Translation please ???

[vancouverlori]

I am looking for a translation of the following document. I believe it is some type of registration form, but for what I do not know.

content.wsulibs.wsu.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/wsuvan1&CISOPTR=1266&REC=2

Thanks, Lori

[laohuaqiao]

This is an interesting document. Chinese were denied the right to buy insurance during the Exclusion period, 同源總會 (Tong Yuan Association, Tong Yuan meaning "common origin") Chinese American Citizens Alliance (CACA) was offering what amounted to li fe insurance (condolence fund) to the Chinese.

The translation is as followed:
Application to participate in CACA Condolence Fund (Copy)

CACA member 羅就進 Luo Jiu Jin, on 9th day 10th month of the year 1925, in accordance with the Association's Condolence Fund regulation pays the Condolence Fund base amount of 10 dollars upon participation.

In event of unfortunate death, this condolence fund will be pay out to

Country 美國 US State 柯利 (?) Oregon County 尾利安 Marion City 者位市 Gervais Village Box 76 RFD #2, Gervais, Oregon

Wife Son Daughter Father Mother Older brother
Younger brother 羅就椿 (?) Luo Jiu Chun

Year 1925 10th Month 9th Day Member Luo Jiu Jin (signature)

Name of applicant Joe John Hing
Residence Box 76 RFD #2, Gervais, Oregon
Admitted This 2nd day of Nov of 1925
Birth certificate from city of Salem, Oregon

Note: RFD means Rural Free Delivery is a system of postal delivery in rural America

[laohuaqiao]

History of CACA from their website, www.cacanational.org/history

In the Beginning

Though that prophesy appeared in the Daily Alta California on May 12, 1852, Chinese immigrants were slow in achieving such expectations. The inevitable economic adjustments in an unsettled new world, as well as old world conservatism contributed to the apparent lack of progress. By the end of the 19th century, the Chinese, who had been brought to this country in great numbers as cheap labor to help build the railroads, later became this country's scapegoats when poor economic conditions and high unemployment became prevalent. Public opinion became openly prejudiced against Chinese, so much so that in denying a Chinese the right to testify in court against a white person, the California Supreme Court stated that the Chinese were "a race of people whom nature has marked as inferior, and who are incapable of progress or intellectual development beyond a certain point;" and to allow them to testify would "admit them to all equal rights of citizenship, and we might as soon see them at the polls, in the jury box, upon the bench, and in our legislative halls. (People v. Hall, (1854)4 Cal. 339, 405)

Formation of New Organization

Against this backdrop, a small group of young Chinese Americans, born and raised in the United States, assembled in San Francisco and decided that they would have to take matters into their own hands if they were going to combat this sentiment and accelerate the process of assimilation. They found that they not only had to fight the hostile public opinion against their Chinese ancestry, but they also had to overcome the skepticism of their own elders who felt that these young upstarts were becoming too Americanized and were forgetting the ideals of the old country. Despite this opposition, this group of Chinese Americans believed in the importance of their American birth and felt that they nevertheless had a role to play in shaping this country. They were not easily discouraged and believed that, in the final analysis, they could be judged on the basis of their own actions and achievements. The Chinese American community needed leaders with their background and their crusading spirit to actively participate in and partake of the advantages of American ideals, traditions, and institutions.

Thus, the fraternal order of the Native Sons of the Golden State came into existence in San Francisco. First incorporated in the State of California by Chun thingy in 1895, the group was later reorganized in 1904 by Walter U. Lum, Joseph K. Lum, and Ng Gunn. By 1912, other Chinese Americans in communities outside of San Francisco learned of the organization and wanted to form local chapters. Oakland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles soon became the nucleus of the Grand Parlor. One year later, units in Fresno and San Diego were added, making it a statewide organization.

New Charter

Membership in the organization was at first confined to Chinese males born within the State of California, but as more and more requests came to establish branches elsewhere, it became apparent that a complete reorganization was necessary. The name,'"Native Sons of the Golden State," no longer adequately described the national organization that was planned, so a new charter was taken out in 1915 under the name, the "Chinese American Citizens Alliance." The Grand Lodge became the highest governing body of the Alliance with its officers elected duing each biennial convention. Local lodges in San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego, Fresno, Portland, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Boston each had their own board of officers and associates. In addition, each local lodge annually chose a Grand Representative to serve in a Liaison capacity between their own lodge and the Grand Lodge.

By 1920, the building housing the National HeadQuarters at 1044 Stockton Street in San Francisco was completed. The grand opening celebration on August 10th of that year brought into full realization the plans conceived in Los Angeles in 1914, perfected in San Francisco in 1915, and carried out in Oakland in 1917.

In later years, other lodges were opened in San Antonio, Houston, Albuquerque, Tucson, Phoenix, Sunnyvale (now renamed Peninsula Lodge), Washington DC, New York, and Sacramento. From that small group of men in San Francisco, the Alliance became a national organization. In 1977, another milestone in membership was achieved when women were admitted as members for the first time. Since then, a number of women have been elected to hold office in local lodges, including the office of president. By the national convention in Houston in 1993, the numbers of male and female presidents of regional lodges were almost equal. In 1997, at the convention in Phoenix, Nancy Ann Gee was elected as the first woman to hold the office of National Grand President .

Chinese Times

The Chinese Times, founded in 1924, became the official newspaper of the Alliance. It grew to have the largest circulation of all Chinese language newspapers in this country. Unlike other Chinese language newspapers distributed in the United States, it did not have ties to any foreign country or political group, becoming the only Chinese daily newspaper to be owned, edited, and published by American citizens. At its peak, the Chinese Times commanded the respect of those of Chinese descent throughout the world because of its unbiased editorials and authentic news coverage. Later, the Chinese Times became a corporate business entity separate from the Alliance, but many of its shareholders were Alliance members, and Alliance members served on its Board of Directors.

After many years of operation, however, as Chinese Americans became more and more assimilated into American society, fewer and fewer needed to rely on a Chinese language newspaper for information. In fact, after many generations of living in the United States, some Chinese Americans could no longer read the Chinese language. As a result, the Chinese Times readership dwindled to a point where it was no longer economically feasible to continue operations, and in 1988, all of the Alliance's interest in the Chinese Times was sold to independent buyers.

Insurance

Because of discriminatory requirements imposed by insurance companies at the turn of the century, very few Chinese Americans were able to provide any financial protection for their families. In 1920, to further the principles of fraternal brotherhood, a "death benefit fund" was created by the Chinese American Citizens Alliance. Upon the death of a lodge brother, the sum of one thousand dollars, collected through assessment of the surviving members, was paid to the member's widow and family.

By 1947, liberalization of insurance regulations had progressed to such an extent that it was no longer necessary for members to continue to shoulder this financial burden for their fellow members, and this program ceased. In the course of its 27 years of operation, thousands of widows and orphans benefited from this program. To this day, the Alliance still receives an occasional request for this benefit from a family who, after the death of a long-time Alliance member, uncovers a certificate for the benefit amongst the personal effects of the deceased member; over time, of course, the number of such requests have diminished.

[vancouverlori]

laohuaqiao,

Thank you so much for the information. Now, if only I knew who "Younger brother — Luo Jiu Chun" was.

The applicant, Joe John (Luo Jiu Jin) was the oldest of 8 children. At the time of this application, both of his parents wer dead. He had 4 younger brothers, one of which was my grandfather, who I understood was (chinese) named Luo Gee Doy and another who (according to headstone translation) was named Luo Jiu Nan.

Now I am wondering about what I was told was my grandfathers chinese name. As both of his brothers were Luo Jiu ___ (Jin/Nan).

Again, my sincere thanks!!!
Lori

[laohuaqiao]

Lori,
The first reaction from the juvenile in me says Gee Doy, in Taishanese dialect, means "pig boy" or "little pig" 豬仔. With a real name that sounded like that, he would have been the laughing stock of the kids in the neighborhood.

Since it's not unusual to have nicknames for family members, "little cow" or "little dog", it's very possible that Gee Doy was a nickname.

Have you searched through the birth records from Salem OR, or any records from Gervais?

[vancouverlori]

Okay, pieces are comming together, a bit. A cousin remembers my grandfather having the nickname when he was small, “Ji dao,” which she said meant something like “little piglet.” So, obviously NOT his chinese/birth name.

Is Ji dao the same as Gee Doy?

I am thinking that the beneficiary, Luo Jiu Chun, has to either be my grandfather (Thomas) or his brother (Harry). Would Chun translate in any way to either of these names?

Lori

[laohuaqiao]

The character chun 椿 is a tree whose latin name is Ailanthus altissima(Mill.)Swingle . One of the tree's characteristics is longevity and the word is often used in literature to refer to one's father.

Please remember that the bottom right part of the word is obscured, chun is an educated guess.

Ji dao and gee doy sound close enough to be the same, within differences in accent or variations in the transliteration.