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Post by chinesefishermen on Jun 18, 2014 10:44:11 GMT -5
Hello! I am a graduate student studying Chinese fishermen/merchants who lived in Santa Barbara and worked on the Channel Islands in Southern California. This activity took place from 1856 to 1915. The clans involved with fishing were Soon, Lee, Fong and Owyang. It appears that the Soon clan who lived in Santa Barbara came from Chungshan. Does anyone have information about Chinese fishing activities, and the clans involved? This is a fascinating story that includes Chinese junks and a global food network. Thank you for any information you can provide.
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Post by lachinatown on Jun 18, 2014 13:11:11 GMT -5
Welcome to Chinese Genealogy. Have you checked with the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California? They may have information. chssc.org/
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Post by chinesefishermen on Jun 18, 2014 13:16:54 GMT -5
Hello, Thank you for the information about CHSSC. I have been a member for 20 years. They are an outstanding organization!
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Post by Doug 周 on Jun 20, 2014 7:05:10 GMT -5
There is a lot of information on the Chinese in Monterey Bay involved in the sardine industry. There is a Chinese fishing village in Marin County which is a heritage site. These two resources might have information on the Chinese fishermen of Santa Barbara.
Finally, please allow us to access your dissertation when you are finished.
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Post by chinesefishermen on Jun 20, 2014 13:11:51 GMT -5
Thank you Doug! I think that the fishermen in Santa Barbara, Monterey and San Francisco are connected - either by clan or by district. I am seeking information to support this hypothesis.
I am a student in the anthropology department at SDSU, with an emphasis on historical archaeology. I am happy to share my thesis (getting my masters degree). In fact my thesis will be formatted for publication. It will consist of two stand alone articles. The first publication is about agency and identity of Chinese fishermen and merchants in Santa Barbara. The second will be a survey of Chinese fishing activities on the Channel Islands that will include an analysis of artifacts and features discovered on five of the eight islands.
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Post by Doug 周 on Jun 20, 2014 18:31:34 GMT -5
I am looking forward to your thesis. Being a genealogy forum I think we can help you more with kin and clan as opposed to the details of the lifestyle of fishermen and merchants along the coast.
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Post by chinesefishermen on Oct 21, 2022 8:31:44 GMT -5
Hello, I have am continuing my research about Chinese fishermen who worked on the Channel Islands. Several merchants in Santa Barbara hired fishermen who harvested the abalone on the islands, and then exported the products to China. I am specifically looking for men who worked in the Sing Chung & Company store. I have a immigration file for Gin Chung who was a partner in the store circa 1884 to 1894. There is a signature on his file, and I am wondering if someone could translate his name for me? Henry has been helping me find Gin Chung's village which was Lock Chung Sheung Lim village in Sun Ning. Thank you for your help! Linda
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Post by chinesefishermen on Oct 21, 2022 8:32:32 GMT -5
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Post by gckimm on Oct 22, 2022 1:35:26 GMT -5
Hi Linda:
The signature is for the gentleman whose name is mentioned there as "Gin Gop": 甄甲. The word "and" is confusing, as it seems to indicate that there are two signatories when there is really just one.
This may have absolutely nothing to do with your research, but my great-grandparents moved to Santa Barbara from San Francisco (by covered wagon!) in the early 1890s and lived there for a couple of years. My great-grandfather was a labor contractor for various projects in CA, including the building of the first water reservoir for the city of Monterey in 1888. I assume that he continued to work as a labor contractor during his years in Santa Barbara, but I believe the main reason the family went there was to help spread the Christian religion among the members of the Chinese community. They were good friends with the Santa Barbara merchant Chung Wong and his wife, Chin Ah Yane, and their children. Ah Yane and my great-grandmother had been educated by the Christian missionaries who ran the Presbyterian Mission Home for homeless girls in San Francisco's Chinatown. Chung Wong and Chin Ah Yane were the parents of Dr. Margaret Chung, the first female Chinese American doctor.
Greg
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Post by chinesefishermen on Oct 23, 2022 12:36:11 GMT -5
Hi Greg, Thank you so much for your help with the translation. I think I can create a path forward to learn more about Gin Gop.
Thank you also for sharing your family history. I know about Dr, Margaret Chung, but I would like to learn more about her family, her life and her profession.
Linda
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Post by gckimm on Oct 23, 2022 13:44:29 GMT -5
Hi Linda:
I recommend that you read Judy Wu's excellent biography of Margaret Chung, Doctor Mom Chung of the Fair-Haired Bastards. She goes into some detail about Dr. Chung's family background. Years ago, when Judy was writing her book, she and I had the opportunity to meet and I shared some information about our connection with the Chung family. My family is mentioned in the book.
Greg
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Post by chinesefishermen on Jun 2, 2023 18:08:44 GMT -5
Hello, I am researching a Chinese man who purchased land in Santa Barbara in 1867. This lot was near the ocean and it appears that it was used as a fishing center and a ship yard. English documents (deeds, census, tax records) refer to the man as "Ah Fou." Fortunately, he signed a deed in 1875 with his Chinese name which was 福安富. Could someone please translate this name for me.
Thank you!
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Post by gckimm on Jun 3, 2023 1:03:04 GMT -5
Hi again, Linda:
This name could be Romanized as Fook On Foo. Foo could be written as "Fou," with the term "Ah" being the common Cantonese way of addressing someone with whom you have some familiarity.
But I must add that Fook 福 is a Chinese surname but not a common one. In fact, I can't find any evidence on the internet that anyone in Guangdong Province has or had this surname. If it was not really the surname of this gentleman and was part of a kind of nickname, this would also be unusual. Fook On Foo might be the name of a business he owned rather than his name. It was common for Chinese businesses to have three characters in their names.
Greg
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Post by chinesefishermen on Jun 3, 2023 8:17:07 GMT -5
Hi Greg, Thank you for your quick response. I am having a hard time getting this name translated. I asked another Chinese speaker to translate the signature and here is her translation: 唐亞富 I have attached Ah Fou's signature from an 1875 deed. Ah Fou was associated with Gin Gop, who was a merchant in Santa Barbara with Sing Chung & Company. Both men were engaged in harvesting abalone on the Channel Islands. Linda Linda
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Post by gckimm on Jun 3, 2023 11:33:29 GMT -5
Hi Linda:
The image is a little blurry when I try to enlarge it, but it seems like 唐亞富 is correct: Tong Ah Foo. This makes much more sense. Tong (or Tang in Mandarin) is a common Cantonese surname and this gentlemen became known by his personal name, preceded by the term "Ah," ad did many of the early Chinese immigrants: Ah Foo (Fou). Chinese people Romanized their names in whatever way they liked, so Mr. Tong apparently liked to spell his name Fou. But the pronunciation would be Foo.
Greg
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