Guide to the Angel Island Oral History Project collection
Debra Roussopoulos
University of California, Santa Cruz
2010
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz 95064
speccoll@library.ucsc.edu
Contributing Institution:
University of California, Santa Cruz
Title: Angel Island Oral History Project collection
Identifier/Call Number: MS.283
Physical Description:
.5 Linear Feet
1 document box
Date (inclusive): 1975-1990
Abstract: Collection includes photocopies of
transcripts or summaries of 62 oral histories from Chinese immigrants detained at Angel
Island Detention Station between 1910 and 1940.
Language of Material:
English, Chinese
Collection open for research.
Copyright for the items in this collection is owned by the creators and their heirs.
Reproduction or distribution of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair
use requires permission from the copyright owner. It is the responsibility of the user to
determine whether a use is fair use, and to obtain any necessary permissions. For more
information see UCSC Special Collections and Archives policy on Reproduction and Use.
Angel Island Oral History Project. MS 283. Special Collections and Archives, University
Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.
Gift of Judy Yung, ca. 1990-1991. The original collection was deposited with the California
Department of Parks and Recreation. A second set was deposited at the Asian American Studies
Library, UC Berkeley.
The Angel Island Oral History Project, sponsored by the Asian American Studies Department
of the University of California Department of Parks and Recreation in 1988-1990 to record
the immigration experiences of former Chinese detainees of the Angel Island Immigration
Station. Robert Orlins, State Archaeologist of the Resource Protection Division, initiated
the project on behalf of the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Associate
Professor Ling-chi Wang and Associate Specialist Him Mark Lai of the Asian American Studies
Department served as co-directors of the project. Judy Yung, Ph.D. graduate student in
Ethnic Studies, was hired to interview, translate, transcribe, and photograph Chinese
immigrants who were detained at the Angel Island Immigration Station anytime between 1910
and 1940.
The project was completed in August of 1990. Interviews were held between 1975-1990.
Scope and Content of Collection
This collection includes copies of transcripts or summaries of 62 oral histories with
Chinese immigrants detained at Angel Island Immigration Station between 1910 and 1940.
Includes 12 female and 40 male detainees, along with 3 inspectors, 2 interpreters, and a
kitchen helper, minister's son, YMCA director, son of the matron's assistant, and the wife
of a maintenance man. Also includes a brief summary and proposal of the project, with a list
of interviewees and interview questions.
The file folders are arranged first by female interviewees and then by male interviewees.
Then the folders are arranged by year of arrival in the United States and then
alphabetically within year of arrival. The age of the interviewee upon arrival and length of
stay is also recorded on each folder.
Processed by Debra Roussopoulos and M. Carey, 2010. EAD encoded finding aid by M.
Carey.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Chinese Americans -- Interviews
Immigrants -- California --
History
Immigrants -- California -- San Francisco -- History
Immigrants -- California -- San Francisco -- Interviews
Oral histories
Angel Island Immigration Station
(Calif.)
box-folder 1:1
Angel Island Oral History Project 1990