Hong Yen Chang papers and addenda
Finding aid prepared by Gina C Giang.
Manuscripts Department
The Huntington Library
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2191
Fax: (626) 449-5720
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
© 2016
The Huntington Library. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Hong Yen Chang papers and addenda
Dates: 1879-2016
Collection Number: mssChangpapers
Creator:
Chang, Hong Yen
Extent:
7 boxes and 1 oversize folder
Repository:
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
Manuscripts Department
The Huntington Library
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2191
Fax: (626) 449-5720
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
Abstract: This collection consists of certificates, correspondence, ephemera, photographs, printed ephemera, and scrapbooks belonging
to the Chang and Ah Tye family.
Language of Material: The records are in English and Chinese.
Administration Information
Access
Collection is open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information,
please go to following
web site .
Publication Rights
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material,
nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and
obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Preferred Citation
Hong Yen Chang papers and addenda, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Lani Ah Tye Farkas, Doreen Ah Tye, and Rachelle Chong, May 2016 and February 2017.
Biography
Hong Yen Chang, a Chinese national, came to the United States in the 1870s as a Chinese Educational Mission (CEM) student.
He enrolled at Yale College (now Yale University) in 1879. In 1881, the Chinese government recalled all CEM students and Chang
returned to China. Chang was one of the few CEM students who did not remain in China and with the financial support of his
brother, returned to the United States to complete his education. Chang went to New York in 1883, managing to enter Columbia
Law School without his Yale undergraduate degree. He obtained a law degree from Columbia Law School in 1886, graduating with
high honors. Initially, Chang was prevented from being admitted to the New York bar due to his lack of U.S. citizenship. The
Chinese Exclusion Act, signed into law on May 6, 1882, effectively halted Chinese immigration for ten years and prohibited
Chinese from becoming U.S. citizens. With help from a prominent New York judge, Chang campaigned for his license and successfully
argued his case in front of New York Governor David Hill in April 1887. Chang was granted a certificate of citizenship in
November 1887 and was admitted to the New York bar at Poughkeepsie in May 1888. After moving to California in 1890, Chang
made a motion to practice in California by presenting his New York law license and his certificate of naturalization, but
the California court denied his request based on the Chinese Exclusion Act. In fear of losing his naturalization, Chang did
not appeal the decision and went on to have successful careers as a banker and diplomat. Chang served as First Secretary at
the Chinese Legation in Washington, D.C. from March through November 1913 and was Chargé d'affaires from December 1913 through
March 1914. In 1913, Yale conferred an undergraduate degree upon him with enrollment in the class of 1883. The California
Supreme Court decided unanimously to give a posthumous law license to Chang in 2015. UC Davis School of Law was instrumental
in getting the 1890 decision overturned.
Hong Yen Chang (1859-1926) married California-born Charlotte Ah Tye (1875-1972) in San Francisco in 1897. They had two children:
Ora Ivy (1898-1929) and Oliver Carrington (1900-1973).
Scope and Content
The Chang family papers primarily contain photographs and scrapbooks related to the Chang and Ah Tye family (pronounced "Ah
Tie"). Photographs include family portraits and casual shots, such as Charlotte and Ora Chang posing in front of a home. The
scrapbooks consist of photographs spanning from the early 1900s through mid-1900s. Events such as the 1906 San Francisco earthquake,
conventions, trips, graduations, and campus life are captured. There are also professional papers concerning Chang's work
as a diplomat and consul for the Republic of China (Box 2, 14 and Box 3, 4). In one cipher cable, the message reads "Chang
Hong Yen appointed Consul at Vancouver. Please urge Chang to take office as soon as possible..." (Box 2, 14). Also found in
the collection are clippings and excerpts related to a bitter dispute over the Kong Chow Temple in San Francisco, California.
Constructed in 1854, Charlotte Chang's father, Yee Ah Tye, was given a plot of land for the temple by the city of San Francisco
for his work as an interpreter. Charlotte Chang also appeared to have a close relationship with Soong Ching-ling, a leader
of the 1911 revolution that established the Republic of China. In a letter dated March 14, 1917, Ching-ling writes, "A friend
of ours, General Julian S. Carr expects to arrive in May at Frisco, & I am sending you a slight token of my love & gratitude
for your kindness to me when I too was a perfect stranger to you" (Box 1, 13). Other items in the collection are newspaper
clippings, printed matter related to Chang's posthumous appointment, Chinese calligraphy, and Ah Tye's family tree.
Additional material was added in March 2017 and includes correspondence, legal documents, and printed matter. Please see the
Container List, Box 7 for more details.
Note: Some of the material in the collection were sources for Lani Ah Tye Farkas' book,
Bury My Bones in America. If so, the page number from the book will be noted.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by genre.
Indexing Terms
Personal Names
Ah Tye family
Chang family
Chang, Hong Yen--Archives
Subjects
Chinese Americans--California--Archives
Chinese Americans--Legal status, laws, etc.
Geographic Areas
California--History--19th century
California--History--20th century
Genre
Calligraphy
Letters (correspondence)
Photographs
Printed ephemera
Professional papers
Scrapbooks
Folder 1
Book--Hawai yinxiang ji by Cai Tingkai
(1935)
The book is signed and dedicated to Charlotte Chang. In Chinese
Folder 2
Calligraphy
[undated]
In Chinese. Item transferred to Box 1 (2)
Folder 3
Certificate--United States of America Certificate of Residence issued to Yee Jim
(1894, Jan. 24)
Folder 4
Chronologies (lists)--Hong Yen and Charlotte (Ah Tye) Chang
[after 1972]
Folder 5
Clippings (information artifacts)--Bessie Caroline Ah Tye
(1907)
Included: Bessie Ah Tye's business card
Folder 6
Clippings (information artifacts)--Charlotte Chang
(1968-1969)
Included: Clippings related to Kong Chow Temple
Folder 7
Clippings (information artifacts)--Future of Prince Rupert Linked Up with the Prosperity of the Orient
(1912, July 11)
Included: Transcription and USB flash drive
Folder 8
Clippings (information artifacts)--Hong Yen Chang
(1890)
Folder 9
Clippings (information artifacts)--Lillian Y. Chang
(1976, Oct. 13)
Folder 10
Clippings (information artifacts)--Oliver Chang
(1980)
Folder 11
Correspondence--Chang, Charlotte to Chow Shin Bo
(1928, Nov. 9)
Thank you letter on behalf of Oakland International Institute
Folder 12
Correspondence--Smith, Oliver C. to Hong Yen Chang
(1906, May 5)
Included: Envelope and photocopy of the letter
Folder 13
Correspondence--Soong, Ching-ling to Charlotte Chang
(1917, Mar. 14)
Included: Envelope and transcription
Folder 14
Engagement papers--Dilly Ah Tye, Sr. and Rose Wong
[undated]
Folder 15
Excerpts--Kong Chow Temple Report prepared by Jonathan H.X. Lee
(2016)
Folder 16
Excerpts--Roar of the Monitors by Jann Garvis p. 71
(2004)
Folder 17
Genealogical tables--Ah Tye family tree
[after 1987]
Folder 18
Notebook--Dilly Ah Tye, Sr.
[before 1940]
The first half of the notebook concerns Chinese herbal remedies and the second half is about the birth of his children. In
English and Chinese
Folder 1
Photographs--Ah Tye family
(1888-1900s)
Folder 2
Photographs--Chang family and friends
(1900s)
Included: Family portraits and group photographs
Folder 3
Photographs--Charlotte Ah Tye Chang
(1900s)
Folder 4
Photographs--Hong Yen Chang
(1879-1910)
Folder 5
Photographs--Miscellaneous
(1900s)
Six photographs of portraits and one photograph of flowers in front of Oliver Chang's house
Folder 6
Photographs--Oliver Chang
(1900s)
Folder 7
Photographs--Ora Chang
(1900s)
Included: McKinley School photograph, 1909
Folder 8
Photographic postcards--2413 Fulton, Berkeley, Calif.
(1906)
Folder 9
Postcards--Ah Tye, Dilly, Sr. to Rose Wong
(1908, Jan. 24)
Folder 10
Postcards--Chang, Hong Yen to Oliver and Ora Chang
(1907 and 1908)
Folder 11
Printed materials (objects genre) and articles--Posthumous admission of Hong Yen Chang
(2014-2015)
Item 1: California Historical Supreme Court Historical Society, Righting A Wrong, After 125 Years, Hong Yen Chang Becomes
A California Lawyer; Item 2: In The Supreme Court of California, regarding HONG YEN CHANG on Admission, filed 3/16/2015; Item
3: UC Davis students seek to get long-dead Chinese immigrant admitted to state bar by Stephen Magagnini; Item 4: Pioneers
in the Fight for the Inclusion of Chinese Students in American Legal Education and Legal Profession by Li Chen, Washington
University in St. Louis; Item 5: After 125 years, living Yalies help first Chinese American lawyer win admission to the bar
Folder 12
Programs (documents)--Order of Exercises at Exhibition. Phillips Academy
(1879, June 17)
Folder 13
Social registers--Social Register Washington
(1914)
Hong Yen Chang listed under the Chinese Office of Legation as "First Secretary and Charge d'Affaires"
Folder 14
Telegrams--Peking (Beijing) to Hong Yen Chang
(1910, Jan. 22)
Hong Yen Chang's appointment as Consul at Vancouver, Canada. Included: Panama is setting up a General Consulate. The Consul
from Vancouver will become the Consul General of Panama. And Chang Hong Yen will become Consul at Vancouver, 3. Two men will
work under Chang, Lum will become public relations man and interpreter and Chun will become secretary
Folder 15
Yearbooks--Berkeley High School
(1919, Jan.)
Signed Ora Chang, Feb. 14 1919
Box 3
Clippings-Professional papers
Folder 1
Clippings (information artifacts)--The Washington Post
(1913, Nov. 26)
Physical Description: Brittle
Charlotte Chang described the wedding of President Wilson's daughter, Jessie, in the November 26, 1913 issue of the Washington
Post. Included: Photocopies
Folder 2
Honors--Hong Yen Chang Posthumous Honorary Admission and Membership State of California
(2015, May)
Folder 3
Photographs--Yale class reunion
(1883)
Folder 4
Professional papers--Hong Yen Chang
(1910)
Envelope A: 1. Chang Consul at Vancouver (1910), 2. He was awarded a doctor of law degree, 3. He must do his duty to the best
of his ability to protect, especially the Chinese merchants, and report to the Foreign Service department; Envelope B: 1.
One document from diplomat in England saying that Chang has been appointed Consul at Vancouver, 2. Chang graduate of America,
to do public work and to go overseas Chang was given salary of 300 ounces in silver each month, Chang must be diligent, careful,
and not fail (1910); Envelope C: 1. May 1909, 2. Chang's position as a teacher in Southeast Asia; Envelope D: 1. End of 1907
or the beginning of 1908, 2. Shanghai bank, 3. Florence (Mrs. S.L.) Fong explained, "People who study abroad would go back
to become officials in China. There were no automobiles. When they traveled, they would have to ride in a buggy drawn by horses,
4. Chang was given 200 oz. in silver a month as salary, plus 100 oz. silver to pay for his travel expenses; Envelope E: April
or March 1908, 2. Chang graduated from America and had experience in banking business; so he was appointed to teach a banking
course, 3. 100 oz. of silver per month; Envelope F: 1. Chang appointed to be a business teacher because he was educated in
America, 2. He knows law and he knows English, so he should be a business teacher, 3. Mrs. Fong explained, "With him as a
teacher, especially as a business teacher, all the contracts with foreigners should be looked over by him to prevent misunderstanding,
since he knows law and knows English". In Chinese
Box 4
Scrapbook
(1906-1918)
Physical Description: Fragile
Box 5
Scrapbook
(1919-1922)
Physical Description: Fragile
Box 6
Scrapbook
(1918-1950s)
Physical Description: Fragile
Folder 1
Correspondence--Chang Kang-jen [Hong Yen Chang], Consul of China, Vancouver
(1910-1912)
Included: Clippings and a legal document "In The Matter of the Chinese Immigration Act, and In The Matter of Lem Gow, An Alien,
Deceased"
Folder 2
Correspondence--Miscellaneous
(1918-1948)
Included: Letters concerning Charlotte Chang's automobile accident, 1926
Folder 3
Deeds--RE: Kong Chow
(1866-1867)
Folder 4
Greeting cards--From Bosa, Mary to "Dear Friend"
[after 1913]
Folder 5
Legal documents--Business and personal
(1897-1930)
Included: Documents concerning a policy from The Travelers Insurance Company, a loan, and Hong Yen and Charlotte (Ah Tye)
marriage certificate
Folder 6
Manuscript
[undated]
Concerning the sale and return of a rug from China
Folder 7
Receipts--San Joaquin Bank
(1929)
The "Ah Jim" in this receipt seems to go with the Certificate of Residence where he's pictured in
Folder 8
Reports--Kong Chow Temple
(2015)
Folder 9
Transcripts--Text of the Address of Madame Chiang Kai-Shek
[after 1937]
Box 1 (2)
Calligraphy
[undated]
Physical Description: In Chinese
Oversize folder 1
Item 1: Supreme Court of the State of California...Posthumous admission as an Attorney and Counselor at Law in all Courts
of the State of California, April 2015; Item 2: Pacific Association of AAU 120 lb Championship, 1931 (team photograph); Item
3: Chang family portrait, 1900s; Item 4: Oliver Chang basketball team photograph
