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A Friends of Roots cohort traveled to Cuba in March 2020 to explore the Chinese presence which dates back to the 1830s and 1840s and which was once the largest Chinese population in the Caribbean and Latin America. Read Steve Owyang’s full article on the Chinese Family History Group of Southern California’s website.
Friends of Roots was recently featured on the CCTV Show 中国地名大会. On the show, Friends of Roots co-founder, Al Cheng, shared about the Roots program and its 30-year history of leading more than 600 Chinese Americans to over 500 villages in the Pearl River Delta region of Guangdong Province, China. Roots alum Scott Leung shared about his recent experience as part of the 2017 cohort of the Roots: Him Mark Lai Family History Project. See the video here.
In search of their ancestral villages, Friends of Roots and 11 people of the Chinese diaspora hailing from the Bay Area and Boston traveled to the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong 廣東省, China in June and July. We visited 5 different areas, including Kaiping 開平, Taishan 台山, Xinhui 新會, and Guangzhou 廣州. Read about their journeys here.
Steve Owyang, a Friends of Roots volunteer leader and advisor, was interviewed by China Daily.
Owyang, a retired judge from California, said he still remembers his first visit to his ancestral village in Zhongshan, Guangdong, where everybody shared the same family name — Owyang.
In one house, he saw the old photos that his family had sent back 50 years earlier. "To see pictures of my own family and relatives upon the wall in some village that I'd never been to before, that's very moving," he said.
"It showed me that people in China still feel very connected to their family even though the family had left the village two or three generations ago," said Owyang, whose family left Guangdong for the US in the 1870s.
Chinatown Community Development Center honored Friends of Roots at their annual Lunar New Year Luncheon on February 28, 2019.
Left to Right: Rev. Norman Fong (Executive Director of CCDC and Roots 2018 Alum), Roots leader John Wong, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Roots co-founder Al Cheng, Roots leader Walter Lim
Watch KTSF Channel 26’s news feature with interviews with Roots co-founder Al Cheng and Roots leaders Jane Chin and Walter Lim. 已故歷史學家麥禮謙所成立"尋根之友" 創辦成員獲市長頒發表揚狀
Read more from these local Chinese-language media sources:
Singtao USA: 楊重賢獲委任機場委員 and 華協春宴表揚尋根之友項目
World Journal News: 楊重賢任機場委員會委員 - 世界新聞網 and 華協中心表揚「尋根之友」項目 - 世界新聞網
US China Press: 华协中心举行农历新年联欢庆会
Chinatown CDC leaders honored Friends of Roots
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors recognized Friends of Roots with a Certificate of Honor.
Read Reverend Norman Fong’s Sing Tao Daily columns featuring the Fall 2018 Roots Plus program!
(L-R) Candace Hsu, Isabella Giannini, leader Al Cheng, Kona Yee-Wong, Nick Lau, leader Derek Lee, Diann Leo-Omine, Amanda Liu (not pictured- Jeremy Chin, Carol Lau, Robyn Lau)
The Roots 2018 summer cohort consists of 9 people from the Bay Area, New York, and Georgia. They depart for China next week and will visit areas of the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong 廣東省, China, including Kaiping 開平, Taishan 台山, Zhongshan 中山, and Xinhui 新會. Stay tuned for updates on their Tumblr blog!
The 2017 cohort will be opening their exhibit at International Hotel Manilatown Center on February 10. They will also be presenting at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center on March 3. Join us and learn about their experiences in the Pearl River Delta region in Guangdong, China.
Enjoy the preview below.
Hi everyone, please check out the interns' journey so far by clicking here. Enjoy and feel free to leave comments for the interns!
From Rayna Young's maternal grandfather's village in Toisan 台山白水張邊鄉潮陽村
On Monday May 8, 2017, ten members of the Roots Plus group for Spring 2017 met in Guangzhou to take the next steps on their long journeys towards connecting with their ancestral past, opening themselves to all the discoveries that awaited them.
The group consisted of two extended families:
The Lees: cousins Danny, Winston, Barbara, and a nephew on their mother’s side, Patrick Chew, along with Winston’s wife, Martha Chan; and Dennis and Celia Huey’s family joined with eldest daughter Trina, youngest daughter Jessica, and her husband Jason Phan.
Their ages ranged from early thirties to over eighty. Their co-leaders were John Wong, Walter Lim, and Jane Chin. The group was nicknamed “Shinkansen” (after the high speed Japanese railroad) because of the speed with which it formed – from initial inquiries to group formation, it took less than sixty days. This heightened eagerness to participate in the program followed months and years of extensive personal research into their families’ histories, documenting those early paths taken from China to Hong Kong and Myanmar, then eventually to the United States, where members of this group carried on up to the present.
During the next ten days, they visited over fourteen villages in Taishan mostly, but also notably, Xin Hui and Meizhou. At the villages, they stood in some of the actual homes where their ancestors lived. They paid respects at the family altars in those homes as well as in the village clan halls and at burial sites. They looked in awe at the genealogical books which surfaced – some were handwritten for generations, faithfully recording the lineages right up to their great-grandfathers/grandfathers. They also saw the same wells that have been used for hundreds of years and, in touching the waters, remembered the source. For the first time, they met close family members, sometimes not even knowing of them previously. One touching re-acquaintance was made with a childhood best friend after seventy years’ separation. Homecoming celebrations large and small provided moments of happiness and new meaning to the experience of family.
They traveled up to the mountain pass on the Guangzhou-Jiangxi provincial border and re-traced part of the route of their ancestors as they migrated from Central China to their eventual Pearl River Delta locations. They also experienced modern China urban life in the grand metropolis of Guangzhou, which was often the historical embarkation point for their ancestors. Perhaps they wondered if the same sense of adventure and buzz of hyperactive commerce existed a hundred or more years ago when their ancestors passed through. During the whole time, they consumed copious Chinese food and drink, often in a way they had never before experienced. Their Chinese language skills re-emerged or started from anew the more they engaged and tried communicating in the challenging Taishan dialect, Cantonese, or modern Putonghua. They were rewarded with smiles, laughter, and appreciation for their effort and love of their Chinese heritage.
In all, they met new family and friends, made incredible finds, experienced joy and sadness, discovered truths (or versions thereof) which enlightened but raised new questions. Knowing their journeys will continue, they recognize that through their efforts, a bridge to their past was made clearer and also a path forward became available to others following on their own journeys.
Enjoy the photos in this slideshow as a small representation of the May 2017 Roots Plus members’ experiences!
Roots 2017 Summer Interns consists of 11 people from the Bay Area, Boston, and Vancouver. They will visit many areas of the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong 廣東省, China, including Kaiping 開平, Taishan 台山, Doumen 斗門, Zhongshan 中山, Foshan 佛山, Zhaoqing 肇慶, Nanhai 南海, Shunde 順德, Panyu 番禺, Dongguan 東莞 and Huizhou 惠州. They depart for their journey on July 4, 2017!
At the Eat.Root.Love. Gala in April 2017.
San Francisco, CA
Sign (Chinese Zodiac and Astrological): Dog, Scorpio
What do you do for fun? I enjoy cooking, playing guitar, chess, fly fishing, going to concerts and anything related to Bay Area sports teams.
How did you hear about Roots? I first heard about Roots from my mom, who was a member of the Roots Plus group a few years ago. She had such an incredible trip learning about our family background and visiting her village that I knew that I had to experience the journey for myself.
What would you like to accomplish from this Roots experience? During the Roots experience, I seek to strengthen my connection to my Chinese heritage and culture. Ultimately, I hope to not only get a better sense of self-identity as a Chinese-American but to also provide my family members with a more tangible connection and fulfilling answers surrounding our family history.
What are your expectations for the trip? I have many expectations about the Roots trip, which will also be my first time in China. Firstly, I expect to be challenged and uncomfortable as a first-time visitor. Nevertheless, I also expect to learn an incredible amount, whether it be about the Chinese language, history, or culture. I know I will be surrounded by like-minded people who are just as eager as me to learn about their family roots, so I can't wait for this trip of a lifetime!
Vancouver, British Columbia
Sign (Chinese Zodiac and Astrological): Monkey, Cancer
What do you do for fun? I enjoy playing basketball, keeping up with fashion trends, painting, and photography. I pretty much like staying active and creative.
How did you hear about Roots? Through my aunt Nancy Koc, who lives in San Francisco and was a part of Roots Plus.
What would you like to accomplish from this Roots experience? I would like to understand my own culture more. I think visiting the village where my grandfather and grandmother lived is super cool. I can see the different way of life they lived.
What are your expectations for the trip? To have a fun adventure and to absorb as much culture, food, knowledge, sights, and a little shopping as I can.
San Francisco, CA
Sign (Chinese Zodiac and Astrological): Monkey, Sagittarius
What do you do for fun? I enjoy exploring areas of fitness, fashion, and food. On my free time, I like catching up with friends and planning for the next adventure!
How did you hear about Roots? I heard about Roots from Scott Leung and then attended 2016’s Roots presentation/exhibit.
What would you like to accomplish from this Roots experience? As a first-generation Chinese American, I’d like to see the environment and conditions my parents grew up in and return with a stronger sense of how to provide a better life for them.
What are your expectations for the trip? I’m going on this trip with an open mind but hope to be fully immersed in the culture of China.
Oakland, CA
Sign (Chinese Zodiac and Astrological): Rooster, Cancer
How did you hear about Roots? I heard about Roots from Roots alumni: Danielle Lam, Frank Lee, and Benson Tran.
What do you do for fun? I enjoy reading, volunteering, learning and trying new things, hiking, going to the beach, hanging out with my fur babies Amigo (cat) and Hima (dog), going to concerts, traveling, and of course eating.
What would you like to accomplish from this Roots experience? I hope to help preserve my family's history and better understand who I am through this search of my ancestral village. I want to learn about the lives of my ancestors and the struggles they endured throughout their journeys that have made it possible for me to be here today. I look forward to reflecting on my Roots experience and sharing the many things I learn with my friends and family.
What are your expectations for the trip? I am unsure what to expect, but I am prepared to be constantly humbled during this trip.
San Francisco, CA
Sign (Chinese Zodiac and Astrological): Rooster, Cancer
What do you do for fun? Fitness, Photography, Reading, Socializing with friends.
How did you hear about Roots? I learned about Roots through my cousins Jonny Lam (2012) and Danielle Lam (2006).
What would you like to accomplish from this Roots experience? Through Roots I hope to find a closer sense of identity, build lifelong relationships, and learn what it means to be Chinese.
What are your expectations for the trip? I expect China go be extremely hot in July! I do not have any expectations for this trip, only hopes. I’m going into this experience with an open-mind.
Rebekah (right) with her sister Angelica
Boulder, CO
Sign (Chinese Zodiac and Astrological): Snake, Virgo
How did you hear about Roots? Mostly through chance and the internet! I did find out later that one of my co-workers is a Roots alumni.
What do you do for fun? Hiking, dancing, and studying herbalism.
What would you like to accomplish from this Roots experience? I'm excited to connect to my family's history and to spend time on the land my family called home for so many generations. As an environmentalist, I'm especially interested in learning about our traditional water sources and the work being done now by communities to protect clean water, clean air, and the land for all.
What are your expectations for the trip? I expect the trip will be meaningful, fun, challenging, and that our cohort will have a great time supporting one another on these important journeys.
San Francisco, CA
Sign (Chinese Zodiac and Astrological): Horse, Gemini
What do you do for fun? Go on picnics in beautiful places or BBQ in my backyard on a charcoal grill.
How did you hear about Roots? My friend from high school, Liz Chan, told me about it.
What would you like to accomplish from this Roots experience? I am excited to learn more about what it means to be part of the Chinese diaspora. Engaging with the other Roots interns has been really eye-opening about the diversity of experiences and stories in this community.
What are your expectations for the trip? I'm expecting to spend most of the time hot and sweaty. I'm hoping to get the opportunity to engage more meaningfully with my culture and identity as a Chinese American person.
San Francisco, CA
Sign (Chinese Zodiac and Astrological): Ox, Libra
What do you do for fun? I enjoy hiking and photography.
How did you hear about Roots? I heard about Roots from family friends, Jon Pong & Kelly Der.
What would you like to accomplish from this Roots experience? From this Roots experience, I hope to examine my family's history in detail, retrace their journey from China to the US, and gain a broader view of myself as a Chinese-American. I'm also really excited to share this experience with and learn about the people in my cohort.
What are your expectations for the trip? I have no idea what to expect!
San Gabriel, CA aka The 626
Sign (Chinese Zodiac and Astrological): Water Rooster, Libra Sun, Leo Moon, Cancer Rising
What do you do for fun? Write my life down, watch plays at local theatres, take film photos, read comic books, and watch RuPaul’s Drag Race reruns.
How did you hear about Roots? I have this cousin — not a lot of people know her because she’s not really talked about — and her name’s Rosa Wong-Chie. Rosa’s been trying to recruit me every year for the past 27 years Roots has been around and I’m only 23 years old. I finally applied having had the pleasure of witnessing the past three Roots cohort presentations and subscribing to Al Cheng’s YouTube channel. It’s like Roots was in my life long before I was in Roots.
What would you like to accomplish from this Roots experience? I want to create an enduring record of my Wong 黃 + Lui 雷 family tree and the many histories it holds. My eldest sister gave birth in August of 2016. If I could pass on to my niece the legacy of her immigrant grandparents and great-grandparents from Toisan, I'd feel more than accomplished.
What are your expectations for the trip? You know that movie cliche where some grody archaeologists return a lost relic to its original site and that’s supposed to stop the world from ending but then all of a sudden the walls shake and spirits awaken and the sun flickers on and off? I expect something like that for this trip. It should be really unsettling but also fantastic. I want to think that going back to my ancestral villages will end my search for identity and bring closure to generational trauma, when really the ending to the movie will just be a setup for an egregiously budgeted sequel.
Raised in both Chico & Huntington Beach, CA and now living in Boston, MA
Sign (Chinese Zodiac and Astrological): Wood Dog (I considered doing Roots in 2018 instead, but thought it would be unlucky for my rooting to be during my own zodiac year), Taurus
What do you do for fun? After moving out to Boston to pursue my undergraduate degree at Tufts University, I became involved in grassroots community organizing in the Chinese American and Asian American community. I now work as a civic action organizer at the Chinese Progressive Association in Boston, and have spent much of my time advocating for and embracing the community in Boston's Chinatown. I spend most of my time eating cheung fan and sitting in cafes.
How did you hear about Roots? I was researching Chinese diasporic communities and came across Gaginang.org in February 2017. There was a blog post from 2010 introducing Roots, and it felt like I stumbled upon something I didn't know I was looking for. On the Roots site I learned that the 2016 cohort presentation was going to take place in Oakland within 4 days of finding the site--the same weekend I was heading to Oakland for an Asian Americans Advancing Justice summit! I took this coincidence as a sign to apply as soon as possible, and now, here I am.
What would you like to accomplish from this Roots experience? I hope to deepen my understanding of the Hakka Chinese experience as well as contextualize my family's migration history from Huizhou by documenting my rooting as an auto-ethnography. I'm also excited to have the opportunity to update our clan's zupu 族譜 with the names of my grandfather and great-grandfather's descendants. Ultimately, I'd love to find ways to share my Roots experience with the larger Chinese American community in the Northeast. I'm also looking forward to connecting with my fellow Rooters and alum!
What are your expectations for the trip? I'm expecting to not only be impacted by my own rooting, but by the rootings of peers in my cohort as well. I think it'll be impactful to connect to and witness the rootings of my peers within our common Chinese diaspora.
Oakland, CA
Sign (Chinese Zodiac and Astrological): Horse, Gemini
What do you do for fun? Hike and be outdoors!
How did you hear about Roots? Initially from stumbling upon a Roots exhibit at Oakland Asian Cultural Center many years ago, then from good friend and Roots board member Jane Chin, and most recently from family who participated in Roots Plus 2016.
What would you like to accomplish from this Roots experience? I hope to see and learn more about the homes and communities my grandparents had to leave behind to move to the United States so that their children and future generations - including me - could grow up Chinese American.
What are your expectations for the trip? Continuous learning and growth! I am also excited to visit the ancestral villages of the rest of the group!
Roots Plus 2016 will have two groups going in parallel this year. One group consists of people who heard about Roots through various networking sources and the second group is comprised of Benson and Bernie Wong's (2012 Roots Plus) extended family members.
At the Eat.Root.Love. Gala in April 2016
Brentwood, CA
What inspired you to join the Roots program and search for your roots?
My sister Bernie Wong. Bernie has been working for several years using family and outside resources to gather information about our family here in the US and the villages in China were our grandparents were born. It seemed to enrich her already full life and I wanted to do the same, to not view from the outside looking in but allow this search to enrich my life.
What do you hope to be able to share with your family after going on this journey?
My son Nathan is traveling with us. My hope is that Nathan will begin to learn about his Chinese heritage, a heritage rich in history and culture that he knows almost nothing about. That Nathan will pass onto his brother Aaron and future generations, that their heritage is not only American but they also share a rich and proud Chinese heritage.
San Francisco, CA
What inspired you to join the Roots program and search for your roots?
My wife, Bernie and I were 2012 Rootsplus Rooters. This year, we are bringing our daughter (Dr. Shelley Wong), son-in-law (Dr. Kenneth Wong), grandchildren (Justin 15, Emi 12, Addie 9), Bernie's brother (Randy Lee), Evelyn Wong (friend), Melinda Wong, and her son (Kanoa 5).
When I was young, my mother used to tell me that if people ask where I was from, not to say that I was from San Francisco but from "Hoisan, Sam Say Heung, Suan May, Wing Lok Toon". However, I only knew that I attended San Francisco public schools (Commodore Stockton, Francisco, Washington, CCSF, SF State, USF) and that foreign place didn't mean a thing to me.
In 2002 while attending UC Santa Cruz, my youngest daughter, Kimi, wrote a term paper about my family's journey to America. I was inspired to learn more. Before she died, I had asked my mother about our ancestral village but she wouldn't talk about it. She commented that the communist had taken everything, all of our relatives are here (USA) and not to go there. My eldest sister (who came over with my mom, dad, brother in 1932) had the same response. Relatives, too!
If someone told me not to do something, I take it as a challenge. However, I did not know where to begin. Then, I ran into Albert at some social function and exchanged pleasantries, i.e., how are you, children, working, etc. He said that he was bringing young adults back to their ancestral villages in Guangdong. I told him that he should organize a program for old farts like me! He just chuckled and mumbled something to the affect that old farts were too hard to take care of. In 2010, I ran into John Wong at a golf course (Poppy Ridge), where he was a marshal. John said that he was working with Albert in organizing a group of older people to go back to their ancestral villages! Son of a ... why wasn't I invited? It was too late to join the first Rootsplus group but I made it a point to John that I was going on the next trip! At the interview with Albert and John, they asked me why I wanted to go and I responded "my mother told me not to!" They had no choice but to allow me to join the 2012 Rooters. Initially, my wife Bernie, was just going to tag along but Albert and John convinced her to research her family's roots. It's a learning experience for her because she's discovering her convoluted family history and I'm not sure who I married for 48 years!
What do you hope to be able to share with your family after going on this journey?
I want my children and grandchildren to know who they are and where they came from. What they do with that information is up to them but at least they will know that they're Chinese ... from Hoisan!
San Francisco, CA
What inspired you to join the Roots program and search for your roots?
This might be difficult for some to believe, but my father's spirit guided me to FOR and to search for my roots. I have seen ghosts all my life, but I blocked this gift until it was my father. I have been communicating with him ever since he died in 1990 and have been recording the conversations. They come little by little. It's like finding pieces of a 100,000 piece puzzle, but Dad is finally telling me things he would not tell me when he was alive. It is an amazing story of forgiveness, healing beyond the veil of what we call death, and my inexplicable connection to the Louie family through many lives. The experience changed my life.
What do you hope to be able to share with your family after going on this journey?
I am writing Dad's story which I will share with my core family: my younger brother and sister and their family as well as my daughter and grandchildren, and my older half-brother and his family. My half-brother was born in China and did not immigrate to the US. Until 1979. His children were born in China and came here in 1980's. Their children were born here. I feel it is important to record our story, not just the genealogy factoids, for all of us to have a bette understanding of our Chinese-American experience.
However, this Roots journey has shown me that all beings are my family. As I share the story with my friends, and even with strangers, they resonate with different parts of the story, which I call "Conversations with a Hungry Ghost: Memoir of a Reluctant Medium." I am almost finished with all but the last chapter, which I will write after my trip to China in October.
Currently lives in Edmonds, WA. Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA.
What inspired you to join the Roots program and search for your roots?
Inspiration to join Roots program: My grand niece, Amanda Wilson Bergado, is working on her Ph.D. and heard about this program. Amanda has been gathering research on the Quan family for many years. She mentioned Roots to her grandmother (my sister), Diane Quan Chin, and I heard about it. My parents were two of the co-founders of the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California and my mom and one of her sisters had done a lot of research on history of their parents. When they each passed, I "inherited" all of the historical documents -- including a book of 34 generations of the Yee family. I thought this would be a good opportunity to see where both my Quan and Yee families lived before they embarked for the U.S. A long time friend recently found her Tom family in China and her experience has further inspired me to take this trip.
What do you hope to be able to share with your family after going on this journey?
I am looking forward to sharing this experience with Diane and Amanda and getting to know, from them, more about the Quan family. I will definitely share photos and experiences with our brother and his family and with all of my Yee cousins and their families. A few might even be interested in doing something similar in the future.
San Jose, CA
What inspired you to join the Roots program and search for your roots?
I have been interested in learning about my roots background and when I found out there is an organization to assist me, I decided to join the group and go to China to find my paternal grandfather's village.
What do you hope to be able to share with your family after going on this journey?
I hope to share as much info that I find out about my family background. I know very little.
I also hope to share my personal experiences for this trip in Oct./Nov. 2016
San Jose, CA
What inspired you to join the Roots program and search for your roots?
I am going with my wife, Deborah Anderson
What do you hope to be able to share with your family after going on this journey?
I (we) hope to share our experiences in China and any info about the family
we obtain.
What inspired you to join the Roots program and search for your roots?
Inspired by my granddaughter Amanda Bergado, who did lots of online research on both Chin's
and Quan's family history.
What do you hope to be able to share with your family after going on this journey?
Hope to gain more information and see what the villages are like.
Prunedale, CA
What inspired you to join the Roots program and search for your roots?
My interest in the Roots Plus Program emanates from my intertwined personal and academic interests in Chinese American history. Although I am several generations removed from my family's migration from China, my cultural identity and spiritual outlook are greatly informed by my Cantonese roots. My curiosity about my family’s history and desire to better understand Chinese immigration in the broader context of Californian and American history also inspired me to pursue graduate studies in history. While I have found family memory and archival documents to be rich sources to learn about this past, I look forward to the unique perspectives afforded by this Roots trip. I'm incredibly grateful to be making this journey along with my grandmother and her half-sister.
What do you hope to be able to share with your family after going on this journey?
I look forward to sharing stories with my two young sons about my experiences with China --they are six and four years old. I am sure they will have countless questions about the sights, sounds, people, and especially the food. I am eager to share with them what their great-great grandfathers' villages are like now, and compare them with the descriptions that we have found in immigration documents and from accounts passed down through the family. There are big voids in what we know about my grandmother and grand-aunt's father's life in China, so I'm crossing my fingers that we will be able to learn more about his particular lineage and home community.
In July 2016, ten Roots interns visited their ancestral villages in the Pearl River Delta region in Guangdong, China. This year was another success with visits to every intern's village. These photos are just a glimpse of their journeys in China. Visit their blog for more stories and stay tuned for their community presentation next year!
Words cannot describe the moment when I stepped out of the van and the rush that washed over all my senses as I was enveloped by the resounding acquiesence, 'This is where I come from...'
info@friendsofroots.org / San Francisco, CA
