Genealogy
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Genealogy
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Genealogy sites:
Dear Tan Clansman,
In 2006, the Taishan Tan ( 譚) Association initiated an update of their Tan genealogy book. The last published version was in 1994, however,the lineages were quite old as it did not include the Tan lineages for the past 6 generations – i.e., ancestral lineages for a span for the past 180 years needed to be added. This massive update revision has now been completed and has resulted in a 2 volume 1,920 pages Taishan Tan Genealogy book set that will be published by the end of September 2009 in Taishan, China.
This new Tan genealogy book set will cover most of the Tan clan lineages that originate from Tan Tianlin (譚天麟 ), the original Tan ancestor for Taishan, China. If your family originates from Taishan, China - your family branch of the Tan lineages can probably be found in 2 volumes. Also in recent times, newly revised clan genealogy books from China are now including the names of daughters.
For those of you that bought a copy of my recent book: Tan Genealogy: Heritage and Lineage, you can add the 113 generations prior to Tan Hongzhi and also include the 12 generations after Tan Hongzhi to Tan Tianlin to link together these Tan lineages for the 140 plus generations from Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor ( 2697 BC – 2597 BC ) to the present generation. The book is in Chinese, however, your pedigree from the lineage charts contained in these 2 volumes can be identified for you by friends or relatives. I have ordered a set for each of my grandchildren – so, they and all my descendants will always have a well documented source of their Tan heritage and lineage from Taishan, China.
If you would like to order a set, you can send me an email and personal check if you live in the US – if you live outside the US, please send a money order or bank draft. I am not an agent for the Taishan Tan Association and I am only taking orders this one time – mostly, as a courtesy to all the Tan clansmen that purchased my book. Deadline for orders is September 30, 2009.
My Taishan nephew will purchase the 2 volume set and ship it to you from Taishan, China.
Taishan Tan Genealogy book-set is: $44 USD plus Taishan handling fee $22 USD = $66 USD
The shipping fees for this 15 pound - 2 volumes, 1,920 pages book-set from Taishan to the US are:
EMS ( 1 week ) 850 yuan + 20 yuan (box) + 20 yuan customs = 890 yuan / $131 USD
SAL ( 1 month) 500 yuan + 20 yuan (box) + 20 yuan (customs) = 540 yuan / $80 USD
Boat ( 2 months) 250 yuan + 20 yuan (box) + 20 yuan (customs ) = 290 yuan / $43 USD
*These shipping fees are based upon the publisher stating that the anticipated weight of the book-set is 7 kg / 15 pounds.
Please contact me at: Tomclan@Gmail.com and I will inform you where to send your check /money order for $66 USD plus the shipping fee you select.
Henry Tom
My book, Tan Genealogy: Heritage and Lineage is finally finished.
The purpose of this email is to determine how many copies need to be printed. It has been a quite a task researching and writing for the past 3 years. I made 3 trips to China to find Tan genealogies, other historical materials, and to personally visit many of the Tan sites of interest, such as the grave of Tan Hongzhi, the first Tan ancestor in Guangdong province, and even visited the Chengziya, the Neolithic site of the State of Tan from which the Tan surname is derived. I paid for the Chinese to English translations for over 1200 pages from genealogies, histories, and related documents that have provided an abundance of original and fascinating information for this very readable and illustrated book of over 400 pages.
Unlike other Chinese surnames, the Tan surname has had at least a half a dozen explanations for the origin and history of the Tan surname. It has been quite a challenge to try to unravel the utter confusion associated with the history, heritage, and lineage of the Tan clan spanning almost 5 millennia and integrating them into a coherent and comprehensive Tan history.
It includes a detailed lineages from Huang Di, the Yellow Emperor (2697 BC – 2597 BC) to the present. In my case, this is 148 generations, name by name, from Huang Di to my grandchildren. If you have a Tan genealogy book linking into the 30 plus generations of Tan descendants from within Guangdong province – then, you should be able to link into this lineage and be able to trace your lineage of 140 plus generations - all the way back to Huang Di.
This book contains rare information on the Tan clan and its lineages not found on the Internet or in any books published in English or Chinese. As the number of copies will be few, the cost to publish a limited number of books is rather expense. I wrote this book primarily for my family, not for the public, however, a number of Tan clan members have indicated they would like a copy.
Following the Chinese custom of financing the compilation of a Chinese clan genealogy book by the collective sharing of costs, I am requesting my fellow Tan clansmen, their family or friends, to also follow this Chinese tradition and to contribute $100 USD per copy.
I realize this is a substantial cost, however, it is necessary to recover a portion of the research expenses. I have already donated 3 years of time and my efforts. Please understand that these expenses were quite an expenditure from my savings - as I am retired and living on a modest government pension. I hope you are willing to contribute your share towards defraying the expenses to research and to produce this Tan clan genealogy book. It ensures that there will be a documented understanding of the Tan clan heritage and lineages for our children and their descendants.
Please indicate how many copies in your order by May 31, 2009 via email and followed a check or money order. For each copy, there are additional shipping charges of $10 USD for domestic and $20 USD international shipping outside the USA. In the US, personal checks are acceptable, however, orders from overseas require a money order.
This is a highly unique book on the heritage and lineage of the Tan clan, written in English, the only one of its kind in the world, at any price and only the number of copies ordered will be printed. If you liked my website: Tom Genealogy, I believe you will enjoy this book as there is so much updated and fascinating new information. Please circulate this email to other family members and relatives. I hope to have this book printed and distributed before the end of June, 2009.
I thank you for your interest and support.
My best regards, Henry
Email: Tomclan@Gmail.com
May 6, 2009
The Tan 譚 association of Taishan, Guangdong province, China will be revising the Tan clan genealogy book over the next year or so and has sent out a form to update the Tan lineage charts and to include biographic information. This form must be completed and returned before December 2007.
If your family is part of the Tan clan from the Taishan district of the Sze Yap (SiYi) region and want to update and/or include your family lineage and biographical information in this Tan genealogy book and want details, a translated copy of the form (English), or help with your Tan lineage, please contact:
Henry Tom
Email: Tomclan@Gmail.com
August 12, 2007
The Mystique of Chinese Culinary Creations
Dear Friends,
This delightful new cookbook does more than just teach you "how to" prepare lots of delicious Chinese dishes:
" Rather, it is an attempt to share the history and cultural aspects of my favorite dishes. This cookbook is a collection of Chinese cooking stories (historical facts and legends), famous Chinese recipes, easy to prepare sauces, basic Chinese customs and etiquette. "
There are some great stories and recipes for some really mouth-watering dishes- check it out.
Need your support for a movie about Nanking
Dear Friends,
The following is a worthwhile cause, won't cost you a penny, just two minutes of your time to sign up. The world has heard and seen the Holocaust, but not the Nanking Massacre. This is our opportunity to show what Imperial Japan did to the Chinese.
Ted Leonsis, Vice Chairman of AOL and owner of Washington Capitals hockey team, spent over a year and his own money to make a documentary film about the massacre in Nanking when the Japanese army invaded the city in 1937. During a two weeks period, the Japanese killed over hundreds of thousands of innocent Chinese citizens and raped tens of thousands of women and young girls.
It is a history that we cannot forget. But some Japanese nationalists tried to change history and deny what happened almost 70 years ago. Ted's team has done a great deal of research. They found and collected over 500 hours of historical film footage, interviewed many war survivors in China, and even talked to Japanese soldiers who took part of the killing.
This is a very powerful movie. It is now accepted by Sundance Film Festival and will be shown at the festival in mid January 2007 (Check out Ted's Take - Nanking Film Accepted at Sundance). Ted's goal of making this movie is to let every one in the world to see what the Japanese did to Chinese and he wanted the Japanese government to apologize to the Chinese people.
Ted's team created a web site to educate people about the upcoming film and they wanted to collect one million petitions from people wanting to see the movie when it is coming out.
Ted sent the following message to a group of people asking for help. As members of the Chinese community, I strongly encourage every one of us to support this effort by signing your own name, asking your family to sign their names, and forward the message to your friends and others in your community. I have signed my name already! Let's show the world that we care about the victims of our fellow Chinese citizens and history cannot be changed.
Please visit the web site:
http://Nankingthefilm.com
When you get there, please click on the following:
"Please click here if you want to see this film"
Then put your name, city, state, country and email to show your support for this movie.
Please forward to all that will support this movie
Genealogical Sources for Overseas Chinese
Genealogical Sources for Overseas Chinese on Microfilm at the Genealogical Society of Utah
Melvin P. Thatcher
Genealogical Society of Utah
The Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU) is a private, non-profit organization. Its headquarters are in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. The GSU was founded in 1894 by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for the purposes of collecting, organizing, and preserving historical records of value for genealogical research. Originally manuscripts and books were collected and stored in its office, but in 1938 the GSU became one of the first organizations in the world to adopt the new technology of microfilming as a means of collecting and preserving historical records.
Microfilming technology enabled the GSU to establish an international record preservation program. Through this program, in cooperation with local government and private institutions, the GSU has made significant contributions to the preservation of the records of the historical population of many countries. One set of microfilms created as the result of cooperation has been deposited with the local institutions, and one set has been placed in the Granite Mountain Records Vault of the GSU for permanent preservation. In order to facilitate research by scholars and the general public, the GSU catalogs the microfilmed records which it receives, and it makes copies of all unrestricted records available for use in its international branch library network.
The collection objective of the GSU is to acquire and preserve records for the majority of the historical population of a country. These records must contain data which can be used 1) to identify individual people or 2) to establish family and generational relationships. The types of records microfilmed in each country vary according to local record keeping practices and conditions. Consequently, the microfilm collection of the GSU includes compiled sources such as genealogies, family histories, collected biographies, and local histories. And it contains a wide variety of primary historical documents such as church registers of baptism, marriage and death, government registers of birth, marriage, and death, population census reports, tax, land, probate, and burial records, and staff and pension rosters.
The GSU collects records in a variety of ways. Patrons of its main and branch libraries occasionally donate the results of their research to the GSU. Whenever possible books and microforms are acquired by purchase or exchange. However, the most common method of collection is the cooperative microfilming of original records. Cooperation with record keeping institutions takes many forms and is based on the principles of equality and mutual benefit.
Overview of Overseas Chinese Sources
The biggest problem confronting Overseas Chinese who desire to trace their ancestry is identifying the names of immigrant ancestors and the name of their ancestral home. Without the Chinese characters for these two kinds of names, there is almost no hope of connecting to a genealogy or archival sources which has been compiled in China. Therefore, the Genealogical Society of Utah is making a concerted effort to acquire immigration records and Chinese language documents and publications generated by the Overseas Chinese community. These sources provide the required names of individuals and associated places for linking to sources originating in China.
As noted above, in the course of its general microfilming program the GSU acquires birth or baptism, marriage, and death or burial records which are kept by churches and governments. Because Overseas Chinese have historically been singled out by some governments for registration purposes, the GSU has acquired some vital records which are exclusively for Chinese populations in host countries. Another important source microfilmed in countries with significant Chinese population are traditional compiled genealogies. All of these records provide primary data for genealogical research.
Genealogical sources have been acquired on microfilm by the GSU for Overseas Chinese populations in Chile, Hawaii, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Marianas Islands, the Philippines, Singapore, Tahiti, Thailand, and the United States mainland. The description which follows briefly introduces only sources that are not readily available through research libraries; therefore, published academic works in the GSU's collection are not mentioned. Annotations for western language archival sources are taken from the GSU's catalog record.
Chile
The GSU has one title on microfilm for Chinese in Chile: Certificates of registration of Chinese nationals by the Chinese Consulate in Antofagasta, Chile, 1925-1926. The text is in Chinese and Spanish, and each form includes a photograph of the person registered.
Hawaii
With the cooperation of the Hawaii State Archives, the GSU has microfilmed Chinese immigration and death records from the last half of the nineteenth century. A brief list of titles by agency follows:
Board of Immigration
Certificates of identification of Chinese immigrants , 1895-1897. 1 reel. Includes names, photographs, dates of arrival and names of ships.
Chinese located on different streets in Honolulu, [1898?]. On 1 reel.
Death certificates of Chinese immigrants, 1898-1902. On 1 reel.
Records of deceased Chinese contract laborers, 1898. On 1 reel. Includes records of "Deserted Chinese."
Chinese arrivals, 1847-1880. 1 reel. Includes persons not listed in ship manifest lists.
Department of Foreign Affairs, Chinese Bureau
Chinese work permits , 1895-1897. 2 reels. Arranged alphabetically. Includes immigration data.
Labor permits of Chinese persons who died in Hawaii, 1895-1897. On 1 reel. Arranged alphabetically. Includes date of arrival in Hawaii and name of ship.
Departures of Chinese from Hawaii, 1852-1900. 1 reel. Arranged by date and name.
Chinese entry permits, 1888-1898. 2 reels. Arranged alphabetically.
Index to entry permits of Chinese minors, 1891-1898. On 1 reel. Arranged alphabetically.
Card index to Chinese passports, 1884-1898. 1 reel. Consists of two alphabetized card indexes. The first lists individuals for whom the original passports were still on file at the time the index was compiled and includes some individuals whose passports were not on file. The second lists individuals whose passports were not on file and covers the years 1891-1893. It also includes a file of names Chinese arrivals in Hawaii, arranged by date, 1854-1898.
Special residence permits, 1891. On 1 reel. Arranged alphabetically. Includes dates of entry and departure.
Certifications of Hawaiian-born children of Chinese parentage, 1893-1898. On 1 reel. Arranged alphabetically. Includes place of birth and age of child on date of certification; often gives names of parents.
Registers, 1888-1898. On 1 reel. Includes the following registers: Hawaiian-born children of Chinese parents, 1893-1898; permits for Chinese merchants and travellers, 1888-1894; special residence bonds of merchants and travellers, 1892-1898; special bonds, 1894-1895; and Chinese minors, with index, 1891-1898.
Collector of Customs
Ship passenger manifests , 1843-1900. 72 reels. Includes separate alphabetical indexes for Chinese (13 reels), Japanese, and Portuguese passengers and a general index covering passengers of other nationalities.
Department of the Interior
Chinese immigration applications, 1890-1892. On 1 reel.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Chinese immigration permits , 1893-1898. 1 reel. Includes partial index.
Chinese passports, 1884-1890. 2 reels.
Conditional emigration permits of Chinese laborers and domestics, 1893-1897. On 6 reels. In English and Chinese.
Indonesia
With the help of Dr. Myra Sidharta of the University of Indonesia and the cooperation of the Southeast Asia Microform Project (SEAM), representing a consortium of US research libraries, the GSU has microfilmed the Gong Guan archives in Jakarta. These materials are what is left of the records created for the Chinese community in Batavia by the Chinese Council (Gong Guan) between 1778 and 1957. The archives include records of births, marriages, divorce, deaths, cemeteries, census, court cases, hospital, donations, announcements, minutes, taxes and accounts. The most complete record runs are marriage, 1778-1918, and cemetery, 1830-1955. All of these records except account books, and possibly tax records and minutes of meetings, are available on microfilm in the GSU collection, while all of the records can also be accessed through SEAM libraries and Center for Research Libraries in the USA.
Data for Chinese can be also found in most of the other record types that the GSU is microfilming in Indonesia (civil registration, church records, notarials, inheritance records, etc.), but some are focused solely on the Chinese population. For example, Chinese birth, marriage, and death registers have been microfilmed in civil registration offices (kantor catatan sipil) and federal courthouses (pengadilan negeri) in at least seventy-five localities scattered across Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and Bali. These registers generally cover the period from 1919-1945. Another source of Chinese data available for a few localities are registers of the adoption of Indonesian names (pengakuan nama Indonesia) during the period from 1928-1945.
One genealogy has been filmed outside of the country which contains information for Chinese in Indonesia with the surname of Chen.
Malaysia
The genealogies and community records of Chinese Malaysians in the microfilm collection of the GSU were acquired primarily through cooperation with the Library and the Department of Chinese Studies of the University of Malaya between 1981-84. Professor Tay Lian Soo, who is now teaching at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, was responsible for locating and negotiating permission to film Chinese records which were then filmed by the university library. Chinese community publications and documents were collected on the Malayan Peninsula and in East Malaysia. Additional titles for Chinese in Malaysia have been acquired through microfilming in other countries.
Classified by type of record, the GSU's holdings for Chinese in Malaysia are as follows:
Number of Titles on
Record Type Microfilm Microfiche
Clan Association 3 25
District Association 1 115
Other Association 2 44
Biography 6
Temple 6
Cemetery 13
School 1 9
Genealogy 4 41
Other 6 11
The titles for all kinds of associations, temples, and schools on microfilm and microfiche are primarily publications, such as anniversary commemoration volumes, but also include some institutional records. The cemetery titles are copies of burial registers or permits for 11 Chinese cemeteries in Malacca (5), Penang (3), Muar (2), and Johore (1).
The genealogies in the collection represent 21 surnames: Cai, Chen, Hu, Kong, Li, Liang, Lin, Liu, Luo, Pan, Ruan, Shen, Tan, Wang, Wen, Wu, Xu, Yan, Yang, Zeng, and Zheng.
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands were a province of Philippines during Spanish rule. In a cooperative microfilming project with the Bureau of Records Management in the Philippines, the GSU acquired Chinese tax records (padrones de Chinos) from the Mariana Islands for the years, 1889 and 1891-1892. The language of the record is Spanish.
Japan
Cooperative microfilming projects with libraries in Japan have yielded four genealogies for Overseas Chinese with the following surnames: Nagasawa, Sai, Yamazaki, and Harada.
Korea
A number of Chinese Korean titles have been acquired through cooperative microfilming projects with the Central National Library and university libraries in the Republic of Korea and with the Harvard Yenching Library; these include one title detailing the origins of twenty-four surnames whose representatives have joined an association for the descendants of Ming soldiers who either stayed or were left behind in Korea (in Mandarin, the Mingihui) and twelve genealogies for the following surnames: Dong, Jin, Li, Liang, Ren, Zhang, and Zhao.
Philippines
References to Chinese can be found in most of the records filmed in the Philippines by the GSU. However, some Spanish language record microfilmed in the National Archives, relate specifically to the Chinese population. Listed by creating agency, they are:
Gobierno General
Chinos II, 1501-1901 . 128 reels. Includes censuses, passports, passenger lists and other documents regarding Chinese in the Philippines; primarily late 18th-19th Century.
Defunciones de Chinos, 1890-1897. On 1 reel. Mainly death certificates of Chinese in the old Province of Manila, but all of the country is represented. Most files include residency certificates of the person with place of birth, age, marital status, profession and address.
Pasaportes II, 1758-1898. 5 reels. Passports of individuals entering and leaving the Philippines including lists of Chinese.
Pasaportes de Chinos, 1892-1897. On 1 reel. Passports of Chinese in the old province of Manila, which corresponds to the present Metro-Manila and its environs.
Administracion Central de Impuestos
Padrones de Chinos , 1786-1897. 81 reels. Register of Chinese immigrants to the Philippines with their physical description and the taxes they paid; filmed for 53 municipalities throughout the country.
Archdiocese of Manila
Solicitaciones de Chinos sobre bautismos , 1774-1900. 9 reels. Catholic baptismal applications of Chinese immigrants to the Philippines.
An important finding aid created by the National Archives for part of these records was also filmed:
Index to Chinos , 1801-1902. On 2 reels. In Spanish.
Another set of Chinese records available in the GSU microfilm collection is the Manila Chinese Cemetery registers, 1875-1985. These records are held by the Chinese Benevolent Association in Manila. Individual entries give the registration number, name of deceased, Chinese and Western date of death, location of grave, and, when known, the last residence, native place, and age at death. In some cases the "paper name," i.e., the name under which the deceased entered the Philippines, is recorded. In such instances, this record provides a crucial link between Chinese community records and government records.
Through microfilming projects in the Philippines and in Taiwan, the GSU has also acquired the following Chinese language records for Chinese in the Philippines:
Record type Titles Comment
Clan association 25
District association 1
Other associations 4
Genealogy 1 Xihe Lin
Other 7
The potential for further filming of Chinese community in the Philippines are currently being explored.
Singapore
Most of the GSU's Singapore Chinese materials have been acquired from the National Archives and Records Centre (NARC) and the National Library. With permission of the custodians of the original records, the GSU has been able to purchase microfilm copies of the following types of Chinese records:
Number of Titles on
Record Type Microfilm Microfiche
Genealogy 8
Clan Association 31 3
District Association 12 21
Other Association 3
Church 5
Cemetery 10
Other 9 4
The genealogies are for six surnames: Fu, Sun, Yang, Wang, Xu, Yang, and Zhang. Chinese clan and district association records on microfilm include the following types of documentation and publications:
membership applications
membership registers
deceased member registers
scholarship register
marriage register
burial register
tombstone inscriptions
ancestral tablet register
genealogical record
local history
association history
commemorative publications
committee member register
staff register
Since most of these records are written in Chinese script, they provide potentially valuable links between Chinese Singaporeans and their kinsmen in China.
Tahiti
The GSU has microfilmed three Overseas Chinese records in Tahiti. These include the minutes of the annual meetings and membership lists of the Chinese Benevolent Association (Nam Hoi Kon On Woi), 1940-1956, the charter, by-laws, and membership list of for the Societe Civile Immobliers Philanthropique Chinois, 1923, and Genealogie de Jean Sun (1974).
Thailand
The GSU has not yet begun acquiring records in Thailand. However, it has filmed a number of titles for Overseas Chinese in Thailand as part of projects in other countries as follows:
Titles on
Record type microfilm Comments
Clan association 15
District association 6
Other associations 5
Genealogy 3 Qiu, Wang, Xu
Other 3
The GSU is currently investigating the potential for microfilming Chinese community records in Thailand.
United States
The GSU has not done any microfilming projects in the Chinese American community on the mainland. Nevertheless, it has obtained some materials from government and private sources. Immigration and Naturalization Service records for Chinese immigrants in the continental United States have been acquired on microfilm from the National Archives as follows:
Case files of Chinese immigrants from district no. 4 (Philadelphia) , 1895-1920. 51 reels.
Lists of Chinese passengers arriving in Seattle and Port Townsend, 1882-1916. 10 reels.
Lists of passengers arriving in San Francisco, 1882-1914. 32 reels.
Registers of Chinese laborers arriving at San Francisco, 1882-1888. 12 reels. Includes name, age, occupation, last place of residence, date of original arrival, dates of subsequent departures and arrivals, and other information.
The GSU has also microfilmed Chinese exclusion cases, 1904-1925 on 1 reel at the Natioanal Archives Branch in Kansas City, Missouri.
Several private collections containing Chinese American materials have also been acquired on microfilm. These include correspondence and news clippings collected by Nannie F. Escola for Chinese in Mendocino, California and a card index of Chinese community events there compiled by the Kelley House Historical Museum. Microfilmed research notes of the Rev. Carl T. Smith, an avid genealogist and doyen of the social historians of Hong Kong, include the following items for Chinese in America:
Chinese educational mission to the United States . Lists Chinese students who studied in the USA during the 19th century. -- 57 leaves.
Censuses of California, 1852, 1860, 1870, 1880: Chinese names in census rolls. Abstracts of original records. -- 260 leaves.
Extracts of San Francisco newspapers. -- ca. 180 leaves.
Chinese in San Francisco. Various materials on the history of Chinese in San Franciso. – ca. 500 leaves.
Settlement and early land records in San Francisco. Notes on the locations of property owned by Chinese immigrants and others. – ca. 175 leaves.
Records of the American Missionary Association (Congregational) among the Chinese; principally in California. – ca. 600 leaves.
Chinese in Hawaii. Records from various sources including the Hawaiian Archives, extracts from “The Friend,” cemetery inscriptions, and church records. – ca. 800 leaves.
Chinese in New York. Notes on the history of Chinese in New York City, with names and addresses of Chinese residents. Many names written in Chinese characters. – ca. 200 leaves.
Chinese in Cincinnati and other places in Ohio. Includes newspaper items and names and addresses of Chinese residents. – 82 leaves.
Chinese in Dayton, Ohio. Includes newspaper items and names and addresses of Chinese residents. – 68 leaves.
Chinese in Colombus, Ohio. Includes newspaper items and names and addresses of Chinese residents. – 153 leaves.
Chinese in Richmond, Virginia. Notes concerning the history of Chinese in Richmond, including names and addresses. – 58 leaves.
Baptist work among the Chinese. Abstracted transcription of original records. Includes characters for Chinese names. – 89 leaves.
Episcopal Church work among the Chinese. Abstracted transcription of original records. – 58 leaves.
Methodist Church mission to the Chinese in the U.S. Abstracted transcription of original records. – ca. 140 leaves.
Presbyterian missions to the Chinese in the U.S. Abstracted transcription of original records. – ca. 200 leaves.
Miscellaneous records of Christian work among the Chinese in the U.S. Abstracted transcription of original records. – 165 leaves.
Three Chinese language titles have been filmed; namely, one district association publication and two genealogies for the surnames Shi and Song.
Vietnam
The GSU has not done any microfilming in Vietnam, but three genealogies have been acquired elsewhere for Vietnamese Chinese with the surname Chen.
Access
All of the sources on microfilm or microfiche in the GSU's holdings are readily available to researchers through its family history center network. Films and fiche, as well as printed materials, can be viewed at the Family History Library at 35 West Main in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Films and fiche can be ordered and viewed at any family history centers in more than 40 countries. A complete list of international addresses can be obtained by writing to: Genealogical Society of Utah, 50 East North Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150, USA. A partial list of addresses is also available on the Web at http://www.familysearch.org. The GSU's Overseas Chinese collection is small but growing; so interested researchers are advised to periodically visit http://www.familysearch.org or the main library or a local center to consult the Family History Library Catalog for the most current bibliographic information for Western language materials. The Chinese language catalog is available in only a few centers in Australia, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. If the center nearest you does not have it, write to the Asian Cataloging Section, Genealogical Society of Utah, 50 East North Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150, USA for assistance.
Chinese Genealogy Workshop in Toronto - Cancelled
Unfortunately, the Chinese genealogy scheduled for September 9th in Toronto is cancelled due to the lack of enrollment.
China Rises - The Oldest Civilization on Earth, Reborn - China.
"The scene of the most extraordinary economic, social and political transformation of our time. But, it is also a nation struggling with an enormous population, a strained environment, and unequal distribution of wealth and opportunity. Four documentar films portray the triumphs and disappointments of remarkable individuals caught up in an epic story. This is "China Rises". "
http://www.nytimes.com/specials/chinarises/intro/index.html
Two Chinese American Units from WW II Coming to Washington DC for Memorial Day Weekend Reunion
The only two all-Chinese American units of WWII will be holding a combined reunion May 25 th through 29 th 2006 in Washington, DC. This is the largest group of Chinese American Veterans from any era to hold a regular reunion, and is composed of the 14th Air Service Group (ASG), 14th Air Force, US Army Air Corp -- part of General Claire Chennault’s famous Flying Tigers -- and the 987th Signal Company (SC), US Army. A banquet will be held at the Crystal City Marriott at Reagan National Airport Sunday May 28, 2006 at 7:00 PM, honoring these men. The veterans will tour the Washington, DC area, including the Library of Congress, the Udvar Hazy National Air and Space Museum, Arlington Cemetery, and the WWII Memorial. Veterans will be on-hand for interviews in English and Chinese during the reunion. Call Susan Yu or Laura Chin if you want to reserve specific times for interviews, for more information, or to reserve a seat at the Sunday banquet.
Chinese Americans veterans of WWII, for the most part, were in integrated units, and served in every branch of the military in every theater of war, including Europe, the South Pacific, the North Atlantic, and the China Burma India (CBI) Theater. The GI’s of the 14th ASG and the 987th SC were exceptions. Serving in segregated units, with a mix of white and Chinese American officers, they were organized for service in China as part of a war aid package for Chiang Kai-Shek's Chinese Nationalist Government.
The l4th ASG performed ground crew and crash detail duties for the 14th Air Force in most of the airfields in China. They were often just a few miles from the front, and many of the veterans recall days of intense shelling and firefights. They drove the Burma Road, flew “over the Hump" (the lower range of the Himalayan Mountains) in air transports, often without bomber and fighter escort or ground support, and only carried side arms for protection. The 987th SC formed two and four-man communication field teams, for the purpose of assisting American Army Infantry Liaison teams working with Chinese Army units. They deployed to remote locations, many times on horseback, along China’s border with Japanese-occupied French Indo-China.
The 14th ASG and 987th SC were a cross section of Chinese America in the 1940's. About half were American born, the other half, Hong Kong and China born. Some were graduates of American colleges, others had Chinese educations. A few were still high school students while others had well established businesses or careers. They hailed from large and small Chinese communities across the US. Army records show that they ranged from 18 to 36 years in age, though in reality, the youngest was 14 and the oldest was over 50. Some of these men had been “paper sons” - immigrating to America with false papers, and reported for duty when drafted for fear that their families would suffer deportation.
Two unit histories have been published, In the Shadow of the Tiger, the 407th Air Service Squadron, the first book ever written about Chinese American wartime service by veterans, and The 14 th Air Service Squadron Unit Histories. An autobiography, American Paper Son, has been written by Wayne Wong, 987 th Signal Company veteran.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 17, 2006 Reunion website: 14ASGand987SOC.org |
Contact: Susan Yu syu9815730@aol.com (301) 963-5789 Contact: Laura Chin 301-365-5679 |
In 1978, a joint congressional resolution established Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. The first 10 days of May were chosen to coincide with two important milestones in Asian/Pacific American history: the arrival in the United States of the first Japanese immigrants (May 7, 1843) and contributions of Chinese workers to the building of the transcontinental railroad, completed on May 10, 1869. In 1992, Congress expanded the 10-day observance to a monthlong celebration. Per a 1997 Office of Management and Budget directive, the Asian or Pacific islander racial category was separated into two different categories: “Asian” and “Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander.”
Asians
14.0 million
The estimated number of U.S. residents in July 2004 who said they were Asian or Asian in combination with one or more other races. This group comprised 5 percent of the total population. California had both the largest population (4.8 million) and the largest numerical increase (123,000) of people of this group since July 2003; Hawaii is the state where Asians made up the highest proportion of the total population (58 percent).
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/005164.html>
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/005514.html>
3.4%
Percentage growth of the Asian population between 2003 and 2004, the highest of any race group during that time period.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/005164.html>
Education
49%
The percentage of Asians, age 25 and older, who have a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education. Asians have the highest proportion of college graduates of any race or ethnic group in the country. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/004214.html>
87%
The percentage of Asians, age 25 and older, who are high school graduates.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/004214.html>
20%
The percentage of Asians, age 25 and older, who have an advanced degree (e.g., master’s, Ph.D., M.D. or J.D.).
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/004214.html>
The Asian population is comprised of many groups who differ in languages spoken, culture and length of residence in the United States. This is reflected in the demographic characteristics of these groups. For instance, 68 percent of Asian Indians, age 25 and older, had a bachelor’s degree or more education and 37 percent had a graduate or professional degree; the corresponding numbers for Vietnamese-Americans were 24 percent and 7 percent, respectively. (Source: American FactFinder)
Income and Poverty
$57,518
Median household income for Asians in 2004, the highest among all race groups.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/005647.html>
Median household income differed greatly by Asian group. For Asian Indians, for example, the median income in 2004 was $68,771; for Vietnamese-Americans, it was $45,980. (Source: American FactFinder)
9.8%
Poverty rate for Asians in 2004, down from 11.8 percent in 2003.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/005647.html>
Businesses
1.1 million
Number of businesses owned by Asian-Americans in 2002, up 24 percent from 1997.
$343.3 billion
Receipts of Asian-American-owned businesses in 2002, up 13 percent from 1997. An estimated 319,911 Asian-owned businesses had paid employees; and their receipts totaled $307.6 billion, or about $961,379 per firm.
Source for the statements referenced in the above “Businesses” section:
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/business_ownership/005477.html>
Languages
2.3 million
The number of people age 5 and older who speak Chinese at home. After Spanish, Chinese is the most widely spoken non-English language in the country. Tagalog and Vietnamese also have more than 1 million speakers. (Source: AmericanFactFinder)
Coming to America
8.7 million
The number of U.S. residents who were born in Asia. Asian-born residents comprise one-fourth of the nation’s total foreign-born population.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/foreignborn_population/003969.html>
52%
The percentage of the foreign-born from Asia who are naturalized U.S. citizens.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/foreignborn_population/003969.html>
1.8 million
The estimated number of foreign-born people from China. Following Mexico, China is the leading country of birth for the nation’s foreign-born. Other nations contributing at least 1 million foreign-born to our nation include India and the Philippines. The estimate for China includes Taiwan and Hong Kong. (Source: American FactFinder)
Serving Our Nation
282,000
The number of Asian-American military veterans. (Source: American FactFinder)
Families
60%
The proportion of Asian households consisting of a married-couple family. (Source: American FactFinder)
Jobs
46%
The proportion of employed Asians 16 and older who work in management, professional and related occupations, such as financial managers, engineers, teachers and registered nurses. (Source: American FactFinder)
Counties
1.4 million
The number of Asians in Los Angeles County, Calif., which tops the nation’s counties. From 2003 to 2004, this county also experienced the largest numerical increase of Asians (25,200).
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/005514.html>
Age Distribution
26%
Percent of people on July 1, 2004, identifying themselves as either Asian or Asian in combination with one or more other races who are under 18; 8 percent are 65 or older.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/005164.html>
The Future
33.4 million
The projected number of U.S. residents in 2050 who will identify themselves as Asians. They would comprise 8 percent of the total population by that year.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001720.html>
213%
The projected percentage increase between 2000 and 2050 in the population of people who identify themselves as Asian. This compares with a 49 percent increase in the population as a whole over the same period of time.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001720.html>
We have all heard our parents or grandparents talk about our ancestral villages in China. Beyond this, overseas Chinese, especially in Canada and the US, have a limited understanding of their heritage in China. Without the ability to read, write, and speak Chinese – they feel hopelessly inadequate and unable to research and uncover their Chinese genealogy, however, it can still be done! A basic understanding of Chinese genealogy, with patience and a willingness to try, is what is needed.
Why do it? The compilation of your personal heritage and your family history is of interest to the entire family and to all the following generations of the family. The initial generations following our immigrant ancestors have personal knowledge of the family and genealogical information from their parents or grandparents that came from China. As generations pass on, it becomes increasingly more difficult to compile the family history / genealogy with detail and accuracy. Do not wait, put that knowledge to work now, this is the gift to future generations – that keeps on giving. Genealogy is a process – it is a continuing search for information associated with your lineage and family history both in China and in Canada by your generation and those that follow.
This Chinese Genealogy Workshop presents an overview - enabling a basic understanding of Chinese genealogy. This knowledge is useful for compiling your genealogical information and material. This is a “how to” workshop that educates you on what you need to know in order to start doing Chinese genealogical research.
The workshop serves as a primer on the basics of Chinese genealogy. It show how to use these fundamentals to advance your own research and discover the interesting information pertaining to your family / clan history and to identify those resources that can best serve you. There will also be an introduction to the various information and material available on the Internet and in books.
There will be an introduction to the region of China where your ancestors came from, the Pearl River Delta. Until around 1965, it has been estimated that 95 % of the Chinese in North America came from the Sam Yap / Sze Yap region – with over 50% of the people coming from just one county - Taishan county. Taicheng is the principal city of Taishan county. A significant aspect of Chinese genealogy is the geography of the Pearl River Delta and knowing how to locate and travel to your ancestral village in China is important.
The workshop is led by Chinese genealogist Al Chinn, author of “ You are Royalty: A Guide to Your Chinese Ancestor ” and by Henry Tom, geographer and web-master of Tom Genealogy
***Information from early registrants, with their permission, may be selected for use as part of the workshop instructions and examples.
Date: September 9, 2006
Place: Toronto location to be announced:
Time: 9 AM – 5 PM
Registration Fee: $45
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10:30 AM Coffee / Tea
11 AM
III Guangdong Province and Pearl River Delta geography
IV Geographic problems in Chinese genealogy research
12:30 PM Lunch
1:30 PM
V Homework and China Travel
3:00 PM Coffee / Tea
3:30 PM
VII Map Sources
VIII Map Usage
5:00 PM
Workshop ends
This is a general outline of the topics that will be covered in the Chinese Genealogy Workshop. If you wish to see additional topics included please advise on registration form. Depending on the responses and the time constraints we will try to include as many of the suggestions as possible. Thank you for your input.
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ANGEL ISLAND, Calif., Dec. 1 - It was known, simply, as “the wooden building.” For 30 years, from 1910 to 1940, the barren walls of the Angel Island Immigration Station gave mute testimony to the experiences of roughly 175,000 Chinese immigrants who were detained and exhaustively interrogated on this island in San Francisco Bay, the West Coast’s insidious version of Ellis Island.
“Today is the last day of winter,” begins one of nearly 300 poems surreptitiously carved in Chinese characters by detainees on the walls.
“Tomorrow morning is the vernal equinox/ One year’s prospects have changed to another/ Sadness kills the person in the wooden building.”
On Thursday [December 1, 2005], this little-spoken-about place, the physical embodiment of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which was intended to prevent Chinese laborers from entering the country, received long-awaited recognition when President Bush signed into law the Angel Island Immigration Station Restoration and Preservation Act.
The legislation, a result of a 35-year effort by the nonprofit Angel Island Immigration Foundation, authorizes up to $15 million to establish a museum and genealogical research center on the island and to help preserve two original structures, including barracks with chicken-wire clerestories and melancholy graffiti - eloquent poems carved on wooden walls and routinely puttied and painted over by the authorities. The immigration station, nestled in a eucalyptus grove on the largest island in the bay, is a national historic landmark, though it is closed to the public.
The facility was the point of entry for roughly 75 percent of Chinese immigrants to the West Coast, and its preservation has underscored the story of the “paper sons and daughters” who used false identities to circumvent the Exclusion Act, the first legislation in United States history to ban a specific ethnic group. For Chinese-Americans like Li Keng Wong, now 79, who was detained with her family as a 7-year-old in 1933, it has been an emotional journey.
Read the full article about Angel Island by Patricia Leigh Brown for December 7, 2005 edition of the New York Times.
Read the congressional record proceedings of May 23, 2005 dealing with the floor debate on H.R. 606 in the House of Representatives.
Read the “Angel Island Immigration Station Restoration and Preservation Act (Enrolled as Agreed to or Passed by Both House and Senate)”
Read the Press Release from the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (from the website).
March 6, 2006
Unpuzzling Your Past: An Introduction to Genealogy and Family History
Begin one of the most fascinating journeys available anywhere: discovering family history! Discover the vast world of genealogy beyond the Internet. Learn strategies for success. Share success stories with other class members, and maybe meet some distant cousins. And prepare to get hooked on a fun, fascinating endeavor that lasts as long as you do. Barnes & Noble University is home to some of the best and most varied educational content on the Internet. Dozens of courses and reading groups are offered every month, each taught by an expert in the field, often a bestselling author. Courses at Barnes & Noble University are more than just lessons and assignments. They include carefully selected course materials that may include books, software, music, and more. As a student, you have the opportunity to participate in an online classroom with your fellow students and an expert instructor. Their courses and reading groups operate on the easy-to-use Barnes & Noble University Message Boards, which offer around-the-clock learning and exploration. For additional information, visit the free course page.
Source: Barnes & Noble University
China to remeasure length of Great Wall with remote sensing
Beijing: China will re-measure the length of the 7,300 km long Great Wall with the help of state-of-the-art aeronautic remote sensing technology, the China Great Wall Institute said here today.
Mysterious Hanging Coffins of China Discovery High Definition Channel ( DHD )
"China's leading explorers are trying to save the last vestiges of a society that buried their dead in coffins hanging from the side of limestone cliffs. Pollution, encroaching urbanization and grave robbers threaten to destroy these artifacts."
" People of Chinese origin have settled in British Columbia, Canada, since the beginning of non-aboriginal settlement. Many of these people have left behind Chinese language manuscripts, newspapers, correspondences, genealogical and family records, business transaction records, association records, certificates, receipts, textbooks, photographs with captions in Chinese, catalogues and other documents.
In response to the growing interest of researchers and the community in general, Asian Library, Centre for Chinese Research, UBC and David Lam Centre, SFU collaborated to develop the Web page which comprises a database of records of archival materials, virtual exhibition of photo collections, images, links to related materials and listings of organizations. We offer a comprehensive inventory of the materials, searchable on the Web by keywords in Chinese, English and Pinyin and advice on options for preservation so that information is not lost with the memory of those involved or decay of materials.
Since the inception of the project in 2000, we have documented over 13,000 records and uploaded more than 500 images of archival materials contributed by 17 resource centres, 9 pioneer families and numerous individuals. With these achievements, known sources that are interested in participation were all covered and the core collection of the database completed. The focus is now on digitisation of major collections by stages.
A new feature to bring more contributors on board is now available. To encourage and facilitate on-line inputting by archivists and managers of collections and researchers located outside the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, we offer a template worksheet that is downloadable from the Web. Interested parties who wish to contribute records and images may do so with the materials in their own hands. Editing and database management is administered by the project managers at the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University."
Historical Chinese Language Materials In British Columbia
"It is connecting lost cousins and giving families surprising glimpses into their pasts. Now scientists are using it to answer the oldest question of all: where did we come from."
This science is finding applications in genealogy - check it out. Newsweek
Starting at 6 PM
Building Hong Kong’s Airport
The Great Wall
Beijing Make-Over
China’s Mega Dam ( 9 PM & 11 PM )
Starting at 5 PM
The Great Wall
Beijing Make-Over
China’s Mega Dam
First Emperor: The Man Who Made China ( 9 PM & 11 PM )
By Thomas H. Maugh II, Times Staff Writer latimes.com : Science
Pennsylvania researchers have produced a bird flu vaccine made from a genetically engineered human cold virus and shown that it protected 100% of vaccinated mice and chickens.
Production of a conventional flu vaccine requires months of work and large numbers of fertilized chicken eggs, but the researchers reported Thursday that they prepared their vaccine in 36 days, growing it in a laboratory dish.
The ability to produce a new vaccine so quickly could give public health officials a powerful tool to combat the H5N1 bird flu virus if it should mutate and begin infecting humans widely.
The team is working with the Food and Drug Administration to begin preliminary human tests of the vaccine, said Dr. Andrea Gambotto of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, who led the team. He said those trials could begin within weeks.
Gambotto was optimistic that the vaccine would be effective in humans because it is based on a human virus.
His research, conducted in conjunction with scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is scheduled to be published in the Feb. 15 issue of the Journal of Virology and was made available early online.
The Pittsburgh team worked with a human cold virus, called an adenovirus, that had been stripped of the genes that cause a respiratory infection.
Using genetic data from the CDC, they constructed the gene for a bird flu protein called hemagglutinin in the laboratory and added it to the adenovirus. The hemagglutinin protein allows the bird flu virus to bind to cells that it infects and enter them.
The process took 36 days from the time the researchers received the DNA sequence information, Gambotto said.
Mice injected with the vaccine were 100% protected against the bird flu virus, the team reported, and those injected with an unaltered adenovirus died within a few days of being exposed to the bird flu virus.
Studying the mice, the team found that the vaccine produced two types of immunity — antibodies that block the hemagglutinin and prevent it from binding to cells, and T-cells that attack the invading virus.
"This means that this recombinant vaccine can stimulate several lines of defense against the H5N1 virus, giving it greater therapeutic value," said microbiologist Simon Barratt-Boyes of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and a member of the team.
"More importantly, it suggests that even if H5N1 mutates, the vaccine is still likely to be effective against it."
When the vaccine was given to chickens as a nasal mist, about half the birds were protected from the flu. But when they were injected with the vaccine, they were 100% protected.
"This is a very potent vaccine," Gambotto said. "The results of this animal trial are very promising."
The team is not sure why the intranasal administration was not as protective, he added.
So far, the bird flu virus has infected mostly birds, although 152 humans have contracted it and at least 80 have died, according to the World Health Organization. Experts fear the virus will mutate slightly, allowing it to infect humans more easily and leading to a pandemic.
The virus originated in Southeast Asia but has now spread to other areas, including Turkey, Siberia and Kazakhstan.
100,000 Chinese share one name "Wang Tao"
BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- At least 100,000 Chinese people, about the population of a small city, share the same name -- "Wang Tao", probably the most common name in China.
These Wang Taos include both men and women, commoners and celebrities. The popular ones consist of a top ping pong player, at least two footballers, noted painters, photographers and an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
"The figure is just an estimation based on rough statistical data we collected from nationwide household registration departments," said Wang Daliang, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
"Identical names are common in China because there're just 2,000 common family names and 3,000 widely used given names."
According to a recent CAS survey, "Li", "Wang" and "Zhang" are the top three popular family names in China, respectively accounting for 7.4 percent, 7.2 percent and 6.8 percent of the population.
Besides, the Chinese people's centuries-old preference for one-character given names has led to growing namesakes.
Actually, a formal Chinese given name should consist of two characters instead of one. One's full name customarily contains his family name, a middle name that is often spelled out in the family pedigree to be shared by everyone of the same generation, and his first name.
China's first law governing its citizens' names debuted in the Qin Dynasty (221 - 207 BC), banning commoners, mountains and rivers from being named after the emperor.
"The tradition of having a middle name started at that time. Heads of families were responsible to change middle names for their next generation when they trimmed the family tree once every 30 or 60 years," Wang said.
When Wang Mang, a former imperial minister of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24 AD), usurped the throne and founded the short-lived Xin Dynasty (8-23), he ruled out middle names as a means of reform.
But in a country with 1.3 billion people, Chinese parents are facing a new type of competition today -- how to come up with unique names for their children. As a result, some parents resort to rare characters that are not even included in contemporary Chinese dictionaries, while others give their children awkward names up to four characters.
"China Rises", Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) television documentary.
January 22, 2006, Sunday 8 PM
"Party Games" - The Communist party is betting big on the Olympic Games in Beijing. Will the gamble be worth it?
"Getting Rich" - China boasts the world's fastest growing economy . But who is being left behind?
January 29, 2006, Sunday 8 PM
"Food is Heaven" - Faced with increasing pollution, the most populous nation on earth struggles to feed its people.
"City of Dreams" - Shanghai is the hottest city in China, home to cutting edge culture and a new middle-class lifestyle.
If you have satellite TV and receive the Canadian "Newsworld" - you can also watch it, but, I will have to wait for it to air on PBS or when my Toronto buddy makes copy of this documentary for me.
January 18, 2006 - Surname population genetics research
Today, there is an article on the comparison and overlaps in the distribution of diseases and the distribution of Chinese surnames and it discusses the possible implications for the prescription of medicines by Chinese surnames. The URL for this article (in Chinese) is: Discovery.ynet.com
Personally, I have noticed that there has also been recent research by Chinese scientists on the use of DNA analysis for tracing the migrations of Chinese from northern to southern China.
SHENYANG, Jan. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Twenty-five Chinese records went into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2005, sources with China's submitting office said Monday.
The Confucius family genealogy, one of the 25 records, is considered the longest of its kind in world records. Dating back 2,800 years, it clearly records the 86 generations of the Confucius family tree.
Individual Chinese also contributed to the Guinness Book. A Beijing resident, named Wang Jun, made a two-stringed traditional Chinese instrument, known as "Erhu", which measures only 4.7 cm.
Chinese Before Columbus
“Columbus found the New World in 1492; Dias discovered the Cape of Good Hope in 1488;and Magellan set off to circumnavigate the world in 1519. However, there is one difficulty with this confident assertion of European mastery: it may not be true” 1
Seems more likely that the Chinese admiral, Zheng He, discovered the world and all its continents. His exploits are well documented by Chinese historical records and were written about in a 1418 book entitled, “The Marvelous Visions of the Star Raft”.
On January 16, 2006, a 1763 map drawn by Mo Yi Tong will be displayed in Beijing and on the following day, in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich,UK. This map is a copy of a map, dated 1418. Five experts on ancient charts note that the 1418 maps represents information that was available in China - from earlier individual nautical charts dating back to the 13 th century and Kublai Khan.
Apparently, the Europeans made copies of Chinese maps. The error in the 1418 map where California is drawn as an island also appears so on European maps.
This 1763 copy of the 1418 map, when authenticated, could seriously change the mindset regarding 15th century world history and would definitely support the thesis of Gavin Menzies, a former Royal Navy submariner and author of the controversial book, “ 1421: The Year China Discovered America” written in 2003. There has been much controversy surrounding this book. There is a PBS documentary and even a dedicated website: 1421 website
1“China beat Columbus to it, perhaps: An ancient map that strongly suggests Chinese seamen were first round the world”, The Economist, January 14 th-20 th 2006, pages 80-81. Economist This is a summary of the article by Henry Tom
January 10, 2006 Xinhua News, Beijing –
The new Book of Hundred Surnames has just been published. The two years of research for this study was conducted by Yuan Yi Da, senior research fellow, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. This study involved 4,100 surnames and determined a ranking of the first 100 surnames. The book also includes the top 300 surnames and the distribution map. The comprehensive surname dictionary will now be republished.
李，王，張，劉，陳，楊，黃，趙，周，吳，徐，孫，朱，馬，胡，郭，林，何，高，梁，鄭，羅，宋，謝，唐，韓，曹，許，鄧，蕭，馮，曾，程，蔡，彭，潘，袁，于，董，余，蘇，葉，呂，魏，蔣，田，杜，丁，沈，姜，范，江，傅，鐘，盧，汪，戴，崔，任，陸，廖，姚，方，金，邱，夏，譚，韋，賈，鄒，石，熊，孟，秦，閻，薛，侯，雷，白，龍，段，郝，孔，邵，史，毛，常，万，顧，賴，武，康，賀，嚴，尹，錢，施，牛，洪，龔。
Li, Wang, Zhang, Liu, Chen, Yang, Huang, Zhao, Zhou, Wu, Xu, Sun, Zhu, Ma, Hu, Guo, Lin, He, Gao, Liang, Zheng, Luo, Song, Xie, Tang, Han, Cao, Xu, Deng, Xiao, Feng, Zeng, Cheng, Cai, Peng, Pan, Yuan, Yu, Dong, Yu, Su, Ye, Lu, Wei, Jiang, Tian, Du, Ding, Shen, Jiang, Fan, Jiang, Fu, Zhong, Lu, Wang, Dai, Cui, Ren, Lu, Liao, Yao, Fang, Jin, Qiu, Xia, Tan, Wei, Jia, Zou, Shi, Xiong, Meng, Qin, Yan, Xue, Hou, Lei, Bai, Long, Duan, Hao, Kong, Shao, Shi, Mao, Chang, Wan, Gu, Lai, Wu, Kang, He, Yan, Yin, Qian, Shi, Niu, Hong, Gong.
This new book reconfirms the largest three surnames previously identified by Yuan Yi Da in a 2002 article are Li, Wang, and Zhang. This 2002 article also describes the geographic distribution of Chinese surnames. The three largest surnames in China are: Li, Wang, and Zhang account for 7.9 %, 7.4 %, and 7.1 % respectively. The top 19 surnames: Li, Wang, Zhang, Liu, Chen, Yang, Zhao, Huang, Zhou, Wu, Xu, Sun, Hu, Zhu, Lin, He, Guo, He, Ma covers about half the population, while the top one hundred surnames account for about 87 % of the population of China.
Geographically, in the north, the surnames of Wang ( 9.9 % of the population ), Li, Zhang, and Liu. In the south, the prominent surnames are: Chen ( 10.6% of the population ), Li, Hunag, Lin, Zhang. In the north / south transitional Yangtze valley area, the lead surname is Li ( 7%), followed by Wang, Zhang, Chen, Liu. By province, Guangdong: Liang and Luo, Guangxi: Liang and Lu, Fujian: Zheng, Taiwan: Cai, Anhui: Wang, Jiangsu: Xu and Zhu, Zhejiang: Mao and Shen, Jiangxi: Hu and Liao, Hubei: Hu, Hunan:Tan, Sichuan: He and Deng, Guizhou: Wu, Yunnan: Yang, Henan: Chen, Gansu, Gao, Ningxia: Wan, Shaanxi: Xue, Qinghai: Bao, Xinjiang: Ma, Shangdong: Kong, Shanxi: Dong and Guo, Inner Mongolia Pan, and northeast three provinces Yu Xing: Yu.
In case you are wondering - the Tom clan name was number 67 in the ranking of the top 100 Chinese surnames in China.
Visiting Cheer-ten-toon: My ancestral village
I always remember dad talking about the village life in China. As an American Born Chinese (ABC), it was all kind of distant to me. I was told that the village was located in Bak shui (white water) in Hoy-san (Taishan, China). After my father passed away, I learned the village name – it was inscribed on the family gravestone.
Recently, I visited Cheer-ten-toon. In preparation and for months before, I tried researching my family genealogy and locating my ancestral village on a map. It turned out to be quite an exasperating, but, rewarding experience. In the process, I discovered two first cousins, which I finally met in the village. This research also helped to re-establish family ties between other Tom relatives. Fortunately for me, I also managed to make a new and valued friend, Kevin Lee – web-master of Siyi Genealogy.
Trying to locate this village just by name and location was rather difficult because the village name had been changed from Cheer-ten-toon to Lung –sen-toon. The area containing my ancestral village also had it’s name changed from Bak-shui to Hor-bak – but, there was still an area, although diminished in size, named Bak-shui. My first cousin, who lives in Taishan city, clarified the discrepancies. The village is actually located just outside the city limits of Taishan. Researching a Chinese family genealogy when you cannot read or write Chinese is not a trivial task. It requires lots of determination and dedication – as well as the forbearance of many Chinese friends that are kind enough to translate and write the needed Chinese characters when necessary.
Because my parents were first generation immigrants, I can speak Hoy-san wah. Finally, it was my first cousin from Taishan who provided me with the Tom family genealogy book that included the Tom family lineage down to my grandfather. My cousin also enumerated the lineage of my father’s family and I provided the lineage from my father. I believe I now have a fairly complete genealogy of my family and feel quite happy about having this. I will organize this information and make it available to the rest of my family. I had organized a three-week tour of China for members of my family and some of their friends - 26 tour group members in total visiting 16 cities in China. The last city to be visited in China was Taishan. My 84 year old mother, an older sister and a younger sister also went. Mom had left Taishan 65 years earlier to come to America as a picture bride to marry dad in 1940. When we arrived in Taishan, we met my two first cousins at the Taishan Garden Hotel for lunch and then went to the ancestral village. One first cousin came from Guangzhou (Canton) where he is retired.
As the bus coach approached the village, as you might imagine, there was a mounting sense of excitement. Then it appeared - it was a very typical looking village, rather rural and quite spartan. It looked like it has not changed very much in many years. There were about 7 or 8 houses clustered together with lots of smiling relatives eager to shake the hand of a “Gim-sun-low (man from the gold mountain - America). I entered the house where my father was born - one hundred years earlier. There is still no running water and the toilet is somewhere outside. In the main room was an ancestral alter with the 100 plus pound roast pig and assorted food I had ordered. I paid my respects by bowing with the incense and burning of paper money.
The attached house is the one that was built with the money my father had sent back and was later given to his brother. I believe a second cousin now lives in this house. We took photos of the families and then proceeded to the family cemetery where I paid my respects to my grandfather. This was a rather simple place on a hillside with a general Tom family gravestone. We lit the incense bowed and burned the paper money etc. Then we all ate some of the roast pork and other foods. Afterwards, we handed out the traditional red envelopes to the relatives. We also gave out lapel pins that had the Chinese character for “Tom” that I had made up for this event.
Because it is a two-hour drive from Taishan to Guangzhou and we needed to catch our train to Hong Kong – we had to leave right after the cemetery visit. Although the visit to the ancestral village was brief, it was a visit that I also did for my father. He had always wanted to return for a visit, but, never did. There is a genuine sense of awe about how humble our origins really are and a feeling of final contentment from this visit to the ancestral village. I intend to return with my son and my brother in the future.
Henry Tom May 20, 2005
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