Trying to find Relatives

[wongtung]

Hi
My name is Delilah and my Grandfather was a Chinaman that immigrated to Western Samoa in the early 1900's. He arrived with his brother who was shipped off the Island but my Grandfather remained due to too many children to my Grandmother Aiga.

He had a plantation and was a popular man in Samoa but passed away in the early to mid 1950s when my Mum was around 12 or so. She said that he was known by a name similar to Ah Kuoni Wong Tung but unsure. Surname adopted by our family is Wong Tung so whether that is correct or not, I am unsure.

Its very difficult to try and piece things together when you dont have many pieces to begin with.

Hoping that someone can help shed some light.

[helen]

Did your Grandfather have any Chinese friends? Does his headstone have any Chinese Characters? Do you have any reocrds in a library for the Chinese who came? Maybe shipping lists? There are other Chinese from Samoa looking for their roots as well. Hopefully you can join forces with them.

[Henry]

Deliah,

If you can get a digital photo of your grandfather's gravestone - this would probably provide you with the Chinese characters for your grandfather's name - birth/death dates, ancestral village, county, and province in China. Then you would know your true Chinese surname and with your grandfather's name - the village chief of your ancestral village in China could be contacted and he/she can try to find out if you still have relatives still living in the village and if there are any copies of your family's genealogy book available for copying.

The following is the URL for a thread on this Forum regarding research Chinese in Samoa. It has a reference to a book on the Chinese in Samoa by Nancy Tom. Good Luck !

siyigenealogy.proboards28.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=names&thread=108&page=1


Henry