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Table of contents What's This?
  • Conditions Governing Access
  • Conditions Governing Use
  • Preferred Citation
  • Immediate Source of Acquisition
  • Biographical / Historical
  • Existence and Location of Copies
  • Related Materials in the Huntington Library
  • Scope and Contents
  • Arrangement
  • Additional Creators and Subjects

  • Contributing Institution: The Huntington Library
    Title: Hong Family papers
    Creator: Hong (Family)
    Identifier/Call Number: mssHong Family papers
    Physical Description: 150 Linear Feet (336 boxes, 14 oversize boxes)
    Date (inclusive): 1764-2006
    Date (bulk): 1906-2006
    Abstract: 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).
    Language of Material: Materials are in English.

    Conditions Governing Access

    Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

    Conditions Governing Use

    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

    [Identification of item]. Hong Family papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

    Immediate Source of Acquisition

    Gift of Roger S. Hong on June 26, 2006.

    Biographical / Historical

    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.
    Mabel Hong (May 31, 1907 - April 30, 1998) was also an active community leader in the Los Angeles area. Born May 31, 1907, in Portland, Oregon, Mabel was one of the earliest Chinese American women to receive a college education in the state of Oregon. She married You Chung Hong in 1931. In addition to her duties as a homemaker of a large extended family, Mabel served in leadership roles in the Chinatown chapter of the American Women's Volunteer Services during World War II, the Chinese Women's Club of Los Angeles, and the Kuun Ying Club. She was a major influence in the design of the three New Chinatown buildings that were commissioned by You Chung Hong.
    Nowland C. Hong (born December 7, 1934) was the first of two sons of Y. C. and Mabel. He graduated from Pomona College in 1956 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then went on to study law at the University of Southern California School of Law, earning his Juris Doctor degree in 1960 and passed the California State Bar exam in 1961. In the same year he was appointed Deputy City Attorney of Los Angeles by then City Attorney Roger Arnebergh. Nowland also served as the Chief General Counsel for the Board of Harbor Commissioners of the city of Los Angeles. Nowland is currently (2010) a senior partner for a private law firm. In addition to professional duties as a lawyer, Nowland was one of the founding members and president for two terms of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association and Grand President of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance.
    Roger S. Hong (September 23, 1941 - October 27, 2006) was the youngest son of Y. C. and Mabel. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Southern California in 1965, followed by a Master of Science degree in City and Regional Planning in 1968. He was certified in many states, including California, to practice as a licensed architect. Some of his notable architectural projects include the expansion of the California Exposition and State Fair (Sacramento, CA), Thomas and Mack Center (Las Vegas, NV), the United Bank headquarter (Los Angeles, CA), Kunlun Hotel (Beijing, China), Hotel Nikko (Beverly Hills, CA), the Hong Residence (Los Angeles, CA), Chieh Shou Sports Park (Taipei, Taiwan), Kaiser Richmond Medical Center (Richmond, CA), and various buildings and facilities in and around the Los Angeles Chinatown area. After he co-founded the architectural firm Arechaederra Hong Treiman Architects in the late 1970s, Roger retired from architecture in early 1990s and devoted himself to preserving the Hong family history, the restoration and preservation of Los Angeles Chinatown, and various charitable causes.

    Existence and Location of Copies

    Selected items from this collection have been digitized. Digital reproductions are available in the Huntington Digital Library. 

    Related Materials in the Huntington Library

    1. Hong legal papers
    2. Hong family papers addenda   (Call number: mssHong family papers addenda (1))
    3. Roger S. Hong Collection   (Call number: archHong)
    4. Law-related books of Y.C. Hong

    Scope and Contents

    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).
    The papers and photographs are arranged according to creator, followed by ephemera and oversize materials.
    Note:
    Within each series of papers there are subseries chiefly consisting of the following record types:
    Business files consisting of records of each creator's professional papers, including business correspondence. You Chung Hong's business files include papers related to his law office operations, business financial records, correspondence, logs, client lists, visitors' books, leases, deeds, writings, and receipts. Roger S. Hong's business files include architectural project files, biographies, certificates, correspondence, notes, and resumes.
    Chinatown files reflecting each creator's involvement in the Los Angeles Chinatown community, such as papers related to commercial development, community festivals and events, correspondence, feasibility studies, photos, newspaper clippings, architectural records, financial records, insurance records, property records, menus, and specifications.
    Chinese American Citizens Alliance (CACA) files reflecting each creator's involvement and participation in the organization. Also included are proceedings from CACA's biennial national conventions dating from 1912 to 2003.
    Education files reflecting each creator's educational background, including but not limited to their secondary and post-secondary education files. Lecture notes figure prominently in this sub series.
    Personal files including records related to each creator's personal life, such as correspondence, book catalogs, funeral books, birth certificates, death certificates, passports, photos, notebooks, speeches, writings, and investment records.
    Political and Community Activities files reflecting each creator's participation within his or her community and political organizations, such as political fund raising, war finance drives, various societies and clubs, student organizations, women's organizations, religious organizations, war relief organizations, and election committees.
    Photographs
    Additional textual files containing additional paper files that were housed separately due to processing constraints but typically correspond intellectually to the subseries above.

    Arrangement

    The Hong family papers are organized into six series with sets of subseries:

    You Chung Hong (61 boxes)

    1. Business files (Boxes Y01–Y09)
    2. Chinatown (Boxes Y10–Y13)
    3. Chinese American Citizens Alliance (Boxes Y14–Y27)
    4. Education (Boxes Y28–Y29)
    5. *Boxes Y30-Y36 have been removed and placed in the Hong legal papers*
    6. Personal files (Boxes Y37–Y42)
    7. Political/Community activities (Boxes Y43–Y46)
    8. Photographic files (Boxes 1–16b)
    9. Additional textual files (Boxes 17–20)

    Mabel Hong (35 boxes)

    1. Education (Boxes M01–M09)
    2. Personal files (Boxes M10–M19)
    3. Political/Community activities (Boxes M20–M29)
    4. Photographic files (Box 21–23c)
    5. Additional textual files (Box 24)

    Nowland C. Hong (14 boxes)

    1. Chinese American Citizens Alliance (Box N01)
    2. Personal files (Boxes N02–N07)
    3. Political/Community activities (Box N08)
    4. Photographic files (Boxes 25–29)
    5. Additional textual files (Box 30)

    Roger S. Hong (79 boxes)

    1. Business files (Boxes R01–R08)
    2. Chinatown (Boxes R09–R15)
    3. Education (Boxes R16–R18)
    4. Personal files (Boxes R19–R26)
    5. Political/Community activities (Boxes R27–R28)
    6. Photographic files (Boxes 31-72)
    7. Additional textual files (Boxes 73-80a)
    Ephemera (Boxes E001–E143)
    Oversize (Boxes F01–F16 and 81–82)

    Additional Creators and Subjects

    This list is not meant to be all-inclusive but to represent the people and subjects that are most prevalent in the collection. Many people and subjects in the collection will not be on this list.

    Personal/Corporate

    1. Hong, You Chung, 1898-1977
    2. Hong, Mabel, 1907-1998
    3. Hong, Nowland C., 1934-
    4. Hong, Roger S., 1941-2006
    5. American Bureau for Medical Aid to China
    6. American Council for Nationalities Service
    7. American Institute of Architects. California Council
    8. American Women's Voluntary Services
    9. Arechaederra Hong Treiman Architects
    10. Arnebergh, Roger
    11. Association of Immigration and Nationality Lawyers (U.S.)
    12. Autry Museum of Western Heritage
    13. Bradley, Tom, 1917-1998
    14. Breeze, Carla
    15. Bullock's Wilshire (Department store)
    16. Chiang, May-ling Soong, 1897-2003
    17. Chin, Andrew
    18. Chin, Hing Qong
    19. Chin, Quan Gue
    20. Chinese American Citizens Alliance
    21. Chinese American Museum
    22. Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (Los Angeles, Calif.)
    23. Chinese Historical Society of America
    24. Chinese Students' Alliance in the United States of America
    25. Chinese Students' Intercollegiate Organization
    26. Chinese Times
    27. Chinese Women's New Life Movement Association
    28. Common Council for American Unity
    29. Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles
    30. Dawson's Book Shop
    31. Douglas, Helen Gahagan, 1900-1980
    32. Federation of Overseas Chinese Association
    33. Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969
    34. Finch, Robert
    35. Fong, Hiram, 1907-2004
    36. Fung, Kenneth Y.
    37. General Federation of Women's Clubs
    38. Inaugural Committee (Calif.: 1967)
    39. Inaugural Committee (U.S.: 1969)
    40. Japanese American Citizens League
    41. Knowland, William F. (William Fife), 1908-1974
    42. Kuchel, Thomas H.
    43. Kuun Ying Club
    44. Lawyers' Club of Los Angeles County
    45. Lawyers' Wives of Los Angeles
    46. Los Angeles (Calif.). Dept. of City Planning.
    47. Los Angeles (Calif.). Harbor Dept.
    48. Los Angeles Chinatown Corporation
    49. Los Angeles Chinese Chamber of Commerce
    50. Los Angeles Chinese Women's Club
    51. Los Angeles Committee for Protection of Foreign Born
    52. McCarran, Pat, 1876-1954
    53. Museum of Chinese American History
    54. Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994.
    55. Oregon State Agricultural College
    56. Oregon State College
    57. Pacific Area Travel Association
    58. Perlman, Philip B. (Philip Benjamin), 1890-1960
    59. President Ford Committee (U.S.)
    60. Public affairs pamphlet (Public Affairs Committee)
    61. O'Donnell, Lambert
    62. Reagan, Ronald.
    63. See, Lisa
    64. Sing, Jack Wong
    65. Smith, Icy
    66. Snyder, Peter F
    67. Soohoo, Peter
    68. Tom, Howard
    69. United States. Bureau of Immigration Services
    70. United China Relief (U.S.)
    71. United States. Immigration and Naturalization Service
    72. University of Southern California. School of Law
    73. University of Southern California. School of Urban and Regional Planning
    74. Walter, Francis E. (Francis Eugene), 1894-1963
    75. Warren, Earl, 1891-1974.
    76. Wong, Tyrus.
    77. Younger, Evelle J.

    Indexing: Subjects

    1. Anti-communist movements -- California.
    2. Anti-communist movements -- China.
    3. Anti-communist movements -- Taiwan.
    4. Architecture -- China -- Beijing -- Designs and plans.
    5. Architecture -- United States -- 1980-2010.
    6. Art deco (Architecture) -- United States.
    7. Architecture -- United States -- 20th century.
    8. Asian American architects
    9. Asian American newspapers
    10. Asian Americans -- California.
    11. Central Pacific Railroad Company.
    12. Chinatown (Los Angeles, Calif.)
    13. Chinatown (San Francisco, Calif.)
    14. Chinese -- California -- San Francisco.
    15. Chinese American architects
    16. Chinese American families
    17. Chinese American women
    18. Chinese American women -- Societies and clubs
    19. Chinese Americans -- California -- Los Angeles.
    20. Chinese Americans -- Civil rights.
    21. Chinese Americans -- Legal status, laws, etc
    22. Chinese Americans -- Political activity.
    23. Chinese Americans -- Societies, etc
    24. Chinese Americans -- United States.
    25. Chinese in the United States.
    26. Chinese newspapers -- United States
    27. Chinese students -- United States.
    28. Chinese-American newspapers
    29. Citizenship -- America -- Congresses.
    30. Citizenship -- United States
    31. Citizenship -- United States -- Cases.
    32. City planning and redevelopment law -- California -- Los Angeles.
    33. City planning -- California -- Los Angeles.
    34. Civil procedure -- United States -- Cases.
    35. Civil rights -- United States -- Societies, etc.
    36. Deportation -- United States -- Case studies.
    37. Emigration and immigration -- United States.
    38. Emigration and immigration law -- United States.
    39. Emigration and immigration law -- United States -- Cases
    40. Emigration and immigration law -- United States -- Congresses.
    41. Equity pleading and procedure -- United States –Cases
    42. Ethnicity -- United States.
    43. Illegal aliens -- United States.
    44. Immigrants -- Services for -- United States
    45. Immigration advocates -- California.
    46. Immigration issues in the United States.
    47. Japanese American newspapers
    48. Lawyers -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archives
    49. Minorities -- United States.
    50. Naturalization -- United States -- Congresses.
    51. Neighborhood planning -- California -- Los Angeles -- Case studies.
    52. Newspapers -- Ownership.
    53. Older people -- Housing.
    54. Ports of entry -- United States.
    55. Propaganda, Anti-communist.
    56. Racism -- Political aspects -- United States -- Congresses.
    57. Rare book collection
    58. Refugees -- China -- Hong Kong.
    59. Regionalism in architecture -- United States.
    60. Sino-Japanese War, 1937-1945.
    61. Statutes -- United States.
    62. Street railroads -- California -- Los Angeles
    63. United States -- Emigration and immigration -- Congresses.
    64. United States -- Emigration and immigration -- Documentation -- Congresses.
    65. Urban transportation
    66. War relief.
    67. Women -- Societies and clubs.
    68. World War II.
    69. World War, 1939-1945 -- China.
    70. World War, 1939-1945 -- Chinese -- California -- Los Angeles.
    71. World War, 1939-1945 -- Chinese Americans
    72. World War, 1939-1945 -- Women -- United States.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Chinese Americans -- Societies, etc.
    Chinese Americans -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archives
    Emigration and immigration law -- United States
    Immigration advocates -- California
    Lawyers -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archives
    World War, 1939-1945 -- Chinese Americans
    California -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
    Chinatown (Los Angeles, Calif.)
    Los Angeles (Calif.)
    San Francisco (Calif.)
    Financial records
    Letters (correspondence) China 20th century
    Letters (correspondence) United States 20th century
    Personal papers United States 20th century
    Photographs 20th century
    Professional papers United States 20th century.
    Hong family
    Hong, Mabel, 1907-1998 -- Archives
    Hong, Nowland C., 1934- -- Archives
    Hong, Roger S., 1941-2006 -- Archives
    Hong, You Chung, 1898-1977 -- Archives
    Chinese American Citizens Alliance
    Hong, Mabel, 1907-1998
    Hong, Nowland C., 1934-
    Hong, Roger S., 1941-2006
    Hong, You Chung, 1898-1977