DeFalla Family collection2023.M.1.DeFalla

Chinese Historical Society of Southern California

info@chssc.org

URL: https://chssc.org

Contributing Institution: Chinese Historical Society of Southern California

Title: DeFalla Family collection

Creator: DeFalla, Paul

Creator: DeFalla

Identifier/Call Number: 2023.M.1.DeFalla

Physical Description: 0.71 Linear Feet 5 Inch Hollinger Box and Legal Size Document Box

Date (bulk): 1892-1977 (bulk 1970-1977), undated

Abstract: The DeFalla Family collection consists of CHSSC founding documents, papers and artifacts reflecting Chinese American life, collected by the DeFalla family. It is arranged at a series and sub-series level. This collection is important to CHSSC because it contains items regarding its own founding as well as artifacts that tell the story of Chinese American life and showing the connections in Southern California. Available through this collection are glimpses of Chinese American life through the 20th century throughout California, showcasing the movements of families and cultural changes that occurred within those hundred years.

Condition Description : Items mostly in good condition. Some booklets stained from being stored with old newspapers inside.

Language of Material: English , Chinese .

Biographical / Historical

Paul DeFalla was one of the three founders of CHSSC. His family collection provides a look into the lives of Chinese Americans from as early as the late 1800s to the 1980s. As a founder of CHSSC, Paul DeFalla was central to establishing the mission and guidelines of the organization and this collection reflects his commitment to preserving an important part of California history. The bulk of the collection is from the 1970s and it gives a broad view of the life of Chinese Americans in that time, including celebrations in Chinatown, Los Angeles, discrimination in America, and the establishment of CHSSC as a place for community members to preserve their stories.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged on a series, subseries level. It has two (2) series: Archive and Museum Items, and Print Material. The Print Material series is split into three (3) subseries: Books and Book Chapters, Periodicals, and Newspaper Clippings.

SERIES I: Archive and Museum Items, 1975-1976

Item 1: CHSSC Constitution, 1975

Item 2: "Day of Lotus" Certificate to CHSSC, 1976

Item 3: Gate Farm Workers Museum Display, undated

Item 4: Museum Display from CHSSC, undated

SERIES II: Print Material, 1892-1976 (bulk 1970-1977), undated

Item 1: Postcards

Item 2: Correspondence, 1977

SUBSERIES 2A: Books and Book Chapters, 1902-1976, undated

SUBSERIES 2B: Periodicals, 1892-1972

SUBSERIES 2C: Newspaper Clippings, 1973-1975, undated

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to researchers and to the public for access. Please contact the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California for more information.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Received as a donation from the DeFalla family, date unknown.

Preferred Citation

[Item], DeFalla Family Collection, Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.

Processing Information

This collection was primarily put together by Paul DeFalla and donated by his family to CHSSC. The arrangement follows as much of the original order as possible.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains books, museum material, pamphlets for local events, CHSSC founding documents, as well as other materials that express the lives of Chinese Americans, particularly in California. This collection includes a large amount of print material detailing the history and experience of Chinese Americans throughout the 20th century. Included is the research collected in the 1970s on the history of Chinese Americans, Chinese migration to the US, as well as Chinese holiday customs, like the Mid-Autumn Festival. There are also clippings and flyers collected from the 1970s on the Chinese American community showing the way they were represented in media and to contrast there are items that come from within the community as well, like the community flyers for celebrations and history booklets on the Chinese American experience. This collection also contains fourth and sixth edition copies "Gin Chow's First Annual Almanac" from 1932. Gin Chow was known for his fortune telling, and his almanac contains some of his predictions as well as details of his family life in Santa Barbara.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Correspondence

Chinatowns

Chinatown (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Clippings

Newspapers

Los Angeles (Calif.) -- Newspapers

Chinese New Year

Postcards

Periodicals

Books

Chinese Historical Society of Southern California

Archive and Museum Items 1975-1977

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series is processed at the folder-level. This series includes a copy of a draft of the CHSSC Constitution with notes by Paul Louie, one of the founders of CHSSC. There are also images that had once been exhibited of Chinese workers in Gates Farm in Eagle Rock from the late 1800s to early 1900s. As well as museum displays from CHSSC.

Box 1, folder 1

Gate Farm Workers Museum Display undated

Box 1, folder 11

CHSSC Constitution 1975

Box 1, folder 16

"Day of Lotus" Certificate to CHSSC 1976

Box 1, folder 17

Museum Display from CHSSC undated

Print Material 1892-1977 (bulk 1970-1976), undated

Scope and Contents

This series is processed at the folder-level. It contains books and other print material related to the Chinese American experience from as early as 1989, but the bulk of the material is from the 1970s. Included in this series is Gin Chow's Almanac from 1932 in the Books and book chapters subseries, as well as newspaper clippings from the 1970s and community flyers.

Box 1, folder 14

Correspondence and License Plate 1977

Scope and Contents

Beaver County, PA commemorative license plate with correspondence detailing items from Chinese workers in the Beaver Falls Museum from historian Sidney A. Kane.

Box 2

Postcards undated

Scope and Contents

Thirteen postcards of different Chinatowns from Los Angeles and San Francisco, California.

Box 1, folder 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, Box 2

Books and Book Chapters 1902-1976, undated

Scope and Contents

This subseries contains a 4th and 6th edition copy of Gin Chow's Almanac, as well as a book on treaties between China and foreign powers from 1902. There are also copies of books and book chapters about the history of Los Angeles County in folders 10 and 14. In folders 3, 5, 9, 12, and 15 there are materials related to Chinese American History and Chinese holiday materials.

Box 1, folder 4, 7, Box 2

Magazines 1892-1972, undated

Scope and Contents

This subseries contains primarily print magazines including a copy of the California Illustrated Magazine from 1892 as well as a copy of Reader's Digest and a magazine from the Chinese Library of America in San Francisco.

Box 1, folder 6, 8, 18

Newspaper Clippings 1973-1975, undated

Scope and Contents

This subseries contains newspaper clippings from the 1970s. Found in this subseries, in Folder 8 is a grouping of newspaper clippings about Chinese New Year celebrations from 1975, including clippings from Hollywood Independent and another unknown source. Folder 6 includes clipping from the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle related to Chinese American life. Folder 8 also includes accompanying community flyers about local Chinese New Year events. Folder 18 contains a grouping titled "Contemporary Chinese Material" of newspaper clippings from the Los Angeles Times, the Christian Science Monitor, and Griffith Park News dated in the 1970s.