Guide to the John M. Liu Collection of Orange County Chinese American
Photographs MS.R.151
Audra Eagle Yun
Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine
Libraries
(cc) 2011
The UCI Libraries
P.O. Box 19557
University of California, Irvine
Irvine 92623-9557
spcoll@uci.edu
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine
Libraries
Title: John M. Liu collection of Orange County Chinese American photographs
Creator:
Liu, John M.
Identifier/Call Number: MS.R.151
Physical Description:
1.8 Linear Feet
(2 boxes.)
Date (inclusive): 1900-1992
Abstract: John M. Liu was a professor in the
Comparative Culture program at the University of California, Irvine and chair of the Chinese
American Council of the Historical and Cultural Foundation in 1992 when he curated an
exhibit of historical photographs depicting the experiences of Chinese Americans in Orange
County. The collection includes mounted photographs, captions, and a compact disc (CD) with
exhibit information and captions.
Language of Material:
English .
Access
The collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Property rights reside with the University of California. Literary rights are retained by
the creators of the records and their heirs. Some of these materials are in the public
domain. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Head of Special
Collections and Archives.
Preferred Citation
John M. Liu Collection of Orange County Chinese American Photographs. MS-R151. Special
Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California. Date accessed.
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information
about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder
descriptions, and box/folder locations.
Acquisition Information
Gift of John M. Liu, October 2011.
Processing History
Processed by Audra Eagle Yun, 2011.
Historical Background
The Historical and Cultural Foundation of Orange County (California) was founded by Linda
Leung Lau in 1985 to promote understanding of ethnic heritage and arts through exhibits and
other events. John M. Liu was a professor in the Comparative Culture program at the
University of California, Irvine and chair of the Chinese American Council of the Historical
and Cultural Foundation in 1992 when he curated an exhibit of historical photographs
depicting the experiences of Chinese Americans in Orange County. Assisted by Rose Cheung and
Patricia Lin, Liu presented the exhibit at the 1992 Kaleidoscope Festival in Irvine,
California. John M. Liu is currently a senior lecturer at the University of California,
Irvine.
Collection Scope and Content Summary
In 1992, John M. Liu curated an exhibit of historical photographs depicting the experiences
of Chinese Americans in Orange County. The exhibit photographs were duplicated from the
Elizabeth Shultz Collection of the Anaheim Public Library, the First American Title
Insurance Company, and from the family albums of Marcus Gih, Fred Lau, Linda Lau, Margaret
Lew, Pamela Tom, Amy Wong, David Wong, and May Wong. The exhibit was broadly divided into
three sections: the early years of immigration from 1870-1900, the transition years from
1901-1945, and the contemporary years from 1946-1992. The collection includes mounted
photographs, captions, and a compact disc (CD) with exhibit information and captions.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in five series, reflecting the original themes of the
exhibit:
- Series 1. Entering
- Series 2. Agriculture
- Series 3. Merchants
- Series 4. Other
- Series 5. Modern
When received, the collection was not arranged. The processor re-established order by
arranging the photographs according to the exhibit caption list included with the
collection, which was broken into five themes. Exhibit caption boards were placed together
in a separate folder.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Chinese American families -- California -- Orange County --
Photographs
Chinese Americans -- California -- Archives.
Chinese American grocers -- California -- Orange County --
Photographs
Chinese American businesspeople -- California -- Orange County --
Photographs
box 1, folder 1
Exhibit captions, printed and CD-R
1992
box 1, folder 2
Map of Kwangtung Province, China
undated
box 1, folder 2
Arch Beach smuggling checkpoint
undated
box 2, folder 9
Chinese American men wearing merchant attire
undated
box 2, folder 9
Aging Chinese man
undated
box 2, folder 7
Chinese American railroad workers
undated
box 2, folder 5
Chinese American railroad workers in Sierra Nevada, illustration
undated
box 2, folder 10
Ling Fat at the Del Campo Hotel
ca. 1905
box 2, folder 10
Eighth grade class portrait of Ling Fat
1905
box 2, folder 11
United States entry visa for Fred Lau
1927
box 2, folder 2
Family portrait of Gin Gor Ju
1936
box 2, folder 2
Gin Gor Ju and family at Disneyland
ca. 1956
box 2, folder 9
Unidentified Chinese family in Anaheim
ca. 1900
box 1, folder 2
Orange County's first Valencia orchard
undated
box 1, folder 5
Chinese American tending small vegetable crop
undated
box 1, folder 7
Chinese field workers
undated
box 1, folder 4
Chinese field workers wearing straw hats and cotton tunics
undated
box 1, folder 8
Chinese orchard worker
undated
box 1, folder 9
Chinese field workers tending vegetable flats
undated
box 2, folder 2
Gin Gor Ju on his farm in Buena Park
ca. 1950s
box 2, folder 3
Dick Tom and family at Laguna Beach
ca. 1938
box 1, folder 6
Henry Wong's farm in Norwalk
1929
box 2, folder 4
Amy Ju Wong in her father's strawberry field
undated
box 2, folder 1
Chinese women field workers with baskets
undated
box 2, folder 3
Mrs. Dick Tom at their Laguna Beach farm, Wan Lee
ca. 1937
box 2, folder 3
Dick Tom family portrait
ca. 1937
box 2, folder 4
Harvesting white radishes on Mr. Ju's farm
ca. 1950s
box 2, folder 1
Chinese workers fumigating an orchard
undated
box 2, folder 5
Chinese wine workers, illustration
undated
box 2, folder 5
Chinese wine workers, illustration
undated
box 2, folder 7
Peddler carrying baskets on a shoulder pole
undated
box 2, folder 6
Chinese peddler with horse and wagon
undated
box 1, folder 3
Chinese peddler in cart with horse
undated
box 2, folder 6
Chinese grocery store
undated
box 2, folder 6
Wong's Food Market
undated
box 1, folder 2
Chinie Lu, Tustin's vegetable man
undated
box 2, folder 6
Chinese peddler Tom with Ball children
1930
box 2, folder 11
Fred Lau and family at Santa Ana Food Market
1954
box 2, folder 11
Louis Lau, son of Fred Lau
undated
box 1, folder 13
Bob Wong commercial properties in Anaheim
ca. 1960s
box 2, folder 8
Chinese laundry owner
undated
box 2, folder 8
Lee Yick storefront
undated
box 2, folder 8
Chinese leather worker
undated
box 1, folder 14
Engineers' party in Los Angeles
8 December 1945
box 1, folder 14
Tom Yuen, founder of AST Computers
undated
box 1, folder 10
Dr. Chang-Lin Tien, UC Berkeley chancellor
ca. 1988
box 1, folder 14
Dr. Roy Lau, first Asian to be elected president of the Orange County
Surgical Society
undated
box 1, folder 11
Tenth anniversary of the Orange County Chinese Potluck
Association
1974
box 1, folder 12
Chinese Women's Association
1971
box 1, folder 14
Dr. Raymond Chin, dentist
undated
