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Guide to the Duty and Honor Collection, Chinese American veterans in World War II FN001-FN004
FN001-FN004
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Contributing Institution:
Chinese Historical Society - Southern California
Title: Duty and Honor Collection
Identifier/Call Number: FN001-FN004
Physical Description:
4 Linear Feet
Four boxes and an irregular large size sleeve for a book cover.
Date (bulk): 1942-1946, 1994-2000, 2003, bulk 1995-1998
Abstract: This collection contains research material that principle editor, Marjorie Lee, used to write Duty and Honor: A Tribute to
Chinese American World War II Veterans of Southern California. Materials include photocopies of records on Chinese American
World War II veterans, audio recorded interviews with Chinese American veterans, interview transcriptions, interview notes
with Chinese American veterans, photo slides of personal photographs owned by Chinese American veterans, Polaroid photographs
of Chinese American veterans, updates, correspondence and ephemera related to the production of the text, and, lists and associated
materials compiled from the principle editor.
Physical Location: Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90012
Language of Material:
English
, Chinese
.
The Duty and Honor Collection, compiled by Marjorie Lee, contains records of four hundred sixteen World War II Chinese American
veterans with a background from Southern California. The collection includes interviews of forty-four veterans, interview
notes, correspondence between veterans or veteran families with the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, monthly
updates to constituents, and germane materials from veterans such as separation papers.
This is an inactive record series; no new records are expected to be added.
The collection is organized into the following series:
Series 1. Veteran Files, 1994-1999.
Series 2. Subject Files, 1994-2000.
Series 3. Photographs and Mixed Media, 1940-1945, 1994-2000.
At their annual dinner in 1994, the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California honored Chinese American veterans from
World War II. Subsequently, veterans approached Chinese Historical Society of Southern California member, Marjorie Lee, to
lead a project to commemorate World War II Chinese American veterans. Lee organized weekly events to locate Chinese American
veterans of World War II and collect associated materials shortly after the 1994 dinner. Lee and other members of the research
team interviewed forty-four veterans and found or collected records for seven hundred fifty-five United States veterans.
In order for the veteran to be featured in the final text, that veteran must have been in the armed forces for the United
States during World War II, be Chinese American, have documented proof of enlistment, have a relationship to Southern California,
and have approval by the veteran or the veteran's family if the veteran passed away.
Lee and her team agreed to a threshold of around two hundred in order to produce a book. The final text contains mini-biographies
on four hundred sixteen veterans, and chapters related to Chinese Americans in World War II written by relative experts.
Among the records created in the collection are interview transcriptions, original verification documentation of veterans'
documents, reference sheets on which other veterans they may know, and lists of common veteran affiliations.
A list of veteran names is included within this finding aid as an addendum. The birthplace in both the historical reproductions
and self completed surveys often state that the veteran was born in Guangzhou (Canton), China, but that is a misnomer of substituting
Guangzhou City with Guangdong Province. Over 95% of Chinese immigrants to the United States before 1940 arrived from eight
districts within Guangdong Province, and Guangzhou City is not one of those districts.
World War II Chinese American Veterans Collection was a working name of this collection prior to being named Duty and Honor.
The name of the book, Duty and Honor, was not determined until late 1997. The book was published in 1998.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Principle editor, Marjorie Lee, compiled the collection. Franklin Mah shot photographic reproductions and photo slides.
Lee compiled reproductions of military records such as separation papers from veterans or veterans' families. Mah shot slide
photos of veteran's photography collection. Additional reproductions of military records were collected from the Los Angeles
County Recorder Office. Lee created monthly newsletter updates and organizing lists. Lee and the research team recorded
the audio interviews.
Processed by Albert A. Lowe, David Castro, and Kaz Rowe, 2019 October 31.
The collection was compiled from Duty and Honor principle editor, Marjorie Lee. Duplications of World War II documents, chapter
drafts with only copy edits, and World War II materials unrelated to Chinese Americans were discarded. Original order organized
by type of document was rearranged to individual veterans in alphabetical order by the archival processer. Other publications
from major houses, such as easily found newspaper articles, and other materials not generated materials by The Chinese Historical
Society of Southern California were also removed. The archival organization of this Record Series was determined after review
by archival processer, Albert A. Lowe, in 2018.
Marjorie Lee also used recycled paper printing correspondence from email and printing lists. Users should be aware that the
content on the back of reproductions often have no relationship to the collection.
[Identification of Item], Duty and Honor collection. Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, Series [FN]. Chinese
Historical Society of Southern California.
Copyright of portions of this collection is held by The Chinese Historical Society of Southern California. The Chinese Historical
Society of Southern California can grant permission to publish for materials to which it holds the copyright. All requests
for permission to publish or quote must be submitted in writing to the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California.
The collection is open to the public by appointment. Public can access audio tapes through digital reproductions available
to access at the repository.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
United States--Armed Forces--Chinese Americans
United States--Armed Forces--Women
California, Southern