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Southern California Oral History (SCOH) collection
1979.M.1.SCOH  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Conditions Governing Access
  • Arrangement
  • Biographical / Historical
  • Preferred Citation
  • Processing Information
  • Related Materials
  • Content Description
  • Separated Materials

  • Contributing Institution: Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
    Title: Southern California Oral History Collection
    Identifier/Call Number: 1979.M.1.SCOH
    Physical Description: 3.83 Linear Feet Two bankers boxes, two 14.5"x4.63"x8" plastic bins, and one 5"x12.5"x15.5" document case.
    Date (inclusive): 1916-2024
    Date (bulk): 1978-1984
    Abstract: The Chinese Historical Society of Southern California (CHSSC) and the UCLA Asian Studies Center (AASC) conducted the Southern California Chinese American Oral History Project from 1978 to 1984. They collected 165 oral histories, from which transcripts, summaries, indices, and the book Linking Our Lives: Chinese American Women in Los Angeles were made. This collection contains approximately 1700 pages of transcripts and summaries, in English with small amounts of Chinese; a partial collection of audio interviews in English and Chinese; approximately 1600 photographic prints of reproduced photographs and documents lent to the project by interviewees; and other photographs, documents, news clippings, books, and other ephemera donated by interviewees. The collection also contains records related two other collaborations between CHSSC and UCLA AASC during this time, the book Linking Our Lives: Chinese American Women in Los Angeles and the Family History for the Chinese American workshop.
    Condition Description: Papers and photographs generally in good condition. Some are discolored from contact with newspapers. Condition of audiocassettes is unknown.
    Language of Material: English , Chinese .

    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.

    Arrangement

    Arranged in seven series, one of which has two subseries: Series 1: Transcripts and transcript summaries Series 2: Audiocassettes Series 3: Materials Collection Subseries 3A: Duplicated Subseries 3B: Donated Series 4: Administrative files Series 5: Miscellaneous Series 6: Linking Our Lives Series 7: Family History for Chinese Americans Workshop

    Biographical / Historical

    The Southern California Chinese American Oral History Project (SCCAOHP, or Southern California Oral History Project (SCOH)), jointly sponsored by the UCLA Asian American Studies Center (AASC) and the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, was initiated in September 1978. The goal of the project to address the archival gaps concerning Chinese American history and the Chinese American experience in the greater Los Angeles area, focusing mainly in the period prior to World War II. With guidance and support by UCLA AASC and its director, Lucie Cheng Hirata, CHSSC staff and volunteers led by Munson Kwok and Suellen Cheng collected 165 interviews spanning almost 400 cassette tapes. With help from a grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities in 1982, over 1700 pages of accompanying transcripts and indices were created. These tapes and transcripts are jointly owned by CHSSC and UCLA. The full collection is the property of UCLA Special Collections. A majority of the transcripts and a small collection of the audiotapes are part of this collection.
    Additionally, CHSSC duplicated photographs, documents, and ephemera from many participants, totalling over 1600 photographic frames. These duplicates, as well as original items donated by participants Noemi Crews, Grace Chow, Elaine Chow, and Wong Young Louis, comprise the Southern California Chinese American Oral History Materials Collection.
    After the death of CHSSC member Helen Young in 1982, another joint project between the UCLA AASC and CHSSC was initiated in her honor. It resulted in the book, Linking Our Lives: Chinese American Women in Los Angeles, published in 1984. The majority of the book, written by Lucie Cheng Hirata, Suellen Cheng, Sucheta Mazumdar, Feelie Lee, Elaine Lou, Judy Chu, Susie Ling, and Marjorie Lee, is based on the oral histories from the SCCAOHP. The photographs published in the book primarily came from the Materials Collection. Ella Yee Quan and Angela Ma Wong from CHSSC were also part of the editorial committee.
    On 23 July 1983, the UCLA AASC and CHSSC held a collaborative workshop on genealogy catererd specifically to Chinese Americans at the Rolfe Hall Auditorium at UCLA. This workshop provided participants with guidance on use of federal census records, family tree charts, and oral history techniques to create family histories, and featured speakers from CHSSC and AASC along with Gladys Muller, president of the Whittier Area Genealogical Society and Gary Shumway, professor of American and Oral History at California State University, Fullerton.

    Preferred Citation

    Southern California Oral History collection, Chinese Historical Society of Southern California.

    Processing Information

    Transcript summary files were arranged and foldered by interview number. Duplicates and drafts were removed.
    Audiocassettes were previously stored mixed with audiocassettes from different collections. They were removed and placed back with this collection. Photographs that are part of the duplicated materials collection were housed in multicompartment plastic sleeves and arranged by year and film roll number. Prints that had been placed elsewhere, such as those selected for use in Linking Our Lives, were moved into the sleeves as well, unless it was a duplicate print. Photographs that were once stored in binders were moved into folders. Smaller groups of photographs, such as those in the Grace Chow Collection, were sleeved individually.
    Other donated and duplicated materials were arranged by donor. Newspapers within collections were scanned and were replaced with photocopies. Original newspapers were segregated into its own folder.
    Duplicates of administrative files, fliers, and other marketing material were removed, as were blank forms regarding publishing and copyright registration. Most draft versions and galleys of Linking Our Lives were also removed.
    Materials regarding the Family History Workshop were added from CHSSC institutional records.

    Related Materials

    The complete collection of transcripts and audiorecordings is held by UCLA Special Collections. See collection number 1688, Chinese Historical Society of Southern California Southern California Chinese American Oral History Project.

    Content Description

    Collection consists of materials related to the Southern California Chinese American History project, the book Linking Our Lives: Chinese American Women of Los Angeles, and the Family History for Chinese Americans workshop, all of which were created collaboratively between the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California and the UCLA Asian American Studies Center.
    Approximately 1700 pages of transcripts and summaries of 165 oral history interviews conducted as part of the Southern California Chinese American Oral History Collection. The transcripts are primarily in English, with some Chinese, which is typically used to disambiguate romanization of Chinese phrases. Some are translated from interviews in Chinese. 57 compact audiocassettes and one SD card of interviews in English and Chinese, primarily Cantonese dialects. Approximately 1600 photographic prints and slides of reproduced photographs and documents lent to the project by interviewees as well as approximately 200 orignial photographic prints and slides, documents, news clippings, books, and other ephemera which were donated. Approximately 200 pages of documents such as an application for grant funding, resources regarding Chinese American immigration and history of Los Angeles Chinatown are also included.
    Approximately 400 pages of documents and 100 photographic prints and negatives related to the book Linking Our Lives: Chinese American Women of Los Angeles including project files such as marked-up drafts, an application for grant funding for the project, correspondence, marketing materials, and notes from additional interviews.
    6 compact audiocassettes and approximately 300 pages of documents regarding the Family History for Chinese Americans workshop, which include transcripts of the audio recording, administrative files, correspondence, resources on Chinese genealogy and kinship passed out during the event, and marketing material.

    Separated Materials

    Three photograph albums donated by Noemi Crews of the Chinese Catholic School are separated into its own collection. Phonograph records were also segregated from the collection.
    Prints and slides from the CHSSC photograph collection which had previously been organized with the SCOH Materials Collection were segregated as well.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Oral histories
    Chinese Americans
    California, Southern
    Photographic prints
    Negatives
    Slides
    Correspondence
    Newspapers
    Books
    Kinship -- China
    Chinatown (Los Angeles, Calif.)
    Chinatown (San Francisco, Calif.)
    Chinatowns -- United States -- History
    Chinese American business enterprises
    Chinese American churches
    Chinese American families
    Chinese American veterans
    Chinese Americans -- Employment
    Chinese Americans -- History
    Correspondence
    Emigration and Immigration
    Good earth (Motion picture)
    Los Angeles (Calif.) -- History
    Negatives
    Old Chinatown (Los Angeles, Calif.)
    Sound recordings
    Genealogy
    Workshops (Adult education)