Description
This collection contains the papers and photographs of the Hong family, a family of prominent Chinese-American community leaders
in Los Angeles, California, specifically
focused on the papers and photographs of immigration lawyer You Chung Hong (1898-1977), his wife, Mabel Hong (1907-1998)
and their two sons, lawyer Nowland C. Hong (born 1934) and architect Roger S. Hong (1941-2006).
Background
You Chung Hong (May 4, 1898 - November 8, 1977) was a prominent Chinese American
immigration lawyer based in Los Angeles, California. He was one of the first Chinese
Americans to pass, in 1923, the California State Bar exam. Born in San Francisco,
California, in 1898, Y. C. was the son of a restaurant owner based in Daggett,
California. He was raised in San Francisco by his mother after his father passed
away when Y. C. was five years old. After graduating from high school, Y. C. settled
briefly in Boston, Massachusetts, before returning to Los Angeles to work for the
U.S. Immigration Service as an interpreter from 1918 to 1927 for court cases
involving Chinese applicants for admission into the U.S. During the early 1920s,
while working full-time for the U.S. Immigration Bureau, Y. C. enrolled in night
classes at the University of Southern California School of Law. He earned his LL.B.
in 1924 and LL.M. in 1925. From that point on, Y. C. became an active and successful
immigration attorney by advocating for the right of Chinese Americans to bring their
Chinese wives to the U.S. and pushing for the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Acts.
He was one of the key members testifying on behalf of the Chinese American Citizens
Alliance before the Senate and House Immigration Committees in 1928 in Washington
D.C. He testified in 1952 before a hearing of President Truman’s Commission on
Immigration and Naturalization. He served two terms as Grand President of the
Chinese American Citizens Alliance (1949-1953), 14 terms as President of CACA’s Los
Angeles Lodge (1926-1949), and Chairman of the Chinese Times Publishing Company. In
addition to his accomplishments in the legal field, Y. C. was also one of the
founding members of Los Angeles New Chinatown (1938). He was married to Mabel Hong,
and together they had two sons, Nowland and Roger.
Extent
350 boxes (336 Hollinger boxes and 14 oversize boxes)
Restrictions
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.
Availability
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services
Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.