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Choy (Philip P.) papers
M2521
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
Multiple languages
Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: Philip P. Choy papers
Creator:
Choy, Philip P.
source:
Choy, Randall P.
Identifier/Call Number: M2521
Physical Description:
85 Linear Feet
(130 boxes and 1 oversize folder)
Physical Description:
6 gigabyte(s)
(14 optical discs)
Date (inclusive): circa 1850-2014
Abstract: Philip P. Choy was an author, historian, and educator who was a pioneer in the study of Chinese American history. His collection
primarily consists of his research files, including notes, articles & publications, photographs, and other material.
Open for research. Note that material must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use. Audiovisual materials
are not available in original format, and must be reformatted to a digital use copy. Born-digital material is closed until
processed.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift; 2019. Accession 2019-311.
Philip P. Choy (1926-2017) was a historian, author, and architect who devoted himself to documenting the history of Chinese
immigration to the United States. His research, preservation and education of Chinese American history was groundbreaking.
Together with Him Mark Lai, Phil taught the first Chinese American history course at San Francisco State University with material
he co-authored,
The History of The Chinese in California, A Syllabus. In 1969 he challenged the organizers of the Transcontinental Railroad Centennial to recognize the role of Chinese laborers.
In the early 1970s, Phil hosted the PBS series
Gum Saan Haak (Travelers to Gold Mountain), the first extensive documentary series about Chinese American history.
Choy was a third generation Chinese American born and raised in San Francisco Chinatown. He worked in the family butcher shop
as a teenager. Choy attended San Francisco City College, served in World War II (enlisting in the Army Air Corps), and then
earned a degree in architecture from University of California Berkeley. He was involved in residential and commercial design
for fifty years, and as a community activist he fought for the preservation of historical landmarks, including the Angel Island
Immigration Station. In 1993, he wrote the case study to nominate the site to the National Register of Historic Places. In
Oroville, California, Choy designed the Temple Tapestry Hall to complement the adjacent historic Chinese temple and to house
its extensive Chinese folk art collection.
Choy served as president of the Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA) five times, and was a consultant and advisor
for many projects, exhibitions, and media presentations, including the diorama of Chinese railroad workers at the Sacramento
Railroad Museum and the Chinese Pioneers exhibit at the Federal Courthouse. He is the author of
San Francisco Chinatown: A Guide to Its History & Architecture (2012),
Canton Footprints: Sacramento's Chinese Legacy (2007), and was co-editor of
Coming Man: 19th Century American Perceptions of the Chinese (1994).
After his retirement, Choy continued to be an adjunct professor in the Asian American Studies Department at San Francisco
State University. He served on the San Francisco Landmark Advisory Board and the California State Historical Resources Commission
from 2001 to 2005. He was also a recipient of the San Francisco State University President's Medal in 2005, the Silver SPUR
Awards in 2009, and the Oscar Lewis Award for Western History in 2011.
Philip Choy died of cancer in 2017.
[identification of item], Philip P. Choy Papers (M2521). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford Libraries,
Stanford, Calif.
Individually cataloged volumes from the Choy collection:
https://searchworks.stanford.edu/catalog?q=%22Philip+P.+Choy+Papers.%22&search_field=subject_terms
Philip P. Choy collection of California and the West (M2706)
https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/13965060
Restaurant menus transferred to Bay Area Asian Restaurant Menu Collection
https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/13491214
Philip Choy interview December 16, 2013, Chinese Railroad Workers Oral History Project, 2013-2018
https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/xb393mj7252
The majority of Choy's collection consists of historical material that Choy assembled in his research. Most files involve
Chinese immigration, labor, and settlement in the Western United States, with a special emphasis on San Francisco's Chinatown.
There is also a great deal of material produced in the course of Choy's books and other projects, especially his book on Sacramento
- including oral histories conducted by Choy himself.As a collector and patron of archives, Choy brought together both primary
and secondary sources, including newspaper articles, photographs, government reports, personal archives, and ephemera of all
kinds. His collection also includes many photocopies and photo reproductions, often heavily annotated. There is relatively
little correspondence amongst his papers.
One subset of the collection is a group of material from Choy's uncle John Jan, which includes many photographs as well as
letters and documents from his work in China in the 1940s.
Another subset was separated and organized as a separate collection - the Philip P. Choy collection of California and the
West (https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/13965060). This material consists of photographs and ephemera not directly related
to the Chinese American experience.
While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not
an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission
or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Chinese Americans -- California.
Chinese -- California.
United States -- Emigration and immigration.
Chinese Americans -- History
Choy, Randall P.