Alles fängt mal klein an
oder
mit einer Frage
in eigener Sache:
Leider konnten wir das Interview wegen Corona und sonstigen Umständen
noch nicht aufzeichnen. Wir sind bestrebt, dies videomässig nach zu holen.
Trotzdem möchte ich jetzt schon meine Arbeit über die
chinesische Einwanderung in Hawaii ohne dem Gespräch veröffentlichen.
Dafür habe ich einen Teil des Mail-Verkehrs mit Charles Wong hier eingebunden.
Gut vorweg zu lesen:
Die kleine Inselgruppe im blauen Pazifik Hawaii hat wieder einmal mit diesem riesigen Thema von mir „China entdeckt Hawaii“ die Weltgeschichte dazumal verändert!
Um das „Wieso“ und „Warum“, der Entdeckung und der Einwanderung der Chinesen nach Hawaii sowie die Veränderung der Weltgeschichte, über die Hintergründe und Zusammenhänge mehr zu erfahren, zu verstehen, geht es mit folgendem Link in die historiesche Zeitreise:
CHINA ENDECKT HAWAII & MIT WELTGESCHICHTE
Als meine Frau Shayna und ich für dieses Projekt „Tales of Hawaii“ im Jahr 2017 wieder einmal auf den Hawaiianischen Inseln unterwegs waren, um unsere Freunde und 
Interviewpartner zu besuchen, sind wir auch in unserer „Freizeit“ der Kultur von Shayna nachgegangen. Denn unter anderem sind ihre Wurzeln ihrer Ur-Urgrosseltern auch in China wie Okinawa zu finden.
Wir schlenderten gemütlich, lachendend gerade auf der Insel Maui in der alten Walfängerstadt Laheina die Frontstreet hinauf Richtung Mala Historic Wharf und betrachteten dabei die alten, bunt neu angemalten Holzhäuser von dazumal an, wo nun Galerien, Restaurants, Bars, Food Stores und natürlich nicht zu übersehen, die Touristenläden für jedermann die Türen offen haben. Von billig Ware „Made in China“ bis zu sehr eleganten, teuren Kleidergeschäften „Made in USA“ oder sogar seltener „Made in Hawaii“ erblickt man da, statt die heruntergekommenen dunklen Holzhäuser mit dem Gestank von Waloel-Fässern. Obwohl Laheina eine Touristenstadt geworden ist, so findet man trotzdem, wenn man sich auskennt, noch das „alte Hawaii“ mit seinen warmherzigen, lebensfrohen, freundlichen native Hawaiian.
Shayna und ich waren zu Fuss zur Baby Beach unterwegs, wo wir natürlich auch mit unseren mitgebrachten Badetücher den warmen Sand abdeckten und uns dort für einen sehr längeren Augenblick gemütlich hin setzten mit der Aussicht auf den blauen Ozean und den Inseln Kaho ‚olawe, Lanai wie auch Molokei. Nach einer Weile gingen wir an derselben Beach zu dem japanischen, chinesischen wie auch hawaiianischen Pu ‘upiha Friedhof, wo grosse Grabsteine, wie kleine Steintöpfe mit asiatischen Inschriften aus dem Sand herausschauen. Der Friedhof ist so aufgeteilt, dass gerade an der Gegenüberliegende Seite der Buddha-Statue und dem Jodo Tempel der japanische Teil ist, näher an der Mala Werft der chinesische und hinter der Werft der hawaiianische Friedhof liegt. Es ist ein sehr spiritueller, heiliger Ort. Im späten 1800Jh. kamen zuerst viele chinesische, später japanische Immigranten nach Hawaii, wo sie auf den Zuckerplantagen und Mühlen hart arbeiteten. Wenn diese Arbeiter im Alter verstorben sind, so sind ihre Gebeine nach Ihrer asiatischen Kultur in ihr Heimatland wie China oder Japan zurück geschickt worden, um sie in ihrem Heimatboden bestatten zu können. Mit der Zeit, da in China wie auch Japan politische Schwierigkeiten sowie Unruhen herrschten, wurden die Gebeine der Verstorbenen mehr und mehr auf diesem Friedhof bestattet, da es schwierig wurde, die Überreste in dieser Situation rüber zu senden.
Die Japaner feiern für ihre geliebten Vorfahren und Verstorbenen jährlich das O-Bon-Festival, wo jeder für seine entschlummerter Seele eine Laterne mit Kerze darin, dem Himmel und der See entlässt. Ein funkelndes, flimmerndes Lichtermeer in der dunklen schwarzen Nacht, trägt der Wind mit sich hinaus ins offene Meer ins andere Land der ruhenden Seelen. Dazu werden die riesigen Taiko Trommeln von kräftigen Männern und Frauen liebevoll geschlagen und geben diesem Schauspiel das Seine dazu. Dieser voluminöse Schall der Trommeln begleitet diese Lichter zu ihrer Destination hinaus. Sobald die Lichter kleiner werden und in der Dunkelheit entschwinden, versammelt sich ein Jeder um die Taiko-Trommeln zu einem Kreis, wonach ein spezieller japanischer Tanz mit Freuden, lachend, humorvoll, auch nachdenkend, traurig um die Trommeln getanzt wird. Die Harten, Schnellen, dann wieder langsam, behutsam und weiche, sanfte Schläge werden auf diesen überdimensionalen grossen Trommeln einen Schall erzeugen, der tief in dich hineingeht und deinen Gedanken, deiner Seele, deinen Gefühlen nur Gutes tut und du dich frei fühlst. Frei von allen Lastern.
Dies nur nebenbei: Shayna hat mich auf ein O-Bon-Festival auf Big Island geführt, nicht hier in Laheina. Ich kann nur sagen, wenn du bei einem solchen Festival dabei bist und nur zuschauen willst, weil du kein japanisch beherrschst, dich nicht mit den Gebräuchen der Japaner auskennst, du kein begabter Tänzer bist……, ja das hättest du dir vorher gut überlegen sollen. Denn es nützt jetzt deine Vorwände nichts, glaube mir, wirklich nichts, wenn dich eine ältere japanische Frau anlächelt und ihre Arme nach dir ausstreckt oder auch wer immer dich zum Tanz holt, akzeptieren sie keine deiner Ausreden. Deine Alibis, mögen sie auch noch so elegant und Klever sein, sie funktionieren nicht. Du kannst ihnen diesen Tanz nicht abschlagen und nur dort steif stehen bleiben, die herzhaft freundliche Einladung ignorieren und nur zu zuschauen. Du wirst liebevoll, lächelnd aufgefordert in den tanzenden Kreis ein zu treten, wirst mit Freuden mitgenommen und eingeladen mit zu machen. Auf einmal tanzt eine andere Japanerin vor dir her und zeigt dir die Schritte und Bewegungen die ich machen muss, ja sie führt dich in den Tanz ein, damit auch ich den Freuden- und Gedenktanz an unsere Ahnen ausführen kann. Ich sage nur: viel Spass, es ist so humorvoll wie wenn du, zumal leblang gewohnt bist mit einer Gabel zu speisen, zum ersten Mal mit Stäbchen essen musst. Als ich mittanzte und in den grossen Kreis schaute, sah ich, dass viele Tanzhelferinnen und Helfer den unterschiedlichsten durchmischten Nationen von asiatischen und hawaiianischen Menschen vortanzten. Es bereitete mir grosse Freude, besonders mit meiner Frau dabei sein zu dürfen.
Mittlerweile wurde es später Nachmittag, in Lahaina, als Shayna und ich die Buddha-Statue sowie etwas Zeit noch nahmen um den Jodo-Tempel anschauen zu können.
Die Sonne hat bald die Schnittlinie zwischen dem Himmel und dem Wasserspiegel erreicht, wo wir zurück ins Städtchen liefen. Dabei planten wir natürlich noch ins Wo Hing Museum zugehen, welches eigentlich bald schliessen wollte. Doch freundlicherweise hat uns Busaba Yip Douglas PH. D., noch in das prachtvolle, hoch interessante Museum, wo im ersten Stockwerk ein bewältigender Tempel steht, rein gelassen. Shayna kam mit Yip sofort ins Plaudern, während ich mich schon mal im Museum umschaute. Wir waren die einzigen Besucher dort, so konnten wir auch alles genauer betrachten. Yip hat uns ab und zu begleitet und uns dabei diverse spannende Informationen über die Gegenstände mit gegeben. Als wir unseren Rundgang durch Zeit und Räume im Museum abgeschritten haben und uns von Yip verabschieden wollten, sind wir wieder in ein faszinierendes Thema, der Einwanderung der Chinesen in Hawaii, eingeschwenkt. Es war hochspannend ihr zu zuhören und Fragen zu stellen.
In den weiteren Gesprächen und Mails hat Yip immer wieder einmal den Namen Sun Yan-Sen und Charles Wong genannt. Ja, ich fragte mich selbst, wer waren diese Leute? Den diese Namen kamen mir in diesem Moment nicht bekannt vor.
Was haben diese Leute mit Hawaii und mit China zu tun? Gerne will ich mehr über sie erfahren. Ja, ich gebe zu, ich als weisser Westler, kannte diese Leute mit dem Namen Charles Wong und Sun Yan-sen nicht. Dir etwa? Als ich mit Shayna darüber sprach und sie danach fragte, erklärte sie mir sehr genau und lang, welche Persönlichkeiten diese beiden Herren sind. Das Charles Wong, der hier auf Hawaii lebt, der Urenkel von Sun Yan-sen ist, dem ersten chinesischen Präsidenten der neuen Republik China, nach dem Sturz der Qing Dynastie. – Ja, da war ich sprachlos!! Ich brauchte etwas, etwas „sehr lange Zeit“, bis ich es begriff, auch alles richtig zuordnen konnte, mit wem ich hier in Kontakt kam. In den nächsten Tagen verbrachten meine Gedanken in der asiatischen Weltgeschichte und machte mich mehr neugieriger. So kamen mir auch wieder langsam die Erinnerungen auf, wo ich als junger Knabe auf dem Boden sitzend vor dem Röhrenradio, die asiatische Konflikte in den Nachrichten, zugehört hatte.
In den Gesprächen mit Shayna, sagte ich zu ihr, dass ich freudig ein Interview mit diesen Persönlichkeiten führen möchte. So haben wir unsere verbleibende Zeit auf Maui genutzt, um ein Interview mit Busaba Yip Douglas PH. D. und Charles Wong zu organisieren. Leider hatte es nicht mehr klappen wollen.
Obwohl die Zeit verstrich, Shayna und ich wieder von Hawaii zurück in der Schweiz waren, auch Zeit in der Schweiz verlief in Windeseile, nutzte ich meine Freizeit und informierte mich genauer über die asiatische Geschichte wie auch der Einwanderung.
Nach langen Researches, nachlesen, aufschreiben, Unterlagen zusammentragen, war ich bereit, in meinen kommenden Ferien 2020 wieder nach Hause nach Hawaii zu fliegen und das Interview nach zu holen. Leider kam dann 2020 & 2021 die globale Pandemie von Corona, wo es mir nicht erlaubte, nach Hawaii zu fliegen, um das Interview mit den Beiden zu produzieren. Auch schafften wir es bis zur jetzigen Zeit nicht, dieses Gespräch mit der neuen IP-Technik remotemässig zu vollbringen. Für mich ist es ein sehr wichtiges Kapitel in der Geschichte von Hawaii, denn es hat durch die asiatische Besiedelung auf den Hawaiian Inseln auch eine markante grosse Veränderung in ihrer ehemaligen hawaiianischen Kultur, Wirtschaftlichkeit und vergessen wir nicht, die Veränderung am Menschen an sich selbst, durch die Verschmelzung beider Kulturen, gegeben.
So blieb mir nichts anderes übrig, als mit Yip und Charles im schriftlichen Mailverkehr zu verbleiben. Damit meine beiden Freunde eine ungefähre Ahnung für das eventuell bevorstehende Interview hatten und sich vorbereiten konnten, habe ich meine ersten Gedanken und Fragen, allgemein meine Idee ihnen vorgestellt. Im nachfolgenden Mailverkehr mit Charles, wo ich hier veröffentliche, kann man anhand seinen beindruckenden, ehrlichen Antworten die Tiefe des Themas sehen. (PS: Wir sind immer noch daran bestrebt , das Interview videomässig nach zu holen)
Meine schnell gefassten Gedanken und Fragen, inkl. Fehlern, die mir gerad durch den Kopf geschossen waren, die ich dann als erster grober Rahmen im Mail an Yip, Wo Hing Temple Museum in Laheina, am 05. Januar 2021 geschrieben hatte:
Aloha Yip,
I hope you are well in Laheina. How was 2020 for you?
Unfortunately, I cannot count this year among my good years. But what do you want, you have to take it as it comes and have to be satisfied with little. The main thing is to be healthy.
I have read the story of Sun Yat-Sen for a few days now. Very interesting. When I read an overview of Chinese history and looked at it on YouTube, things came back to my mind that I was given as a toddler.
How the memory comes back … smile …. As luck would have it, where I wrote to my friend in China this week and told her about it, she informed me that her grandparents had seen Sun Yat-Sen too.
She will also ask her grandparents after this year and send me some information. I’m curious. Of course I’ll send you this info too. The Chinese history, like that of Sun Yat-Sen, is huge.
Therefore I would like to be “only” interested in the time when Sun came to Hawaii as a 13 year old boy to see his brother. I will send you my thoughts, questions and interests here in brief:
– A short biography of Sun Yat-Sen, his family and his brother?
– Who was his brother? Sun Mei (Ah Mi) and what’s happened to his Range in Maui?
– Is there a family tree of Sun Yat-sen?
– Who is the great grand son? Is it victor sun?
– How was the time when the first Chinese workers came to Hawaii?
– How was the relationship between the Hawaiians and the Chinese?
– Lots of Chinese married Hawaiian women, weren’t there any problems?
– How did China-Town develop in Honolulu and how did people live there?
– How did the Hawaiian royal house behave towards the Chinese population?
– How did the Hawaiian royal house relate to the „revolutionary work“ of Sun Yat-Sen?
– How was the relationship between the royal house and Sun Yat-Sen?
– On the American mainland, there was strong discrimination against the Chinese, including pogroms. („Chinese Exclusion Act“ by Dennis Kearney). How did this affect Hawaii?
– Was it really only because of the plague epidemic that houses in Chinatown were burned down in 1899-1900 or was it more to discriminate against the Chinese population there?
– The Chinese started with sugar plantations as well as coffee in Hawaii. How did the Chinese behave when the American missionaries and US businessmen took over the plantations and pushed the Chinese away?
– How did the Chinese, who were married to Hawaiian women, react to the annexation?
– Has Sun Yat-Sen dealt with Hawaiian-Chinese / American problems and done something about it, or did he just have to change the view of mainland China?
These are briefly put together my questions. I’m sure there will be more questions, which I will pass on to you. Yip, I would like to thank you for your great work and look forward to your letter, which I will be happy to present on my website. For tomorrow’s New Year I want to wish you all the best and health. Let’s be surprised what the new year 2021 will bring us.
I wish you a happy new year.
Mahalo
Gerard
Brief von Urenkel Charles Wong von San Yen-Sen am 05.Janaur 2021
Aloha Gerard,
Busaba, thank you for the introduction to Gerard.
Dr. Sun Yat-sen was an anti-imperialist, who was outraged by the American annexation of Hawaii and the Philippines.
In 1898, Dr. Sun supported Philippine Revolutionaries to declare fight against the American annexation of the Philippines.
Sun Yat-sen had spent his youth and formative years in Hawaii and personally met King David Kalakaua, who awarded him a book for winning second prize in an English grammar competition with native speakers.
When Hawaii was annexed by the United States and became a territory, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 applied, making Chinese immigration very difficult.
Chinese were given Certificates of Hawaiian Birth (not citizenship). If a Chinese man returned to China to marry a Chinese bride, they could lose their status of Hawaiian Birth, meaning that they could not return to Hawaii to give birth to offspring, who would increase the Chinese numbers in Hawaii.
This is one of the reasons why the Chinese population is relatively small despite the fact that they started coming to Hawaii as early as 1789.
The discrimination that the Chinese received overseas, coupled with the reality that China was on the brink of ruin, fueled Overseas Chinese support for Dr. Sun’s Revolution.
Hawaiian Royalty did not directly support Dr. Sun’s Revolution, however, an argument can be made that Sun Mei’s Ranch came from his Hawaiian wife, who was descended from the Chiefs of Maui, in the Ahupua’a of Kamaole, which stretched from the summit on Haleakala down to the sea in Kamaole, between Kihei and Wailea.
One of the principle proponents of the Chinese Exclusion Act was Leland Stanford, Sr. who built the Union Pacific Railway and made a fortune off the backs of Chinese laborers, only to back the Chinese Exclusion Act when he became U.S. Senator for California in 1882.
The Chinese were only expendable labor. Many left the U.S. for Canada, where they built the Canadian trans-continental railway, and when Canada was finished using them, also instituted a Chinese Exclusion Act as well.
As China was a weak country „Sick man of Asia“ there was no strong government to speak up for the poor treatment of Chinese laborers, they were unfortunately treated perhaps marginally better than slaves, but that’s the real history of America.
Sun Yat-sen’s arrival and education in Hawaii opened his mind to the outside world, from which he could understand how poor, backward, and suffering his people were.
Sun’s conversion to Christianity motivated him to do God’s work to save the people on Earth, in particular his own people.
Over the past 100 years, so much of Dr. Sun’s vision for China and the World has come to fruition. Dr. Sun did not live to see the fruition of his vision. He was not called a „visionary“ during his life, but rather as a „Dreamer“ or even „Day Dreamer.“
Yet, a portion of Dr. Sun’s dream has become a vivid reality in China today, so much so, that the Chinese people have begun to call him the „Prophet“ and indeed in my humble opinion he was the Prophet of Modern China and the World.
In Japan alone, Dr. Sun was known to have had over 2,000 Japanese friends!
Apparently the Japanese could recognize something special about Dr. Sun?
The Chinese men, married Hawaiian women, and most Hawaiians today, have Chinese blood in them. The intermarriage between Chinese and Hawaiians fortified their genes with resilience and immunity.
The story of the Modern Chinese Revolution, is actually the remarkable story of two brothers, Sun Mei and Dr. Sun Yat-sen who devoted everything they had, to saving their country, founded upon Sun Mei’s business success in the Hawaiian Islands, the most remote group of islands in the world!
Sun Mei died of a broke heart, bankrupt.
Dr. Sun Yat-sen also died penny less.
In nearly 5,000 years of Chinese history and civilization, the truly great leaders are only few. Dr. Sun Yat-sen is amongst them, however, never before did China have a leader whom was a patriot, when such a thing was unknown to the Chinese. It is for this reason, Dr. Sun Yat-sen is admired by the world, but revered by his own people.
Western biographers of Sun Yat-sen tend to denigrate and belittle him….as not deserving of the adjective „great.“
Chinese biographers of Sun Yat-sen tend to beautify him.
I personally believe that the last chapter on Sun Yat-sen has yet to be written, when his vision for China and the world becomes a reality.
That vision is known as the Great Harmony of the World, Shijie Datong, when the world is equally shared by all, Tian Xia Wei Gong.
Dr. Sun clearly articulated that man must evolve towards his highest potential. The potential for kindness, and to rid himself of selfish, animalistic nature, or else humanity would ultimately extinguish itself…which has already begun on a planetary scale.
Dr. Sun Yat-sen was my maternal great grandfather.
Dr. Sun’s ideology, known as the Three Principles of the People, Civic Nationalism, the People’s Rights, and the People’s Livelihood.
Under the People’s Rights, the four rights of the people: the right of the people to elect their own representatives, and if the representatives are bad, to recall them. The right of the people to initiate new laws, and if the laws are bad, the right of the people to have a referendum to repeal the bad laws, come from the Cantons of Switzerland…
Aloha,
Charles Wong
10. Januar 2021 – Mein Antwortmail zu Charles Wong:
Aloha Charles.
Thank you very much for your mail with the terrific answers to my questions. It’s exciting to read about it. It makes me really curious to find out more about it.
I also think other people will be interested in this story.
Hence my question to you, Charles, whether they would be willing to do a video interview with me. Interview may be the wrong expression.
As you can see on my website (www.talesofhawaii.net ) my concept is rather to let the interviewees talk and listen. I would of course send you the questions beforehand so that you can prepare yourself as well.
During the conversation, I will then ask you the same questions, but I will not interrupt you afterwards. I will write down the counter-questions and ask them later.
The duration of the conversation is open. It takes as long as you want to tell.
If you are ready and want to tell your story, I would be very happy. Unfortunately we have the small problem here, the distance and travel. So I can’t come on site to record this conversation with a camera.
Therefore I have the following ideas:
1. Interview about vMix. Similar to Skype, only more professional.
You would receive a link and code, where you can then dial in with your laptop with camera, or mobile phone or whatever.
I would record this on my server here in Zurich. Of course, this would also be great if a real camera would also record you and then stream the video to me.
– Unfortunately, I don’t know any person in Hong Kong where they can come to you with a camera and also record it separately.
2. You record the interview yourself, without us. Be it with audio and video on a laptop or just audio and then send the file to me.
3. You just write your story in digital form and send me this document. Of course, writing on paper is also absolutely possible.
What do you think about it? If you agree, what would be the easiest form for you?
On my side, two friends would support me so that I can concentrate on the conversation. A friend would take care of the technical and the recording, and the other friend would guide me through the conversation and take notes.
I would then prepare the conversation, like the other conversations on my website, and write about it. Therefore it is not a problem in the recording to promise to repeat itself. We can pause and stop at any time.
Another suggestion or idea from me is, if you agree with Charles and Yip, to edit this conversation so that it is not only on my website, but also that Yip has the opportunity to visit the „WHERE HING MUSEUM“ to show in Laheina.
What’s your opinion here?
Yip, may I actively include you (video-wise) in the conversation, you and I as a questioner to Charles Wong or do you just want to send me your questions to Charles? I would be very happy to include your questions, your curiosity and your topics about China and Hawaii in the conversation with Charles Wong. I think this is an absolutely terrific, excellent conversation.
But I would also like to give Charles the freedom and change to tell his story where you, Charles, think that people are interested and should experience this. Do you have a topic / story?
At the moment I am digging deeper into the topic and then writing down the questions in an orderly manner and giving the structure of the conversation.
Once I have this together, I would send this to you all.
I’m really looking forward to this project, regardless of the form in which Charles decides to talk to us.
Thank you all now for your time and efforts.
Wish you a good and healthy time.
Bye for now. Mahalo.
Gérard
11. Januar 2021 von Charles Wong:
Aloha Gerard,
Regarding Tales of Hawaii on your website. I think the story of the Sun Brothers is a Hawaii Legend, especially for the Chinese people in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and Singapore. The simple reason is that Dr. Sun Yat-sen is a legendary figure, and in many way enigmatic. It is for this reason that so many biographies have been written about Dr. Sun Yat-sen and still continue to be written about him.
The last chapter on Dr. Sun has yet to be written….
The reason why I say this, is because different parts of his vision are still in the process of coming to fruition today.
Dr. Sun was called a „dreamer“ or even a „day dreamer“ during his time, and yet an entire generation of Chinese considered him as their teacher and leader.
Dr. Sun not only founded the Republic of China as the first republic in Asia, but was also an inspiration to an entire generation of revolutionaries throughout Asia from Korea, to Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia.
In many ways the Modern China we are witnessing, become the most technologically advanced society, is leading and creating the future civilization of the world, just as Dr. Sun preached.
During Dr. Sun’s time, he also had many critics who called him too idealistic, and even utopian, yet so much of Dr. Sun’s dream has become a reality in China and the world today.
The origins of Dr. Sun’s revolutionary thought can be traced back to his formative years in Hawaii, where he witnessed the modern advances of the outside world, for the first time, and what he saw, he deeply wanted for China.
The foundation of Dr. Sun Yat-sen was his brother, Sun Mei, 12 years his senior, who came to Hawaii penny less, and through talent and hard work became a legendary figure amongst the Chinese in Hawaii, such that they nicknamed him, „The King of Maui.“
Through the education that Dr. Sun received in Hawaii, coupled with Christianity, Dr. Sun returned to Hawaii in October 1894 and on November 24, 1894 founded the Xinzhong Hui, (Revive China Society) as his first revolutionary organization. At the age of 28, Dr. Sun had become Asia’s first revolutionary.
One of the first person’s Dr. Sun co-opted was his brother Sun Mei, who became his greatest supporter.
Ultimately, Dr. Sun would persuade his brother to sacrifice everything he had, for what he believed in, and in doing so also sacrificing his brother in the process.
In 1907, Dr. Sun initiated four, out of his 10 revolts against the Qing Dynasty in that one year alone, which caused his brother, Sun Mei, to become financially broken, bankrupt, and to become uprooted from the Hawaiian Islands which had been the fertile soils of his success.
The entire Sun Family lived in Hawaii from 1896-1907. It was their haven and refuge. At Sun Mei’s peak he owned nearly 100 properties on Maui and Oahu islands, and in the end, he did not have a single home for his own family members.
Hawaii, the most remote group of islands in the world, was the land which gave birth to and nurtured the modern Chinese revolution of Dr. Sun Yat-sen.
You cannot understand modern China without understanding Dr. Sun Yat-sen and his revolution.
One man cannot do revolution alone, however, it is a fact that the modern Chinese revolution was started and arduously promulgated by one man, and it is for this reason, the Chinese people considered him as their leader.
The world has changed under COVID-19 where I believe that we can perform the „interview“ remotely, as you’ve suggested.
Please tell me why you have decided to undertake the program „talesofhawaii“.
Thank you,
Charles
13.Januar 2021 Mail von mir an Charles:
Aloha Charles.
Thank you very much for your letter.
When I got to know my former Hawaiian wife Shana, where part of her blood comes from China too, I learned a different story about Hawaii during discussions from her friends than was learned and told to us in Europe and in x other countries.
This inspired me to create this website to give the Hawaiians a platform, so that they can tell their story to us, the West. It’s supposed to open our eyes to us in the West and show us the true history and culture of Hawaii.
There should be space for everything on this website, not only the political stories but also music, hula, mythology as well as environmental problems and many other topics that concern Hawaii.
If Shayna and I were always in Honolulu, we were always found in Chinatown. Is one of our favorite places there.
The city change, a timeline of how Chinatown was born and how the district looks today, like the same in all of Honolulu, will soon be another topic for my „TalesOfHawaii“- project. Is being planned.
China is very important in Hawaiian history and culture. Not only was the Chinese world history changed and written from Hawaii, which few people here in the West know.
We also know too little about the fate of how the Chinese people suffered and had to work hard back then. Why many Chinese had to leave their beloved country, came to a new country with a different culture and how they got a foothold there.
In general, we know far too little, if any, about Chinese-Hawaiian history. With this interview I would like to light the light in the dark in Europe to give our people and people who are thirsty for knowledge a new insight into the past.
With this interview, I would also like to give the new Chinese and Hawaiian generations a piece of root that they can hold onto and return to their past. To let understanding arise.
So that the hard, self-sacrificing life of the Chinese who lived there at the time is not forgotten today. So that we remember the people of that time. And what would be the future of this hawaiian-chinese people or special in China.
These are my motivations for this interview with you Charles. You Charles, where you were born in Chinese and Hawaiian history with very important grandparents in the family tree.
You certainly have a lot to say that makes people curious and interested. I think, the people are ready to hear your story.
Thank you for your time, patience and understanding for my writing.
I wish you a happy day.
Gérard
Am gleichen Tag, 13.Januar 2020 die Antwort:
Aloha Gerard,
The Chinese came to Hawaii as early as 1789, but the large groups of Chinese contract laborers did not start coming until the 1840-1850’s, to work in the sugar cane fields.
As mentioned previously, Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s brother Sun Mei, arrived in Hawaii in 1871, following his mother’s brother, Young Mun Nap, who came to Hawaii earlier.
Initially only Chinese men came, and this is why they inter-married with the Hawaiian women to have Chinese-Hawaiian offspring.
Chinese women were only allowed into Hawaii for a brief period of approximately 10 years from the mid 1880-1890’s.
Once Hawaii became a U.S. Territory, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, applied to Hawaii, and Chinese emigration to Hawaii was severely restricted.
Some Chinese were able to circumvent the Chinese Exclusion Act with forged documents, claiming to be the „sons“ an established resident „Paper Sons“ where they would assume the name and identity of another person or family.
Chinese were thought of the as the „Yellow Peril“ poor, backward, rude, and disease carrying, i.e. the plague, and thus the burning of Chinatown to control the plague, which most people interpret today as being racist. If you burn Chinatown to control the rat population, you also destroy it in the process.
In reality Chinatown was also multi-ethnic, and has been the home of latest group of immigrants.
I still remember in the 1970’s Chinatown was largely Filipino, then in the 1980’s it started becoming Vietnamese or Vietnamese-Chinese, which is what a lot of Chinatown is today. (Chinese immigrants from Vietnam).
What’s your former Hawaiian wife’s last name?
Anyways, many Hawaii Chinese went back and forth from China to Hawaii and back again, to get married, to have children, etc.
Dr. Sun Yat-sen as a matter of fact, even claimed that he was born in Hawaii, to obtain a Certificate of Hawaiian Birth, which allowed him to travel in the United States and to circumvent the Chinese Exclusion Act.
I am also the President of the Lin Yee Chung Association, which is the oldest Chinese eleemosynary association in Hawaii founded in 1851, and manages the Manoa Chinese Cemetery.
It’s an amazing place if you get a chance to visit, and literally a repository of the history of the Chinese people in Hawaii.
Best regards,
Charles
10.Februar 2021
Aloha Yip and Charles.
I hope my short lines finds you well.
I wish you both the best for your Lunar New Year, good luck and stay healthy.
Enjoy the time with your friends and family.
I wish you a Happy New Year and welcome to the New Year of the Ox.
About the Interview:
I’ll be in touch soon for the interview with you Charles.
Could you please, about at the end of this month / beginning of March, give me some couple of dates and suggestions, if you are fine for the interview.
So that I can prepare the technology, I may ask you Charles, what kind of technical infrastructure (PC, Mac, mobile …) you will have. You have also a camera, maybe from the laptop?
Do you have a headset also? What kind of software are you familiar and do you know?
Will you be in Hong Kong?
But enjoy first your holidays
Best wishes
Gérard
Mehr Informationen und Zusammenhänge:
CHINA ENDECKT HAWAII & MIT WELTGESCHICHTE
Videos:
Tales of Hawai'i 