Two new medals honor World War II veterans: Chinese Americans and Merchant Marines

The history of Americans who served in World War II has been told many times by many different people. One ethnic group that has often been overlooked is that of the Asian Americans who fought for their country – even when that country did not grant them full citizenship. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which prevented Asian immigrants from becoming naturalized and otherwise discriminated against them and their families, was still in effect during World War II. In 1943 the Magnuson Act repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Long-overdue recognition has come gradually to Asian American WWII veterans. Japanese American Nisei soldiers collectively received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2011. Filipino vets were awarded the medal in 2017. Bipartisan legislation to create a Congressional Gold Medal for Chinese American veterans was introduced in 2017 and signed into law in December 2018. This medal was to be awarded collectively this spring at an April ceremony at Emancipation Hall in Washington, D. C., with a regional ceremony to follow in Hawaii. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has delayed those plans.

The front of the 3-inch medal depicts six men and one woman in various uniforms highlighting the fact they served in every branch of service and in every theater. Whether or not they were citizens during the war, the medal proclaims that each was "Proud to serve as an American."

Design for the Chinese American Veterans of WWII Congressional Gold Medal*

There is also a new Congressional medal recognizing those who served in the Merchant Marine, previously unrecognized because they were not part of the military, although they served and supported the U. S. Navy during the war.

CGS member Justine Wong is the daughter of Leland Wong, who served in the Merchant Marine during WWII. “Growing up I heard my dad talk about his time as a Merchant Marine,” she remembers. “He did not talk much in detail but I do remember hearing about the booming of cannons and something about my dad standing up to an officer about turning a ship around because of a sick seaman.” She learned about the Congressional Gold Medal last year, but didn't consider making an application for her late father until encouraged to do so by a friend. Her mother had lots of documents that included slips of paper with names of ships and their departure and arrival dates. The application process turned up some happy surprises: although the family's copy of her father's record stated "no medals," Justine learned from the U. S. Maritime Administration Department that her father was due a Victory Medal and an Honorable Service Medal as well as several others. Her next research project is to try to confirm stories that Leland was at Iwo Jima as well as in China and the Phillippines during the war.

Leland Wong on Catalina Island during WWII

The Bay Area Chinese Genealogy Group is trying to raise awareness about the Chinese American Congressional medal so that surviving veterans or their family members may apply to be recognized. Those who served in the Merchant Marine during WWII are also encouraged to apply for that medal. Tributes to Chinese American WW2 veterans are at baccg.org and caww2.org.

BACGG also is hosting several events commemorating the service of Chinese Americans. This year is the 75^th anniversary of the end of WWII. This coming Saturday, August 29, at 1:15 p.m., a webinar featuring a virtual panel discussion with filmmaker Montgomery Hom, Ret. Major General William Chen, and historian Connie Young Yu is open to all.

On September 26, an online Chinese Genealogy Workshop will help participants with tips on how to research their Chinese ancestry.  That same day, a one-hour virtual celebration will feature presentations from the State of California and from several U.S. military and Veterans organizations. A special short film by Montgomery Hom, co-produced with Chinese American Citizens Alliance, highlights Chinese Americans in military service from the Civil War to WWII. More events are planned for November. See the BACGG website at https://bacgg.org/.

 

Any WWII veteran may be honored with an online profile at the Friends of the WWII Memorial. Fill out the application here:

https://www.wwiimemorialfriends.org/veteran-profile/

To apply for a Congressional Gold Medal, the veteran or next of kin should visit one of the following websites:

1.  Chinese American WWII Congressional Gold Medal Recipient. 

    Additional resources are listed at www.caww2.org.

2.  U. S. Merchant Marine WWII Congressional Gold Medal Recipient

    Additional resources are at http://usmm.org/contact.html.

Leland Wong and fellow Merchant Marines on Catalina Island

*Chinese American Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Images © United States Mint 2019. Non-journalism use requires U.S. Mint permission notwithstanding any terms of use.

Copyright © 2020 by California Genealogical Society

Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage

Image: PBS SoCal

Happy May! Today is the first day of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. We will be sharing articles and events celebrating the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans throughout the month. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869, since a majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.

Of special interest to California Bay Area residents is the upcoming Chinese Ancestry Day, held Saturday, May 26 at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center in Oakland's Chinatown. The daylong workshop covers the fundamentals of genealogy for Chinese American families, offering basic steps to build your Chinese family tree.

Four distinguished guests will speak at the event, sharing their different areas of expertise. Keynote speaker is filmmaker Felicia Lowe, an award-winning independent television producer and director who is a Bay Area native and descendant of Angel Island detainees. Lowe will screen excerpts from her latest documentary, “Chinese Couplets,” which she describes as part memoir, part history, and part investigation. It explores the impact of the Chinese Exclusion Acts on four generations of women in her family. “What motivated me first of all was I really didn’t know my mother. I didn’t know her past,” she says. “Although I’m American born, I felt robbed of a history.” Her parents, both immigrants, were very reluctant to talk about their lives in China or the experience of coming to America. “The other compelling reason was that as long as there was the silence, the secrets, Exclusion still had a hold on my family," Lowe says. "And by telling it, I broke that hold.”

Genealogist Marisa Louie Lee will speak about “Chinese Exclusion Act Records at the National Archives.” A former archivist at the National Archives at San Francisco (in San Bruno), she is experienced in finding and interpreting records of Chinese and other Asian peoples who came to America during the Exclusion era, when they could not legally become citizens. Their stories, she says, are a part of American history that has long been overlooked. Lee was a research consultant on the documentary “The Chinese Exclusion Act,” which premieres May 26 on PBS as part of The American Experience series. “Does every fifth grader learn about the Exclusion Act in school?” she asks. “I’m hoping the film will help move that story into the mainstream.” 

Grant Din, an experienced researcher and genealogist, will speak on “The Importance of Family Stories.” And John Wong of RootsPlus will discuss “A Pilgrimage to Your Ancestral Village.”

The event concludes with time for questions and discussion, followed by lunch at the Peony Restaurant. For more details or to register, click HERE.

Chinese Ancestry Day is sponsored by the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, California Genealogical Society, the California Historical Society, and the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation.

Copyright © 2018 by California Genealogical Society