatown Documents; 3. Personal
Materials. Each series contains subseries sorted by material type, with two of the eight total subseries containing files
organized by topic.
SERIES I: Yee Clan Materials, 1903-1966
SUBSERIES 1A: Yee Wah Yee Materials, approx. 1920-1939 (undated)
FILE 1: Documents, approx. 1927
FILE 2: Medicinal Artifacts, approx. 1920-1939 (undated)
FILE 3: Realia, approx. 1920-1939 (undated)
SUBSERIES 1B: Immigration Documents, 1903-1966 (bulk 1903-1930)
SERIES II: Santa Barbara Chinatown Documents, 1950-1998
SUBSERIES 2A: Newspaper Articles, 1950-1982
SUBSERIES 2B: Brochures and Maps, undated
SUBSERIES 2C: Publications, 1962-1998
SUBSERIES 2D: Notes and Correspondence, undated
SERIES III: Personal Materials, 1976-2014
SUBSERIES 3A: Awards and Honors, 1976-1994
SUBSERIES 3B: Photographs, 1977-1991
FILE 1: Family Photographs, undated
FILE 2: Castelar Elementary School Photographs, 1977-1981
FILE 3: Events, 1991
Processing Information
After Ella Yee Quan's passing in 2014, her son, Richard Quan, donated his mother's materials to CHSSC. The Ella Yee Quan collection
was processed by Collections Manager Coryn Hardison as part of the CHSSC Archive's mission to pursue, preserve, and communicate
knowledge of the history of Chinese Americans in Southern California. Boxes 1-3 of the collection were labeled and inventoried
to create a container list and an initial finding aid. Several of the artifacts in Box 1 were placed in smaller containers
within the box, with some items remaining in their original containers. This was mainly for the purpose of preservation and
maintaining original order, as well as due to limited resources. Additional items originally belonging to Quan were added
to the collection during processing and rehoused in a Banker's box, labeled now as Box 4. To help preserve the integrity of
the collection, the documents and other materials retain the original order in which CHSSC received them.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open to researchers and to the public for access. Please contact the Chinese Historical Society of Southern
California for more information.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Received as a donation from Ella Yee Quan's son, Richard Quan, after Ella's death in 2014.
Preferred Citation
Ella Yee Quan Collection, Chinese Historical Society of Southern California.
Name of Cataloger / Date Completed
Coryn Hardison, 5/6/2022
box 1, carton 1-6, folder 1, box 2, folder 1
SERIES I: Yee Clan materials
1903-1966
Physical Description: 1.45 Linear Feet1 Banker's box and 1 document box
Scope and Contents
This series is comprised of Yee Wah Yee's documents, artifacts and realia, as well as immigration records pertaining to Yee
Gip Wah, Yee Kan Yak, and Yee Wing Yut.
box 1, carton 1-6, folder 1
SUBSERIES 1A: Yee Wah Yee materials
1910-1929
Physical Description: 1.04 Linear Feet1 Banker's box
Scope and Contents
This subseries contains the documents, medicinal artifacts, and realia belonging to Yee Wah Yee, Ella Yee Quan's paternal
grandfather. Several of these objects have been identified as medicines and ingredients likely pertaining to Yee's work as
an herbalist. Also part of this subseries is a partially-translated poem written in traditional Chinese.
Biographical / Historical
Yee Wah Yee emigrated from China to the United States in 1893 and settled in Virginia City, Nevada, where he owned a Chinese
laundry. Around 1910, Yee moved to Santa Barbara and worked as an herbalist. Yee's wife, Chin See would arrive from China
in 1916 with their son Yee Wing Yee, Ella Yee Quan's father. In 1927, he opened a restaurant at 829 Santa Barbara St. which
he would later sell in 1942. Yee passed away in Santa Barbara in 1945.
FILE 2: Medicinal Artifacts
1910-1929
box 2, folder 1
SUBSERIES 1B: Immigration documents
1903-1966
1903-1930
Physical Description: 0.41 Linear Feet
Scope and Contents
This subseries consists of documents involving the immigration process of Yee Gip Wah and his two sons, Yee Wing Yut and Yee
Kan Yak. These records include interviews at Angel Island, Certificates of Identity, and affidavits confirming temporary visits
to China.
Biographical / Historical
Yee Gip Wah emigrated from China to the United States sometime in the late 19th century or the early 1900s, with the earliest
record in this subseries describing a 1903 affidavit confirming Wah's temporary visit to China and subsequent return to San
Francisco. Wah and Wong Shee (also known as J.Y. Chung) had a son named Yee Kan Yak, whose interviews and application documents
in 1928 are also a part of this subseries. These documents also include applications for Wah's second son (listed as Yee Kan
Yak's half brother) Yee Wing Yut, also known as Chester Yee, who was born in the United States in 1922.
box 2, folder 1
SERIES II: Santa Barbara Chinatown documents
1950-1998
Physical Description: 0.41 Linear Feet1 document box
Scope and Contents
This series contains newspaper articles, brochures, maps, journals, books, magazines, correspondence, and notes compiled or
written by Ella Yee Quan pertaining to Santa Barbara local history, Santa Barbara Chinatown, and the Chinese American community
in Santa Barbara.
box 2, folder 1
SUBSERIES 2A: Newspaper Articles
1950-1982
Scope and Contents
Contains newspaper articles about Santa Barbara Chinatown and Chinese American community members.
box 2, folder 1
SUBSERIES 2B: Brochures and Maps
Scope and Contents
Contains brochures of events and historical sites in Santa Barbara, as well as maps of downtown Santa Barbara and the Presidio
of Santa Barbara excavation site.
box 2, folder 1
SUBSERIES 2C: Publications
1962-1998
Scope and Contents
Contains issues of historical journals such as Noticias and Chinese Historical Society of America Bulletin, books and chapters
of books related to Santa Barbara history, and other published articles about Chinatown and Chinese fishing in California.
box 2, folder 1
SUBSERIES 2D: Notes and Correspondence
Scope and Contents
Contains a letter written by Quan mapping out Santa Barbara St. and Canon Perdido St. as well as miscellaneous notes about
her research on the Chinese American community in Santa Barbara
box 3, carton 1-2, box 4
SERIES III: Personal materials
1976-2014
Physical Description: 2.08 Linear Feet2 Banker's boxes
Scope and Contents
This series consists of Ella Yee Quan's personal photographs and other artifacts, including community awards, Castelar Elementary
School photographs, miscellaneous photographs of Quan, and her Celebration of Life after her passing in 2014.
box 4
SUBSERIES 3A: Awards and Honors
1976-1994
Physical Description: 1.08 Linear Feet1 Banker's box
Scope and Contents
Contains a 1976 Billee Award for Quan's devotion to the Chinese Drum and Bugle Corps and scans of a 1994 mural by Carol Nye
highlighting Quan's achievements in education and community service.
box 3, carton 1-2, box 4
SUBSERIES 3B: Photographs
1977-1991
Physical Description: 2.08 Linear Feet2 Banker's boxes
Scope and Contents
Contains photographs of Quan and her family, class photographs from her time teaching at Castelar Elementary School, and various
community events.
FILE 1: Family Photographs
FILE 2: Castelar Elementary School Photographs
1977-1981
