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Biographies: Tom Clansmen from the Pearl River Delta

Tom clansmen have emigrated from the Pearl River Delta and have been sojourners and settlers in many lands far from China. These are a few of the stories of these very special people who were courageous and daring to venture to foreign places abroad to seek their fortune. The Tom clan and their stories are typical of many of the clans that left the Pearl River Delta and became part of the 50 million overseas Chinese that live outside of China. If you have such a story of a Tom clansman to share - please contact me.

Marysville, California USA

Chinese migrants from Sam Yap and Siyi counties within Guangdong province, China came to America ( Gold Mountain ) during the California gold rush during the mid 19 th century. Gold Mountain, “Gim –san”, was the initial attraction, however, Chinese continued to come and work as laborers. The Chinese came to San Francisco, “ai fow” ( big city ), journeyed to Sacramento, ”gnee fow” ( second city ), and stopped in Marysville, “som fow” ( third city ), California before arriving in the goldfields. The California gold rush established Marysville as the commercial center supplying the numerous mining camps and towns around the northern Sierra Nevada mountains. Marysville’s Chinatown flourished through the early decades of the 20 th century, hosting numerous businesses, a Chinese temple, several Chinese benevolent societies, Chinese school, and Chinese gambling houses.

HOM KUN FOO by Lawrence Tom

Hom Kun Foo ( Hom Pun Sing ) ( 譚洋盛 ) was born in 1838 in the Bak Sui ( White Water ) village and moved to Sai Boo Shan ( Washcloth Mountain ) village in the Taishan District of the Guangdong province. He came to Gold Mountain (America) in 1851 at the age of 13 with an older brother in search for gold. He settled in Marysville during the gold rush years and later rented the building at 310 First Street, Marysville, California. He started operating it as a general merchandise establishment and named the store, Tung Wo & Company. This building is still standing. He became one of the leading merchants in Marysville’s Chinatown.

In 1885, he married Lee Shee from Fresno, California and they had nine children. The first son, Lin was born in 1887. He was followed by 8 more children: Ying (daughter, 1888), Hen or Mary (daughter, 1890), Kay (son, 1892), You or Ida (daughter, 1894), Lung (son, 1898), Suey (son, 1899), Hing or Arthur (son, 1904) and Gim or Eva (daughter, 1908). They were all born in the Tung Wo Building at 310 First Street.

In early 1910, Kun Foo started to plan for a return trip to China after a fortune-teller told him that he would die soon. He wanted to die in his homeland. He returned to China in December of 1910 to his Washcloth Mountain village in the Taishan District and built houses for his 5 sons. He was highly respected by the villagers because he was the only person from that area that went to Gold Mountain and was not only successful but had sons and daughters born there. He passed away in 1923 at the age of 85.

San Diego, California USA

The Chinese began coming to San Diego in large numbers in the 1870's, especially after the anti-Chinese riots broke out in the north. By 1881, a great many began arriving from the north to work on the California Southern Railroad. San Diego's Chinatown grew rapidly in the 1880's because of the railroad boom when as many as 800 Chinese were working on the railroad. One of those who arrived was Ah Quin who supervised large groups of Chinese laborers on the railroad. Many Tom clan members worked and lived in and around San Diego, California.

Ah Quin

Ah Quin (1848 – 1914 ) came from a small village in the Hoiping (Kaiping) District of Guangdong Province of southern China. Ah Quin’s family name was Tom.

“Ah Quin must be ranked among the prominent founders of early San Diego, not only for his accomplishments as a labor broker for San Diego’s first railroad, but for his leadership and influence among his fellow Chinese, and his ability to develop a network of friends throughout his life from both the Chinese and American communities. When considering the period in which he lived, Ah Quin’s accomplishments during his life were remarkable-- his mastery of English, his Christian conversion, his ability to learn and adapt to his environment, and his keeping of a diary in English. The latter, in itself, is a most unique accomplishment and a boon for historians; and when one considers that he was able to raise a family of twelve children in the midst of the notorious Stingaree District, he must also to be ranked as one of San Diego’s most noteworthy patriarchs.”

By Murray Lee San Diego Biographies, San Diego Historical Society

Chinese Americans - The East Coast Experience

The Western history of the Chinese in America in terms of gold mining, providing labor for numerous industries such as laundries and railroad building is well known and documented. So what, if any, were the historic contributions of the Chinese on the East Coast of America?

After the Revolutionary War, the British closed all their commercial ports to American ships. As a fledging country, this shipping industry and trade was critical to the survival of the newly formed United States of America. In 1784, the ship, Empress of China, out of New York City, launched the highly successful China Trade, which in turn, was a major impetus for the development of the robust ship building industry in major ports such as Boston, New York, and Baltimore.

After the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad ( Chinese were the dominant work force on the Central Pacific portion ) in 1869, Chinese workers were brought to the East Coast in the early 1870's to overcome labor strikes in North Adams, Massachusetts, Belleville, New Jersey ( across the Hudson River from New York City ), and Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.

New York City

Life for the Chinese in New York City during the 1920s and the 1930s was tough. America was struggling to recover from the Depression era and there were local “tong wars” within the Chinese community and Chinatown. Only Chinese from the same clan or villages in Taishan associated with each other. The true surname of a person was closely guarded secret as there was always the fear that immigration authorities would be informed about their “paper” son status and they would be sent back to China. It was a bachelor society and there were very few Chinese women and families in New York during those times. Chinese were predominantly working in Chinese hand laundries and to a much lesser extent in Chinese restaurants. Chinatown operated as a supply center for the Chinese in the city.

Sam Lee Tom ( 譚槐湛 ) : Lo Wah Que - A Long Time Overseas Chinese ) by Henry Tom ( the little guy sitting on his mom’s lap )

Sam Lee Tom was born in Bak Sui ( White Water ) Taishan, in Guangdong province, China in 1905, years after his father had returned from gold mining and working in San Diego, California. His dad died before he was 16 years old and he left China with an older brother for India, where he learn carpentry and became a ship’s carpenter, sailing around the world many times.

In 1932, Sam’s ship came to New York City. Sam liked New York and he jumped ship and evaded capture by the immigration authorities and later became a legal resident and citizen. He was always proud that he did not have to buy papers to come. He did buy papers for his bride. Suey Sim Lee from Hoi-ping, China was Sam’s picture bride who arrived in New York in 1940 and married Sam, who she never met before. Sam worked in Chinese wet wash laundries while Suey Sim ran a Chinese hand laundry and they lived in the rear of the laundry store and raised 5 children. Like so many other Chinese immigrants, Sam and Suey Sim made many sacrifices so their children could be well educated and have a decent future.

Sam was a co-owner of a commercial Chinese shirt pressing laundry name Scoy Laundry. This is where he worked 18-hour days, six and a half days a week and never had a real vacation in over 25 years. As his body started to fail him, Sam sold the laundry and an old Italian friend sold him a small live chicken market which Sam operated for several years. Afterwards, he operated a Chinese hand laundry for a few months before he had to retire. Sam passed away in 1987 after a lifetime of hard work and dedication to his wife and family.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, tin mining was operated by Chinese from the late 18 th century and became a Chinese monopoly, attracting migrants from the Sam Yap and Sze Yap counties of Guangdong province. Perhaps, because of this historic experience, many Chinese from the Pearl River Delta region were accustomed to mining overseas in America and Australia. With the California gold rush in the mid 19 th century, America became known as Gold Mountain (Gim-san ), while afterwards, around the city of Melbourne – Australia became known as the New Gold Mountain ( Hsin Gim-san). Chinese miners were highly independent and Chinese mining communities were well armed and led by courageous men of enterprise.

Tham Weng ( 譚蒙 ) : Geologist by Leonard Tham

Born 1890 in Shunde County ( Soon Tak ) of Guangzhou Province, China, and departed 1973 at Age 83 in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia leaving 2 Wives, a Son , a Daughter, 6 Grandchildren and 10 Great Grandchildren .

Left China by boat at young age to venture into Malaysia, he excelled in the Tin Mining Industry and became famous as a Geologist in the study of soil conditions to establish the viability of land selection for mining of Tin, which Malaya ( before Malaysia Independence in August 1957 ) was the largest Tin producer of the World during that era. He soon became the leading authority on selection of mining sites and was much sought after by major mining groups in the Country.

He travelled the length and breadth of the Country in search of the hidden tin ore and continued his work until the last days of his life .

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